The emotional spectrum is a fictional concept in comic books published by DC Comics, especially the Green Lantern titles. The colors of the emotional spectrum are harnessed as power sources by organizations with power rings.
Contents
Colors
The emotional spectrum is divided into the seven colors of the rainbow, with each color corresponding to an emotion: rage (red), greed (orange), fear (yellow), willpower (green), hope (blue), compassion (indigo), and love (violet). The absence of color (black) is death, and the combination of colors (white) is life. The two emotions at the ends of the emotional spectrum, rage and love, have a stronger influence over their users and willpower (at the center of the spectrum) can be used to overcome and control one's emotions. More recently it was revealed that a ring was created to allow any user to harness any color of the emotional spetrum, named the Phantom Ring. Groups embodying points on the emotional spectrum are:
Books
Also referred as the Books of Light, are mystical books connected to the emotional spectrum which possessed on its revered pages all the knowledge of those who tap into the colors of the emotional spectrum. The books in their original form are massive however they can shrink to the size of a normal book so it can be better used and while at first glance doesn't have any power to give, except the power of knowledge, several books appears to have a conscience of their own.
The Book of Oa contains the history of the Guardians of the Universe and the Green Lantern Corps. One member of the Green Lantern Corps is selected by the Guardians as Keeper of the Book of Oa.
The Book of Parallax contains the knowledge and history of the Sinestro Corps. A power ring is needed to translate the Book's text. According to Lyssa Drak, former keeper of the Book of Parallax and chronicler of the Sinestro Corps, the book was at some point destroyed, although she was able to ink on her body all the prophecies inside the tome.
The Book of the Black, also known as The Ultimate Facilitator of The Blackest Night and written in black blood, contains prophecies about the rise of the Black Lantern Corps and the forbidden history of the Guardians of the Universe.
The Book of Rage, with fables of revenge attributed to the Red Lantern Corps, it was first mentioned by Lyssa Drak when she is questioned by the Guardians of the Universe about the location of the Book of The Black
The Book of Greed, mainly referred to as "The Book", is a large tome created by the user of the orange light, in this case Larfleeze, sometime after the War of The Green Lanterns, just because Larfleeze's Avarice led him to desire a tome similar to the Book of Oa that was owned by the Guardians of the Universe. The tome should contain the exploits of the Orange Lanterns and Larfleeze even kidnapped a green skinned alien by the name of Stargrave to be his chronicler, however, because he is completely consumed by greed, the book is almost blank because knowledge is something Larfleeze jealously guarded as a possession and was the reason why he did not reveal many secrets within the book despite the scribes directions.
Halo
A gestalt of a human woman (Violet Harper) and an Aurakle (an ancient energy being resembling a sphere of iridescent color), Halo can create auras in the colors of the emotional spectrum around herself. Each aura gives her a different power. In the "Blackest Night" storyline, Halo destroys Black Lanterns and their rings, feats usually reserved for the Lantern Corps and users of the Dove power.
Rainbow Girl
In Adventure Comics, Rainbow Girl (Dori Aandraison from Xolnar) wields the powers of the emotional spectrum (resulting in unpredictable mood swings). She taps into red, blue and green energies when she and other members of the Legion of Substitute Heroes aid Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes in their battle with the Justice League of Earth. Rainbow Girl creates a pheromone field, surrounding her in a sparkling light resembling a rainbow and giving her an irresistible personality. In an interview, Geoff Johns said she does not understand her powers and uses them for fun.
Dove
As revealed during the Blackest Night, those who are chosen to become Dove and therefore avatars of Lord of Order also become connected to the White Light of Creation, a power believed to be created by the combined seven powers of the emotional spectrum and that's the reason why the black rings cannot reanimate the body of Don Hall and Dawn Granger can destroy Black Lanterns along with blocking a Black Lantern's aura-reading power with her very presence.
Emotional entities
Emotional entities are creatures in the DC Universe which embody the emotional spectrum. At the San Diego Comic Con, Geoff Johns said that all the corps have related entities. As of Green Lantern (vol. 4) #54, all seven entities have been revealed. Although the Black Lantern Corps are powered by death, in Green Lantern its leader (Black Hand) is a similar entity. In Blackest Night #7, Nekron unearths a similar being known as the Entity. The Entity is the embodiment of the white light which creates life in Johns' creation story. In Brightest Day, former guardian Krona is the entities' caretaker and immune to the emotional spectrum. Although each of the emotional entities have their own distinct appearance, shape and form it was shown that, under the influence of Krona, all of the emotional entities assumed the forms of snakes.
The embodiment of rage
The Butcher, the embodiment of rage, is connected to the red light of the emotional spectrum and resembles a demonic bull. It was created in the DC Universe after the first murder, and its head and horns resemble Red Lantern Corps insignia. The Butcher is first mentioned in the "Blackest Night" storyline in Green Lantern (vol. 4) #51. Atrocitus is mesmerized by the rage he senses in the Spectre when it is controlled by a black power ring. After a conflict with Parallax, Atrocitus tries to recruit the Spectre as his corps' entity. Although he is briefly infected by the uniform and characteristics of a Red Lantern, the Spectre throws it off, explaining that he is God's rage and does not belong to Atrocitus. He says he has faced "the crimson creature of anger", and Atrocitus will be destroyed if he seeks out the Butcher.
