Lanterns Fills in the Gaps of the DCU After Superman

Through Superman, Creature Commandos, and the second season of Peacemaker, we got a sense of the heroes who preceeded Superman: the members of the Justice League and Task Force X, of course, but also those who show up on the mural in the Hall of Justice, which includes Golden Age characters like Starman and Iron Munro. Lanterns went further to show that Green Lantern had been on Earth since 1986, making Hal Jordan a craggy veteran by the time Superman debuted in Metropolis.

While these events have set up the DCU’s past, Lanterns gives us a better sense of the DCU’s present, after the events of Superman. Superman wasn’t just about how the Man of Steel defeated Lex Luthor and saved Jarhanpur from Boravia. It was also about how Superman inspired people with his goodness, including other superheroes. And no hero needed inspiration more than Guy Gardner, the bowl-cut sporting GL in the Justice Gang. When we first meet Guy, he shows little care for civilians or the kaiju that he and the Justice League take down. But by the end of the movie, he and the Justice Gang decide to help the people of Jarhanpur, even if doing so might harm their brand and the profits it can bring.

To be sure, that’s just a small change in the heart of Guy Gardner. He still initially rejects Metamorpho’s bid for membership on the grounds that he’s too ugly, and only changes his mind when Metamorpho calls Justice Gang “a cool name.” And when he and Hawkgirl show up alongside Maxwell Lord in Peacemaker, they have no problem mocking Chris Smith, showing no interest in actually listening to the potential Justice Gang member.

So no one was too surprised when Guy makes his presence known in Lanterns by shining a light in John Stewart’s eyes, mocking his would-be fellow member of the Green Lantern Corps. And Guy has no problem rubbing the disaster of Rushville in the face of John, as if the loss of the Corps’ reputation matters more than the people who died.

However, Guy does arrive in Rushville, a place that clearly still hates Green Lanterns, to attend Hal Jordan’s funeral. Moreover, when John asks Guy to get Hal’s Green Lantern ring and uniform for the burial, Guy actually agrees. He’s not nice about it. And Guy has no problem reminding John how badly he and Hal screwed up. But Guy does it, even if it risks his standing with the Guardians and the reputation of the Green Lantern Corps.

Through Guy’s actions, we’re beginning to see the true effect that Superman has had on the world. The desire for power and fame that affected even the world’s superheroes has begun to weaken. In its place, people with power are beginning to realize that they have a responsibility to help others.