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Quote1 John Stewart. An architect from Detroit. Wanting not just to save lives...but make a difference in them. Quote2
Kyle Rayner src

John Stewart is a member of the Green Lantern Corps and the third Green Lantern of Earth, after Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner. Like Gardner, he foregoes a secret identity. He has also been a member of the Justice League of America.

Origin

John Stewart was an architect who was selected by the Guardians of the Universe as Hal Jordan's backup after Guy Gardner was seriously injured in a disaster. Although Jordan objected after seeing that Stewart had a belligerent attitude to authority figures, the Guardians stood by their selection. Jordan complied, recruited and equipped Stewart with the standard uniform (though Stewart flatly refused to wear the domino mask) and power ring.[1]

Early Adventures

To Jordan, Stewart's first mission began badly with the assignment of protecting a racist politician, and Stewart took advantage of averting an accident to embarrass him in the process. However, Stewart soon proved his worth when an apparent African American assassin shot at the politician, but Stewart refused to intervene with Jordan to move in response to the attack. However, Stewart had good reasons for this apparent dereliction of duty when he stopped a gunman from killing a police officer in the outside parking lot at the event while Jordan was pursuing a decoy. When Jordan confronted Stewart for his actions, Stewart effectively explained the situation of the ruse and the fact the politician staged it for political advantage. With that adventure, Jordan concluded that Stewart was an excellent recruit after all.[1]

For some time, Stewart occasionally filled in for him as Green Lantern when Jordan was unavailable, including some missions of the Justice League.[2]

Full-time Green Lantern

After Jordan gave up being Green Lantern, the Guardians selected Stewart to full-time duty[3]. John developed a short-lived relationship with reporter Tawny Young, which ended when she, responding to her news-woman instincts, revealed John Stewart's identity on national television[4]. Seeing Stewart's hard time as a rookie Green Lantern, the Guardians assigned Katma Tui, the Green Lantern of the planet Korugar, to train him on Earth[5]. They grew quite fond of each other during that time. Katma even pretended to be human by changing her skin tone to match with John's dark tone, and John fell in love with her.[6] It didn't take long for them to start a romantic relationship, a bond which even the Guardians approved.[7]

During the Crisis, John was recruited by Harbinger and the Monitor along with heroes and villains from many different Earths to fight the Anti-Monitor and his hordes of Shadow Demons[8]. When he returned to Earth, he went along the rest of the Corps on a mission to stop the newly-appointed Guy Gardner and his squad of villains attacking Qward's Moon. During that battle, Tomar-Re died, passing his ring to John, who passed the ring he was wearing to its original owner: Hal Jordan.[9]

After the Guardians retired from Oa along the Zamarons, John, Katma, and Hal led a branch of the Green Lantern Corps that settled on Earth.[10] This group was formed by Kilowog, Salakk, Ch'p, Arisia, and, later, Guy Gardner. They settled on the Green Lantern Citadel, in California for some time, and during that period, John and Katma got married. [11]

After the Central Power Battery of Oa was destroyed and most Green Lanterns lost their rings, John and Katma moved from the GL Citadel to an apartment, where they were roommates with Hal and Arisia. One day, looking for Hal Jordan, Star Sapphire sneaked inside their apartment and slain Katma Tui. [12] John Stewart was framed for her murder and other incidents caused by Hal Jordan, but since John's identity was public, he was accused of Green Lantern's actions. John got extradited to an African nation and sent to jail. Hal Jordan visited him and offered him his ring back, which was found between the rubbles of Oa. John escaped prison and got involved with a resistance fighting against Apartheid. Hal talked some sense into him and stopped the rogue lantern from becoming a terrorist, and thus he flew off to the stars to think things through.[13]

