Rann-Thanagar War
Encyclopedia
Rann-Thanagar War is a six-issue comic book
limited series
published by DC Comics
in 2005
. Written by Dave Gibbons
, and illustrated by Ivan Reis
, Marc Campos, and John Kalisz
, the series concerns a war between the planets Rann
and Thanagar
, and features Adam Strange
, the Green Lantern Corps
, Hawkman
, Hawkgirl
, L.E.G.I.O.N.
and Captain Comet
, along with other DC space adventurers. The series was followed in early 2006
with the one-shot book Rann-Thanager War: Infinite Crisis Special.
, The OMAC Project
, and Day of Vengeance
, is one of four miniseries which lead up to DC Comics' Infinite Crisis
event. Unlike most of the other tie-ins, it is also a continuation of storylines from two other series: Adam Strange: Planet Heist and Green Lantern: Rebirth
.
limited series, a war erupted between the planets Rann and Thanagar. Rann's adopted hero Adam Strange
and Thanagarian law enforcement officers Hawkman (Katar Hol) and Hawkgirl (Shayera Hol) worked desperately to end the conflict. The trio succeeded, eventually revealing that events leading up to the war were manipulated by the intergalactic criminal Kanjar Ro
.
ians. During the battle, the leader of the group transported Strange's adopted homeworld of Rann
into the Thanagarian system in the hope of creating a dictatorship. However, Rann's new location caused the orbit of Thanagar to become unstable, and the planet crashed into the system's sun. The surviving Thanagarians and Rannians now all live on Rann, and tensions are high between the two groups, as each blames the other for their predicament.
Aware that war could erupt at any time, Strange goes to Earth to recruit the help of Hawkman and Hawkgirl, who have a connection to Thanagar, in preventing a war. Meanwhile, Green Lantern
s Kilowog
and Kyle Rayner
are sent on a covert mission to Rann, albeit under orders by the Guardians of the Universe
not to interfere.
When Strange and the Hawks arrive on Rann, they are shocked to see that the war has already begun. They form a team, including the Thanagarian Hawkwoman
and the Tamaran
ean Blackfire
. More and more planets are drawn into the war as Rann and Thanagar each call on their respective allies. Seeing a chance to seize power, Blackfire betrays the group, killing Hawkwoman in the process. It becomes clear that all factions have a common enemy: Onimar Synn
. With the help of Tigorr of the Omega Men
and Captain Comet
, Strange's team manages to cut Synn into seven pieces, and each piece is inserted into a separate star to prevent him from reforming.
At the end of the series, the assorted forces of Rann and Thanagar are faced with a fracture in space that resembles those that were seen during the Crisis on Infinite Earths
.
's assembled heroes are working to keep the peace between the two warring forces, when Adam Strange receives a message from Tigorr of the Omega Men. He leads Strange, along with Hawkman and Hawkgirl, to a stray Thanagarian surveillance satellite, which has documented footage of Superboy-Prime
forcing Rann and Thanagar to collide, and thus, go to war.
Though the satellite is soon lost in the chaotic environment, Strange has an idea to gather the heads of each faction so that they might stop fighting amongst themselves and work together against the new cosmic threat. Meanwhile, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner has been working with former lover, Jade
, to fight against the enormous hands forcing open a hole in spacetime. Unfortunately, Jade is unable to survive the electromagnetic energy surges and dies. In her last moments, she breathes the emerald energy that Kyle Rayner once granted her back into him, increasing his powers significantly.
Kyle gives Jade's body to her father, Alan Scott
, and he cradles her in his arms, remarking how she seems herself again, until another energy wave destroys her mortal remains. Kyle, once again calling himself Ion, tells Alan that as long as the two of them live on, her unique spirit and energy will continue.
Upon Kyle's ascension, the Guardians note that he is the first of a "new breed, the next step in the evolution of our cause." There is debate of whether so much power can be wielded by any Lantern, but Kyle's previous experience is considered, and the Guardians agree that being able to monitor him this time is an important difference.
