The Green Lantern Corps should face numerous terrifying foes given that they are a group of green-clad cosmic police officers. The savage Corps, the unsettling Black Hand, and the enormous Relic have all engaged the Corps in combat. But one of their forgotten adversaries resembles the main figure from Watchmen.
Volthoom, the original First Lantern who eventually lost his mind, was quite similar to Doctor Manhattan in terms of his objectives and abilities. Although he may be just as powerful, this initial failure of the Guardians is not as well-known as the Doomsday Clock antagonist. We will offer you a glimpse of this DC villain in this clip, who may use his deadly abilities to pursue the Green Lantern Corps again.
Exploring the origins of Volthoom in comic books
Most people consider Volthoom to be the original First Lantern. He is the first being in the Multiverse to use a power ring. He is the strongest Lantern in existence and has almost infinite strength. He is an enemy of both the Guardians of the Universe and the whole Lantern Corps.
In the Multiverse, on Earth 15, one millennium in the future of humanity, Volthoom was created. The Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum, a multiverse power fueled by each being’s life in the Multiverse, was discovered by he and his mother as researchers. Together with his mother, Volthoom used this spectrum to create the Travel Lantern, an experimental device that permitted its user to travel through time and space. On Volthoom’s home planet, a vicious species of alien invaders ultimately made their way there and wiped out the civilization.
In the final hours of his planet’s existence, Volthoom’s mother gave him the order to take the Travel Lantern and come up with a plan to save his people. After a tower crushed his mother, Volthoom ran away. He struggled for weeks to understand the complex device while being forced into perilous circumstances as a result of the Travel Lantern’s unpredictable behavior. Volthoom traveled across space and time in search of a solution to his world’s destruction. Scientists on Earth 17 employed the spectrum to revitalize plant life, but he didn’t need this, so he went on. He went to Earth 47, where they harnessed the spectrum to produce excellent music.
Volthoom struck a bargain with a magician named Mordru on Earth 3 to make a magic ring out of a fragment of his soul, but after a disagreement, Volthoom abandoned Mordru and Earth 3. This ring was renowned as the Ring of Volthoom, and it was utilized by the criminal Earth 3 Green Lantern, dubbed as the Power Ring. Volthoom eventually discovered what he was yearning for upon Earth 0, the Multiverse’s primary reality. Volthoom found the Maltusian race on the world Maltus in 10,000,000,000 B.C.
The Maltusians were a highly intelligent species who wanted to discover the mysteries of the spectrum. They intended to channel all of their impulses into a new battery known as the Great Heart, believing that abandoning their feelings would contribute to more significant discoveries. After successfully completing the ceremony, a power ring erupted from the Great Heart’s center. Volthoom donned the ring, which made him the Multiverse’s First Lantern.
He established himself as a symbol of justice and authority in the Earth 0 world, inflicting punishment on offenders everywhere. Volthoom realized the ring held the key to saving his planet, but it had to be further honed. His chest was implanted with the Great Heart by the Maltusians, giving him unrestricted accessibility to the spectrum. Volthoom struck a bargain with the scientists that let him bring the ring back to his home planet and restore his world, but only if he assisted them in perfecting the spectrum technology.
Ultimately, the spectrum started to damage Volthoom’s mental health, resulting in his lunacy and a plot to murder the Maltusians. The Maltusians destroyed Volthoom’s Travel Lantern to protect their innovations, keeping him in the Prime Earth reality. Volthoom was defeated by the 7 “Proto-Green Lanterns” after slaughtering thousands of Maltusians in retaliation, the Great Heart was plucked from his body, and the first Power Ring was snatched away. Shortly after this, the Guardians confined Volthoom in the Chamber of Shadows, which was a closed captivity, and erased him from their history.
A group of Maltusian Guardians stayed behind to keep the First Lantern captive and were dubbed as The Hidden Ones. Volthoom’s DNA was utilized by the Guardians to produce a swarm of contagious soldiers. This horde, known as the Third Army, nearly absorbed all rational life in the galaxy before being stopped by rogue Green Lantern Corps members. The Guardians drew additional power from Volthoom during a heated fight on Oa, but this ultimately turned out to be their downfall, when they unwittingly liberated the First Lantern.
