CROSSOVER: WRATH OF THE FIRST LANTERN
The First Lantern Has Been Identified
If you've been following the Green Lantern Event Rise of the Third Army, then this is the next phase after that event. Wrath of The First Lantern is your introduction to the villain/all-powerful entity Volthoom, now that he has managed to free himself from the Guardians of Oa imprisonment. In the tradition of a cosmic-based vampire, he carries the ability to change reality with mere thought. At the beginning of this story, though, his powers are weakened because the Guardians used it to create their army.
Wrath of The First Lantern is classified a Crossover and not a full-fledged Event. It's going to carry into the many Green Lantern titles, but is not expected to go beyond 20 issues.
The Wrath of The First Lantern Reading Order
The Issues That Count
Last Update: 05/22/2013
002 Green Lantern Corps #17
003 Green Lantern New Guardians #17
004 Red Lanterns #17
005 Green Lantern #18
006 Green Lantern Corps #18
007 Green Lantern New Guardians #18
008 Red Lanterns #18
009 Green Lantern #19
010 Green Lantern Corps #19
011 Green Lantern New Guardians #19
012 Red Lanterns #19
013 Green Lantern #20<--Released: 05/22/2013
014 Green Lantern Corps #20
015 Red Lanterns #20<--Released: 05/22/2013
016 Green Lantern New Guardians #20<--Released: 05/22/2013
Reading Order Summaries
Details and More Than You Need To Know
001 Green Lantern #17 (Part I: The Puppeteer. Begins the Crossover. Simon Baz and his fellow Green Lantern, B'dg, begin this episode at the Chamber of Shadows where he is confronting The Black Hand for the first time. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Chamber, imprisoned Guardians petition him for freedom. Simon is unsure how to handle the situation, but eventually breaks them out while rebuffing the villain. Meanwhile, trapped by their former captor, the other Guardians are now face to face with Volthoom, free and plotting. Also known as The First Lantern, he begins manipulating reality, but then finds he is weakened due to their power siphoning. He muses that it doesn't matter and heads out to draw power from emotions. As this issue concludes, The Black Hand has revived and caught Simon off guard, sending him to the Dead Dimension where Hal Jordan and Sinestro are still trapped.)
002 Green Lantern Corps #17 (Part II: Decimated. Continues from Green Lantern #17 after an undisclosed period. Volthoom, at some point, ends up confronting Guy Gardner. Perhaps it's due to the amount of emotional passion Guy has as Lantern or the belief that he can be easily fed on. Either way, this issue shows great details where Volthoom attacks Guy psychically, making him believe past events, such as being saved by his sibling, didn't happen. Instead he tries to confront him with a series of failures. By the end of the issue, Guy pleads for Volthoom to change things back.)
003 Green Lantern New Guardians #17 (Part III: 2 Reunions and A Funeral. Continues from Green Lantern Corps #17 after an undisclosed period. Volthoom is now confronting Kyle Rayner and using many of the same techniques that were seen against Guy. Kyle, somehow, is able to retain his powers, even after being shown a reality where he gave them up. Volthoom admits that Kyle is a powerful emotional being, but eventually concludes that he isn't up to his level. After a series of manipulation, the being offers Kyle a second chance if he wants it. Kyle accepts, having been shown a reality where his girlfriend, Alex, is still alive. But instead of keeping his promise, Volthoom leaves, satisfied by feeding on the despair.)
004 Red Lanterns #17 (Part IV. Designed to occur after Green Lantern New Guardians #17. Atrocitus, speaking with the faint electric echo of Krona, begins to feel pity. Incredible pity, telling him he must be near the Great Heart buried deep within Maltus. Breaking through the crust, he reaches it and its servant who warn him to stay clear. As the story goes, the Guardians stored all their emotions in the Great Heart so they would rule with logic. While this story is being related, though, Krona's apparition is extinguished by the appearance of the First Lantern, introducing himself to Atrocitus and telling him things are going to change.)