Cosmic Odyssey

John was later recruited by Darkseid and Highfather to prevent the Anti-Life Entity from consuming the universe.[14] He was entrusted with the protection of the planet Xanshi with Martian Manhunter as his partner. Led by his arrogance, John Stewart sent the martian away, considering he was "out of his league", and that "Green Lanterns are trained to deal with just this kind of situation". Unbeknownst to him, the bomb was made of yellow metal, something he was useless against. Thus the bomb detonated, causing the destruction of Xanshi and the death of millions of inhabitants.[15] Consumed by guilt and shame, Stewart was about to end his life. Witnessing his moment of crisis, J'onn entered the room and encouraged the wretched man to commit suicide. But the Martian's belittling only fueled Stewart's will to move forward.[16]

Mosaic

Looking for help to deal with his guilt, John went to Oa, where he found the stranded Guardian Appa Ali Apsa. The deranged Guardian went insane and used John to form a mind-union and, tapping the power of Oa's core, to bring cities from different planets to form a patchwork of communities.[17] When the Guardians returned and defeated the rogue Guardian, John became the administrator of the so-called Mosaic World.[18] At first, they told him that they would keep the cities in place until the Central Battery was fully recharged. However, John realized, by tapping on Appa Ali Apsa's memories, that they were lying, and that they wanted to preserve the Mosaic World as part of an experiment to form an interplanetary utopia.[19]

Stewart kept confrontations between Mosaic's communities to a minimum and ensured the safety of different species. With a whole new perspective on life, John even helped Kilowog train his rookies, using an unconventional method that pitched the Lanterns against their fears and killed them if they failed the test. In the end, they succeeded, and Kilowog was thankful and impressed by John's guts to do something like that.[20]

In time, the Guardians admitted it was time to let the communities return to their worlds, but also allowed some of them to stay if that was their wish. From this position, John earned the chance to ascend to Guardianhood.[21]

Darkstars

John Stewart Darkstars 001

John during his time with the Darkstars

John's status as Guardian didn't last long because he lost his powers and his ring after Hal Jordan, as Parallax, destroyed the Central Power Battery of Oa, and with it the Corps. That's when he met a Controller, who gave him the chance to become a member of the Darkstars for some time.[22] Briefly after earning his Exo-Mantle, John helped Ferrin Colos overthrow Huvah Jeddigar[23], becoming the new director[24], and then helped former members of the Green Lantern Corps join the Darkstars.[25]

During his tenure as Darkstar director, John found comfort on Merayn Dethalis, who helped him cope with his past mistakes and loses. Soon, they developed a romantic relationship.[26]

John was badly injured and left crippled during a fight between the Darkstars and Grayven, and returned to Earth to get medical attention, stepping out from the Darkstars. Merayn followed him to Earth, and Donna Troy also stepped out of the team after that battle.[27] He recovered his mobility when Hal Jordan (as Parallax) used his powers to give him back his legs,[28] which seemed to do much more than just heal him, as John discovered later on.[29]

Green Lantern Again

He regained his power ring during Kyle Rayner's tenure as Earth's main Green Lantern and remained his backup for years, until Hal Jordan was resurrected after his spirit was freed from Parallax and the Spectre, after which Jordan took over Rayner's role as Rayner went to serve an administrative position in the Green Lantern Corps in Oa.

In the subsequent restructuring of the Corps, each sector now had two Green Lanterns assigned to it, and Stewart and Jordan shared the responsibilities for Earth's sector 2814. After the dissolution of the Justice League in the aftermath of the Infinite Crisis event, and the destruction of their Moon Watchtower headquarters, Stewart began playing a larger role in metahuman affairs, working with many former Justice Leaguers.

Sinestro Corps War

 Main article: Sinestro Corps War

John was on Oa with fellow Earth Green Lanterns Hal, Guy, and Kyle to discuss the new threat of the new Sinestro Corps with the Guardians. Kyle was abducted by a yellow power ring and the Sinestro Corps storms Oa in a surprise attack, killing thousands of Green Lanterns. Bedovian, a sniper of the Sinestro Corps, had been taking out several Green Lanterns three sectors away, and John uses his ring to create a scoped sniper to find Bedovian and then shot him, taking out the sniper. When John, Hal, and Guy attempted to recharge their rings using the Central Power Battery, they set off a booby trap set by the Sinestro Corps and were transported to Qward. Parallax, who had infected Kyle forced John to relive the moment where he failed to save Xanshi. He and Guy were freed by Hal and the Lost Lanterns. While Ion was recovered by the Lost Lanterns, the Earth Lanterns returned home to get back up only to discover that the Sinestro Corps was about to attack Earth.

