Guy Gardner (New Earth)

Green Lantern

Mainstream Universe‎‎, 1950s-2011‎

Guy Gardner is a top member of theGreen Lantern Corps, and the second one to be chosen from Earth. He has also been a member ofJustice League International, and has gone by the nameWarrior at one point in his career.

History

Early life

 Main article:Yesterday's Sins

Guy Gardner was born inBaltimore,Maryland to parentsRoland andPeggy Gardner. His father was an abusive alcoholic, and frequently beat the young Guy while idolizing his older brotherMace.^[3] Mace eventually became a cop. After years of taking beatings and trying to impress his parents, Guy finally gave up. If he could not be as good as his brother, he decided to do the opposite. Guy turned into a juvenile delinquent, frequently getting into trouble and breaking the law. An outlaw and a criminal, he was constantly going in and out of juvenile hall.^[4]

After his 18th birthday, his brother finally straightened him out. When Guy stole a car, rather than let him go to city jail, Mace beat the tar out of him, told him to stop making people ashamed of him, get some real clothes and a decent job. He loaned Guy some money, and told him it was the last time anybody else was going to look out for him. Guy started working hard in school again, got a job and paid his way through college. He took his aggression out playing undergraduate football at the University of Michigan.^[5] Later, his brother Mace was revealed to be a dirty cop after drug dealers shot him and left him paraplegic. Rather than continue living, Mace committed suicide by drowning himself in a river. Guy Gardner went on to graduate a Liberal Arts Major from college, with degrees in both psychology and education. For a time he worked counseling prisoners, before settling into a more permanent job as a gym teacher for children in special education.^[6] Eventually, when Guy's father was dying of liver failure, the two would make peace and spend a week together before the old man passed away.^[7][8]

Back-Up Green Lantern

When the previousGreen Lantern ofSector 2814, an alien namedAbin Sur crash-landed on Earth, he had to choose someone to replace him shortly before he died.^[9] The two most worthy men on the planet to pass hisring on to were Guy Gardner, andHal Jordan. Hal was chosen because at the time he was closer to the crash-site, becoming the first Green Lantern of Earth almost purely by chance.

Should anything ever happen to Hal, or should he be unable to fulfill his duties, Guy Gardner would be Earth's Green Lantern. After finding this out, Hal journeyed to Baltimore and joined the Men's Club where Guy practiced physical fitness. The two quickly became fast friends, although Jordan could not reveal his secret.^[10]

Unfortunately, Guy was put out of commission when he was hit by a bus, and theGuardians instead found a new backup for Hal in architectJohn Stewart.^[11] Stewart went on a number of missions while Gardner was in the hospital.^[12][13] While he was still crippled, Guy Gardner would meet his longtime love-interestKari Limbo, a gypsy woman with limited precognitive abilities. She told him that he had a great destiny ahead of him, and that one very fateful day of prime importance to him and all the world, he would be the last of a great tradition.^[8] After Hal Jordan's ring was damaged bythe Crumbler, Guy Gardner had his chance to become a Lantern at last. While Hal traveled toOa to have it fixed, Guy worked in tandem withGreen Arrow to take down the dangerousProfessor Ojo. However, when Hal'spower battery exploded in his face, he disappeared from the earthly realm and was believed to be dead.^[14] Hal Jordan consoled Kari Limbo for Guy's death, and the two slowly began to build an attraction to each other.^[15] Finally, after a near-death experience, Hal Jordan proposed to Kari.^[16] On the day of their wedding, it was discovered that Guy Gardner had actually been transported to thePhantom Zone. Brainwashed by the Zoners, he teamed up withGeneral Zod againstGreen Lantern andSuperman. Hal was barely able to leave the Zone alive with an unconscious Superman, and returning to Earth, he found Kari would no longer marry him if Guy Gardner was still alive.^[17] When Hal went back into the Zone to rescue Guy, he foundSinestro had kidnapped him and taken him to theAntimatter Universe ofQward. After doing battle with his arch-nemesis, Hal finally brought Gardner back. However, he was in a comatose vegetative state that he would not come out of for several years.^[18]

Possible Future

BothHal Jordan andBooster Gold had been shown visions of thepath history would have taken if Guy had indeed been chosen as the first Green Lantern, as he has so often wished. Inevitably, he would have died of ayellow plague while on a mission to the planet ofGhera. TheGuardians have revealed to Hal that even if he had been chosen second, Jordan would still be the Green Lantern of Earth fairly quickly.^[10] However, this is later elaborated upon. As Guy is an instrumental figure in theWar of Light, his early death would cause a butterfly effect condemning most of the universe. TheSinestro Corps would have won theSinestro Corps War, and gone on to conquer every planet they see... leading to a world whereSinestro rules all. This is averted byBooster Gold andRip Hunter, in one of their time-traveling missions.^[7]

Green Lantern Corps

Crisis on Infinite Earths

 Main article:Crisis on Infinite Earths

During theCrisis on Infinite Earths, Guy finally stirred from his coma.^[19] Possibly brain damaged, he wished to take back thepower ring and the title that should rightfully have been his.^[20] At the time,Hal Jordan had decided to retire,^[21] andJohn Stewart was the active Green Lantern of Earth.^[22] Gardner and Jordan fought overAbin Sur's grave, in a dramatic confrontation as Guy believed Hal was deliberately responsible for his problems.^[23] Although theGuardians of the Universe required an additional Green Lantern for the time of Crisis, Hal was invalid for the job as he had quit. Guy Gardner finally got what he wanted...he was a Green Lantern at last.^[24][25]

For the first time in history, the Guardians were divided. Half of them believed that they should act to preserve life, while the others argued that the Crisis was inevitable and time should not be wasted fighting it. Matters were further complicated when a third of them were killed by theAnti-Monitor.^[26] Guy was given a mission by one faction of the Guardians to destroy the moon ofQward where the Anti-Monitor had beenborn.^[27]

To do this, he had to assemble a strike team ofsupervillains and invade theAntimatter Universe. Hal Jordan was even deputized to aid him. Guy picked upthe Shark,Sonar,Goldface,Throttle,Blindside andHector Hammond.^[28] After Gardner had already gone through, the other Guardians discovered that destroying the moon of Qward would undo the Anti-Monitor's tether to the mortal universe, and make him much more powerful. Although acting on orders, Guy had to be stopped at all costs. All Lanterns available were sent to the Antimatter Universe, and there was a cataclysmic battle for the fate of the universe between theGreen Lantern Corps, Guy and hisvillains, and the deadlyWeaponers of Qward. Finally, before he could destroy it, John Stewart put Guy down with his ring, and the universe was saved from destruction for a second time that day. In addition to the two others, Hal Jordan was also reinstated in his official capacity.^[29]