On the barren surface of Thanagar, Adam Strange finds evidence to present to all of the warring groups: handprints deep within an enormous crater, created by Superboy Prime's interference. L.E.G.I.O.N., Thanagar, Rann and New Cronus combine their forces to make a full assault on the force behind the rift, with Ion in the lead.
with art by Ron Lim
.
and World's Finest Comics
in the 1970s. With the Hawkworld
reboot in 1989, this portion of Hawkman's history was retconned.
(ISBN 1-4012-0839-8). The one-shot special was collected in Infinite Crisis Companion (ISBN 1-4012-0922-X). The "Rann-Thanager Holy War" was collected into 2 volumes.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
in 2005
2005 in comics
- January :* January 3: Will Eisner, creator of The Spirit, dies at age 87.-April:*April 13:**DC Comics announces the discontinuation of its Humanoids and 2000 A.D. titles....
. Written by Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons is an English comic book artist, writer and sometime letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries Watchmen and the Superman story "For the Man Who Has Everything"...
, and illustrated by Ivan Reis
Ivan Reis
Ivan Reis , born 1976 in São Paulo, is a Brazilian comic book artist. He is known for his work on books such as Marvel Comics' Captain Marvel, and DC Comics' Green Lantern books...
, Marc Campos, and John Kalisz
John Kalisz
John Kalisz is an American comics artist who has worked as a colorist in the comics industry. He has been recognized for his work with nominations for the Comics' Buyer's Guide Favorite Colorist Award in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004...
, the series concerns a war between the planets Rann
Rann
Rann is a fictional planet in the Polaris star system of the whose capitol city is Ranagar. Rann is most famous for being the adopted planet of the Earth explorer and hero Adam Strange and for their teleportation device called the Zeta Beam...
and Thanagar
Thanagar
Thanagar is a fictional planet in the . Thanagar is the original home of the humanoid Thanagarian race, noted for the discovery of gravity-defying Nth metal...
, and features Adam Strange
Adam Strange
Adam Strange is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky, he first appeared in Showcase #17 .In May 2011, Adam Strange placed 97th on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time....
, the Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
, Hawkman
Hawkman
Hawkman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....
, Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl
Hawkgirl is the name of several female fictional superhero characters, all owned by DC Comics and existing in that company's universe. The character is one of the first costumed female superheroes...
, L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N., is a team of fictional extraterrestrial superheroes, a science fiction comic book published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Invasion! #1, and were created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo and Todd McFarlane...
and Captain Comet
Captain Comet
Captain Comet is a fictional DC Comics superhero created by DC Comics Editor Julius Schwartz, writer John Broome, and artist Carmine Infantino....
, along with other DC space adventurers. The series was followed in early 2006
2006 in comics
-January:*January 1, 2006: Newsweek offer a look back at 2005 through editorial cartoons. *January 2, 2006: The Cincinnati Enquirer cartoonist Jim Borgman starts a blog to detail his creative process...
with the one-shot book Rann-Thanager War: Infinite Crisis Special.
Overview
Rann-Thanagar War, along with Villains UnitedVillains United
Villains United is a six-issue comic book limited series, written by Gail Simone with art by Dale Eaglesham and Wade Von Grawbadger, published by DC Comics in 2005...
, The OMAC Project
The OMAC Project
The OMAC Project is a six issue American comic book limited series written by Greg Rucka with art by Jesus Saiz and published by DC Comics in 2005.-Overview:...
, and Day of Vengeance
Day of Vengeance
Day of Vengeance is a six-issue comic book limited series written by Bill Willingham, with art by Justiniano and Walden Wong, published in 2005 by DC Comics.-Publication history:...
, is one of four miniseries which lead up to DC Comics' Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
event. Unlike most of the other tie-ins, it is also a continuation of storylines from two other series: Adam Strange: Planet Heist and Green Lantern: Rebirth
Green Lantern: Rebirth
Green Lantern: Rebirth was a six-issue monthly American comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Ethan Van Sciver...
.