John went to Coast City to help Hal battle Parallax but found that Parallax had absorbed Hal as well. He held off Parallax long enough for Guy to return with a painting that Kyle's mother painted, and used it to snap Kyle out of Parallax's control. The painting and Hal's words restore Kyle's will and he breaks free from the fear entity. Ganthet and Sayd appeared to imprison Parallax into Hal, Guy, John, and Kyle's four separate batteries. After Ganthet and Sayd warned the Earth Lanterns about the Blackest Night, John and Guy went to New York to help Earth's heroes and the Green Lantern Corps to battle the Sinestro Corps. He and Guy came up with the idea to use Warworld as a grenade, which badly injured the Anti-Monitor, who was then thrown into space by the traitorous Superman Prime.

John took Guy to Soranik Natu in hopes that she could stop the Sinestro Corps sentient virus Despotellis. Soranik used the Green Lantern smallpox virus Leezle Pon, who stopped Despotellis. After the war, John hung out with fellow Earth Lanterns at Hal's family's apartment in Coast City.

War of Light

 Main article: War of Light

John was asked by the Guardian to join a new division within the Corps: the Alpha Lanterns, but John refused. John was later one of the Green Lanterns chosen to escort Sinestro to Korugar, however, the escort team was ambushed by the Sinestro Corps and the newly formed Red Lantern Corps. The Green Lanterns were left to die in space after Atrocitus captures Sinestro. They are saved by Saint Walker, a member of the Blue Lantern Corps. John was infected with the rage of the red power rings and attacked Saint Walker. Walker uses his blue ring to create a construct of Katma Tui, who heals John and calmed him down by showing him a vision of himself flying with Katma. He told Kilowog that he would see Katma again and that the universe told him so.

John stopped the Guardians from attacking Hal with green energy, in an attempt to destroy a blue power ring that was attached to Hal. He witnessed Larfleeze making demands to the Guardians. John is one of the Green Lanterns who accompanied the Guardians to battle Larfleeze. While battling the Orange Lanterns John was saved by Fatality. Fatality tells John to let go of his grief over Xanshi's destruction and then leaves. After the battle with Agent Orange has a discussion about their hopes.

Blackest Night

 Main article: Blackest Night

John was part of the team that removed the coffins of the fallen heroes from Valhalla Cemetery and took them to the Hall of Justice as a security measure against an unknown threat that might use the corpses of people for evil purposes.[30]

John goes to Coast City with Hal, Guy, and Kyle on the anniversary of Superman's death which has been declared a national holiday for fallen heroes. The four Earth Green Lanterns attend a parade in honor of those killed in Mongul I's attack. John leaves to visit Xanshi after the parade ends. When John visits the grave of planet Xanshi, thousands of black rings fly into the planetary debris and reconstitute the entire planet. Xanshi itself then speaks to John, telling him "I can help you save them." Against his better judgment, John descends to the planet's surface.

John Stewart 007

The rise of the Black Lanterns

Once reaching the surface, John finds himself confronted by Katma Tui and the entire population of Xanshi as Black Lanterns. While battling them all, Katma tries to weaken John by claiming that he caused the planet's destruction. However, John spurred on by Fatality's words, says that he was not the cause of it all and successfully fights off the Black Lanterns. After escaping Xanshi's atmosphere, John realizes that the planet is headed for Earth, along with every Black Lantern in the universe, and contacts Hal, warning him of the impending threat.

John is almost overwhelmed by Black Lanterns but is saved by seven corps united against Nekron. John leads a team made up of Kilowog, Fatality, and other members of the seven Corps to destroy the reanimated Xanshi. John finally makes peace with losing his wife Katma and failing to save Xanshi; he and the other lanterns destroy the core of the planet which was made up of thousands of black power rings. With Xanshi destroyed Nekron and Black Hand felt an intense pain just as Sinestro is revived by the Entity.

