Guy Gardner (New Earth)
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History
Early life
Guy Gardner was from Baltimore, where he was raised by his parents, Rolly and Peggy Gardner. Rolly was an abusive alcoholic who beat Gardner repeatedly. Gardner worked very hard in school to try to win his father's approval, yet all his achievements were dismissed out of hand. Instead, Rolly lavished attention and compliments upon Gardner's older brother Mace, who, it seemed to Gardner, could do no wrong in their father's eyes. Gardner's only escape at this time was General Glory comic books, even modeling his bowl haircut on Glory's sidekick, Ernie.
During his mid-teens, Gardner finally decided that nothing he ever did was going to be good enough to win his father's affection, and the young boy became a juvenile delinquent. Gardner was straightened out from his downward spiral by his older brother, who had become a police officer. Mace's pressure and advice knocked some sense into Gardner, and Gardner then went to college, working his way through to support himself, and emerging from University of Michigan with bachelor's degrees in education and psychology. During his time at University of Michigan, he also became a nationally renowned football hero, but had to abandon that career due to injuries.
After college, Gardner worked as a social welfare caseworker, dealing with prison inmates and their rehabilitation. He abandoned this line of work, however, fearing it brought out his innate more aggressive nature. Moving on, he became a teacher for children with disabilities.
Green Lantern Corps
When the alien Green Lantern Abin Sur crashlanded on Earth after being mortally wounded by the villain Legion, he commanded his power ring to find a man honest and fearless enough to pass his power on to. The ring found two suitable candidates: Guy Gardner and Hal Jordan. Because Jordan was closer at the time, he was chosen over Gardner as the one to receive the ring. [1]
Jordan later met Gardner and the two became friends, with Gardner sometimes assisting Jordan during his adventures. However during an earthquake, Gardner was seriously injured in the disaster and the Guardians of the Universe recruited John Stewart to be Jordan's new backup Lantern. Later during a clash with Hector Hammond, Gardner suffered brain damage and was rendered comatose for a time.
Several years later, during the battle with the Anti-Monitor, the Guardians of the Universe split into two factions over how to confront the crisis. A minority faction of six Guardians decided to emulate their former brethren, the Controllers, and recruit their own Green Lanterns to directly attack and destroy the forces of the anti-matter universe. They subsequently revived and recruited Gardner into the Green Lantern Corps. [2] However, Gardner's brain damage now manifested itself in the form of an arrogant, violent new personality. Five of the six renegade Guardians were slain by a wave of anti-matter and the sixth eventually was reconciled with the rest of the Guardians, leading Gardner to believe from then on that he was "the last true Green Lantern" and the superior of all other GLs, particularly Jordan. Following the crisis and the Guardians' departure from Oa, he went on to serve the Corps for a number of years, eventually taking Jordan's place as the Green Lantern of Sector 2814 when Jordan was on a mission to recruit new members into the Corps.
During his tenure as Earth's Green Lantern, Gardner became a founding member of the Justice League International after the original JLA was disbanded. [3] At one point, Gardner challenged Batman's position as League chairman; he went so far as to say he didn't need his power ring to deal with Batman and took it off. Annoyed by Gardner's taunts, Batman knocked out the Green Lantern with one punch.
Gardner tried on several occasions to assume the leadership of the Justice League only to be passed over in favor of another hero. He also had a longtime hatred of Hal Jordan.
During his JL years, Gardner once again suffered a personality change as a result of a bump on the head, and for a while became a polar opposite of his normal self: kind, loving, generous, boyishly innocent, and politically correct to a fault. At one point, he hit his head on the underside of a table, regained his old persona, and then whacked his head a second time as he stood up and reverted again. He also started an on-again, off-again relationship with the superheroine Ice, which ended with her death at the hands of the Overmaster.
Guy Gardner Reborn
Eventually, forced to forfeit his Green Lantern ring after a grudge fight with Jordan, Gardner set out on a quest to regain his power and identity. With the help of Lobo, Gardner acquired the yellow power ring of Sinestro from Oa's Crypt of the Green Lantern Corps, and he began to use that ring. The yellow ring did not use a battery to recharge, but actually needed to be used against Green Lanterns to restore power. Gardner found this out by accident when a member of the GLC fought him while he had absolutely no power.