In the aftermath, Gardner briefly went missing.^[30] Still bearing a grudge against Hal, and believing himself meant to be the last true Green Lantern, he teamed up withStar Sapphire andHector Hammond. Although defeated, disgraced, and wanted dead at this point by nearly half the galaxy for his actions during the Crisis, they still saw potential in Gardner, and kept him on as a Lantern. The Guardians took a brief leave from the universe along with their female counterparts theZamarons, and Guy was assigned to be mentored by the remaining mortal Guardian...Appa Ali Apsa, onMaltus.^[31]

Legends

 Main article:Legends

DuringLegends, Guy Gardner finally returned to Earth. He declared himself leader of theGreen Lantern Corps of Earth, and did battle with the seven other Lanterns stationed there for supremacy:Hal Jordan,John Stewart,Kilowog,Katma Tui,Arisia,Salakk andCh'p. He was subdued byHonor GuardsApros andK'ryssma, intending to remove him from the Corps permanently underAppa's strict orders. However, after a plea fromKari Limbo convinced the other Lanterns to vouch for Guy, Appa was persuaded to allow him to continue his career, in the hopes that he would one day reach the full potential he had been selected for.^[32] OnApokolips,Darkseid sent his agentGlorious Godfrey to Earth intending to sway peoples' minds against the superheroes, leading to violent anti-vigilante rioting and protests which Guy nearly became a victim of.^[33] As resident Green Lantern, he was selected byDoctor Fate to be part of a final team to fight against Godfrey's mobs inWashington, D.C. despite a presidential edict banning superhero activities.^[34] Fighting against the ApokoliptianWarhounds, they eventually managed to break Godfrey's control over the populace. Although most of the other heroes immediately forgave those who had fought against them, Gardner insisted that the mind control could not have taken root if there was not an already deep-seated distrust for their kind. The heroes present that day decided to band together as a new team to fight for justice.^[35] As the previousJustice League had recently been disbanded,^[36] they would go on to form a new incarnation,Justice League International.

Before making his decision, he interacted with his fellow Lanterns again duringGreen Lantern Corps: Red Lantern.Kilowog was brainwashed by aRussian spy into joining theSoviet Union, where he helpedMikhail Gorbachev create theRocket Red Brigade.^[37] Guy Gardner personally made it his mission to invadeRussia and take care of the problem, despite the danger of causing an international incident.Kari Limbo attempted to dissuade him, but in his brain-damaged state he did not feel the same love for her he once had.^[38] He single-handedly took on both the misguided Kilowog and all seven Rocket Reds, in the process rescuing prisoners-of-warJohn Stewart andKatma Tui. However, once Kilowog saw the light of oppression, he realized the error of his ways and was forced to fight his close personal friendRocket Red #1 to the death. Although the ideology of the West had arguably triumphed once more that day, the Lanterns all agreed that what they really learned was that war is hell.^[39]

Justice League International

 Main article:Justice League International

Guy's run in JLI was full of constant personality shifts and endless arguing between team members. This led to a fight with Lobo,^[40] the sucker-punching of Blue Beetle during a boxing match,^[41] and finally him quitting the team after being "belittled" by Superman.^[42] Gardner was romantically involved with his fellow LeaguerIce, even learning some rudimentary Norwegian. Their relationship ended with her death at the hands of theOvermaster, but recent events have led to her resurrection.

A New Beginning

Guy Gardner became a founding member of the newJustice League along withBatman,Martian Manhunter,Doctor Fate,Captain Marvel,Blue Beetle,Mister Miracle,Black Canary andDoctor Light.^[43] Although Guy made repeated attempts to gain authority of the group, Batman rebuked him at every turn. These challenges culminated in a fist-fight between the two, famously ending in aone-punch knockout by the Dark Knight putting Gardner to sleep for several hours.^[44]Hal Jordan was shown to be staunchly against Guy's membership in the League, but chairmanMaxwell Lord chose not to heed his warnings.^[45] After waking up from Batman's punch, Guy was shown to have a mild split-personality disorder induced by head trauma. He switched back and forth between his normal aggressive self and a much kinder, sweeter and gentler persona whenever he received a serious blow to the skull.^[46]

Earlier missions for the League involving international relations with theSoviet Union would reveal Guy as politically right-wing, and a vocal advocate of the policies ofRonald Reagan.

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Yellow Lantern Ring

AfterHal Jordan returned to Earth from a lengthy stay in outer space, he attempted to persuade Guy to allow him to have his sector back. An overly confident Guy refused to listen to reason, and instead insisted that they make the decision in a single no-holds-barred fight in the streets ofNew York, without their rings. Gardner lost to Jordan in a punch-out, and was forced to give up hisring and quit theCorps.^[47] He would go out in search of anew weapon.

Guy Gardner Reborn

 Main article:Guy Gardner Reborn

Guy refused to believe he could never be a hero again, and was not deterred by losing his powers. Instead, he went through a number of efforts to reinvent himself. He tried to clean up all of the crime surroundingTimes Square using nothing but his fists and his machismo. After getting beaten up byBlack Hand and his crew, he realized he would need a new gimmick. At first, he visited theNew Guardians, although he was kicked off their island byGloss for flirting with her. He then tried to become a gun-toting anti-hero with an overly large amount of guns, but gave that up when malfunctioning weaponry forced him to flee from a fight withGoldface.

Visibly irritated, he also turned down an offer to beGeneral Glory's new sidekick. Finally, he recalled that theWeaponers of Qward were famous for craftingSinestro'spower ring. Using the help ofG'nort to make him a ship, he journeyed into space and teamed up withLobo.^[1] Together, the two bruisers went to theAntimatter Universe ofQward onLobo's Spacehog and beat up a planet full ofQwardians before learning that Sinestro's ring was actually still onOa... traveling back, they realized that they had inadvertently lead the Weaponers directly to theGuardians for a gigantic invasion.^[48] During the massive battle that ensued, theGreen Lantern Corps were almost decimated by the invaders. Guy found theCrypts of the Green Lantern Corps, and had a battle of wills with theSoul of Sinestro for control of hisQwardian Power Ring. After wrestling it from his hands, Gardner single-handedly put down the attackers and drove them back to Qward with arguably the most powerful weapon in the universe. Although they were glad that their home planet was safe, theGuardians of the Universe remained extremely worried about what they had unleashed upon the universe by allowing Guy to wield so much energy.^[49]

Unlike aGreen Lantern Ring, aQwardian Power Ring is more powerful because it has no weaknesses. 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.^[50] 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. It would later berevealed during theWar of Light that the yellow rings are operated not by willpower, but by their bearer's ability to instill great fear. For Guy Gardner to be able to use it so well is... well, it is actuallyreally not all that surprising.

A New Guy in Town

Back on Earth, Guy started a whole new chapter of his life. He relaunched his campaign to clean upNew York City, and quickly became recognized as the most dangerous hero around purely for his collateral damage. Although his actions were widely panned by many including the news media and his peers, he developed a large degree of newfound popularity from citizens who believed his ruthless determination in crime-fighting was much needed.