Brightest Day

 Main article: Brightest Day

John is seen in Oa, supervising the demolition of the buildings left in ruins after the Black Lanterns attack, and planning the reconstruction. He is called suddenly to the Guardians' chamber, where they order him to join Alpha Lantern Boodikka in a mission to robot planet Grenda, Stel's homeworld, where the communications ceased abruptly without explanation, and Lantern Stel and the population are missing. John agrees and departs with Boodikka.

After arriving on the planet, the two confirmed the Guardians report: the entire population mysteriously disappeared. John asks Boodikka if something of her older self-remains despite been turned into an Alpha Lantern after she asks him why he refused to join the Alpha Lanterns. Boodikka responds that her changes are only physical, and she still has her former personality, John doubts about this affirmation. The two discover what seems to be a Green Lantern House Sector, that, according to Boodikka, it's not registered. After entered inside, they discovered Green Lanterns Horoq Nnot and Stel, the last one tells John he must flee from the planet immediately. Suddenly, Boodikka turns against John and attacks him; despite John fights back, he was surrounded by more rogue Alpha Lanterns and is defeated. Its revealed that the Alpha Lanterns have begun a revolt against the rest of the corps, allied themselves with Hank Henshaw, the Cyborg Superman, and take control of Grenda to use the planet as their hidden base to turn Green Lanterns into Alpha Lanterns. John Stewart is last seen wounded and bleeding, been taken to Henshaw by Boodikka. The Cyborg Superman then begins the cosmic surgery to turn John into another Alpha Lantern.

Before starting the operation, however, Henshaw connects Stewart's brain to his memories in order to see why he was turned into a cyborg. He also reveals to John, that, after being resurrected by the Manhunters after the Sinestro Corps War, he returned to Earth in the middle of the Blackest Night, and pled to the Black Lanterns (among them are the former crew of his space shuttle) and Nekron to kill him, only to discover that because he did not have a physical heart, he was invisible to them. Angered for being ignored by death itself, the Cyborg Superman encountered the mysterious hooded stranger who abducted the entities of the Emotional Spectrum. He convinced him that Ganthet has the power and knowledge to turn Alpha Lanterns into normal beings again. John realizes that Henshaw organized the revolt of the Alpha Lanterns with the sole purpose to attract Ganthet to the planet Grenda and forced him to turn Henshaw into a mortal being again. Kyle and Soranik burst into the lab and manage to rescue John, but Ganthet is captured. They hide in a cave, where John informs them about the Cyborg Superman's true plan. They also discover the missing robot inhabitants of the planet, trapped in the depths of the cave by Henshaw. Mounting a defense, they battle against Henshaw and his forces, destroying the cyborg's body. Henshaw leaps into Boodikka's body, but her consciousness manages to defeat his, seemingly destroying him. John later joins Kyle Rayner and Ganthet in a mission to the anti-matter universe, in order to save Soranik Natu.

War of the Green Lanterns

 Main article: War of the Green Lanterns

JohnStewartIndigoTribe

John as an Indigo Lantern

On their return to the matter universe, John and the others are affected by the return of Parallax to the Central Power Battery by Krona. Their previous experience with Parallax allows John, Kyle, and Ganthet to escape its control, but they are forced to fight their fellow Green Lanterns. Affected by Parallax's fear powers, John and Kyle are forced to remove their rings and escape through Oa's underground. They then meet up with Guy and Hal, who has the rings of the other corps' leaders. John initially chooses Larfleeze's orange ring but is convinced by Hal to use Indigo-1's ring instead due to the debilitating effects of the orange ring on the wearer's psyche. When the corrupted Green Lanterns attack, John has difficulty channeling the various corps powers through his ring. Things are made worse when Mogo joins the attack. While Hal and Guy go to remove Parallax from the Central Power Battery, John, and Kyle attempt to free Mogo from Krona's control. On the way, John attempts to stop the flow of tainted rings sent by Mogo but fails. As he and Kyle head for Mogo's core instead, they discover residual Black Lantern energy around it. John absorbs the Black Lantern energy, along with all the Green Lantern energy, and regretfully uses it to destroy Mogo. In the fallout, the two regroup with Hal, Guy, and Ganthet, using the full power of the emotional spectrum to crack open the Battery and release Parallax. Their job done, the Lanterns regain their original green rings, in preparation for the final confrontation with Krona.

