Hero Profile: GL Guy Gardner

One of the things I like about the Green Lantern Corps is that it brings together a wide variety of species and personality types together. You’d think that with Willpower being the most important emotion that we’d end up with a lot of Scott Summers (Cyclops) type people, Stoic, by the book, and at time boring individuals. While a few like the fishy alien Tomar-Re fall in that category, more often than not we see guys like Hal Jordan, and our next GL, Guy Gardner. You know, more emotional guys. Let’s get to it.

Not gonna lie, I like his costume.

Guy comes from a pretty generic Scotch-Irish background. Let’s run a checklist. Abusive, possibly alcoholic father? Check. Tries to excel in school and/or sports to earn father’s approval? Check. Extreme second banana to older sibling that can do no wrong? Check. Turns delinquent, thus proving abuse Dad right? Check. Thankfully, for Guy, his older brother Mace was able to help undo the years of psychological damage their father had wrought on Guy, which saved Guy’s life and helped him find a career. Despite working with disabled children as a social worker, Guy still kept an arrogant, braggart personality that he’d developed back in high school.

Now, on the night that Abin Sur crashed on Earth, he commanded his ring to find a suitable host. The ring detected two people it deemed worthy, Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner. Since the two were equal in “worthiness” the ring chose Hal because he was closest. It was later revealed that time hopping hero Booster Gold had gone back in time and convinced Guy to visit his dying father in Baltimore, thus ensuring that Hal got the spot. Which was good, because the Guardians determined via supercomputer prediction that had Guy been chosen, his career would have been short. After Hal had proven that humans don’t suck at being Lanterns, they added Guy into their database of “backup Green Lanterns,” individuals that could answer the call should an active Green Lantern be disabled, or if a crisis dictated the need to temporarily deputize more Lanterns.

Here's a guy who knows how to travel in comfort.

Upon discovering who his backup was, Hal went out of his way to meet and befriend Guy, and the two went on a number of adventures. This was until Guy was caught in an earthquake, crippling him and making the Guardians decide to move down the list to their next Backup Lantern, John Stewart. Guy was put on the back burner for several years, especially after another accident left him comatose. Years later, the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians were tied up with a fight against the powerful Anti-Monitor. A minority of Guardians opted to form a splinter group of Lanterns to go on the offensive and attack the Anti-Monitor head on. The first man they chose was Guy Gardner, whom was revived thanks to their cosmic power. You left him in a bed for years, and you could have fixed him in seconds? DICK move Guardians. The revived Guy was even more arrogant and violent than he’d been previously, due to the brain damage he’d sustained. Five of the Renegade Guardians were later killed, and the sixth rejoined the majority, giving Guy a superiority complex, feeling he was the last true Green Lantern, and thus worlds above other Lanterns, particularly his old friend Hal.

First to try and save the day, and the first to
Talk about how great he was doing it.

After the Crisis, Guy helped rebuild that Lantern Corps and became a founding member of the Justice League International, the successor to the Justice League of America. He found Batman for leadership of the JLI, but was soundly defeated. One Bat-punch put him on his butt. He’s tried to take control on a number of occasions, but is always passed over when the chairmanship of the League is being rotated. Guy has been on a number of adventures. Though, true to his origin he’s always been second banana to Hal. He’s had the second most power rings, Green Lantern, Sinestro Corps, Star Sapphire and Red Lantern rings. He’s respected, mostly, but is always seen as below Hal and his own successor John Stewart. He is currently in charge of the Red Lantern Corps, fitting given his anger issues, and is attempting to reform the group from villains to at least anti-heroes. And while he is no longer a GL, I’ll always remember him as the Ginger Green Lantern.

Guy’s Power Ring works just like any other Lantern’s. It creates protective barriers, hard-light constructs, allows him to fly, survive in any environment, and translate known languages. I’ll cover his Red Lantern powers in another post. They’re pretty close, but with a sizeable difference or two.

Guy is one of the three more popular Lanterns. He shares this distinction with Hal Jordan and John Stewart. Though of the three he is number three. Tough break Guy.

Not as boastful, but there's just something jerkish
about that smug grin.

Guy Gardner’s biggest set of appearances was in Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Usually in this series, when a Lantern appears, it’s Guy. His first major episode was in “The Eyes of Despero!” he escaped becoming the mind slave of Despero based on luck. Mostly bad luck. And being an ass. He was put in the brig because he quote “through what you human’s called a ‘Hissy fit’ when the cafeteria chief gave him poached eggs instead of scrambled.” Guy, must you make us look bad? And by us I mean Humans, the Irish, and Gingers. We have enough problems man! He shared the cell with Sinestro, who was arrested for excessive force, and G’nort, he was bringing them lunch and locked himself in. Batman recruits them all and they head out. The plan Batman created called for himself to battle and distract Despero, Guy to fight and distract the massive Lantern Mogo, Sinestro to go protect Earth, and G’nort to drain Mogo’s power battery. Guy initially objects, then is punched in the face. His part of the plan is interrupted by Sinestro, who rather than protect Earth, is covering Mogo with Explosives. Sinestro and Guy duke it out, with Guy being the victor.

Guy had brief cameo’s in Young Justice. In the episode “Revelation” the Injustice League is attacking the world with a giant super plant. It’s much more terrifying than it sounds. During the battle, Guy is briefly seen helping Black Canary, Green and Red Arrow saving children from the dangerous vines. In the episode “Agendas” he is mentioned as a possible League Candidate, until Hal and John shoot the idea down. By season 2, five years later, he’s apparently a full time league member, but is away on mission for the seasons.

Piss him off and you'll get a Green Lantern shaped bruise on
your face.

Guy was a recurring character in Green Lantern: The Animated Series, at least in the second half of season one. In his introductory episode “The New Guy” he says in no uncertain terms that he’s Hal’s replacement in sector 2814, and is very dismissive of Hal and his “tiny mask” for leave the Earth unprotected while he was in the Lantern Frontier. The two have a very fire and ice relationship, but bond while destroying evil Manhunter robots. While on better terms by episode’s end, Hal does punch Guy in the face when he asks for Carol Ferris’s phone number, seconds after she dumps Hal. He’s seen again in “Ranx” where he tells Hal he’s also been made Honor Guard, and that protection of sector 2814 is now John Stewart’s responsibility. They’re still like fire and ice, but the two did seem to have at least a small bit of respect for each other.

The best way to sum up Guy is he’s that football player from high school. Not the jerky quarterback that thinks he walks on water, or the really nice lineman that makes you question the “all football players are jerks” stereotype. He’s the loud and boastful running back whom you see at like a Big Brothers/Big Sisters event after school. He talks a big game, seems to eat up any and all attention thrown at him, but in the end has a good heart not too far down. In many ways Guy Gardner represents the best and worst of America. He’s a red-blooded American, quick to anger, quick to start a fight, and have I mentioned he’s boastful? But at the same time he’s very honorable, believes in protecting the little guy and above all the respects the Lantern Corps and its mission. So, he’s a jerk, but a jerk with a heart of gold. He’s not my favorite Lantern, but I do like this Guy a lot. He’s the Raging, Rambunctious, Rapscallion, Red-Headed Green Lantern; Guy Gardner. Next time John Stewart. I’m hearing the Daily Show music for some reason… odd.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Gardner_%28comics%29

 http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/File:Guy_Gardner_043.jpg

 http://greenlantern.wikia.com/wiki/Guy_Gardner_%28Green_Lantern:_The_Animated_Series%29

 http://youngjustice.wikia.com/wiki/Guy_Gardner

 http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Guy_Gardner_%28The_Brave_and_the_Bold%29