Green Lantern: Emerald Knights

Ardakian Trawl, do you realize you got patrol?

Oh, and I thought I was coming 500 million light-years...

to give you a sponge bath, Kilowog.

Knock it off, you poozer. How much longer?

I'm in your star system, so quit flaring your nostrils.

My God.

Ardakian, you there?

Ardakian? What happened?

Ardakian!

Where is it?

Hey.

Needless to say, we're all shocked and saddened...

by the news of Ardakian Trawl.

She was a bold and gallant Green Lantern...

whose achievements will long be remembered.

But for now, we must set aside our mourning for the threat at hand.

Glad you could make it.

Sorry.

We know from her ring that Ardakian's murderers were Shadow Demons.

Soulless creatures from the Antimatter Universe.

We haven't seen them since the great crisis.

They came from a rift in our sun, a rift that connected directly to their universe.

We take it this was no mere anomaly.

No. We were able to make a detailed analysis through the ring.

There's no mistake.

The demons were sent by Krona.

Most of you know Krona's story...

how he defied authority...

and created the Antimatter Universe billions of years ago.

He nearly annihilated all of creation.

As punishment he was turned into disembodied energy...

and cast throughout the cosmos.

We thought him gone...

but it seems he has reconstituted himself in the Antimatter realm...

bringing the Shadow Demons under his control.

We sense this is just the beginning...

that Krona means to use our sun, the very center of the universe...

as a portal to attack us.

We have sent a squadron of Lanterns to the sun to begin monitoring.

They'll be setting up observation platforms to conserve energy.

Meanwhile, all important documents and artifacts will be moved from Oa...

to the Broome-Kane star cluster for safekeeping.

We'll need everyone to keep a close watch on the sun while we evacuate.

Evacuate?

We have already removed the Book of Oa, our most sacred text.

Next will be the library.

You gotta be kidding.

Excuse me, Ganthet, but these precautions do seem rather extraordinary.

Krona was a tyrant with insatiable aggression, Sinestro.

He vowed to destroy Oa, and we take that threat seriously.

We suggest you charge your rings immediately...

for the Central Battery will be removed as well.

Let those who worship evil's might Beware my power, Green Lantern's light.

In brightest day, in blackest night.

No evil shall escape my sight

Let those who worship...

Sorry, kid. Usually I like to mentor recruits...

for more than a couple of hours before they face Armageddon.

It is kind of overwhelming.

- Are you all right? - Yeah. Sure.

It's just that, well, three days ago I was sitting in class...

trying to figure out a physics problem and then this.

Yeah, that's the way it is.

The thing is, why me? I'm just a student.

A nobody, really.

I'm sure Avra felt the same way.

- Who? - The first Green Lantern.

It's one of the first stories you learn.

I guess we got a little sidetracked.

To quote scripture:

The first one given a ring was not the first Lantern.

The first was Avra.

The Book of Oa, first chapter, first verse.

Long ago, before our stars had ignited...

long ago, when life was new and the universe was in its infancy...

Before order...

there was chaos.

Chaos outbalanced creation...

hate outbalanced fellowship...

and all life suffered.

The Guardians saw it all.

The evil was too great to be left unchecked.

And so they gathered the light.

They knew of its variety and strength...

and the light with the most power.

But they sought their answer in the light of will...

to form from it a weapon unequalled...

to turn armies to sand.

Will, given substance...

forming.

The greatest warriors of the universe were gathered.

Four would be chosen.

The first four.

An event to be recorded and remembered.

And the Guardian said to the assembly:

Stand tall, warriors.

If we are to be Guardians, you are to be our strength.

If you are to be our strength, these shall be your arms.

But then, the unexpected.

They called it an accident.

Accident is only the will of the universe expressing itself.

And it was the universe's will that the fourth Lantern be Avra...

a mere scribe...

chronicler to the Guardians.

And so it would be for all time, the rings would choose their successors.

The Guardians had armed the first four, and sought to train them.

Though no training could prepare them for what would come...

when training gave way to duty.

A plague had savaged the universe.

The Guardians dispatched the first four to stop its advance.

Ready or not.

Your first battle?

Just do what I do. And try to stay alive.

Are these really enough to stand against all that?

The Guardians say they'll protect us.

But they're just rings.

And before getting yours you were just a scribe.

Use your imagination.

It was too much for them.

For anyone.

These rings are useless.

We might as well be wearing trinkets.

What do we do?

We have only two options: Retreat or death.

There is no victory here.

Retreat it is, then.

Go. I'll cover your escape.

And the first Lantern saw...

and would not run.

Wait.

The Guardians forged these rings from will.

Will can do more than pave our retreat.

Will is the first cause behind any action.

We must will our survival.

You're commended for your faith in the Guardians, Avra...

but this is a failed endeavor.

You'll die.

So be it.

I choose to believe in the Guardians.

This is battle, Avra. It's real.

It's not one of your books where you can invent the outcome.

He's dead.

The Guardians forged these rings from will.

We must will our survival.

By the stars.

He held his first construct.

No longer a scribe...

now a warrior.

The first Lantern.

This was the beginning.

In time, the first of the rings would be passed on...

while a hundred more were forged...

and then...

thousands.

All would be taught as the first Lantern had learned.

A new path to victory.

A use for the ring that even the Guardians had not predicted.

In time, old Lanterns would fall...

their rings given to the new, to learn as they did.

Even Avra would fall...

his ring given to one who would be taught his lessons...

and would one day teach them.

What was once a unique innovation became the way for all.

The way of will.

Know then, when you shape the light of your ring...

you walk in the footsteps of the first Lantern.

Believe me, they each have quite a history.

In brightest day... - Come on, missy. It ain't a wedding ring.

Let those who worship evil's might... - Right, sorry.

Green Lantern's light.

In brightest day, in blackest night No evil shall escape my sight.

- She the new one? - Arisia...

meet Kilowog, our kindly drill instructor.

Hello.

- First combat? - Yes.

Don't worry, rookie. This ain't gonna be half as bad as boot camp.

In brightest day, in blackest night No evil shall escape my sight

I've heard of Kilowog.

What horror stories did they tell you?

I heard someone got killed training with him.

Don't believe everything.

Kilowog has some rough edges, but he's a cakewalk compared to Deegan.

Deegan?

That's Sergeant Deegan to you, poozer!

You know what a poozer is, don't you, poozer?

- No, sir. I can't hear you!

No, sir!