Following the War's conclusion, John assists a new Green Lantern from Sector 282 "selected" during the period when Mogo was under Krona's control in adjusting to the power of her ring despite the possibility that she will not be allowed to keep it by assisting her in halting a war taking place in her sector, the original Lantern for that sector having died during the war. When John is able to help the two sides find a peaceful resolution to their conflict, his new student reflects that, despite John's reputation after destroying two worlds, she now knows that nobody could regret that action more than John himself.

Superman Prime Earth 0002
This history is continued in The New 52 at John Stewart (Prime Earth).
The DC Universe was rebooted in 2011 as part of the Flashpoint event. This was an attempt to simplify continuity, and make DC Comics more accessible to new readers. Prior to this, mainstream comics took place in New Earth continuity since the Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985. The continuity established following Flashpoint is Prime Earth.

Personality and Relationships

Romances

  • Tawny Young: A reporter who earned the scoop on the new Green Lantern and learned of John's identity. However, she betrayed John's confidence by revealing his identity in public television. Their relationship ended soon after that.[4]
  • Katma Tui: John's teacher and eventual wife. Katma helped John get used to his new job when he replaced Hal Jordan as the Green Lantern of Sector 2814. Katma accompanied John to Earth, where they developed a close relationship. In time, they married. After the first destruction of the Green Lantern Corps, John an Katma attempted to live a normal life in a small apartment. Unfortunately, their plans ended tragically soon when Star Sapphire slain Katma. Since that day, John fell into a deep depression that took him quite some time to get out from.
  • Rose Lewis Hardin: A farmer woman who helped John maintain order on the Mosaic World. They soon developed a close relationship, and, even though she didn't like "superheroes" she was attracted to John because he was a "man from the stars" that understood people.[31] But their relationship didn't work because John, still hurt by Katma's death, kept holding part of himself back.[32]
  • Merayn Dethalis: a Darkstar who helped John see past his mistakes and move on from his guilt and pain. Merayn reminded him a lot of Katma, which is what initially attracted John to her.[26]
Roy Harper Cry for Justice
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Abilities

Equipment

Transportation

Weapons


"In brightest day, in blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power...Green Lantern's light!"

  • Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal.
  • Introducing himself to Hal for the first time, John claims his friends call him, "Square" John, before joking about calling him "Black Lantern."[1]
  • In an unusual move for a Green Lantern, John Stewart does not wear a domino mask to protect his true identity. He made this perfectly clear at the start of his training by Hal Jordan when he tossed the mask away and declared the questionable "This black man lets it all hang out! I've got nothing to hide!"[1]
  • Stewart's constructs are amongst the most powerful. As noted by many, Stewart's constructs are never hollow. He builds them from the inside out, down to the last nut and bolt.
  • Stewart considers himself a liberal by inclination.[35]
  • It is implied that John grew up in a Baptist family.[36]

Related

External Links

Footnotes




Green Lantern Corps 001
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Green Lantern Corps member
This character is or was a member of the Green Lantern Corps, chosen by the Guardians of the Universe to act as their sector's Green Lantern and to protect it from interstellar threats with a Power Ring.
This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Green Lantern Corps members category."

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Justice League member
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This character has been 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 the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats.
This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Justice League of America members" category.

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Darkstars member
This character is or was a member of the Darkstars, an intergalactic police force.
This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Darkstars category."

Indigo Lantern
Indigo Tribe member
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This character is or was a member of the Indigo Tribe. These are individuals who show an incredible capacity for compassion, and were given Power Rings
This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Indigo Tribe members category."

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