Black Lanterns - original personalities, evil personalities, or *no* personalities?

[Buried Alien]

The Black Lantern Corps will consist of the revived corpses of various dead DCU characters, some who were heroes and others who were villains during their lifetimes. When these characters are revived as Black Lanterns, will they retain their original personalities? Will they gain new personalities? Or will they simply be zombies devoid of *any* personality?

Buried Alien (The Fastest Post Alive!)

[Thok]

Braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaains!!!!

[SeritoNiN]

I think that question is one of the things making Blackest Night so intriguing, we really don't know the personality they will have, maybe they'll blame certain heroes for being dead and seek revenge. That's what I'm going with.

I'd assume they would just be zombies with no real "life", but that doesn't make for interesting dialogue. So I'm gonna say everyone who returns will be possessed and blame their deaths on others. Earth 2 superman on earth's superman, martian man hunter might blame the JLA, etc.

[DarienA]

I think its going to be alternate personalities with access to the original personalities memories(so they can fake being that person come back)... the more to torture current hero's with....

edit: oh, what SeritoNin said... ;)

[Michael P]

*insert joke questioning Geoff Johns's ability to give any characters personalities here*

[joint venture]

So Geoff Johns gets to bring back whoever he hasn't brought back already. That actually matters that is.
Who wants an Earth-2 Superman, I do not understand, better be a good story or he'd rather be writing a Supes book.

It's a really mediocre way of giving us all a Superman with "balls" capable of taking action with no remorse.
And bringing back resentful characters is not a good tool either. Grudges wouldn't work if this is really a Green Lanters story.

[Retro315]

I think the safest bet is "evil versions of their original personality" - because just a body coming back is kind of horrifying, but it's multiplied by ten if they KNOW things about you other than just homing in on your emotions for them.

Still, I'm curious to see. Will Black Lantern Batman stalk Dick Grayson and be like:

"Hmm ..."
"I must stick to the shadows. Man, does his heart look juicy!"

[Global Honored]

What about dead "New" Gods?

[Mac Danny]

Time for Black lantern Psycho Pirate!

Hell anyone either Black Adam or Superboy Prime ripped in half.

Conner Kent... The Black Lantern.

[joint venture]

And then, why would Black Lanterns be SO human? I mean, look at the cover, it's a skull allright. It's Marvel Zombies comes to DC.

I'd like to see a good intentioned choice. They always argue that Earth is the cradle of all; that "this small planet keeps calling to attention and saving the universe on and on".

The Green Lanterns are about diversity and unity, the whole concept is being twisted for the sake of hype and perhaps, really NEW cool characters and some revamped guys.

Superboy Prime already shat his pants when he saw Bart coming at him, and that's a pending story. So is he going to be in Blackest Night for a second slap from Conner Kent "Black Lantern"? Dunno, doesn't sound so realistic, as much as we want him to pick Prime's eyes out and eviscerate him slowly with a spoon.

Black Lanterns need a purpose. What is it?

[Name Already Taken]

Likely a vestige of whatever the former hero/villain had. Just enough to mess with living heroes heads the first time they see them, if they knew them on a personal level before they were undead. It may be a little weird to see how it pans out, if Black Lanterns still have access to their full power set while engaged in conflict.

[heffison]

I believe a few of the "Origins and Omens" stories had Scar mention the Black Lanterns feeding on the light of the living, or on the living themselves. Black Lanterns must be evil to some degree if they are willing to devour the living, whether by sucking their emotions or by actually eating their flesh. For them to be mindless and simply feeding because they are hungry would take a lot of the point out of reanimating known dead characters rather than just having some large, nasty leeches wriggle their way into power rings.

I'd really like to see some of the returned dead come roaring back as good guys, even if the effects of the ring (maybe wrestled from an evil Black Lantern?) give them the same zombified appearance.

Okay, what I'd really like to see is Thomas and Martha Wayne come back as evil zombies, only to stagger around in confusion through the whole event, because they are unable to find Bruce. Followed by whoever is overseeing the Batbooks slapping his palm against his forehead.

[joint venture]

I believe a few of the "Origins and Omens" stories had Scar mention the Black Lanterns feeding on the light of the living, or on the living themselves. Black Lanterns must be evil to some degree if they are willing to devour the living, whether by sucking their emotions or by actually eating their flesh. For them to be mindless and simply feeding because they are hungry would take a lot of the point out of reanimating known dead characters rather than just having some large, nasty leeches wriggle their way into power rings.

I'd really like to see some of the returned dead come roaring back as good guys, even if the effects of the ring (maybe wrestled from an evil Black Lantern?) give them the same zombified appearance.

Okay, what I'd really like to see is Thomas and Martha Wayne come back as evil zombies, only to stagger around in confusion through the whole event, because they are unable to find Bruce. Followed by whoever is overseeing the Batbooks slapping his palm against his forehead.

Point taken. I am curious as to what will this guys be since anger, greed, and fear are a part of evil. So I do not yet grab the full scope of what a Black Lantern would be because it's main ingredients are already taken by other Corps.

Perhaps the idea of the zombies you wrote about is not that far away, and this guys need to feed on the other lantern's light because they have none? Taking them to all extents of extremes because grabbing it all (in whichever way DiDio and Johns device) could really bring them back to life?

[HopeLantern]

What a slap in the face to Dick Grayson... you've just won the gig as Batman. Then all of the Flying Graysons come back as Black Lanterns to "devour your light".

The Black Lanterns are supposed to be devoid of all emotion, so I'm guessing they will have no personalities...the story is supposed to be more about how the DCU reacts to loved dead people now reanimated and trying to take over the universe.