As the yellow ring of Sinestro spoke Sinestro's native language, Gardner was entirely unable to communicate with the ring, although it seemed to understand him to a degree.
Gardner only wore the yellow ring for a short while.
It was while he had the yellow power ring that Doomsday first appeared. Gardner was with the Justice League at the time. and when Doomsday caused Blue Beetle's craft to crash, Gardner did not wait for the rest of the team. He charged straight in, and was quickly overwhelmed by Doomsday, who pummeled him badly before tearing through the rest of the team.[4] Guy, his face beaten so badly he could barely see, continued in the fight, but was put down again.[5] Guy was forced to sit the rest of the battle out, taken off in an ambulance, but insisting that Superman put Doomsday down.[6]
Guy, although never close friends with the Man of Steel, mourned his death along with the rest of the League.[7] He gathered for Superman's funeral in Metropolis and walked in the honor guard along with the League.[8] Shortly thereafter, while in Chicago, Guy became aware of four super powered beings all claiming to be Superman returned from the dead. Infuriated at what he regarded as pretenders disrespecting the memory of Superman, Guy decided to take action. He went to Metropolis and encountered "The Last Son of Krytpon," (later revealed to be the Eradicator) and challenged him to a fight. Impressed with the shaded Superman's prowess and with the brutality he exhibited in defeating some common thugs, Guy was willing to endorse him as the real Man of Steel. When the Cyborg Superman framed the Eradicator for the destruction of Coast City, Guy was the one member of the League who refused to believe the charge. Nevertheless, he went along with the League when they were lured away from Earth in a ruse by the Cyborg.[9]
Warrior years
When Hal Jordan destroyed the Green Lantern Corps and became Parallax, Guy Gardner led a group of heroes to Oa to find out what had happened. In battling Parallax, Guy Gardner's ring was destroyed and he was forced to find an alternate means to acquire power.
On Earth, Ganthet first came to Guy Gardner to offer him the last Green Lantern power ring. When Gardner refused, Ganthet chose Kyle Rayner.
On an expedition to the Amazon with a rich entrepreneur, Gardner found a chalice in a cave. Having drunk from it, he was to become Warrior. Gardner discovered that his past was not what he thought it was. He was actually the descendant of a space-traveling race called the Vuldarians. This discovery eventually led him to discover new powers within himself. These powers allowed him to resume his role as a superhero. He also established a superhero theme bar called Warrior's, as both a source of income and a base between his adventures.
His early days as Warrior saw him struggling with his newfound powers. He had difficulty changing his body to any kind of weapon, and these transformations sometimes caused him pain. After a breakdown that led to a confrontation with Superman and Supergirl, with some soul-searching help from his ancestor, Gardner finally came into his own, able to use his new powers and was able to form just about any tactical non-energy based weapon from his body, from guns to bombs, as well as absorb some forms of energy and redirect them through his various 'weapons'. Another ability, the knowledge of warriors from across space and time, was rarely used.
It was during this time that Gardner fought against Dementor, a "brother" of sorts, in that he was also a product of Vuldarian breeding. (Dementor's father raped a woman who carried the Vuldarian seed, and Dementor was born.) Dementor was sent to Hell, but eventually revealed that he was the one responsible for Gardner's constant personality shifts. He finally dealt with his "family", as well as revealed another side of his Vuldarian powers, the ability to heal mortal wounds, such as regenerating a heart.
He was seemingly killed during during Imperiex's attack on Earth. However he was later discovered to be trapped in a pocket of Hell in General Zod's country of Pokolistan. After freeing himself from this, his Warrior powers were seemingly boosted. He declared it was his job to do things heroes like Superman couldn't.
Return to the Corps
Gardner's Vuldarian DNA was overwritten by his human DNA when Parallax possessed Gardner and several Green Lanterns. Hal Jordan's ring split in two and Gardner's ring was restored to him. Eventually, Parallax was defeated by the combined effort of all five active Green Lanterns, including Gardner. The Guardians then selected Gardner as one of the senior officers of the new Green Lantern Corps.
The Guardians assigned Gardner to be one of the Corps' three main instructors, along with Kilowog, and Kyle Rayner. The trio was responsible for the training of the new Corps, to which the Guardians intend to name 7,200 members. Gardner was not at all appreciative of his new role, and when he complained to the Guardians, they told him that success in training new recruits could lead to him being given a new position.