The Butcher was found by the Spectre and Atrocitus, and its contained in Atrocitus' battery until Krona captures it. Krona invades Oa and forces the Butcher to possess the Guardian of the Universe, Herupa. The Butcher is freed from Krona's control after Hal Jordan kills Krona. The Butcher soon began suffering from a strange illness, later revealed to be the reservoir of the emotional spectrum was becoming exhausted. After Relic wiped out the Blue Lantern Corps and forcefully drained the green light from Oa's Central Power Battery destroying the planet in the process, the Butcher sacrifices itself, by allowing Kyle Rayner to host it and pass into the Source Wall to repair the emotional spectrum.
However it appears that a new rage entity has since been created from the excess rage left on Earth from the war with Atrocitus. The entity, known as Red Dawn is (according to Atrocitus) still incubating in the center of planet Earth, but when it is born and grows, the new red entity will overwhelm Earth with rage.
The embodiment of greed
Ophidian is the embodiment of greed, the orange light of the emotional spectrum. The entity resembles a large serpent, with Orange Lantern insignia on its head. In its debut, it is depicted as created when the first creature ate what it did not need. In a Newsarama interview, Johns said that Ophidian lives in Larfleeze's battery (where Larfleeze trapped it) and speaks to Hal Jordan when he is overwhelmed by the orange light in Green Lantern #42.
After escaping from prison, Hector Hammond tracks down Larfleeze and Hal Jordan under the control of Krona. Hammond consumes Larfleeze's battery, becoming Ophidian's host. Ophidian is freed from Krona's control when Hal Jordan kills the rogue guardian. Ophidian soon began suffering from a strange illness, later revealed to be the reservoir of the emotional spectrum was becoming exhausted. After Relic wiped out the Blue Lantern Corps and forcefully drained the green light from Oa's Central Power Battery destroying the planet in the process, Ophidian sacrifices itself by allowing Kyle Rayner to host it and pass into the Source Wall in order for the reservoir to be refilled.
The embodiment of fear
Parallax, the embodiment of fear, was born when one of the earliest life forms first felt terror and is connected to the yellow light of the emotional spectrum. Insect-like in appearance, the inside of its mouth resembles the Sinestro Corps symbol. In Green Lantern: Rebirth #3, Parallax is described as an entity of fear born at the beginning of sentience. Parallax creates fear in any civilization it encounters, threatening to trap the universe in a cycle of violence. The Guardians trap Parallax and seal it in the green central-power battery. Its presence in the battery is the "yellow impurity" which makes the Green Lantern Corps power rings useless against the color yellow. It possesses Hal Jordan after Coast City is destroyed, making him kill nearly all of the Green Lantern Corps.
At the end of Green Lantern: Rebirth, Jordan, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, Kilowog and Guy Gardner fight Parallax and again imprison him in the green central-power battery. After its defeat in Rebirth, Green Lantern can overcome the yellow weakness by facing the fear behind it.
Parallax is the first emotional entity captured by Krona. When Krona invades Oa with the entities and has them possess the Guardians, Parallax restores the central battery's impurity and gains control of the Green Lanterns. The only Lanterns able to resist are Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart and Ganthet. Parallax is removed from the battery, freed from Krona's control after Hal Jordan kills the rogue Guardian and placed back in the yellow central battery.
When the First Lantern amasses enough power to rewrite reality, Sinestro releases Parallax from the battery. Its new host, Sinestro uses Parallax to kill the Guardians of the Universe (except Ganthet).
The embodiment of willpower
Ion, the embodiment of willpower, was born when life first moved of its own accord and is the green light of the emotional spectrum. According to Ethan Van Sciver, it resembles a large, primitive whale or fish. Representing the stability of willpower, Ion supports its host by providing power in return for willpower. This contrasts with Parallax, who dominates its host. Ion is featured in the "Sinestro Corps War" storyline, and is first seen when it is removed from Kyle Rayner. The Guardians' insignia appears in a pattern on Ion's dorsal side, and it has a sea monk-like appendage ending in a lantern-like lure.
After being taken from Rayner, Ion is held captive on Qward and the subject of experiments by the Anti-Monitor. It is rescued by a team of Lanterns and returned to the Guardians of Oa, who bond the creature with Sodam Yat (a novice Green Lantern from the planet Daxam) to form a powerful weapon against Superboy-Prime.