[Retro315]

What a slap in the face to Dick Grayson... you've just won the gig as Batman. Then all of the Flying Graysons come back as Black Lanterns to "devour your light".

The Black Lanterns are supposed to be devoid of all emotion, so I'm guessing they will have no personalities...the story is supposed to be more about how the DCU reacts to loved dead people now reanimated and trying to take over the universe.

I 100% agree that in all likelihood they'll have no emotion, but I do think they'll speak and have memories of their former loved ones, it's vital. Because frankly, once the gross shock of reanimated corpses wears off ... who cares if it's your friend's dead body attacking you - they're dead, you can't hurt them by re-deading them.

I also believe they might, to a small extent, reflect the personality of Black Hand - dour, malevolent, and vengeful. But again, since they're "reanimated" versions of characters, I wouldn't mind at least some of the original personality slipping through. Like I said before ... maybe a "Hnn ..." from Black Batman ... or even a "GrrrrrrrrNeppppptuunnnne" from Black Aquaman.

[joint venture]

What a slap in the face to Dick Grayson... you've just won the gig as Batman. Then all of the Flying Graysons come back as Black Lanterns to "devour your light".

The Black Lanterns are supposed to be devoid of all emotion, so I'm guessing they will have no personalities...the story is supposed to be more about how the DCU reacts to loved dead people now reanimated and trying to take over the universe.

So where's the point if Cassie sees Conner and cries, Dick sees his parents and they don't give a rat's ass or Martian Manhunter is picked along with his kid daughter and they don't even recognize each other.

There must be a hunger for emotions since the event is all about it and the feelings each ring represent. So the black rings would mean "detachment"?

How do you think they'll be chosen, cause it could go: Oliver Queen, you have shown great ability in coming back from the dead, you have been recruited into the Black Lantern Corps.

Or to someones six feet under: You have shown that there is still life inside you, the ability to overcome death within death, welcome into the Black Lantern Corps.

Lastly: You have shown no need for emotion, welcome into the Black Lantern Corps.

It all sounds funny or stupid but it could be, we do not now. And yet, why is the cover so fixated in a human skull, and a bunch of rings all over it?

The dead Superman is being recruited, and there is nothing in that guy but "good ol' feelings, emotion and love". So I don't know.

[Hawkman]

Maybe the only way for the Black Lanterns to feel anything will be by killing their loved ones? Perhaps their craving for emotion--any emotion, including even grief or regret--is what will ultimately drive them. I could see them even expressing such an inner-conflict to their targets before making, or attempting to make them their victims. Sort of a play on the old zombie theme of, "You don't know how much it hurts to be dead!" only this time the pain is more on the psychological level from being devoid of all feelings.

Eh, it's a theory, anyway.

[PatchMadripoor]

Going on a tangent.... aren't most of the JLA back from the dead, anyway?
JLA: Obsidian Age?

I would LOVE to see the League of Ancients again, even as Black Lanterns.

In any case, this event can't get here soon enough.

[HVulpes]

A Black Lantern should be like a Pedophile Priest or a Nazi Ewok...

...Something familiar and comforting and yet alien and disturbing.

[IvCNuB4]

I also read that they'll be devoid of any emotion. That doesn't mean they won't have a personality. Maybe they'll be like Vulcans: calculating and completely logical .....

[marvelprince]

Maybe it'll be something like the rings choose those who we're either filled with "emotion" or inspired it in others. Both Superman and Aquaman fill that criteria. You could even apply the same to the villians who inspire either fear, or possess twisted "loves". The black rings could be feeding on those feelings while reanimating its members

[HopeLantern]

How do you think they'll be chosen, cause it could go: Oliver Queen, you have shown great ability in coming back from the dead, you have been recruited into the Black Lantern Corps.

Or to someones six feet under: You have shown that there is still life inside you, the ability to overcome death within death, welcome into the Black Lantern Corps.

Lastly: You have shown no need for emotion, welcome into the Black Lantern Corps.

It all sounds funny or stupid but it could be, we do not now. And yet, why is the cover so fixated in a human skull, and a bunch of rings all over it?

The dead Superman is being recruited, and there is nothing in that guy but "good ol' feelings, emotion and love". So I don't know.


I don't know if you intended it, but that Oliver Queen line was hilarious.

You do bring up several good points... I wonder if Black Lantern rings simply kill those who are hit by them? What other constructs would the dead make?

[robbieglenn]

A Black Lantern should be like a ....a Nazi Ewok...

...Something familiar and comforting and yet alien and disturbing.

Please, for the love of God, Johns, if youre reading this, PLEASE GIVE ME A NAZI EWOK!

[Karl O'Neill]

Evil and twisted I say.

[marshal99]

I imagine they might be like Grim Reaper's legion of the unliving in Kurt Busiek's avengers , their souls a bit twisted and tainted by the darkness within , probably similiar to those green lantern corpses raisen up from nekron in that green lantern "ghosts" annual.

[Samuraixsithlord]

I see Death as peaceful process.

I'd like to see the Black Lanterns view their mission to destroy all life as doing the universe a favor. They see death as this all peaceful calm while emotion is volitile and painful. They want to bring peace to their loved ones in a sense.

[Superbeast]

I'm hoping the Black Lanterns need to kill in order to keep their rings charged and have aspects of the person before they were dead. It could lead to an interesting dynamic.

"But your dead!"
"I was... but now I walk again because I have taken life from these people... if you kill me, you will destroy the souls I have taken to power my ring, damning them as well..."

Could lead to an interesting dynamic if say, Superboy tries to convince Tim and Cassie to give up their lives or ignore his killing spree so he can continue to absorb souls and be undead...