A group of aliens who were attempting to start their own intergalactic police-for-hire to rival groups like theGreen Lanterns,Darkstars andL.E.G.I.O.N. asked Guy Gardner to be their champion and top enforcer. He agreed to work for them, on the condition that they refer to themselves as the "Gardners of the Universe," and also that they wear his haircut. This gave him an income, and he was able to move out of his small apartment withGeneral Glory and even hire himself apublicity agent. He had everything he wanted in addition to his hero career, power, wealth, and respect.^[51]

Working on his own now, he first went afterGoldface to tie up their past feuds. AlthoughHal Jordan andTom Kalmaku were also working the case at the time, Guy insisted that he would be the one to beat Goldface first, baiting the Green Lantern into a competition. Using a combination of his brains, brawns, and fighting skills, Guy actually took Goldface down before Jordan could, even after his ring had been stolen, proving he could show Hal up on his own terms.^[52]

Death of Superman

 Main article:Death of Superman

It was while he had the Yellow Lantern Ring thatDoomsday first appeared. Gardner was with the Justice League at the time, and when Doomsday causedBlue 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.^[53] Guy, his face beaten so badly he could barely see, continued in the fight, but was put down again.^[54] Guy was forced to sit the rest of the battle out, taken off in an ambulance, but insisting that Superman put Doomsday down.^[55] Superman and the monster finally killed each other in single combat.^[56]

Guy, although never close friends with the Man of Steel, mourned his death along with the rest of the League.^[57] He gathered for Superman's funeral in Metropolis and walked in the honor guard along with the League.^[58] 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 Krypton" (later revealed to be theEradicator) 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 theCyborg Superman framed the Eradicator for the destruction ofCoast 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.^[59]

He rallied together with many other heroes to fight theParasites duringBloodlines, but was captured by their leaderthe Taker along with everybody else.^[60] After being rescued by theNew Bloods, he would help toss the gigantic monster directly into the sun, ensuring that it could no longer harm anyone else again.^[61]

The Trouble With Guys

From just after Superman's death to just before Guy's first fight withMilitia^[62] he was replaced by an exact duplicate created by theDraal, who were replacing Green Lanterns and saw Guy as a more powerful alternative. When exactly the double replaced him is uncertain, however,Sentinel mentions that Guy was not at the Coast City Memorial.^[63] Regardless, upon escaping the Draal, Guy returned to Earth and teleported the duplicate to the Draal ship being controlled by a group of Green Lanterns.^[64]

Warrior

After a visit back home toBaltimore, and finding out for the first time that hisfather was dead before he could confront the old man about his years of abuse, Guy determined to reinvent himself once again, give himself a new look, and let the world know that he was back. Wearing an updated leather jacket, gloves, boots and a logo on his chest, he became Guy Gardner: Warrior.^[65]

Emerald Twilight

 Main article:Emerald Twilight

AfterCoast City was destroyed byMongul andCyborg Superman duringReign of the Supermen!,^[66]Hal Jordan, the greatest Green Lantern, turned insane. Determining that theGuardians of the Universe were unfit leaders after they blocked his attempts to recreate his home, he went on a rampage destroying the entireGreen Lantern Corps.

Traveling toOa, Hal murdered the Guardians,Kilowog,Sinestro, destroyed theCentral Power Battery and left the rest of the Corps for dead. He began calling himselfParallax.^[67]

With the few remaining energies, GuardianGanthet choseKyle Rayner to become the last Green Lantern. Guy has claimed that he was offered the position first, but turned it down.^[68]

Because of the actions of Parallax, Guy'sring experienced a massive power surge and burnt out, leaving him without a method of recharging it. Realizing it was unreliable, he askedBlue Beetle to help him, and began reluctantly wearing one ofBooster Gold's prototype exo-skeletons based on Kilowog's design for theRocket Red Armor.^[69]Alan Scott informed him of the disaster that had taken place onOa.^[70] Deciding to lead a hand-picked squadron to ground zero, Guy took Alan Scott,Captain Atom,Martian Manhunter,Wonder Woman,the Ray,Arisia andFerrin Colos. They met and quickly found themselves outmatched by the strength ofParallax.^[71] After a final battle between Guy Gardner and Hal Jordan, Guy was defeated, andhis ring destroyed by Hal's augmented powers. Depowered again, he was calmly sent back to Earth unconscious.^[72] Guy was hospitalized upon his return to Earth and was unconcious for three weeks.

The rest ofJustice League International foughtCadre during the events ofJudgment Day, andIce was tragically murdered byOvermaster.^[73] As they were on break at the time, Guy would not find out until significantly after it had happened.

On a search for powers once again, he journeyed deep into the heart ofAfrica pursuing his superheroics. A legendary river was said to possess the powers of history's greatest fighters, which it would imbue to those who had the true heart of a warrior. Guy joined the party ofBuck Wargo on his quest.^[74] BravingNazis,Zombies andDinosaurs he finally sipped the "water of the warriors" and found great powers unlocked within him. Surrounding paintings seemed to depict him as some sort of great prophecized local hero of myth. Shortly afterward, he was nearly crushed by a gigantic boulder and seemingly killed. He immediately came back from the experience covered in strange red armor that had been activated by the trauma.^[75]

Zero Hour

 Main article:Zero Hour

Now that he had powers again, Guy was able to answer the call when the universe was destroyed by a "crisis in time".Parallax had achieved nigh omnipotence and was using his powers to destroy thetimestream with the intention of remaking a world that would be perfect in his own eyes.^[76]Superman rallied theheroes of the world inMetropolis to prevent the collapse of reality as they knew it, and stop the cosmic terrorExtant.

Guy offered to lead the group but was immediately turned down. This was also his first meeting withKyle Rayner. He saw the potential in the Crisis to undo the atrocities Hal had committed and bring the Corps back.^[77] Requiring additional firepower, he was shocked to find that the new armor his body was covered in could also generate weapons based on his thought commands.^[78] Flung through time along withSteel,Batgirl andSupergirl, he went on an odyssey through history before returning to the present. Through the years, they metAnthro, theRough Bunch,Space Ranger and theBlackhawk Squadron. Another trip took him to one of his earlier dates withKari Limbo, although having an identical self in the same time period made his armor go haywire. He was also taken to the dayCoast City was destroyed, and watched the love of his life Kari die before his very eyes.^[79] Fissures widened, and Guy was one of the handful of heroes in the last pocket of reality when Parallax actually revealed himself.^[80] Clearly the most vocal against Jordan's attempted reformation of the universe, Guy was tempted by promises of a better world, but ultimately refused the idea that something good could come of cosmic genocide.Green Arrow shot Parallax and ended his campaign, then the entire universe was naturally rebooted at theBig Bang by theSpectre. Taken back to the regular world byWaverider, he discovered in the battle his armor had been lost and was replaced with strange skin patterns that seemed to manifest the same abilities.^[81]

Vuldarian Legacy

Gardner discovered that his past was not what he thought it was. He was actually the descendant of a space-traveling race called theVuldarians. This discovery eventually led him to discover new powers within himself. These powers allowed him to resume his role as a superhero.^[82] He also established a superhero theme bar calledWarriors, as both a source of income and a base between his adventures.^[83]