Ion is the second entity captured by Krona, who forces it to possess a Guardian of the Universe during Krona's invasion of Oa. Ion is freed when Hal Jordan kills the rogue Guardian. Ion has since returned to the Green Central Power Battery, only leaving it when the battery itself forcefully removed the green entity from it because it was suffering from a strange illness. When Relic, a native of a prior version of spacetime, began a quest to prevent the harnessing the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum energy, he revealed that the Emotional Spectrum had a reservoir that was becoming exhausted and it would eventually destroy the Universe. After Relic wiped out the Blue Lantern Corps and forcefully drained the green light from Oa's Central Power Battery destroying the planet in the process, Ion sacrifices itself by allowing Kyle Rayner to host it and pass into the Source Wall in order for the reservoir to be refilled.
More recently Hal Jordan stopped being an actual Green Lantern and began using Krona’s Gauntlet, named for its creator, which harnessed the power of willpower in its rawest, most direct form and for that same reason was deemed too dangerous forcing the other Guardians to modify it into the modern rings given to their Corps. The gauntlet made effectively Hal Jordan more powerful than ever, but it came at a price. It turns out having a direct line to the willpower of the universe has apparently started to transform Hal into a being of the same energy and it’s likely that, if not prevented, Hal Jordan will eventually become the new entity of the green light.
The embodiment of hope
Adara, the embodiment of hope, is connected to the blue light of the emotional spectrum. Bird-like, it has the Blue Lantern Corps insignia on its chest. Adara first appeared in the "Blackest Night" storyline, as Sinestro (recently transformed into a White Lantern) described the creation of the emotional entities; it was created from the first prayer by a sentient being during a flood.
Adara and Proselyte were later captured by Krona and, after he invaded Oa, Krona forced Adara to possess a Guardian of the Universe. It was freed from Krona's control after Hal Jordan killed the rogue Guardian. Adara returned to the Blue Central Battery only leaving it when Relic, a native of a prior version of spacetime, began a quest to prevent the harnessing of the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum energy. Adara was suffering from a strange illness which was soon revealed to be the Emotional Spectrum's reservoir becoming exhausted which would eventually destroy the Universe. After Relic wiped out the Blue Lantern Corps and forcefully drained the green light from Oa's Central Power Battery, which destroyed the planet in the process, Adara sacrificed itself by allowing Kyle Rayner to host it and pass into the Source Wall in order for the reservoir to be refilled.
The embodiment of compassion
Proselyte, the embodiment of compassion, is connected to the indigo light of the emotional spectrum. The entity is explained simply: "Rage grows from murder. Hope from prayer. And at last, compassion is offered to us all." Its form is similar to a cephalopod, with four visible appendages, and its inner surface resembles the Indigo Tribe's insignia.
Proselyte and Adara are captured by Krona. After he invades Oa, Krona forces Proselyte to possess a Guardian of the Universe. It is eventually freed from Krona's control after Hal Jordan defeats and kills the rogue Guardian. Proselyte soon began suffering from a strange illness, later revealed to be the reservoir of the emotional spectrum was becoming exhausted. After Relic wiped out the Blue Lantern Corps and forcefully drained the green light from Oa's Central Power Battery destroying the planet in the process, Proselyte sacrifices itself by allowing Kyle Rayner to host it and pass into the Source Wall in order for the reservoir to be refilled.
The embodiment of love
The Predator, the embodiment of love, is connected to the violet light of the emotional spectrum. In an earlier continuity, an energy-projection being, Predator, is a masculine animus to the feminine anima of Star Sapphire. Despair over the loss of Hal Jordan drives the Predator to become a new individual, with Carol Ferris's ideal qualities in a man. In Green Lantern (vol. 4) issue #43 Scar indicates that the Star Sapphires have access to an emotional entity embodying love, which she calls "the Predator". Although the Predator apparently lives with the Zamarons, its relationship with them is unclear. When Black Lantern rings reanimate the couple whose love fuels the Star Sapphires, the Zamarons are devastated, but the Predator escapes its crystalline containment. It returns to the Zamarons and helps Carol Ferris prevent an invasion from Hawkworld. The Predator is captured by Krona, who forces it to possess a Guardian of the Universe when he invades Oa, and is freed when Hal Jordan kills the rogue Guardian. Predator soon began suffering from a strange illness, later revealed to be that the reservoir of the emotional spectrum was becoming exhausted. After Relic wiped out the Blue Lantern Corps and forcefully drained the green light from Oa's Central Power Battery, destroying the planet in the process, Predator sacrificed itself by allowing Kyle Rayner to host it and pass into the Source Wall in order for the reservoir to be refilled.
The embodiment of death
Nekron is the embodiment of death in the universe and the Black Lantern Corps, which are powered by death. Nekron uses necromancy to control the Black Lantern Corps to destroy life.
Black Hand becomes the first Black Lantern and the embodiment of death, Nekron's link to the world. His position is later taken by Hal Jordan, who sacrifices himself to escape the Dead Zone and stop the First Lantern Volthoom; Black Hand's body then crumbles into dust. He has again become the embodiment of death after the black ring revives him.
The embodiment of life
The Entity, the manifestation of the white light which creates life, is the embodiment for the White Lantern Corps (which is powered by life).
Kyle learns to channel the seven lights of the emotional spectrum, developing the ability to harness the white light and becoming a White Lantern.