Green Lantern: John Stewart
Back to Heroes Main > Green Lantern: John Stewart
Real Identity: John Stewart
Nicknames: GL
Affiliation(s): Green Lantern Corps and Justice League Unlimited
Appearances (JL/U): Secret Origins Part Two, Part Three, In Blackest Night Part One, Part Two, Enemy Below Part One, Part Two, Injustice For All Part One, Part Two, War World Part One, Part Two, Brave and the Bold Part One, Part Two, Fury Part One, Part Two, Legends Part One, Part Two, Metamorphosis Part One, Part Two, Savage Time Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Tabula Rasa Part One, Part Two, Only a Dream Part One, Part Two, Maid of Honor Part Two, Hearts and Minds Part One, Part Two, A Better World Part One, Part Two, Eclipsed Part One, Part Two, Secret Society Part One, Part Two, Hereafter Part One, Part Two, Wild Cards Part One, Part Two, Comfort and Joy, Starcrossed Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Initiation, Kid's Stuff, the Return, Greatest Story Never Told, Dark Heart, Wake the Dead, Once and Future Thing Part One, Part Two, Doomsday Sanction, Task Force X, Clash, Hunter's Moon, Panic in the Sky, Divided We Fall, Shadow of the Hawk, Chaos at the Earth's Core, To Another Shore, Flash and Substance, Patriot Act, the Great Brain Robbery,Far From Home, Ancient History, Alive! and Destroyer
Appearances (SS): A League of Their Own Part One, Part Two and Fallen Hero
Appearances (JLI Comics): The Mirror Crack'd, The Mirror Crack'd Part Two, The Mirror Crack'd Part Three, The Mirror Crack'd Part Four, The Mirror Crack'd Part Five, The Mirror Crack'd Part Six, and The Mirror Crack'd Part Seven
Voiced By: Phil LaMarr/ Marc John Jefferies (Kid GL)
John Stewart grew up in Detroit, Michigan during the Cold War, an era of political tension among countries. Despite this, Stewart exhibited potential recognized by one of his former History teachers, Al McGee. McGee saw him as smart, impatient and headstrong. After school, Stewart would race to his Uncle James' home to read his collection of Justice Guild of America comic books. He also had prescription glasses but stopped wearing them in adulthood.
As an adult, Stewart enrolled in the US Marine Corps near the end of the Vietnam War. He befriended Rex Mason during this time. The military training and experience subsided his impatience and brash attitude. Some time after, he was selected by the Guardians of the Universe to join the Green Lantern Corps. He trained under Katma Tui and the two fell in love with each other. One day, Stewart would replace Abin Sur as Green Lantern of Sector 2814, a quadrant of the galaxy that includes our own solar system.
When fellow Lantern Sinestro became power hungry and tried to overthrow the Guardians of the Universe, Stewart joined the Corpsmen who united to defeat the traitor. Sinestro returned with a new power ring and a blood oath to kill all Green Lanterns. Abin Sur's untimely death at Sinestro's hands accelerated Stewart's ascension among the ranks to official Green Lantern of Space Sector 2814. Upon his return to Earth, Stewart repressed several fears, one that he lost touch with his people by being away in space for so long and two, being just another general issue soldier. Nonetheless, he refused to train Sur's successor, Kyle Rayner and sent him to Katma Tui. During this time, he met Superman and also encountered Hawkgirl, who first arrived on Earth.
Soon after, Stewart was one of the few heroes to receive a telepathic summoning from J'onn Jonzz. He joined the newly formed Justice League and quickly proved to be a methodical and strategic member. This contrasted the blind luck that the League seemed to garner with every victory. At one point, he attempted to help train the League. Tensions mounted between members, and Grodd, with his Secret Society, took advantage of the situation. After responding to a fake distress call alone, Stewart was ambushed by Sinestro and had his Lantern stolen. Posing as Stewart, Sinestro began to smear his reputation by stealing. Stewart conserved as much energy as he could and tracked Sinestro to Dakota City where he encountered Static and Gear again, after a previous Justice League mission. At first, they believed Stewart turned to a life of crime and defeated him. As a gesture, he hid his power ring in Static's jacket before being taken away by the local police. Static believed his story and charged Stewart's ring, temporarily, with electromagnetism to defeat Sinestro.
Over the years, Stewart and Shayera Hol (Hawkgirl) fell in love with each other. Hol was at odds with herself because she had a secret agenda. She was an advance agent sent to research Earth's defenses. When the rest of her unit arrived, her true purpose was revealed. Stewart felt betrayed when he learned of this and that she was already engaged. After the Thanagarians were defeated, Shayera Hol parted ways with the League and Stewart.
Since then, a hair style change later, Stewart took on his role as a founding member and began to date a recruited heroine named Vixen. He also took it upon himself to personally train Supergirl. However, Stewart's tulmultous relationship with Hol had not ended. During a time traveling chase to the past and future, he discovered he had a son named Rex with Hol. He struggled with telling Shayera Hol the truth and being around her.