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 withSuperman andSupergirl,^[84] with some soul-searching help from his ancestor,^[85] 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 againstDementor, a "brother" of sorts, in that he was also a product of Vuldarian breeding. Dementor was sent toHell, but eventually revealed that he was the one responsible for Gardner's constant personality shifts.^[86] He finally dealt with his "family"^[87], as well as revealed another side of his Vuldarian powers: the ability to heal mortal wounds, such as regenerating a heart.^[88]

Our Worlds at War

Guy was seemingly killed duringImperiex's attack on Earth.^[89] However he was later discovered to be trapped in a pocket of Hell known as The Gorge inGeneral Zod's country ofPokolistan and became the villainous demonic lord of the Gorge while plotting for a way to be released. Gardner eventually lured Superman and Krypto into the Gorge and tried to force them to release him from his station by having Superman take his place. Turns out the plan was a ruse to trick his minion known as Kancer to take the role as lord of the Gorge, freeing himself and Superman from the demonic realm while trapping Kancer in Hell forever.^[90] After freeing himself from this, his Warrior powers were seemingly boosted. He declared it was his job to do things heroes like Superman could not.

After his old colleagueElongated Man's wifeSue Dibny was murdered by amysterious assailant inIdentity Crisis, Guy attended her funeral along with most of the rest of the superhero community. All present were required to wear their costumes, and Guy wore his old Green Lantern garb from his days in the League.^[91]

Return to the Corps

Rebirth

 Main article:Green Lantern: Rebirth

Finally,Hal Jordan came back to life and brought the rest of theGreen Lanterns with him in a climactic battle involving theParallax entity and theSpectre force. In a strange attack atWarriors, all of hisVuldarian powers and DNA were overwritten when he was possessed by Parallax.^[92] Jordan's ring duplicated itself to provide him with one, and in an explosion at theJustice League Watchtower, Guy finally became aGreen Lantern once again.^[93]

He shook off the influence of Parallax when he was able to recognize and acknowledge fear.^[94] While the newly reformed and resurrected Jordan was dealing with problems from Batman, Guy delightedly witnessed Hal catch Bats off guard with a right hook. Parallax possessed the last remainingGuardian,Ganthet, and Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner,John Stewart,Kyle Rayner andKilowog did battle with the monstrosity. In a fantastic display of ring-work, the five Lanterns won the day and restored energies to theCentral Power Battery of Oa, reigniting the flames of the Corps.^[95] Although their relationship had previously been antagonistic, Guy is now regularly friends with his fellow Lanterns, albeit still in his own gruff style.

Recharge

 Main article:Green Lantern Corps: Recharge

A new era has begun, and theGreen Lantern Corps goes back into action, and starts recruiting new members. This time, with a total of 7200 Lanterns at all times, two for each space sector. Having finally proven himself as one of the best, Guy, along withKilowog andKyle Rayner, is selected to act as an instructor to the thousands of rookies now pouring in.^[96] One of the only veteran Lanterns present at this crucial point in Corps history, Guy was also responsible for a number of urgent missions at the time. As the universe was being torn apart by theRann-Thanagar War at the time, they were sent toMogo to prevent an invasion from the opposing forces.^[97]

TheSpider Guild captured new recruitSoranik Natu, and took her prisoner in theVega System, off-limits to Lanterns. Despite a centuries old pact with thePsions of Vega, Guy and Kyle rescued her from her imprisonment. And were immediately ambushed by bounty huntersBolphunga andFatality, out for the prices on their heads.^[98] The fight lead directly to the Guild Nest, where they had to fight both the hunters and armies of gigantic alien spiders. Along withIsamot Kol andVath Sarn, the six Lanterns escaped from Vega and made it back into their own territory. They realized that the Guild was involved in a complicated plot to compress stars into black holes and steal for power, with designs onOa for its next invasion. Code Zero.^[99] This culminated in a full-scaleSpider Guild assault that required every single available Lantern to fight. Most of the rookies still could not overcome theyellow impurity in theirrings, and had difficulty targeting the primarily golden warships.Hal Jordan andJohn Stewart even showed up for the battle. Rallying their forces together, Guy Gardner took control of the entire Corps, delivered a speech at theCentral Power Battery to unite their tactics, and led them to triumphant victory underneath his strategies. Working as one gigantic team, and concentrating all of their willpower in unison, they turned their plot back on the Spiders and obliterated the hive mind with the very explosion they had intended to use on theGuardians. Afterward, Guy received both great praise and great demerits. The Guardians noted that beneath his brutish exterior lied exceptional qualities that warranted their special attention, and he was promoted to "Lantern Number One" of theCorps Honor Guard, not restricted to any sector. However, on the other hand, for breaking as many rules as he had, and committing what was effectively a mutiny to usurp command, he was in need of some reprimand. Guy Gardner's new position was effective immediately, but he was also denied shore leave for afull year as punishment. The Corps was back, and stronger than it ever had been before.^[100]

Infinite Crisis

 Main article:Infinite Crisis

Around the second great Crisis, Guy was a present force throughout. His old friendBlue Beetle was murdered byMaxwell Lord during Lord's brutal takeover ofCheckmate.^[101] Teaming up with other former Leaguers, Guy helped investigate the murder during theOMAC Project.^[102] AlongsideBooster Gold,Fire,Metamorpho andMary Marvel he fought theOMACs attempting to destroy all superheroes. Another of his old friendsRocket Red was murdered by the robots.^[103]

He also took place in a last stand with numerous other heroes trying to face down as many OMACs as they could. At last, while they were battling,Sasha Bordeaux managed to shut the project down.^[104] Former nemesisDespero was captured during theCrisis of Conscience, and Guy got to poke a stick at him through a cage, much to the galactic conqueror's chagrin.^[105] In the company ofG'nort, who was trying to organizeRann-Thanagar peace talks after hisplanet had been destroyed in their conflict, Guy met his old enemies theTormocks once again.^[106] They were taking advantage of the Crisis to completely wipe out theVuldarians, but Guy intervened, and single-handedly saved the dying race from extinction.^[107] Next, he was working in thePolaris Galaxy at the climax of theRann-Thanagar War as a widening rift into theMultiverse opened up at the new center of the universe.^[108] After theBattle of Metropolis, whenSuperboy-Prime intended to fly throughOa at light speed and recreate theBig Bang, Guy led theGreen Lantern Corps' stand against him. Although a total of thirty-two Lanterns were killed in action by the rampaging Kryptonian, they slowed him down long enough forSuperman to catch up to him and stop him. Superboy-Prime was imprisoned in the middle of aRed Sun Eater obtained throughDonna Troy, and fifty Lanterns were posted guard around him at all times. Guy Gardner was asked to give the main speech at the ceremony for the fallen afterward.^[109]

Throughout thenext year, he made several appearances on Earth although he was largely confined to space missions. He made it to the speechSuperman was supposed to give after the Crisis to the rest of the hero community.^[110] Guy managed to return to his home planet in time forChristmas that year as well.^[111] He also helped save lives during the rain of the supermen, when the people ofLex Luthor'sEveryman Project simultaneously lost their powers during flight and came crashing down to the streets below.^[112] AfterBlack Adam went on a rampage and startedWorld War III, Guy was one of the large number of heroes who attempted to put him down.^[113][114]

One Year Later

 Main article:One Year Later

Surprisingly, although he met with prejudice from nearly all other Lanterns,Hal found forgiveness in Guy for hisactions asParallax before anyone else. Guy even helped Hal in a fist-fight that broke out withTurytt andHoroq Nnot in the cafeteria over his past actions, which earned him further disciplinary infractions. Given a chance at redemption when he discoveredTomar-Tu was still alive, Hal asked theGuardians' permission to go on a retrieval mission for theLost Lanterns he had cast into space.

