Villain Profile: Sinestro

Fear is a powerful emotion. It can motivate a person, or leave them petrified. Now imagine that you had a magicish ring that fed on the Fear in the area around you. Now that’s a powerful motivator. Fear is the fuel from the evil Sinestro Corps power rings, and for its supreme leader, Sinestro. Yeah, the guy with Sin in his name is a bad guy, shocking I know. Let’s get to it.

Yeah, that's a trustworthy face.

Thaal Sinestro was born on the planet Korugar in Sector 1417 of Green Lantern space. Before becoming a Green Lantern he was the Korugan equivalent of an anthropologist, whom specialized in reconstructing ruins of long-dead civilizations. He would meticulously rebuild ancient cities and structures, which was perhaps the first outward sign of his dedication to order. While he was working on a site, in a situation much like later GL Hal Jordan, a Green Lantern crash landed on his work site. The Gl, Prohl Gosgotha, was grievously injured and was being chased by a Weaponer from the planet Qward, one of the enemies of the GL Corps. Gosgotha gave Sinestro his ring so that the unarmed scientist could defend himself. Despite not having any formal training, or even a firm grasp of the situation, Sinestro expertly utilized the ring. He was forced to destroy his work site to bury the Qwardian alive. Once the dust settled, Gosgotha turned out to be alive. He was still wounded, but believed that his ring could patch him up and keep him alive until he could get proper care. Sinestro, realizing the power of the ring, and what he could accomplish as a member of the Corps, kept the ring and let Gosgotha succumb to his injuries. He was able to keep his hand in Gosgotha’s death. Which is weird since I thought the rings wirelessly uploaded all information they witness to the Book of Oa for future viewing, but maybe I was wrong. He took over Sector 1417, with a grin on his face.

Sinestro’s love of keeping order helped him shine in the Corps. Unfortunately, he slowly became consumed by his desire to keep the universe, specifically his home world of Korugar, ordered. The universe is chaotic by nature, so I’m sure you understand the futility of Sinestro’s desire. After a few years, he eventually reached the conclusion that the best way to protect Korugar and keep it ordered was to conquer the world and rule as supreme dictator. Yeah, it makes about as much sense as it did in that silly I, Robot adaptation. Sinestro created a strict “No contact” rule with Korugar, so that they wouldn’t contact alien races. He said it was to pressure the purity and order of Korugar, but I think we all know it was to decrease the risk of the Guardians of the Universe finding out about his abusive of power on Korugar.

Not the scariest looking bloke, to tell you the truth.

A few years later Hal Jordan joined the GL Corps, and the Guardians assigned Sinestro as his instructor. Hal was more than a little put off by Sinestro’s ironfisted, totalitarian methods, but Sinestro continued to stress that his methods were the only way to keep order in the universe. While on Korugar, the planet was invaded by a group of alien warlords called the Khunds. Hal and Sinestro held their own, but were losing ground against the Khunds forces. Against Sinestro’s orders, Hal contacted the Guardians and got additional help from other Lanterns. Once a few more eyes came to Korugar, the Corps learned of Sinestro’s abuse of power. He was stripped of his ring and rank, and sent to the GL home world of Oa for punishment. Another Korugan named Katma Tui was given the ring in Sinestro’s place, but the rest of Korugar came to see the GL symbol as a sign of terror and oppression. Way to ruin the groups image on an entire planet, Sinestro.

As punishment for abusing his position, Sinestro was sent to the antimatter universe. He landed on Qward, home world of the Weaponers. The Guardian’s hoped that living under the boot of the Weaponers would help give Sinestro some humility. Unfortunately, Sinestro formed an alliance with the Weaponers against their shared enemy, the Green Lantern Corps. The Weaponers created for Sinestro a Yellow Power ring, and sent him back to his home universe to wreak some havoc. Sinestro quickly became the Green Lantern Corps most powerful enemy, due in no small part to the fact that the GL’s power rings had a Yellow Impurity. Essentially, they couldn’t directly affect yellow objects. Despite this, particularly skilled and smart Lanterns like Hal Jordan found was to defeat Sinestro.