The appearance of Hawkman and his obsession with Hol further complicated matters. Following Shadow Thief's elaborate kidnapping, Stewart decided to remain with Vixen and share the revelation of the future with Hol. He admitted he'd always love her but he didn't want his knowledge dictate his future and make him a puppet of destiny. Years later, Stewart attended Flash's surprise birthday party at the Metrotower and projected Happy Birthday from his ring. He noticed Shayera Hol talking to Vixen and walked over but it got under Hol's skin and informed him they weren't talking about him because he wasn't the center of the universe and stormed off. Green Lantern was one of the Leaguers who fought Overman, a fascist doppelanger of Superman from a parallel universe. J'onn J'onzz, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Shayera Hol, Batman, Vixen, and Green Lantern took Overman to the Watchtower with Lois Lane. Overman broke out of his prison and declared he was superior to all. He vowed to kill J'onn J'onzz first but Wonder Woman and Vixen struck him first with a simultaneous strike. They were not impressed with his speech.
Green Lantern trapped Overman in a bubble construct then closed it in on him like shrink-wrap, leaving him completely immobilized. J'onn believed he could telepathically follow the emanations he sensed to the source of the dimensional overlap. Batman was skeptical about hinging Earth's survival on a psychic intuition and going into a vortex they had little data on then speculated they could be destroyed on contact and obliterate all life on Earth in the process. Wonder Woman asked him if he always looked for the worst in every situation. Shayera Hol pointed out their choices were limited so J'onn's plan was the best option. Lantern agreed but didn't understand why Overman was coming. Overman admitted if helping them got him back home, the sooner the better. Wonder Woman believed his power would be handy against whatever they encountered on the other side of the vortex. She clarified she didn't trust him but she suddenly vanished and was replaced with the skeleton of another Wonder Woman. Lane noticed Shayera react to Lantern and Vixen holding each other tightly. J'onn, Flash, Shayera, Batman, Vixen, Lantern, and Overman boarded the newly built Infinity-1 Javelin and took off for the vortex.
Infinity-1 experienced the equivalent of a cosmic tsunami upon entering the vortex. Flash pointed out the obvious that things weren't going as planned. Batman told him to be quiet if he didn't have something useful to offer. Green Lantern contended Flash had a point and predicted the ship was going to be torn apart. They made it to the Mirrored Room but Amazo wouldn't see reason at first and insisted it was searching for answers to a question they could never understand. Hol already deduced correctly it was seeking completion. It revealed completion lied on the other side of a mirror fragment but J'onn J'onzz found it was the source of the dimensional overlaps and a being of incalculable power was behind it. It shoved Lantern aside before he could take preventative action to stop a doppelganger being from crossing over. Dubbed Amazo II, it manipulated Overman into attacking and it emerged from a mirror fragment. With a single gesture of the hand, the League and Amazo were rendered unconscious.
Green Lantern regained consciousness. He was relieved and surprised to see Superman and Wonder Woman but was asked who the others with him were. Superman implored him to tell them what happened to the League first. Lantern briefed them and projected a recording from his ring. Lantern was beside himself with how he could do his job against something that powerful. Amazo II answered he couldn't and revealed its presence. It cast the battle with the Justice League and Justice Alliance of Earth-D into the landscapes of everyone's minds. Lantern was shocked by the quick death of Superman. Both Lanterns blasted it but were blasted back. Lantern came to in time to see Shayera Hol hit it in the back of the head with her mace. She was grabbed and Amazo II tore her wings off. She died from the shock. Lantern was horrified and held her body in his arms. He realized he never stopped loving her. Vixen realized it, too. Both versions of J'onn J'onzz deduced the truth and everyone was still alive but in a state of paralysis.
Green Lantern managed to form a bubble construct out of instinct and saved himself, J'onn J'onzz, Wonder Woman, Flash, and Batman from being wiped out by Anti-Life. Batman wasn't convinced they could beat the darkness this time but when Lantern said it out loud when he snapped at Flash about having hope, Batman quoted Superman about holding on to hope in the darkest times. He clarified he would like to believe that. Lantern asked him how long he thought he could hold the bubble. Lantern focused every ounce of his will into keeping the construct intact as his ring ran out of power and as the Anti-Life ate away at it. Batman recalled Flash said the Speed Force was a primal energy that drove time and space forward. Flash understood and ran around the circumference of the bubble. The vibrational force helped keep the Anti-Life at bay. With her permission, J'onn probed Wonder Woman's mind. He realized the parallel version of Darkseid that Wonder Woman met bequeathed her with the Life Equation and she was the key to saving the Multiverse. Lantern implored J'onn to hurry because he could feel the ring burning out. He soon passed out from exhaustion.
Batman and Wonder Woman called forth the Life Equation and unleashed it. The Anti-Life Equation was destroyed and the Multiverse was restored to normal. Superman suggested a small celebration at the Watchtower so they could decompress. Vixen confronted Green Lantern on the emotions he expressed in the illusion where Shayera Hol died. Lantern claimed he was in shock from the stress of the moment and realized she thought he still loved Hol. Vixen clarified it meant he never stopped loving her. He denied it. Vixen admitted it brought out a truth she knew all along but just couldn't it admit it to herself and nor he. She broke up with him. Hol walked by and offered him a piece of cake. He accepted it. Elongated Man arrived and announced there was a report that Gorilla Grodd and an army of mutant gorillas invaded Washington DC.