Because they were inforbidden territory, he was denied his request, but Hal and Guy decided to go anyway during "Revenge of the Green Lanterns". Their search took them to theManhunters' homeworld ofBiot, where they realized that the man who had been holding their friends prisoner wasCyborg Superman.^[115] Hal freed the Lanterns he was responsible for,Ke'Haan,Boodikka,General Kreon,Laira,Graf Toren,Hannu, andJack T. Chance.Arisia andChaselon were also discovered. Guy had been knocked out by the Cyborg, and subject to nanites which bonded him with one of the greatManhunter robots.^[116]

The Lost Lanterns broke him out with a great deal of effort, and Graf Toren rescued him. Guy organized a full evacuation with all of the dozens of captured Lanterns on the planet, got everyone clear, and then Hal and Arisia exploded the planet just as the group escaped. Covering for Jordan, Guy told theGuardians that as anHonor Guard he had authorized the mission himself. Lanterns of his authority are allowed to break the rules three times before expulsion. As his punishment,Salakk assigned him to Prime-Duty, one month of monitoring theRed Sun Eater imprisoningSuperboy-Prime.^[117]

After his year of punishment was over, Guy Gardner was ready for some long-awaited shore leave. The last mission he had to perform was aidingSoranik Natu onBetrassus, helping fight the treacherousPrince Ragnar. This led to the induction ofPrincess Iolande into the Corps.^[118] Finally, he was allowed some vacation time on theRestoria planet inSector 3241.Bolphunga the Unrelenting, who had apparently been tracking him for some time, took pleasure in interrupting his stay. Having left hisring in the hotel safe which he was unable to access, Guy had to fight and evade the bounty hunter using only his wits and his reflexes. He finally got it back by using his old college football skills to intercept it in the air while Bolphunga was about to take it, effectively getting the drop on him.^[119] As rested as he could expect to be, Guy's next mission was to fight againstRanx the Sentient City and theChildren of the White Lobe teaming up withChthos-Chthas Chthatis.^[120]

Mogo was infected by the virusDespotellis. Usually in charge of providing therapy and relaxation for Lanterns on shore leave, the planetoid began brainwashing them to his own purposes.Kilowog andGreen Man were both briefly driven insane and attacked their comrades.^[121] LanternsQuond andTanakata Z were found murdered shortly after implicating Guy Gardner as their killer. Talking with Mogo afterward about the false accusations, instead of the normal therapeutic imagery, he was confronted by a construct of hisabusive father.^[122] Gardner was the first to resist the mind control and warn the others of Mogo's instability. SinceIsamot Kol noticed earlier that something strange was happening on Mogo, he allows Guy to speak, and Guy decides to summonSoranik Natu to examine Mogo. Guy then fought together with Natu,Vath Sarn, Isamot, andBzzd, and faced Despotellis even as he possessed Kilowog, and excised him from their friends. Mogo destroyed the entire infected area on his surface by colliding with an asteroid. Although their enemy had been defeated, and the Corps was safe once again, the virus heralded the coming of theSinestro Corps shortly before being driven out.^[123]

The Corpse

For a short time, Guy was sent to work with "The Corpse", the top secret Black Ops division of the Green Lanterns, unknown to the general public. Run by aDurlan namedVon Daggle, it was kept so quiet that in all of his years as a Lantern Guy had never even heard of it before. Along with another recruit,R'amey Holl, they attempted to prevent theDominators from wielding one of the universe's greatest weapons. This division has no official ties to theCorps, receive no backup or help, work completely undercover, have no ethical standards in their practices, and die alone if they were caught. Daggle attempted to stop one of the Dominion who had gained god-like powers through super science. Guy was supposed to assassinate aKhund telepath, but had difficulty reconciling himself to murder. The beast took advantage of this, and nearly killed him. He would be nursed back to health by the spiritual powers of R'amey Holl, who appeared to be in love with him. The god-like Dominator traveled to Earth, where he intended to avenge his ancestors. Together, the three beat him into submission, and R'amey executed him on the spot. Guy was denied membership by Daggle, and told he had failed their tests because he was weak. Gardner said he would have refused anyway because killing criminals is the easy way out, and he was proud of himself for not living up to their standards. Gardner's memory is wiped to forget the incident, and he returns to his regular duties with no memories of the things he had seen.^[124]

War of Light

Sinestro Corps War

 Main article:Sinestro Corps War

During theSinestro Corps War, theSinestro Corps launched an invasion againstOa and decimated the Lanterns stationed there.Parallax took possession ofKyle Rayner, and brought him back to their base onQward.^[125] Both Guy andJohn Stewart were captured in battle by Parallax as well.^[126]Lyssa Drak held them both prisoner deep underground and subjected them to their worst fears.^[127] They are freed byHal Jordan and theLost Lanterns, then blast their way out of the planet facing Sinestros left and right.

Guy attacks Parallax, who nearly breaks his neck, but escapes unscathed. Disturbed by the ruthlessness of their enemies, theGuardians change theBook of Oa to allow lethal force to be used against all Sinestro Corps members.^[128] As their ultimate move,Sinestro launches a full-scale assault from the newWarworld onto Earth, the center of theMultiverse.Green Lantern Corps,Justice League of America, andJustice Society of America are all present for the battle inNew York City along with hundreds of others. Guy helps exorcise Parallax from Kyle, and the evil entity is divided into four parts and contained within the four human'spower batteries. They say their oaths, and split up into teams.^[129] At the climax of the epic confrontation inManhattan, Guy fell suddenly violently ill. While everyone else was searching for a way to destroy the rampagingAnti-Monitor, Guy had the idea of droppingWarworld on him like a gigantic bomb after detonating its core. This destroyed the Anti-Monitor's containment suit, andSuperman-Prime finished him off.Cyborg Superman was also killed in the blast, and expressed gratitude for the ending of his life. Near collapse and hacking up yellow all over the place, Guy was examined bySoranik Natu who determined he was under the influence of sentient bio-virusDespotellis. Meanwhile, Sinestro was beaten in a fist fight against Hal Jordan, and Superman-Prime was banished from the universe in an explosive blast of light by one of the dyingGuardians. In a battle on a microscopic scale, Green LanternLeezle Pon, a sentient smallpox virus battled against Despotellis in Guy's bloodstream, finally winning out and saving his life. Sinestro leadership defeated and the enemy Corps decimated, the Green Lanterns won the war and took back the universe from the grip of terror. A number of them stayed behind to clean up damage and rebuild the major cities that had been destroyed. Although he was prepared to use lethal force if absolutely necessary, Guy avoided giving into his baser instincts for the duration of the conflict.^[130] Now that Kyle Rayner was no longerIon, he was assigned anHonor Guard position as well and became Guy's new partner.^[131] Shortly afterward the pair paid their respects to the dead at theCrypts of the Green Lantern Corps together.^[132]