After being beaten a few time Sinestro was locked in an “inescapable” prison created by the Guardians. He and thousands of other prisoners were supposedly held indefinitely. The Guardian’s then took a little leave of absence to attempt to have some alone time with their female counterparts, the Zamarons. I guess the two immortal groups were curious if they could make more of themselves. While the Guardians were relearning the Birds and the Bees, Sinestro broke free with the aid of a Mad God from Sector 3600. Comics, roll with it. With the power of the God, Sinestro slaughtered entire star systems before being subdued by the combined might of the GL Corps. He was put on trial again, this time presided over by the Honor Guard of the GL Corps, and executed. His soul somehow got sent into the Central Power Battery. Sinestro shut down the Central Power Battery, stripping the Lanterns of their powers, and also discovered the secrets hidden within the Battery. Chiefly, the living embodiment of fear itself known as Parallax, and the living embodiment of willpower that imprisoned it known as Ion. Hal Jordan plugged himself into the Battery, and was able to switch it on. Unfortunately, Sinestro was able to weaken Jordan to the point that Parallax was able to influence him.

Just a man and his mini-Death Star.

A short time later, the evil Warlord Mongul destroyed Coast City on Earth in an attempt to rebuild his plant sized fortress, War World. Hal was driven mad with grief, and was possessed by Parallax. Parallax destroyed the vast majority of the GL Corps, and Sinestro took the opportunity to escape the Central Power Battery. He was rather annoyed to discover that he GL Corps survived in the form of the last Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner. Sinestro kept out of sight for several years, until the return of his hated enemy Hal Jordan. Freed from Parallax’s influence, Hal and Kyle fought Sinestro to a standstill and forced the former GL into retreat. Sinestro later helped the Secret Society of Supervillains to attack a group known as the Freedom Fighters, but was beaten to a pulp. Around this time, the GL Corps was being reformed, and in order to combat the Corps, Sinestro decided to create his own army of Lanterns. He sought out the most terrible, savage, and/or fear inducing beings he could find and offered them a power ring and place in his Sinestro Corps. Humble guy, isn’t he?

Once he had enough followers he led an assault on Oa, and later the primary target, Earth. Apparently to screw Hal and the other human GL’s Sinestro planned on turning Earth into the new Sinestro Corps home world and the New Coast City into a “mecca of Fear.” During the battles, The Guardians added a new law to the GL Corp’s Book of Oa, allowing the GL’s to use lethal force. Kyle and Hal defeated Sinestro and saw him imprisoned once more. In his cell, Sinestro revealed to Hal that he considered this all a victory, as it forced the Green Lanterns back into a more active and forceful role in the universe. And, given their new “Lethal Force” rule, the Corps would undoubtedly create more fear in the universe, feeding the Sin Corp’s power. Sinestro is later freed and continued to attempt to spread Order through Fear.

Not much yellow on this Sinestro. Not sure if it's better or worse.

Sinestro has used both the Green Lantern power ring, and later the Sinestro Corps yellow power ring. The rings give Sinestro the power to fly, create protective barriers, create hard light constructs and translate any language. His Yellow Ring for a time had the additional benefit of being immune to the Green Lantern power ring, but this was later removed with the removal of the Yellow Impurity.The ring needs to be recharged every 24 hours or so by inserting it into a Battery and reciting "In blackest day, in brightest night, / Beware your fears made into light / Let those who try to stop what's right / Burn like my power, Sinestro's might!"

Sinestro is often used as the major antithesis of any Green Lantern. He hates Earth Green Lanterns on principle, so this is understandable.

He appeared in one episode of Superman: The Animated Series. In it, he was hunting the new GL recruit, Kyle Rayner. He is portrayed as a rogue former Lantern that murdered Abin Sur just before the episode. He’s over powered by Kyle and his new friend, Superman.