Pre-Crisis War
In the continuity which existed prior to the Crisis on Infinite EarthsCrisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
limited series, a war erupted between the planets Rann and Thanagar. Rann's adopted hero Adam Strange
Adam Strange
Adam Strange is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Mike Sekowsky, he first appeared in Showcase #17 .In May 2011, Adam Strange placed 97th on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time....
and Thanagarian law enforcement officers Hawkman (Katar Hol) and Hawkgirl (Shayera Hol) worked desperately to end the conflict. The trio succeeded, eventually revealing that events leading up to the war were manipulated by the intergalactic criminal Kanjar Ro
Kanjar Ro
Kanjar Ro is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Justice League of America #3 in a story entitled "The Slave Ship of Space". He was created by Gardner Fox and Mike Sekowsky....
.
Series plot summary
During Planet Heist, Adam Strange fought a rogue group of ThanagarThanagar
Thanagar is a fictional planet in the . Thanagar is the original home of the humanoid Thanagarian race, noted for the discovery of gravity-defying Nth metal...
ians. During the battle, the leader of the group transported Strange's adopted homeworld of Rann
Rann
Rann is a fictional planet in the Polaris star system of the whose capitol city is Ranagar. Rann is most famous for being the adopted planet of the Earth explorer and hero Adam Strange and for their teleportation device called the Zeta Beam...
into the Thanagarian system in the hope of creating a dictatorship. However, Rann's new location caused the orbit of Thanagar to become unstable, and the planet crashed into the system's sun. The surviving Thanagarians and Rannians now all live on Rann, and tensions are high between the two groups, as each blames the other for their predicament.
Aware that war could erupt at any time, Strange goes to Earth to recruit the help of Hawkman and Hawkgirl, who have a connection to Thanagar, in preventing a war. Meanwhile, Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
s Kilowog
Kilowog
Kilowog is a fictional superhero from DC Comics, and a member of the Green Lantern Corps.-Origins:A towering alien with a brutish and porcine appearance, Kilowog is renowned throughout the Green Lantern Corps as the primary trainer of the Corps' newest recruits...
and Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol...
are sent on a covert mission to Rann, albeit under orders by the Guardians of the Universe
Guardians of the Universe
The Guardians of the Universe, alternatively known as the Guardians or Oans are a fictional extraterrestrial race in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #1 , and were created by John Broome and Gil Kane. Here they do not reveal their existence to Hal, bringing his...
not to interfere.
When Strange and the Hawks arrive on Rann, they are shocked to see that the war has already begun. They form a team, including the Thanagarian Hawkwoman
Hawkwoman
Hawkwoman is the name of several fictional superheroines all owned by DC Comics and existing in that company's DC Universe. They are partners, and sometimes spouses or lovers, of the various versions of Hawkman, and share many features with the character Hawkgirl.-Shayera Hol:The Silver Age...
and the Tamaran
Tamaran
Tamaran is a fictional planet in DC Comics, inhabited by Tamaraneans, an extraterrestrial race. The first Tamaranean introduced was Koriand'r, better known as Starfire. The only other named Tamaraneans are Komand'r, Starfire's sister , her younger brother Ryand'r and her parents, Myand'r and Luand'r...
ean Blackfire
Blackfire
Blackfire is a supervillain that appears in the fictional DC Universe. She is the older sister of the Titans member Starfire and Omega Men member Ryand'r. The character first appears in New Teen Titans #22, and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:Komand'r...
. More and more planets are drawn into the war as Rann and Thanagar each call on their respective allies. Seeing a chance to seize power, Blackfire betrays the group, killing Hawkwoman in the process. It becomes clear that all factions have a common enemy: Onimar Synn
Onimar Synn
Onimar Synn is a fictional extraterrestrial demon, a comic book character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in JSA #23 , and was created by David S. Goyer, Geoff Johns and Stephen Sadowski.- Fictional character biography :...
. With the help of Tigorr of the Omega Men
Omega Men
The Omega Men are a fictional team of extraterrestrial superheroes who have appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Green Lantern #141 , and were created by Marv Wolfman and Joe Staton....
and Captain Comet
Captain Comet
Captain Comet is a fictional DC Comics superhero created by DC Comics Editor Julius Schwartz, writer John Broome, and artist Carmine Infantino....
, Strange's team manages to cut Synn into seven pieces, and each piece is inserted into a separate star to prevent him from reforming.