Return of Ice

Ice, the former love of Guy Gardner's life, was resurrected after years of being deceased during an affair between theBirds of Prey and theSecret Six.^[133] In the aftermath of theSinestro Corps War, the two ex-lovers met once again inTimes Square and shared a single long and passionate kiss. Although Guy was ready and willing to resume their relationship, Ice still needed time. Being dead for so long, she still needed to get her life back in order, and was not ready for a serious committed relationship. Backing off to give her space, Guy arranged a proper date between them for exactly one month later in the same spot. He also insisted that he would be there for her whenever she needed him.^[134]

Kyle and Guy both got tired of their home-life on Earth, and decided to move toOa to better suit their responsibilities asHonor Guards. Rebuilding his old destroyed bar, Guy sets up a newWarriors restaurant for Lanterns to get solid food someplace other than the cafeteria.Salakk requires some convincing, but after a number of derogatory remarks directed at them muses that their entertainment value alone will be worth it. Before leaving Earth, Guy leaves a note on Ice's bedside table explaining his disappearance.^[135]

As hisfirst regular mission following the War, Guy and a number of other Lanterns were sent to catch the rogueSinestro Rings and stop them before they could create any more havoc throughout the universe.Arisia andSodam Yat are taken prisoner and subjected toBlack Mercy plants byMongul andDuel Eknham.^[136] The Honor Guards invaded Mongul's planet along withStel,Bzzd,Soranik Natu,Princess Iolande,Isamot Kol andVath Sarn. Nobody was lost in the rescue mission, but they still had to deal with the mother of all Black Mercies trying to protect her children.^[137] After a lengthy fight, they realized that the creatureMother Mercy was actually against Mongul's usage of her plants to instill fear, and had only been protecting herself. Mongul then ambushed the entire group with his mutated Mercies.^[138] Left alone with Eknham guarding them, Gardner saw an opportunity and blew the Sinestro's head off with a ring blast, marking his first usage of deadly force as a Lantern. All of the group tracked down and assaulted Mongul on his way to conquer another planet, and he was defeated by the sacrifice of Bzzd. Mother Mercy was inducted into the Lantern Corps to replace him, and the group flew back to Oa with a tiny coffin for their fallen comrade.^[139]

Amidst great success, the newWarriors Bar finally opened up, serving only authentic American cuisine. While Guy had previously had a problem with the way Lantern chefGreet served up Earth meals, the food was very popular when served correctly. Soon after, eyeballs began raining from the skies... taken from murdered members of rookie Lanterns' families, killed by theSinestro Corps.^[140] While Guy was being sent out to investigate,Ice arrived on the planet days earlier, having hitched a ride with a fellow Lantern to meet up with him. Unfortunately, Guy had to go out and find the killer, but Ice said she would be there waiting for him when he returned. Guy, Kyle,Kilowog andSaarek tracked down theQuintet, a group of brother and sisterSinestros who they imprisoned inSciencells.^[141] Guy and Ice finally share their date together. He asks her to move in with him, and she declines, because she cannot live in outer space. The two argue about their feelings for each other, and although they both care immensely, there are simply too many complications. Both of them agree that their current situations will make a relationship impossible, although in the future they both wish to continue things should they not be tied down by as many responsibilities. Guy has fellow LanternSymon Terrynce escort Tora back to Earth.^[142] As an Honor Guard, Guy is requested to accompany theGuardians of the Universe along withArisia andSodam Yat on a diplomatic mission to theStar Sapphire Corps onZamaron during "Sins of the Star Sapphire".Queen Aga'po and theScarred Guardian argued about the value of love as an emotion, and Guy barely held the two back from instigating physical conflict. Although they left safely from the planet, theBook of Oa would be rewritten that night to forbid physical relationships and love between Green Lanterns. Fresh off of his breakup, this only serves to make Guy bitter.^[143]

Final Crisis

 Main article:Final Crisis

At the beginning of theFinal Crisis,Orion of theNew Gods was found murdered in a dumpster.Martian Manhunter was also killed byLibra.^[144] Guy attended Martian Manhunter's funeral.^[145]Alpha LanternKraken, at the time possessed byGranny Goodness, framedHal Jordan for the murder of a God and the attempted murder ofhis partner. He was taken off of active duty during the investigation.^[146] At the trial, Guy uncovered Goodness for the fraud she was and she assaulted theGuardians within their owncitadel, attempting to take the powers of theCentral Power Battery for the glory ofDarkseid. Discovering that Earth was at the center of a doomsday singularity which could wipe out all existence thanks to Darkseid'smachinations, Hal, Guy and Kyle all traveled back home with twenty-four hours to save the universe.^[147] They faced reality warps and time distortions.^[148] After Darkseid had been killed byBatman, they arrived for the ultimate confrontation betweenMandrakk the Dark Monitor andSuperman's combinedforces of the Multiverse. Along with his fellow Lanterns, Guy helped drive a stake made of pure willpower through the Dark Monitor's heart, killing him once and for all.^[149]

Emerald Eclipse

 Main article:Emerald Eclipse

Sinestro was sentenced to death during "Rage of the Red Lanterns".Atrocitus, leader of theRed Lantern Corps, sent his minions out to ambush the convoy and take Sinestro for themselves.^[150] After this confrontation, Guy helped bring in one of theRed Lantern Corps most powerful members,Vice.^[151] He was still onOa during the greatSciencell riot.^[152] At the time, theGuardians were on amission toVega and theOrange Lantern Corps withHal Jordan.^[153] The riot included a breakout unleashing every captured member of theSinestro Corps, as well as any of hundreds of theCorps' greatest enemies who had been imprisoned.^[154]

During the gigantic battle, Gardner actually briefly teamed up with his old enemyBolphunga against the Sinestros, although he made it clear he still hated Guy. They finally recaptured their enemies with the help of theAlpha Lantern Corps.^[155] And then theCentral Power Battery exploded.Guardian Scar, having switched allegiances to anew master, destroyed it from within to take downOa's defensive shielding and make it more vulnerable to attack. The Lanterns regrouped, and started cleaning up the mess.Salaak brought Guy and Kyle's attention to the actions of the Alpha Lanterns, and they realized that they were executing unarmed prisoners.Alexander Nero was slaughtered right before their eyes. The two Honor Guards made a stand againstChaselon,Green Man andVarix, Gardner particularly outraged at the disregard for the right to life, and the extent to which they were allowing the ideals of the Corps to slip. At first debating heatedly, and then putting themselves in the way of the blasts. Unable to convince the recently returningGuardians that their decrees were getting out of hand, they were forced to settle for only saving those who they had promised would be spared for helping them, Bolphunga andKanjar Ro. The executions were brought onto the surface of Oa for all to see, proving that the Guardians wished no secrecy. For going against the decree, Guy and Kyle are demoted from their positions and stationed back on Earth until they can control their emotions.^[156]

Blackest Night

 Main article:Blackest Night

Now stationed back on Earth, Guy is able to be present for the Tribute Day ceremonies inCoast City honoring fallen heroes across the world. Back on his home planet, Guy is also able to continue pursuing his relationship withIce, although they are forced to remain a long distance relationship for the most part.

