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HBO Officially Retcons One DC Superhero’s Backstory for the Better

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HBO Officially Retcons One DC Superhero’s Backstory for the Better

The HBO series examines what it takes to become a Green Lantern

Episode 2 of HBO’s Lanterns ended with a cliffhanger: the traitorous former Green Lantern Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen) warns his former protégé Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) that the greatest threat he’s facing is his new trainee John Stewart (Aaron Pierre). That’s a dramatic assessment, given Hal visited Sinestro hoping to learn more information about Manhunters, the shapeshifting synthetic beings who can wipe out entire species.

But episode 3 of Lanterns proves Sinestro might just be right. “OutKast” focuses on how John became Hal’s backup, and what the chance to wear a power ring means to him. The story is a wild departure from the character’s origins in DC Comics, but one that fits strongly with the themes the series creators are playing with. Let’s break down what the changes mean.

John Stewart was created by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams for the 1972 Green Lantern issue #87. At that time, Guy Gardner served as Earth’s second Green Lantern. When Guy is injured in an earthquake, Hal worries about Earth being left undefended if something happened to him while Guy was out of commission. The Guardians of the Universe choose John to be Hal’s backup.

Adams designed Stewart to be a symbol of Black Power, coloring him with a dark skin tone and introducing him with a scene in which he argues with white police officers hassling other Black men. While Hal sports the same domino mask he’s wearing in the early flashback in Lanterns episode 3, John refuses to hide his identity.


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