He enslaved the Guardians with a vengeance and then started draining energy from several wearers of power rings, using which he hoped to gather enough power to rebuild the entire world. Black Hand, another supervillain, has a Black Lantern ring and meets Hal Jordan and Sinestro, a former Green Lantern turned supervillain. Hal Jordan and Sinestro are taken out during the fight and are confined in Volthoom’s jail.
After they bring their Lantern rings to Earth, they urge anybody to help them liberate themselves from the terrible First Lantern, Volthoom. This is when Simon Baz becomes a Green Lantern too. After that, he assists the Green Lantern Corps in dealing with the Third Army.
As the first Issue of the “Wrath of the First Lantern” comic begins, Ganthet recalls seeing a Green Lantern band around the Creator of the Universe’s hand 15 million years ago, when there was a massive blast, and Volthoom appeared. Simon Baz wakes up to find Black Hand poised to murder him and fights him off while wondering where Hal Jordan is. Volthoom kidnaps the Guardians and examines Ganthet’s memories.
He gets intrigued when he watches Sinestro become a Green Lantern and muses how much power he can extract from him. Simon Baz overcomes Black Hand and goes on to rescue the Guardians, but unfortunately Black Hand wields his ring to imprison him with Hal Jordan and Sinestro. Volthoom discovers on Maltus that his captivity has diminished his power, since he is now incapable of completely modifying reality.
Volthoom, unfortunately, has also learned about Hal Jordan and his companions, including Carol Ferris, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, and Saint Walker, as well as his adversary, Atrocitus. Volthoom intends to reclaim his power and reconstruct the cosmos as he sees fit using their life energy. Sinestro explains that if Simon is inside the Dead Zone because of his interaction with Black Hand, the latter may have murdered him. Given that Simon’s ring is still sparkling, Hal feels he is still alive.
Sinestro attempts to steal the ring and almost murders Simon, but he draws his revolver and shoots him. But Sinestro is unfazed by the shooting, since Tomar-Re, who is a prisoner, states that anybody with a strong enough will to live would survive. Nonetheless, Sinestro desires to gain the ring and confront the Guardians. It is then that he narrates to the captives the origin of Volthoom, while also revealing that the Guardians formed the Manhunters. In the meantime, B’dg and the Guardians battle Black Hand in an attempt to bring Simon over to the world of the living. When the Guardians detain him, B’dg manipulates the black ring with a beam.
The Guardians begin to bring Simon back, but Simon refuses to let Hal Jordan be left alone, causing his power ring to produce another replica. Sinestro and Hal quarrel again about who deserves to go outside, but then Sinestro conjures up a picture of Carol Ferris, and Hal Jordan is sidetracked. Sinestro comes back, with Simon returning to Earth to inquire about Volthoom’s whereabouts.
Tomar-Re informs Hal Jordan that the sole method to leave this captivity is by becoming a Black Lantern, but Hal Jordan understands that he cannot properly use the Black Lantern ring, because he is technically still alive and wonders whether he may escape by somehow actually “dying.” Sinestro flees to his home world of Korugar, at which point he meets with his spouse Arsona and orders her to prepare for battle.
Hal is still stranded within the Dead Zone and is considering jumping over a cliff to grab the black ring and face the First Lantern. It is then that Tomar-Re tries to persuade him, saying that the deceased have no say in questions of life and death. Volthoom enters unexpectedly and discovers Sinestro’s inner distress. Infuriated, Volthoom and Sinestro fight, and Sinestro injures Volthoom. Volthoom reveals that he did not come for Sinestro but for his planet, because Sinestro instills diverse emotions in his people.