He believes most of the Guardians' newest laws to be foolish and meaningless, but continues to wear hisring despite his lack of faith in them so that he can do the most good and help the most people. On a trip back toSector 0, him and Kyle are hit by a wave ofBlack Lantern Rings that wash over them flying through space. AsScar betrays and incapacitates theGuardians, theCrypts of the Green Lantern Corps are pillaged by the new rings, and theBlack Lantern Corps rises. Able to pick out whicheveremotion is most heavily present in any life form at the time, they identified Guy Gardner's great and powerful rage.^[157][158] It has been established that with the Guardians out of action, althoughSalakk is currently in charge, Guy and Kyle are next in the chain of command for control of the Corps.^[159] Tragically, Rayner sacrifices himself by plunging into the Central Power Battery so he can obliterate hundreds of Black Lanterns in a single blow. Before dying, he thanks Guy for being like a brother to him.^[160] This is too much to handle. He is completely overcome by his rage at the senseless horrors, and is inducted into theRed Lantern Corps. Equipped with aRed Lantern Ring in addition to his normal weaponry, he begins single-handedly decimating the remaining Black Lanterns in his fit of anger, like a ravenous mindless uncontrollable beast. Thanks to the intervention ofStar Sapphire, refusing to allow the eternal love between Kyle and Soranik to extinguish, Kyle is resurrected by the violet light.^[161] However, the power of the red has too much control over him and even seeing his friend brought back cannot help him break from it. All of the Black Lanterns were destroyed byMogo. In a brief moment of sanity, Guy asked for a mercy killing before he lost control again, because he could not stop the rage from overcoming him.^[162] Mogo manages to stop Guy, first by using his rings to produce an energy construct representation of his internal struggle, weakening him, and then by placing him in a pool of nutrients, containing leeches that purge almost all of Guy's rage contaminated blood from his body. Guy returns to normal, but is informed by the Indigo Tribesman Munk that only the light of a Blue Lantern can cure him completely. The group are then summoned to Earth to join the battle against Nekron.^[163] He briefly battles Ice who was transformed into a Black Lantern. Guy and the other seven Corps battle the Anti-Monitor in a attempt to destroy the Black Central Battery. During this battle, he is briefly possessed byDeadman, who clues Kyle Rayner into how to defeat Nekron: by reviving Black Hand (which eventually is done through the Entity's powers), his connection to the universe would be severed, since he served as Nekron's liaison.

Brightest Day

 Main article:Brightest Day

After the events of Blackest Night, Guy Gardner is slated to star in a third Green Lantern monthly series titled Emerald Warriors. The series is written by Peter Tomasi and features regular guest appearances by Kilowog. Guy arrives on planet Odym for the cure from his Red Lantern's connection to the red ring. However, the Red Lantern Bleez prevents Guy from receiving the cure. Guy decides not to take the cure, reasoning that the dangerous mission he and the others are about to partake in may require such savage fury. While investigating a mysterious power drain with Kilowog and Arisia, Guy unwillingly brings up more blood, which transforms into Atrocitus' head, who reveals their alliance. Guy is forced to admit to his fellow Lanterns that he vomited more blood a short time ago that formed into a tapestry of future events, and that, having learned that Atrocitus had the same thing happen to him, he and Ganthet entered into their alliance. Guy is abandoned by Kilowog and Arisia, who are disgusted that Gardner kept that information from them. Guy and Bleez manage to find the source of the power drain in Zardor, a telepathic alien warlord. Guy is then attacked by an enthralled Sodam Yat. Guy is overwhelmed and fed to Zardor's pet snake. Finding Bleez before he is swallowed, he kisses her, using that act to activate the Red Lantern energy in him and break free. Together, they are able to disconnect Zardor's victims from his control. Bleez sends the victims home while Guy fights Zardor. Guy is almost killed, but is saved by Kilowog and Arisia's intervention. However, Zardor manages to escape with Sodam still under his control. Guy attempts to kill Sodam to keep him from hurting anyone, but is stopped by Arisia.

War of the Green Lanterns

 Main article:War of the Green Lanterns

As the group return to Oa to brief the Guardians on the situations, they feel the effect of Parallax being returned to the Central Power Battery by Krona. Guy and Kilowog are able to resist (due to their past experience with Parallax), but Arisia is enthralled along with the other Green Lanterns, who attack Guy and Kilowog. Kilowog sends Guy away from the battle to get help, and Guy contacts Hal Jordan, telling him to meet at "The Green House", a secret base on an unknown planet. Once there, Parallax's influence causes them to fight each other, forcing them to remove their rings. Locating the Green House, they use a starship to take them to Oa, where they meet with Kyle Rayner and John Stewart. Hal, possessing the rings of the other Corps' leaders, offers them as alternative to the green ones. Guy chooses the red ring, citing his experience with it. With their new powers, they assist Ganthet against an onslaught of Green Lanterns, before being attacked by Mogo. After managing to escape the planet's attack, the group split up: While Kyle and John go to stop Mogo from sending tainted rings across the universe, Guy and Hal travel to the Central Power Battery to remove Parallax from the Battery. As they reach near their objective, Guy and Hal are attacked by the Guardians, who have been possessed by the other six Emotional Entities. Despite Guy's attempt to fight back by using Krona's gauntlet, he and Hal are defeated and brought to Krona, who intends to use bandages similar to his own to "evolve" the two into "New Guardians". The destruction of Mogo creates enough of distraction for Guy and Hal to escape, bringing Ganthet with them. The three rendevous with Kyle and John at the Central Power Battery. At Ganthet's urging, Guy dons aStar Sapphire Ring, and Hal wears Larfleeze's ring, and the combined might of the emotional spectrum shatters the shell of the Central Power Battery, releasing Parallax. Their mission accomplished, Guy has Kyle use his blue ring to cleanse him of the Red Lantern energy, and they all don their green rings in preparation for the final confrontation withKrona.

This history is continued inThe New 52 atGuy Gardner (Prime Earth).
TheDC Universe was rebooted in2011 as part of theFlashpoint event. This was an attempt to simplify continuity, and makeDC Comics more accessible to new readers. Prior to this, mainstream comics took place inNew Earth continuity since theCrisis on Infinite Earths in1985. The continuity established followingFlashpoint isPrime Earth.