At the end of the series, the assorted forces of Rann and Thanagar are faced with a fracture in space that resembles those that were seen during the Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Crisis on Infinite Earths is a 12-issue American comic book limited series and crossover event, produced by DC Comics in 1985 to simplify its then 50-year-old continuity...
.
Rann/Thanagar War Special: Hands of Fate
In the Rann/Thanagar War: Infinite Crisis Special, the rift begins endangering the lives of those in the star system by sending out destructive energy waves. Donna TroyDonna Troy
Donna Troy is a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #60 , and was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani...
's assembled heroes are working to keep the peace between the two warring forces, when Adam Strange receives a message from Tigorr of the Omega Men. He leads Strange, along with Hawkman and Hawkgirl, to a stray Thanagarian surveillance satellite, which has documented footage of Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
forcing Rann and Thanagar to collide, and thus, go to war.
Though the satellite is soon lost in the chaotic environment, Strange has an idea to gather the heads of each faction so that they might stop fighting amongst themselves and work together against the new cosmic threat. Meanwhile, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner has been working with former lover, Jade
Jade (comics)
Jade is a fictional character, a superheroine in the . Known affectionately as "Jennie" or "Jen", she is the daughter of Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern. Her mother is Rose Canton, the Golden Age villain known as Thorn...
, to fight against the enormous hands forcing open a hole in spacetime. Unfortunately, Jade is unable to survive the electromagnetic energy surges and dies. In her last moments, she breathes the emerald energy that Kyle Rayner once granted her back into him, increasing his powers significantly.
Kyle gives Jade's body to her father, Alan Scott
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
, and he cradles her in his arms, remarking how she seems herself again, until another energy wave destroys her mortal remains. Kyle, once again calling himself Ion, tells Alan that as long as the two of them live on, her unique spirit and energy will continue.
Upon Kyle's ascension, the Guardians note that he is the first of a "new breed, the next step in the evolution of our cause." There is debate of whether so much power can be wielded by any Lantern, but Kyle's previous experience is considered, and the Guardians agree that being able to monitor him this time is an important difference.
On the barren surface of Thanagar, Adam Strange finds evidence to present to all of the warring groups: handprints deep within an enormous crater, created by Superboy Prime's interference. L.E.G.I.O.N., Thanagar, Rann and New Cronus combine their forces to make a full assault on the force behind the rift, with Ion in the lead.
Rann/Thanagar: Holy War
On May 7, 2008, a new limited series entitled Rann-Thanagar Holy War began publication. The new series is written by Jim StarlinJim Starlin
James P. "Jim" Starlin is an American comic book writer and artist. With a career dating back to the early 1970s, he is best known for "cosmic" tales and space opera; for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock; and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters...
with art by Ron Lim
Ron Lim
Ronald "Ron" Lim is an American comic book artist living in Sacramento, California.-Biography:Ron Lim's first published work was an independent comic book entitled Ex-Mutants, which he worked on from 1986-1988....
.
Pre-Hawkworld
A Rann-Thanagar war also took place in ShowcaseShowcase (comics)
Showcase has been the title of several comic anthology series published by DC Comics. The general theme of these series has been to feature new and minor characters as a way to gauge reader interest in them, without the difficulty and risk of featuring "untested" characters in their own ongoing...
and World's Finest Comics
World's Finest Comics
World's Finest Comics was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 switched to the more familiar name...
in the 1970s. With the Hawkworld
Hawkworld
Hawkworld is a comic book series that was published by DC Comics. The initial story line was published as a three-issue mini-series and then, based on the high sales and interest level generated by this limited series, launched as an ongoing monthly book...
reboot in 1989, this portion of Hawkman's history was retconned.
Collected editions
In January 2006 this series was collected in a 160 page trade paperbackTrade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
(ISBN 1-4012-0839-8). The one-shot special was collected in Infinite Crisis Companion (ISBN 1-4012-0922-X). The "Rann-Thanager Holy War" was collected into 2 volumes.
External links
- Your Guide to Infinite Crisis: The Rann-Thanagar War -- study of series as part of Infinite Crisis