Gardner played a significant role in defeating the Spider Guild attack on Oa. Discovering that trainee Soranik Natu had disappeared into the forbidden Vega star system, which the Guardians' pact with the Psions of Vega forbade Green Lanterns from entering, Gardner and Kyle Rayner led a rescue mission in direct violation of Oan policy. Once there, the Lanterns discovered the Spider Guild Nest and determined that its next target would be the Oan sun. Returning just as the attack commenced, Gardner gathered the frightened trainee Green Lanterns and rallied them with a speech that impressed even his long time rival, Hal Jordan. Gardner's performance in repelling the attack resulted in his promotion to Lantern #1 of the Green Lantern Honor Guard, a position of authority over other Lanterns. In this new role, Gardner was expected to "think outside the box" and "do the jobs other Lanterns couldn't", a function well-suited to his irascible personality.
In his new role as Lantern #1, Guy led the Corps in the defense of Oa against Superboy-Prime, creating a wall of energy to slow the rampaging teen and calling a "code 54", authorizing the use of extreme force. Guy supervised the final capture and imprisonment of Superboy-Prime, locking the dangerous alternate Superboy in a red Sun Eater provided by Donna Troy and organizing a constant watch of 50 Lanterns to keep him imprisoned.
He currently sees to the training and well-being of the new and current Green Lantern Corps.
One Year Later
Guy spends the entire "missing year" following Infinite Crisis doing missions for the Guardians without shore leave (though he is infrequently seen on Earth during the weeks of 52, it should be assumed he has sneaked away from the Guardian's watch). When he's finally granted some time off one year later, his relaxation is cut short by an attack by a grudge-holding Bolphunga the Unrelenting. Soon after, Guy assisted Hal Jordan on an unsanctioned mission to the Manhunter homeworld, Biot. Through Hal and Guy's efforts, several long-lost lanterns (including Arisia, Chaselon, Jack T. Chance, Graf Toren, Hannu, Ke'Haan, Laira, and Boodikka) were freed from imprisonment by the Cyborg Superman. Upon returning from the mission, Guy was punished by the Guardians and forced to endure one month as one of the fifty Lanterns on "Prime Duty." Lanterns of the Honor Guard, like Guy, are allowed to break the rules three times before expulsion.
The Corpse
Guy was briefly part of the Corps' Black Ops division. Dubbed "The Corpse", members forsake their rings for stealthier powers provided by the Guardians. Guy took part in one mission as part of this secretive unit. He was tasked with locating Von Daggle, a Durlan who was formerly in charge of the Corpse. Gardner relayed a message from the Guardians, informing Daggle that he was reinstated. From there, Daggle took command of Gardner, leading him to the homeworld of the Dominators, a race of superscientists with a grudge against Earth. Together, they defeated a super-evolved Dominator, though the Corpse's use of lethal force did not sit well with Guy. Gardner informed Daggle that he couldn't be a part of his crew and Daggle wiped his memory, musing that "humans never make the cut."
Sinestro Corps War
During the Sinestro Corps War, Superboy-Prime and Cyborg Superman escape imprisonment when the Sinestro Corps attacks Oa, killing the guards on Prime Duty. Guy, along with fellow Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and John Stewart are captured by Parallax during battle and brought to Qward. Guy and John Stewart are then held prisoner by Lyssa Drak who forces them to relive tragedies in their lives. Hal manages to defeat Lyssa and free Guy and John from their nightmare. In the skirmish following their escape, Parallax nearly breaks Gardner's neck. Meanwhile, the Lanterns recover Ion from the leader of the Sinestro Corps, the Anti-Monitor. Guy, Hal, and John then return to the positive matter universe, only to find Earth under siege by a truly massive and fast-approaching battalion of Sinestro corpsmen.