Characterization

Guy Gardner is an immensely complex character with several different sides to his personality. Multiple interpretations of the character have seen a number of portrayals, and he has also shown development over the years.

Personality

His sheer willpower and his complete refusal to back down from any fight have made him one of the greatest warriors in the universe. This has also given him a notorious reputation in the superhero community as an obnoxious butthead. Despite the disapproval from his peers for his unrelenting offensive tendencies, he has always kept his chin up and refused to let the opinions of others stop him from doing what he knows is the right thing. A bit of a wild card in terms of attitude, and unwilling to listen to the strict restrictions that bind most of his fellow Lanterns, his determination, skill, and unpredictability have made him one of the most feared and respected lawmen in the universe.

Morality

Like mostsuperheroes, Guy abhors killing and usually avoids it at all costs. He has provided a number of reasons for this. While he adheres to a strict moral code, he is not entirely inflexible when the situation he finds himself in calls for him to take actions towards the greater good.

During his time withthe Corpse, although leaderVon Daggle required him to assassinate targets, he had an inner struggle, and ultimately could not bring himself to perform an execution like that. He later explained that killing someone is the "easy" way out, and his style is making the scum of the universe face the music.^[124] At the climax of theSinestro Corps War, when usage of lethal force was enabled for regular Corps members, he was faced with this dilemma again. Trapped and cornered, he had no option but to kill theSinestros around him in self-defense. Although he expressed reluctance, and concern about keeping up with the standards of his friends, he was willing to if he had to. The choice was taken out of his hands by a wave of Lanterns who came crashing down onto his position and saved him the trouble.^[129] He very strongly opposed the executions carried out by theAlpha Lantern Corps duringEmerald Eclipse.Sciencell prisoners who participated in the riots were rounded up and killed by mandate of theGuardians. Guy was irate that they were sacrificing the ideals of the Corps by killing unarmed people in cold blood and without trials. Unfortunately, though he argued himself into a suspension, he was unable to prevent the slaughter.^[156] However, Guy has killed before in the line of duty.Duel Eknham met his fate at Guy'sring after attempting to kill him and his friends, although the villain had already been divided in half byMongul.^[139]

However, he has at times taken an active immoral stance in his tenure as a superhero such as during his time as the "Warrior" where he decided he would be the bad guy or "garbage man" that would take care of the messes and dirty business that more straight-laced heroes strayed away from. As such he developed a poor reputation among the superhero community and is often seen as an abrasive thug by his peers.^[164]

He also has a personal code of honor about fighting. While teaming up withLobo, who was brutalizingQwardians, the two had a discrepancy about their personal approaches to violence. Guy had enjoyed kicking their butts, but disapproved of torturing them needlessly afterward, because there was no challenge in beating guys who were already beaten, and no point. Lobo accused him of having a soft spot, which he resented.^[48] He also took personal fault with the nuclear arms race early in his career, because there was no glory in missile warfare, and he believed combat should be man-to-man.^[39]

Romances

• Kari Limbo: Guy's first girlfriend.^[8] He dated Kari Limbo before he went into a coma. Believing him dead at first, Kari found comfort in Hal Jordan and developed a short relationship with him until Kari broke up with Hal and stood by Guy's side to take care of Guy.^[15][18] Sadly, when Guy stirred up from the coma and returned with a completely different personality, Kari couldn't love him any longer.^[165]
• Ice (Tora Olafsdotter)

  

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Powers and Abilities

Powers

Abilities

• Indomitable Will
• Green Lantern Ring Mastery: Guy's constructs are amongst the most powerful. Guy is so eager to ringsling, and possesses so much raw will power, his ring is often sparking like a leaky water faucet about to explode.^[95]
• Weaponry
  • Firearms^[179]
• Expert Combatant: During his time asWarrior, Superman acknowledged that Guy's a better fighter thanDoomsday.^[180]

Weaknesses

• Power Instability: Gardner's Vuldarian powers came with a time limit to how long he could use them.^[181] Spending hours at a time in his hybrid form weakens his stamina the more he uses it, requiring a 24 hour rest period before he'd be able to transform again.^[178](Formerly)
• Irrational Hatred(Formerly)
  

Paraphernalia

Equipment

• Green Lantern Power Battery

Weapons

• Green Lantern Ring
  • Energy Construct Creation
    • Force Field
  • Energy Projection
  • Flight
• Star Sapphire Ring(Formerly)
• Red Lantern Ring(Formerly)
• Qwardian Power Ring(Formerly)

Oath

Notes

• Although this character was originally introduced during DC'sEarth-One era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985–86 limited seriesCrisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-CrisisNew Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal.
• Created during theSilver Age, Guy was actually supposed to be normal and non-dysfunctional. The persona he is so well known for today was actually created bySteve Englehart during theCrisis on Infinite Earths, not byJohn Broome who created the actual character.
  

Trivia

• ArtistGil Kane patterned Guy's appearance on actorMartin Milner.
• The character was not named after the NASA astronautGuy Gardner, but after fanGuy H. Lillian III and writerGardner Fox.
• Guy is the only person shown to have twice worn the Red Ring and lived after removing it: first with the help of Mogo, who used leeches to remove the corrupted blood in his system caused by the ring, then with the help of Kyle Rayner, who at the time was wearing a Blue Ring, using its power to nullify the effects of the Red Ring, allowing Guy to remove it.
• Guy has worn multiple rings at the same time, wearing his Green Ring and a Red one (against his will) during Blackest Night, then back to Green later. He then wore Red alone in the War of the Green Lanterns, then donning a Violet Ring at the same time before he removed both and went back to Green soon after.
• Guy is also one of the few, if not onlyman to wear a Violet Ring, though he was not technically accepted or given the right to wear it.
  

Recommended Reading

• Guy GardnerRecommended Reading
  • Green Lantern (Volume 2)
  • Green Lantern Corps (Volume 1)
  • Green Lantern Corps (Volume 2)
  • Green Lantern Corps (Volume 3)
  • Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors (Volume 1)
  • Guy Gardner (Volume 1)
  • Guy Gardner: Collateral Damage (Volume 1)
  • Guy Gardner Reborn (Volume 1)
  • Justice League America (Volume 1)

Related

• 671 Appearances of Guy Gardner (New Earth)
• 271 Images featuring Guy Gardner (New Earth)
• 90 Quotations by or about Guy Gardner (New Earth)
• Character Gallery: Guy Gardner (New Earth)

Footnotes

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

Justice League member This character has been a member of theJustice League of America, or simply theJustice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians ofAmerica and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protectEarth 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.

Red Lantern Corps member This character is or was a member of theRed Lantern Corps - a group of individuals whose capacity for rage is boundless, and who were equipped with aPower Ring. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Red Lantern Corps members category."

Star Sapphire Corps member This character is or was a member of theStar Sapphire Corps, chosen by theZamarons to spread love throughout their sector with aPower Ring. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Star Sapphire Corps members category."