Justice League and Justice League Unlimited used the same Sinestro as Superman. Given that the main GL of this series is John Stewart and not Kyle Rayner, it seems that Sinestro has a problem with the Green Lantern Corps in general. He was largely a background character, but was instrumental in the survival of the Secret Society at the end of the series. Lex tried to revive Brainiac, but the focusing mechanism of this resurrection, the witch Tala, instead used her powers to fuse Brainiac with Darkseid. The enhanced dark god destroyed the Secret Society’s ship, but most of the members survived thanks to the energy bubble created by Sinestro and fellow evil member of the emotional spectrum Star Sapphire.

A literal legion of terror.

This same Sinestro featured in a Static Shock episode entitled “Fallen Hero.” In it, John Stewart was on a crime spree, destroying his image and the young hero Static aka Virgil Hawkins’ faith in his favorite superhero. Imagine his surprise when another John Stewart in a hobo trench coat arrived. Hobo John reveals that he is the real Stewart and the one committing crimes was Sinestro. Apparently the yellow villain faked a distress call drawing John to the moon. When John summoned his Green Lantern Battery to recharge, Sinestro struck, stealing John’s Battery. Apparently that was all he needed to take on John’s physical appearance. Not sure how that works. Static and John take Sinestro down and reclaim John’s powers.

A semi heroic version of Sinestro appeared the second half of Green Lantern: The Animated Series first and only season. In the episode “Prisoner of Sinestro,” Green Lantern Hal Jordan and his crew save Sinestro as he was escaping a warship with a prisoner. It’s discovered his prisoner is an alien organism capable of taking over another’s body. There’s no real defense against the alien’s possession, but while he’s in control of any one’s body said person can’t use their ring’s power. After a few antics, Sinestro fiddles with something in their “sciencell” (the ship’s brig) before gathering the group and depressurizing the ship. The Power Rings of any Lantern Corps automatically switch on to defend their host. Except the GL’s Red Lantern ally, Razor. The alien returns to his body, but is horrified to discover that it too has been depressurized. Apparently Sinestro depressurized the sciencell and then lied about it to get the alien back in its body, and kill it. Hal is a little disturbed by his former mentor’s coldness at the alien’s death, but has no proof of Sinestro’s involvement. Had the series continued, I imagine we’d have seen Sinestro forming his Corps, but alas, it shall never be.

Green Lantern: First Flight featured Hal’s rise in the Lantern Corps, and Sinestro’s fall from grace. In it, Sinestro and a few other Lantern’s secretly ally themselves with warlord Kanjar Ro to steal the hidden Yellow Element and create a weapon to destroy the Lantern Corps. Sinestro felt that the Guardian’s had grown decrepit and complacent, and believed his new Corps would be best for the Universe. Sinestro has the alien Weaponers finish his new ring, and turns the main Yellow Element into a Central Power Battery that works like a miniature Death Star. Sinestro is finally defeated by Hal Jordan, after he got a super charge from the damaged Central Power Battery.

Sigh, oh what could have been.

In the less than wonderful live-action Green Lantern, he is portrayed by Mark Strong. He’s a respected member of the Corps, and is something of an anti-human racist. In the film’s climax Sinestro convinces the Guardians of the Universe to construct a ring using Parallax’s own fear inducing power against him, but Hal flies in and convinces the Guardians’ to let Hal try to stop Parallax. While Hal throws the monster into the sun, and the day is saved, Sinestro in a post credit scene shows Sinestro stealing the yellow ring. Wonder how the sequel would have gone? Some things are better left un-thought.

In terms of villains, Sinestro is actually kind of straight forward. He’s the guy that desired control and order so badly that he kind of forgot his job is peace keeping. He’s a “for the greater good” type of dude. Which is especially messed up when you remember that his first “greater good” situation was letting another living being bleed to death so he could keep said alien’s magic ring. When you start like that, I have to imagine you’ll always find yourself on the bottom again. He’s the sly, scheming and occasionally screaming Sinestro. Next time: the Flash’s reflective Foe, the Mirror Master.

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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinestro

 http://www.wired.com/2009/07/review-bright/

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