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The Guardians of the Universe are a fictional extraterrestrial race in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #1 (July 1960), and were created by John Broome and Gil Kane.[1] Within the Green Lantern stories, the Guardians of the Universe are the immortal founders and leaders of the Green Lantern Corps, which they administrate from their homeworld Oa at the center of the universe. The appearance of the male Guardians, modeled after then-Prime Minister of Israel David Ben-Gurion,[2] is elderly, short and blue-skinned with large heads and white hair.
[edit] History[edit] BackgroundThe Guardians evolved on the planet Maltus, and were among the first intelligent life forms in the universe. At this time they were tall greyish blue humanoids with black hair. They became scientists and thinkers, experimenting on the worlds around them. One experiment led to the creation of a new species, the Psions. In a pivotal moment, billions of years ago, a Maltusian named Krona used time-bending technology to observe the beginning of the Universe. However, this experiment, and later attempts to stop it, unleashed disaster upon all existence. Originally, the experiment splintered the Universe into the Multiverse and created the evil Anti-Matter Universe of Qward.[1] Following the retroactive destruction of the Multiverse, it was revealed that Krona flooded the beginning of the Universe with entropy causing it "to be born old". Feeling responsible for this, the evolved Maltusians relocated to the planet Oa (at "the center of the Universe") and became the Guardians. Their goal was simple: combat evil and create an orderly universe. And they acted quickly on that goal. During this period they slowly evolved into their current appearance. They now act as the leaders of the Green Lantern Corps, an interstellar police force which patrols the universe.[1] [edit] Campaigns
[edit] ConsequencesThe Manhunter rebellion led to schisms. One group (the Controllers) thought that the only way to protect the Universe was to control it. The female Oans (Zamarons) felt no need to involve themselves in the Universe's problems. Over the years, both groups evolved to look most unlike the Guardians. Other groups have also left the Guardians; one such group settled on Earth, becoming the origin for leprechaun legends. The Manhunters became avowed enemies of the Guardians. The Apokolips campaign ended with a truce with the Guardians forced to abandon a soldier (Raker Qarrigat) to Darkseid. Fearing dissension, they ordered all records of the Campaign expunged. [edit] Modern history The Guardians were almost wiped out in the events of Emerald Twilight, the only survivor being Ganthet. They sacrificed themselves to create one final power ring, a power ring perhaps more powerful than all others before it. Oa was itself destroyed in a battle between Parallax and Kyle Rayner, but rebuilt in the events of "Legacy" as the final wish of Hal Jordan's former power ring. The Guardians have since been restored when Kyle Rayner, as Ion, recharged the Central Power Battery. Rayner lost his power and role as Ion but this sacrifice released all the Guardian's life forces from the dormancy in his ring. The Immortals first appeared as children but aged quickly and many seem to have returned to the identities they had before they created Kyle Rayner's power ring. Unlike before however: the Guardians are male and female, rather than just male. While Kyle had made them children in order for them to grow up and become less cold than their predecessors, this has not worked. Instead the Guardians are as cold and manipulative as they were before the Emerald Twilight, with the exception of Ganthet and Sayd. Also one of them (Lianna) seems to have reverted to the original Maltusian appearance in the process. Also many of the Guardians revived by Kyle Rayner seemed to have disappeared as only a handful now appear in the current Green Lantern issues, while dozens were revived by Kyle Rayner. Also Female Guardians appear in flashbacks to Hal Jordans rookie days as a Green Lantern, whether this is an oversight or a result of the events of Infinite Crisis has not been explained. With their revival they have begun to rebuild the Green Lantern Corps using veterans to train the new ring-bearers. Alongside this experiment, the Guardians refortified Oa by creating a planetwide armour and defensive system to prevent successful attacks against them. The Sinestro Corps War forces them to rewrite the Book of Oa and to add ten new laws. To date, 4 of the 10 have been revealed.[5] They also expelled Ganthet and Sayd from their rank, because they have experienced emotions along with being discovered to have romantic relationship with each other and quoting the forbidden chapter of the Book of Oa which has Abin Sur's discovery of the prophecy The Blackest Night, which they consider to be not permitted. In the aftermath of the War, both Ganthet and Sayd have evolved into two new beings on a paradise-like planet Odym, where they are harnessing the blue energy spectrum of hope and creating blue power rings and batteries, planning to create another intergalactic police force in order to be able to aid the Guardians and the Green Lantern Corps against The Blackest Night The rank of the Guardians has weakened as well, of originally there were twelve of them as Head Guardians, now there are nine of them, after Ganthet and Sayd left Oa, and one Guardian is dead after a battle with Superman-Prime -this Guardian willfully "detonated" himself in an unsuccessful, last-ditch effort to destroy the insane Kryptonian (who wished to destroy the Universe in his own right).