What Is the White Lantern Oath? Origin, Members & Powers Explained

Green Lantern Corps. are among the most popular superhero teams or rather organizations in comics and general, and despite being the most popular, they are not the only Lantern Corps. around. Recently, we’ve explored Red Lantern Corps. who are fueled by anger and strong emotions. Today, we’re going to explore the origin, members, and powers of White Lanterns, who were introduced during the ‘Blackest Night’ Event, and despite being instrumental in saving the Universe, little is known about them. So, let’s start with the fundamentals. 

White Lanterns were the product of the ‘Blackest Night’ Storyline

‘The Blackest Night’ storyline is one of the best DC ever published. The massive event included some of the most powerful villains, entities, and superheroes in the DC universe. But what exactly happened? Well, Green Lanterns always had a specific prophecy tied to the rise of the Black Lantern Corps.

And this is what started happening. Nekron, a god of death in the DC universe, was looking for a way to end all life in the Universe by raising deceased heroes and villains as Black Lanterns. These undead beings weren’t remotely like their old selves.

Some of the most notable superheroes (and villains) that Nekron returned were Superman from Earth-2, Aquaman, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Martian Manhunter, Osiris, and Max Lord. I mean, you get the gist. He really did not choose his instruments.  

So Nekron started spreading chaos throughout the Universe, and at first, various Lantern Corps, representing different emotions, joined forces to combat him. But eventually proved powerless against the destructive might of death. So what happened next? 

How were White Lanterns created? 

Well, the instrumental thing about the creation of the White Lanterns Corps. was the “Entity.” The Entity represents the living essence of the White Light of Creation, which gave rise to all life in the Universe. It stands as one of the two fundamental facets of the cosmos: Life. Its counterpart, Nekron, embodies the other essential aspect—Death.

On Earth, the Guardians of the Universe hid the Entity to safeguard it. During the ‘Blackest Night,’ Nekron released the Entity, seeking to obliterate all life, as it was connected to all living things. Hal Jordan and Sinestro discovered that the Entity required a host, and Sinestro, joining with it, became the first White Lantern. 

Empowered by White Light, Sinestro destroyed legions of Black Lanterns and saw the Entity’s memories of life’s creation and the Emotional Spectrum. Nekron killed Sinestro, but the Entity revived him. Bonding with Hal Jordan. The Entity then transformed the resurrected heroes into White Lanterns, forming the White Lantern Corps. 

They defeated Nekron by resurrecting Black Hand, severing his link to the living plane. The Entity vanished post-battle, leaving a White Lantern Power Battery on Earth.

Who are the members of the White Lantern Corps? 

Since the circumstances around the creation of White Lanterns were specific, the organization boasted plenty of members who were dispatched following Nekron’s defeat. Those members were mostly either superheroes or villains resurrected by the White Light. Superman, Green Arrow, Kid Flash, Superboy, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Donna Troy, Ice, and Animal Man were all discharged from their service either following Nekron’s defeat or after they’ve completed their “labor” as a part of “Labors of Twelve” that needed to be completed in order to allow Entity to live. Sinestro was excluded from the corps after Nekron pulled the Entity out of him, and Batman initialy part of the Corps. was discharged after the ring refused to bond with him. 

Currently, the members of the White Lantern Corps. are: Kyle Rayner, Saysoran, Mehenash Exeter, Romgan Shay, Tallahe, and Telos Usr. With Kyle Rayner and Swamp Thing serving as leaders of the Corps. Kyle, due to his exceptional command over the emotional spectrum, and Swamp Thing, due to replacing the entity and taking its place in the hierarchy of power. 

How powerful are White Lantern Corps? 

Like all other lanterns, White Lanterns use the specific White Lantern Ring to channel their powers and have pretty much the same powers as other differently colored Lanterns. They can create constructs out of White Light, but we’ve only seen Sinestro and Hal Jordan doing it, so we can assume that it’s rare, much like it’s rare for Red Lanterns to do it, although they are, in theory capable of it. 

The White Lantern ring functions as a Life Energy Conduit. The ring taps into the forces of life and creation. Emotional Spectrum Dominance merges all emotional spectrum colors, allowing them to generate any color’s abilities and access other Corps members’ rings. 

They can fire energy blasts, create force fields for defensive purposes, create protective barriers that shield against space hazards, and maintain life support within the void. 

Their energy constructs are tangible manifestations of pure life, shaped by the user’s emotions and existing as long as fueled by life energy. 

They can Phase through solid objects, while environmental playback recreates holographic environments. White Lantern Corps. members can also use invisibility and light refraction to render the user unseen by bending light waves.

Their energy absorption allows the ring to store various energies, including those of different emotional spectrums. They can Fly by manipulating anti-gravitons, enabling rapid travel through wormholes and spatial warps. 

But most notably, White Lanterns possess unparalleled healing abilities, including cellular regeneration and resurrection. Connected to all life, the white ring provides information about living conditions, footprints of life, and even the essence of the recently deceased within a limited area.

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