Warning : Spoilers are most certainly ahead
Issue Summary : Exoteric Summary
What do these elements of the DC Universe have in common? Odin’s Wake, the Cepheid Raiders, and the high risk criminals sentenced to life imprisonment on Planet XIX in Space Sector 0042? Absolute death; they all meet a quick and brutal execution by the new law enforcement agency of the Cosmos.
In a different paradigm of justice for the Universe that was generated by a species called the Controllers, the legacy of the Guardians of the Universe and their Green Lantern Corps is in dire jeopardy. The Controller’s AI resurrection, the mantle and technology of the Darkstar exoskeleton, has become self-conscious. Intended to be controlled by the telepathic powers of the Controller’s, the suit was also designed to synthesize with living hosts to end the ineffectiveness and obsolescence of the Green Lantern Corps.
One could call them the new, improved, and lethal police force of the Universe.
Rather than attempt to limit and contain the agent of maliciousness in the Universe as the Green Lanterns do, the Darkstars wish to annihilate evil. No trials required, no lengthy judgment process mandated, and no imprisonment needed; enemies to the benign will of Universe now face immediate execution at the hands of the Darkstars.
In an interesting narrative of the Hal Jordan series, we see panic and concern on the part of the usually passive/cold Guardians of the Universe. The four current Earth originated Lanterns: John Stewart, Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, and Kyle Rayner, meet with council on the Planet Mogo and ask for immediate approval to contain and bring to justice the legion of Darkstars. The Guardians approve, task Stewart with the Lantern offensive, and send a small contingent of Green Lanterns to Space Sector 0000; the home of the Controllers and the Darkstars.
As expected, things immediately go awry as Stewart’s command approaches Space Sector 0000 and through a number of wonderful panels, we learn very quickly that the Green Lanterns are in a very bad situation and immediately ambushed. Darkstar technology allows the Darkstars to phase jump, which implies they can move themselves and others about the universe in great distances in a fraction of a second of time. We also learn that the Darkstars are more than just a creation of the Controllers; the hosts of the Darkstars intend to impose the will of a new type of justice. The Darkstar units are no longer attaching to innocent hosts, as they had in the past. The new symbiosis of technology and living, conscious beings is no longer parasitic, but now mutualistic. The current hosts donning the Darkstar tech are willing to execute the criminal element of the Cosmos. They want to remove the stain of physical, evil materialism from the face of the Universe.
We also learn quite quickly through an encounter between Hal Jordan and Tomar-Tu that the Lantern Corps is heavily outnumbered, that the Controllers have lost telepathic control of their Darkstar creations (through the mysterious ways of the Universe), and that the Darkstar corps can now utilize the inherent psionic energy of the remaining, imprisoned Controllers. Hal quickly realizes the gravity of the situation, and upon phase shifting back to Mogo with Tomar – Tu, recommends to Stewart and his small army to back down. Any engagement at this time would be mean catastrophe and the possible end of the Green Lanterns. Stewart agrees, and the Corps yield their offensive against the Darkstars..
Tomar and company then leave after Tomar issues the statement that should the Green Lanterns attempt to interfere with the Darkstars, Steward and companies response is that we a) need allies, b) don’t need Batman in a space suit, and c) we should recruit both friend and foe to contain the Darkstars.
Overall, an entertaining comic story, and I’m looking forward to where it goes in the future.
Issue Summary: Esoteric Summary
Or a return to Tarot. And why Tarot, or more importantly, Aleister Crowley’s Book of Thoth, is important in the symbolism of the story. Again, we see the number 11 straightaway in the story, wherein Lantern Stewart mentions to the Guardians that there have been 47 incidents of Darkstar terror. That means 4+7 = 11…again with the 11’s, and again with Crowley.
With that said, and with the Richards deck in mind, let’s review the four Green Lanterns featured in this issue of the comic book series. We have :
John Stewart : 7 of Cups
White Lantern : Ace of Cups
Guy Gardner – Knights of Wands
Hal Jordan – the Charioteer
Corps Leader John Stewart Loves Venus
Stewart interesting enough, in the view of the esoteric Crowley vision of the Cosmos, is the Seven of Cups. Richards possibly defines Stewart as “being off-balanced, well off the Middle Pillar of the Pressure of the Godhead as defined by the Tree of Sephiroth, and very low on phase of the Tree.” The symbol is representative of the word debauch, or debasement of spirituality and demand for the return of excessive sensual pleasures. Think of this symbol as being in the realm of base emotions, or the need to live in the illusionary world of Venus. Yikes.