005 Green Lantern #18 (Part V: Dead or Alive, Your Coming With Me. Occurs after the events in Green Lantern #17, but simultaneous with other issues to this point. Simon wakes up and realizes that Black Hand sent him to the Dead Zone within the Black Power Ring. He meets Hal Jordan and Sinestro, learning their story. They also learn his; at the same time, B'dg and the released Guardians are fighting Black Hand to free him. Tomar-Re, back in the Dead Zone, is revealing Volthoom's origin as an extra-dimensional traveller who bathed in the first light of creation when suddenly, B'dg is able to connect to Simon's ring. Sinestro and Hal then battle in a test of wills and Simon is pulled back to the outside world. Unfortunately Sinestro wins and comes out with him; in return Black Hand is sucked into the Dead Zone. The issue ends with Sinestro believing he can hunt Volthoom down on his own and Hal Jordan realizing that the only way he may be able to get back to the real world is to use Hand's Black Ring. Of course, he'd have to be truly dead to do that.)
006 Green Lantern Corps #18 (Part VI: Pieces of You. Volthoom appears to be moving through Lantern heroes at random, with little timeline concern. This issue occurs after Green Lantern #18, Part V. John Stewart and Fatality are now captured within Volthoom's power and the First Lantern begins searching through realities between them. Mostly focused on John, he examines all the decisions the Green Lantern has made to execute people, including the destruction of Mogo and Xanshi. He also makes him relive the past where he nearly committed suicide. At the same time, Fatality is not completely ignored; from Xanshi, her love and hate relationship with Stewart is observed in its circular pattern. Volthoom concludes the issue reveling in his power.)
007 Green Lantern New Guardians #18 (Part VII: Paths Untaken. Volthoom visits Carol Ferris while she's leading her tactical unit, including Jordan, in Tehran, Larfleeze, and Saint Walker. With the Orange Lantern, he tries everything, but cannot get past the Avarice that made him. He attempts to turn Saint Walker with a betrayal scene with Guardian Ganthet and the Third Army, but Walker resumes his hope and regains his Blue Lantern powers. Finally, he portrays a scene where the Atlantean Navy attacks, but Carol, once again, demonstrates her greater love for her team and mission, becoming the Star Sapphire anew. Volthoom then considers that not all is lost, and heads for the Red Lantern.)
008 Red Lanterns #18 (Part VIII: The Decision. Volthoom appears before Atrocitus and immediately invades his reality, going back to the moment his world was destroyed. Manipulating the past, he shows the Red Lantern a time where the destruction didn't happen, but also one where Atrocitus was a tyrant and eventually killed by his son. He gives Atrocitus a choice, and the Red Lantern chooses to keep things as they've always been. Before Volthoom leaves, he takes the Great Heart with him, saying he found the Lantern that will allow him to control all of reality. This issue also has cuts to Rankorr's story, as he's beginning to fall in love, but is shunned when Bleez appears.)
009 Green Lantern #19 (Part IX. Centering mostly around Sinestro, he's managed to follow Baz back to the lands of the living; they now stand before the recently imprisoned Guardians, who tell them about Volthoom and his origin. Sensing the worst, Thaal appears in Korugar and reaches Arsona, telling her she has to trust him and unleash all their defenses. She does, but that's when Volthoom appears and attempts to manipulate him. Sinestro feels the bite of his reality, but it only makes him angrier; he attacks Volthoom with all his strength. It appears to be working, but suddenly we learn that his was all planned. Now fully recharged by fear and hope, Volthoom wields his incredible powers and destroys the entire planet. Back in the Dead Zone, Hal is still considering suicide when more spirits arrive; that's when he and Tomar-Re learn Korugar is no more. Oddly, though, Sinestro is not among them. In the last scene, we know why. Before the angered Lantern is the Yellow Power Battery.)
010 Green Lantern Corps #19 (Part X. Now awakened, Mogo becomes key and central to the resistance against Volthoom in this fast-paced issue. Spreading his terra firma across space, he envelopes and protects the the main characters against The First Lantern's control, bringing them all together on his surface. Once there, an image of Volthoom attacks with multi-colored aspects of opponents. This revitalizes the Lanterns and they regain their vigor in the fight; that's when the illusion is dropped and Mogo tells them that he used this trial to get their Willpower and strength back. Ready for battle, The Lanterns are now the last defense against Volthoom. But they are ready!)
011 Green Lantern New Guardians #19 (Part XI. Star Sapphire and Kyle regroup. They attempt to warn the rest of their team, but no one responds. Instead, Kyle's ring locates Sinestro, taking them to the ruined remains of Korugar where they find dead. As they plot their next move, Sinestro strikes, thinking Kyle is now a pawn of Volthoom. A battle ensues until Simon and B'dg show up telling Carol that Hal is in the Dead Zone, trapped. Kyle is convinced that his ring might raise the dead of Korugar. He tries, but fails. Sinestro pulls his ring off and tries; it refuses him and flies to Simon. He also tries, but fails. The heroes prepare for Sinestro's onslaught and rage, but now all is quiet; he summons the yellow lantern, preparing to exact revenge against Volthoom.)