[6] A female Guardian has been left scarred by the Anti-Monitor, and the exposure to his antimatter energy reveals to have had dire consequences. Her fellow Guardians were unaware of the changes within her, either physical or behavioral (she is far more militant than is normal for the Guardians).[7][8] In the Origins and Omens backup stories running through several DC releases in February 2009, she is given the official name of Scar.[9] It is later revealed that she has since died after the Anti-Monitor's attack, and now functioning as an undead instead of an immortal.[10] The Guardians seem extremely displeased with the appearance of the other corps. While they "tolerate" the existence of the Star Sapphires, they have made it clear that they are going to exterminate the Red Lantern Corps. They also seem to have made a deal with Larfleeze of the Orange Lantern Corps some time ago, which resulted in the Vega System being out of Green Lantern jurisdiction. However, they seem to show particular displeasure with the Blue Lantern Corps, going so far as to attempt to forcibly remove the blue ring acquired by Hal Jordan, and when that didn't work attempting to hold him on Oa until such time as it could be removed. With the ultimatum delivered by Larfleeze, the current wielder of th orange power of avarice. Scar has proposed lifting the ban on the Vega System as well as having the Guardians leave Oa to get involved in the conflict personally.[11][12] The Guardians have accepted Scar's proposal and have left Oa with Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps to confront Larfleeze in the Vega System. The Guardians also decide to see how Jordan's blue ring would functions with his green one during battles.[13] After the Agent Orange's defeat, the Guardians negotiated with Larfleeze once more in order to continue to keep the orange light of avarice contained. The Agent Orange later launched an attack on Odym, seeking to possess the powers of the Blue Lantern Corps, presumably being swayed by Scar.[14][15] During the Blackest Night, the Guardians finally realized that Ganthet and Sayd were correct in their interpretation of the prophecy discovered by Abin Sur. However, Scar killed a Guardian and bound the rest to prevent them from interfering. She later sent a number of black power rings to the Green Lantern Corps' memorial, reviving the deceased members of the Corps as undead Black Lanterns. She also weakened Oa's planetary defenses for an attack from the Black Lantern Corps.[16] When a group of Green Lanterns found their way into the Guardians chamber, they found it empty, with no sign of Scar or her captives.[17] Scar had taken her captives to the dead planet of Ryut, home of the Black Lantern's central power battery.[18] Scar and the Guardians have teleports themselves with Black Hand and Nekron on Coast City.[19] [edit] Powers and abilitiesFunctionally immortal, Guardians resemble short (approximately 4 feet [122 cm] tall), large-headed, white-haired pale blue humans wearing red robes with their emblem, the Green Lantern symbol, on the chest. They possess vast knowledge, durability, awareness, flight and psionic powers manifested through green plasma energy drawn from the most stable color of the emotional spectrum, green (willpower). Although, since it has been said that they chose the most stable color of the spectrum, it is possible that the Guardians may have limited access to all colors. In Green Lantern: Rebirth, Kyle Rayner is recorded saying that Ganthet could crack a planet in half with a thought. Indeed, they have been shown able to stagger Superman-Prime and the Anti-Monitor. In Green Lantern (v.2) #100 the Guardians display the power of time travel as they send a time-lost Kyle Rayner back to his future timeline. The guardians can manipulate time, space, matter, and reality, making them among the most powerful beings in the DC universe. [edit] Guardians known by nameIt has been said that "Guardians don't take names", but a few of their lot have nonetheless been named in the stories. Among them:
[edit] Appearances in other media In the DC Animated Universe, The Guardians of the Universe made appearances:
The Guardians made an appearance on the Warner Premiere animated feature Justice League: The New Frontier, guiding Hal Jordan on the use of his Green Lantern ring against Earth's ancient evil, The Centre. They are all voiced by Robin Atkin Downes. The Guardians make a brief appearance in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. In the Story mode, they inform Green Lantern, Lex Luthor, and Catwoman about the merging of the universes when the hero and villains arrive on Oa. The Guardians briefly appeared, without dialogue, at the end of the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "The Eyes of Despero", having been placed in Hal Jordan's ring for safe keeping. The Guardians appeared in the animated feature Green Lantern: First Flight. Unlike the comic book incarnations, they are fully capable of emotions. Three of the Guardians, Ganthet, Appa Ali Apsa, and Ranakar, are voiced by Larry Drake, William Schallert, and Malachi Throne. Ganthet alongside the other Guardians of the Universe appears in the Duck Dodgers episode "The Green Loontern" voiced by John Stephenson. Duck Dodgers sarcastically referred to him as Papa Smurf. [edit] References
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