Volthoom destroys the planet, while Sinestro, bereaved by Volthoom’s crimes, hovers among the remains of Korugar. He chooses to confront Volthoom one more time in order to reclaim his Yellow Battery. Tomar-Re and Hal watch the approach of the Korugarians and learn of Korugar’s fate in the Dead Zone, although Sinestro is not with them. Hal ultimately leaps off the cliff, recognizing that they are out of time.
Volthoom lands at the heart of the cosmos, where the Guardians await, and Hal Jordan turns into a Black Lantern. Volthoom intends to utilize the Green Lantern Corps Central Battery to strengthen himself, but the Green Lantern Corps, which consists of Carol Ferris, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, and Kilowog arrive and fight. Hal has finally obtained the black ring inside the Dead Zone, and Black Hand’s form falls to pieces. Tomar-Re questions Hal about how he plans to leave the hereafter, and Hal responds that he will enlist the assistance of his pals.
Indigo-1 begins to harness the illumination of the Black Lantern on Nok, the Indigo Tribe’s homeworld. Volthoom blasts Atrocitus as well as the Red Lantern Corps away, as they arrive to get vengeance on him. Kyle Rayne, a White Lantern, is joined by the Blue Lanterns, as well as the Star Sapphires and Indigo Lantern Corps as reinforcements. Mogo is able to unleash a tremendous combined energy blast towards Volthoom, thanks to the united Lantern forces. Volthoom is unaffected, but Sinestro crushes him using the Yellow Central Battery right then and there.
Sinestro, enraged, strikes Volthoom with all he has. Hal Jordan is released from prison by the Indigo Lanterns, and he emerges on the battleground with an army of the dead. Regardless, Volthoom effortlessly tears through the lifeless army and approaches Hal, seeking the one moment in his life when he was completely overcome by anguish. Hal first assumes it is Parallax, but Volthoom discovers Hal’s actual weakness – his father’s death. Young Hal encounters Volthoom, who claims to be an angelic entity, who can restore his father back with a single request from him. The kid agrees, tearful, and Volthoom exploits his misery to reclaim his full potential.
Sinestro comes to the Yellow Central Battery, where he summons Parallax, who becomes his next host. Sinestro gains total control of Parallax, increasing his strength, but Volthoom informs Sinestro that only he is the very First Lantern and destroys him. Hal is now back in the Dead Zone. He encounters his father there, who tells him that he, as well as his mom, are very happy with all that he’s done.
Hal Jordan journeys to the grave of Nekron, a Black Lantern Corps being, and frees him. Nekron kills Volthoom with his scythe after Hal Jordan pulls the emotion spectrum from him. Satisfied with what he’s seen, Hal Jordan pushes on past his parents’ deaths, accepts his young self and reclaims his status as a Green Lantern as the Yellow Lantern Corps as well as Sinestro confront the Green Lanterns.
In a climactic showdown, Hal Jordan and Sinestro disclose that Sinestro had slain each of the Guardians of the Universe barring Ganthet, for being indirectly guilty of his planet’s devastation and treason against the Corps. Then Sinestro decides to leave Oa, putting Hal as well as the Templar Guardians in charge of the Corps. Before they go, Hal confronts Sinestro with the question he was ready to ask while on Ysmault, which is whether they were ever genuinely friends. Sinestro along with his Corps leaves Oa, but not until he responds to Hal’s query, saying that they’ll forever be friends.
Elsewhere, in the distant future, Toris, who is the Bookkeeper of Oa, relates the whole incident from the Book of Oa to Snow, the freshly trained Green Lantern corp. Toris assessed their fate by analyzing their stories as given in the Book, like Guy Gardner now being a veteran, willing to tell about his life in the past, John Stewart being voted into office as a state senator in the United States, Hal Jordan wedding Carol Ferris and raising a family, and Kyle Rayner now becoming healer for all of the galaxy.
And as for the rest of the Lantern corps, Atrocitus, as well as Larfleeze, are unredeemable due to their fixation with vengeance and greed, which they latched onto, and their future was questionable; Iroque opts to discard her Indigo ring in honor of Abin Sur’s empathy, while Saint Walker serves his family and the rest of the Blue Lantern corps, giving them hope.