012 Red Lanterns #19 (Part XII. In the midst of their struggle to survive, Volthoom's manipulation of Atrocitus causes the Red Lantern to issue a Sacred Order: "Kill Atrocitus!" The Red Lanterns answer the call and travel across the reaches of the galaxy to their leader and begin attacking. But surprisingly, with all their rage in motion, Atrocitus becomes more powerful; he now feels their rage. The battle ends and a new Atrocitus stands before his Lanterns. Empowered by his new rage and strength, he turns their meeting into a vendetta, ordering the Red Lanterns to kill The Guardians of Oa.)
013 Green Lantern #20 (The Epic Finale. Anniversary-Sized Issue. As Volthoom rises to full power, the multitudes of Lanterns strike. First Guy Gardner with the Corps, then Atrocitus and his Red Lanterns, and then Kyle Rayner with the rest. This doesn't phase the First Lantern, though, and his constructs are now real. But using their powers together, with Mogo, they hit Volthoom hard with a unified beam. As he prepares to retaliate, Sinestro strikes. He's now taken the Yellow Light again. Volthoom prepares to kill him, but then Hal Jordan arrives and strikes. Jordan killed himself and in doing so, became the bearer of the Black Ring. Now a Black Lantern, he hits Volthoom with all his strength. This continues to beat back Volthoom, but he is not defeated. He pulls a younger version of Hal from reality, one that feels loss and fear. Using this strength to remake reality Sinestro then summons and absorbs Parallax. Jordan returns to the dead zone and summons Nekron. In one swoop, Volthoom is depowered and then killed. Jordan then faces his younger self and reattains his will, becoming a Green Lantern once more. With no Black Ring left, Nekron diffuses and is gone. Sinestro, though, kills all the Guardians - or so you will think unless you buy the issue - and leaves with his Corps. The remaining emissaries of the spectrum also leave, now that the battle is over. The issue also goes into an aftermath, but it is largely a tribute to this being Geoff Johns last issue.)
014 Green Lantern Corps #20 (Epilogue. The battle is now over; Guy and Kilowog free Salaak and tell him the fate of the Guardians, Volthoom, and the Corps. Salaak, though, has some bad news for Guy, before their demise, the Guardians released Xar to take revenge on his family. Guy immediately goes into action and grabs Saint Walker, The Blue Lantern, and powers his ring up to 300% before arriving on Earth to unleash a devastating attack that destroys the villain in the act. As the final enemy is gone, Guy then rests - for about 10 days and heads on to other Green Lantern adventures. This issue also covers, briefly, Lantern Stewart and Yrra as they consumate their relationship on the Planet Lantern Mogo.)
015 Red Lanterns #20 (Epilogue. Continues from a scene in Green Lantern #20. With Sinestro leaving one Guardian alive, Atrocitus allows the Red Lanterns to return to their home as he goes after revenge. The Red Lanterns return to Ryutt, but believe Atrocitus has now abandoned them. Waiting on Ryutt is the Inversions. A battle begins, but Bleez overcomes their "dusty" spells and causes them to flee. The Red Crown of Leadership is offered to her, but she in turn offers it to Rankorr. But he's still uncertain as to what he has become and heads to earth. Finding the woman he's developed an affection for, he uses his powers to beat up her abusive boyfriend and offers to kill him for her. She rebuffs him, causing his confuses. He leaves the planet. Atrocitus returns to Ryutt and takes his leadership, announcing that that he's killed the Guardian and will redefine the Red Lantern role. Bleez and the rest accept his grandeur; Rankorr shows up and states he is no longer anything else but a Red Lantern.)
016 Green Lantern New Guardians #20 (Epilogue. Feeling that something in missing, Kyle is met with Saint Walker on Earth as they travel across its vastness. They discuss the events of the recent past and the evolution of all the colors of the spectrum until Walker finally advises Kyle to resolve parts of his own past. That's when Kyle touches down in Arizona and speaks with his father to patch up their relationship. In the distance Sayd and Ganthet, believed to be dead, watch.)
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