Recall that the suite Cups is representative of the alchemical element of Water. And the Seven of Cups is representative of poison, or delerium tremens. The archetype is symbolic of “something in the process of withdrawal from addiction.” Not kind words for Corps Leader Stewart, but important nonetheless from a possible esoteric perspective.
Honor Guard White Lantern
Or Green Lantern Kyle Rayner. The card used to depict Rayner is the Ace of Cups. The Ace, per Crowley, is representative of the root of the four elements. Cups, again, is symbolic of Water. As depicted above, Rayner is the link between the spiritual energy of Water, yet he does not represent a material manifestation of the element.
One could think of Rayner as being one of the four seeds of the Sephiroth’s Kether (the others being Fire, Air, and Earth); he is ultimately the raw potential spirituality of the element Water, but not yet able to manifest the element into anything meaningful from a materialistic perspective.
Honor Guard Guy Gardner
Or the Knight of Swords. Gardner is not defined as being part of the element of Water; Gardner is representative the Fiery part of the alchemical element Air. Think of Gardner as the most violent component of motion, and the symbol of attack. He is the “wind in the Storm.”
Being, at times, ferocious, mild, and audacious in nature as Air is depicted, his goals manifest to him without reflection; Gardner is akin to the idea of a very violent form of energy being applied to the least stable of the four alchemical elements.
Honor Guard Hal Jordan
Finally, The Greatest of the Green Lanterns, Hal Jordan is the Chariot. Per Crowley’s directed card below, we see that the Jordan equivalent is representative of the 11 letter word ABRACADBRA/ABRAHADABRA. In Crowley vision, the Chariot is equivalent to the number 418, and to the element of Water.
Jordan is the piece of the construction of the Universe that posits, per Crowley, that being a child of the Powers of Water, is the pathway of Cheth, or the connection between Binah (the birth of limits and form) and Geburah (the destruction of limits and form).
This pathway straddles the Abyss; Jordan has one hand in the higher, spiritual Supernal Triad, and the other exists in the Ethical Triad, or the beginning of manifestation into matter. One could go so far to state that the Chariot/Hal Jordan archetype is the gnostic demiurge. It is will power is manifested into physical reality.
So how does this tie all together? If we return to the idea that the Controllers want to “reboot the existing Universe” (not completely restart it, as seen in my previous analysis), we see a problem in the Darkstars. The Darkstar is the archetype of something that wants to reset things in an existing paradigm (ie modify the rules of law enforcement in the Universe)
There are four Lanterns from Earth that are leading the charge against this “restart of an existing Creation.” We see:
Gardner : the rash, violent form of the element of Air. Gardner is the violent wind of the storm, and as such, sees him want to take on the Darkstars directly, or the threat of change to the Universe, head on without much reflection
Rayner : the seed or potential of the manifestation of the element of Water. Rayner isn’t involved as much in this comic story; he is lying idle, in the background, waiting for his role in challenging the paradigm change.
Stewart : poor Stewart; from the Tarot’s archetypes, Stewart is about the worst choice for leading the Lantern contingent against the Darkstars. Rayner is the primordial state of Water, and Stewart represents its most weak and unbalance form of said element. As such, the tactic Stewart uses to challenge the Darkstars is a horrendous choice of strategy, and puts the Lanterns into immediate risk.
Jordan: the Greatest of the Green Lanterns. The link between the manifestation and destruction of matter, Jordan is the most important of the Lanterns. As such, he is abducted by Tomar-Tu and given insight into the Darkstars evolution and mandate. With one hand in the Triad of Supernals, the other in the Inverted Triad of Ethics, Tomar-Tu realizes that Jordan is the most important Lantern to ally with. A change in the Universe requests its first movement of energy from the Godhead that crosses the Abyss; the beginning of the manifestation of “something,” or the archetype of the Chariot.
At least that’s one possible take on it!
Overall, a great story thus far. The art work is very impressive, and the scene where Hal is surrounded by hundreds of Darkstars is well done. I’m curious where the story will go next. Maybe even the Guardians will need Batman in a spacesuit after all.
Feel free to comment, and let me know what I missed!