According to Toris, Sinestro sends Ganthet to reconnect with Sayd after showing grief for their leaving and convinces Larfleeze to conceal it from anybody, making his destiny immaterial. As he ended the tale, Toris revealed to Snow how Hal Jordan is the finest Green Lantern of all time and the flame that ignited the eternal fire.
What finally happened to him?
Thankfully enough, if you enjoy seeing a bad guy lead a vengeance expedition, Volthoom’s actual narrative in Green Lantern’s “Rebirth” tells us the story of Volthoom. In the first few Issues of “Rebirth,” Volthoom got himself back in the world of the living a few years later, thanks to his direct link to the Emotional Spectrum plus his incapacity to ever fully die. He then tricks Frank Laminski, a former pilot who aspired to be a Green Lantern but was turned down by a Green Power Ring, into locating and stealing the Phantom Ring off Green Lanterns Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz.
Volthoom knocks out the Guardian named Rami, and quickly flees with Frank, who has obtained the Phantom Ring. Volthoom awakens Rami and greets him like an old friend. He accuses Rami of transforming him into the creature he is today, stating that he wished to return to his origins but was instead exploited by the Guardians during their experimentation with the Emotional Spectrum.
Volthoom accuses Rami and the Guardians of the Universe of lacking knowledge, alleging how without him the Guardians could not have been capable of tapping into the Emotional Spectrum and creating the Green Lanterns. Once the Green Lanterns are successful in rescuing Frank Laminski from the Phantom Ring, Rami appears and announces that he was able to confine Volthoom’s essence within an orb. Volthoom, on the other hand, bound Rami’s spirit inside the orb before inhabiting the latter’s body.
Volthoom says through Rami’s body that he will instruct Simon as well as Jessica and states that the Earth is in excellent hands. Rami found in his writings that it was Volthoom alone who would demolish his homeworld on Earth 15. When Rami informed Volthoom of this, he concluded that Rami desired his ring.
Rami smashed the Travel Lantern when Volthoom was on a killing rampage to stop him from going to his realm and ruining his homeworld. Rami then forged the first Green Lantern bands from the ashes of the Travel Lantern. What will happen when Volthoom stars in another DC show or comic next is just about anyone’s guess, and we bet everyone, just like us, is eagerly waiting to find out.
What makes Volthoom such a powerful entity?
Volthoom can access all the hues of the emotional spectrum at once, giving him total control over it. He was imprisoned because this power was thought to be too strong. He shattered reality’s foundation after his escape. He has the ability to read a person’s emotions and discover the motivations behind them. He can also tell which of the 8 fundamental emotions a person is experiencing the strongest.
Due to his attachment to the Electromagnetic Emotional Spectrum, Volthoom has existed for 10 billion years. This bond prevents his death from being final. He was once consigned to the Dead Zone, but after a short while, he was brought back to the world of the living. The First Lantern instantly heals nearly all wounds. Atrocitus snapped his neck, but it merely returned to its original place after healing. Sinestro tore out Volthoom’s heart, but he swiftly regenerated it again, and the wound in his chest also mended.
Volthoom can also change his body size at will. He often stands at the same height as a tall, fully grown man, although he occasionally gets considerably taller. Creating energy constructs, force fields, projecting energy, projecting fear, flying, intangibility, phasing, precognition, psychokinesis, altering reality, self-maintenance, and teleportation are other skills he is adept in.
Conclusion
Volthoom had been imprisoned for eons to come, attacked by the whole Lantern Corps, and momentarily transported to the Dead Zone. All of these obstacles, however, were ineffective because of his connections to the emotional spectrum, which made him immortal. He even picked up how to body jump, demonstrating the enduring nature of both evil and emotions. Since we now know that Volthoom is motivated by retaliation and pure rage, the Green Lantern’s plot regarding Volthoom has only picked up steam, taking unexpected turns, and rewriting its own past. Who knows what chapter of DC history his deeds will alter next?