As the Sinestro Corps' attack gets underway, the Cyborg Superman and Superman-Prime attack Superman, while Hal confronts Parallax just before he's about to kill Hal's family. In an attempt to free Kyle from the Parallax entity, John orders Guy to retrieve the painting Kyle mentioned just before his abduction. When Guy's flying over Mount Rushmore on the way to pick up the painting, the Sinestro Corps ambush him. Seconds later the Green Lantern Corps arrive for backup, their power rings now allowing them to utilize lethal force against the Sinestro corpsmen effectively saving Guy. Guy continues his mission and presents the painting to Parallax. Hal is able to use the painting and their combined willpower to help Kyle overcome his fears and expel Parallax. Parallax, now in his original insectoid form, is captured by former Guardians Ganthet and Sayd. Realizing the incredible strength of will displayed by each of earth's GLs, Parallax is split into four pieces and imprisoned within the power batteries of Hal, John, Guy, and Kyle. It is seen that each lantern is distinctive to its bearer and that Guy's lantern proudly sports a decal of his alma mater, University of Michigan. Ganthet gives Kyle a new power ring and asks him to become a Green Lantern again, to which he happily agrees. Within the finale of the Sinestro Corps War, Guy was the one who tossed Warworld at the Anti-Monitor in an attempt to defeat him, but it was Superman-Prime who was able to finish him off. Prior to this, Guy was infected by the Sinestro Corps' deadly alien virus named Despotellis. He is soon cured by the Green Lantern Corps' own intelligent smallpox virus, Leezle Pon.
Within the aftermath of the Sinestro Corps War, Guy was finally reunited with Ice, a recently resurrected former girlfriend. Despite Ice's uncertainty as to the wisdom of reviving the old romance, Guy's professions of adoration seemed sufficient to convince her to meet him for a proper date on the same spot exactly one month later.
After debating with himself about where to live, Guy decides to move to Oa, and set up a bar and restaurant called "Guy's Place" (later called "The Big "W""). After much cajoling, Salaak agrees to the proposition. Before leaving Earth, Guy leaves Ice a note.
Guy charging his ring reciting the oath on the mission, when he is interrupted by a knock at the door. Guy opens the door with his typical attitude. Where he finds Ice standing in his doorway. She tells him she hitched a ride to Oa with a Green Lantern member named Symon Terrynce, and that she is 14 days early for their date. As they are discussing this, Salaak via the ring interrupts and tells Guy to met with Kyle and Kilowog. Guy tells Ice he has to take this and leaves her standing in Warriors with an, "Of course you do." He'll be back soon, to which she says "And I'll be here".
However, their date doesn't go as well as Guy wanted to: Ice refuses his proposal to cohabitate on Oa, and Guy reads her desire to rebuild a new life on Earth with her best friend Beatriz as an attempt to distance from him, accusing Beatriz of pitting Tora against him. The two agree that their current situations will make a relationship impossible, and Guy has a fellow Lantern escort Tora back to Earth.
Powers and Abilities
Powers
Body Alteration (formerly): Being partially Vuldarian, Guy was once able to alter his body to form blades and other weapons; these abilities seem to have recessed recently. [10] He uses his ring for a variety of purposes.
Abilities
Green Lantern Ring Mastery: Guy is so eager to ringsling, his ring is often sparking like a leaky water faucet about to explode.[original research?]
Strength level
possesses the strength level of a man his age, size and weight who engages in intensive regular exercise.
Weaknesses
None known.
Paraphernalia
Equipment: Green Lantern Power Battery
Transportation: Self-powered flight via Green Lantern ring
Weapons: Green Lantern Power Ring, Qwardian power ring
Oath
Oath unknown.
Notes
- The character of Guy Gardner was created by John Broome and Gil Kane.
Trivia
- No trivia.
See Also
- Discuss Guy Gardner (New Earth) on the forums
- Appearances of Guy Gardner (New Earth) (Chronological)
- Appearances of Guy Gardner (New Earth)
- Character Gallery: Guy Gardner (New Earth)
- Fan-Art Gallery: Guy Gardner (New Earth)
- Quotations by Guy Gardner (New Earth)
- Volume 1 of Green Lantern's self-titled series
- Images featuring Guy Gardner (New Earth)
Recommended Reading
- Green Lantern (Volume 2)
- Green Lantern (Volume 4)
- Green Lantern Corps
- Guy Gardner Reborn
- Guy Gardner: Warrior
Related Articles
Links and References
Footnotes
  Green Lantern Corps member |
 This character is or was a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from both interstellar and domestic threats. |
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