Orange Lantern Corps

"What's mine is mine and mine and mine. And mine and mine and mine! Not yours!"


 * --Larfleeze reciting the Orange Lantern oath

Millennia ago, (long even for beings as ancient as the Guardians) the Guardians of the Universe went to war with the Keeper of the Orange Light, in that war their forces were nearly decimated and peace was only reached by making a pact with the Keeper of the Orange Light, and it was covered by a peace treaty with the Spider Guild. The pact stipulated that as long as the Keeper of the Orange Light kept it buried deep beneath the surface of Okaara, then the Vega system would be outside the jurisdiction of the Green Lantern Corps.

An Orange Lantern Ring is powered by avarice, or greed. The wielders of the Orange Power Rings are covered in a deeper aura than members of other Corps. According to Ganthet, "the orange light of avarice will be discovered and manipulated by a being whose greed knows no bounds". The Controllers, an off-shoot of the Oan race, were searching the Vega star-system for the orange light in order to create their own Corps.

With the Guardians occupied with the Zamarons' experiments on the Star Sapphires, the Controllers were left to begin their search without opposition from the only two groups that could stop them. The Controllers believed they located the orange light on the planet Okaara, within the Vega star-system, a forbidden territory for the Green Lantern Corps. Without the interference of the Guardians they believed they could finally attain a power source that would allow them the means of creating an army to control the universe.

Agent Orange
On Okaara, the Controllers traveled through a forest overgrown with weeds and vines. The Orange Light had influenced the environment around it to the point where the vines consumed everything they touched; if it hadn't already strangled all the life from it first. The Controllers found a sealed cavern with the symbol of avarice embedded in the entrance. They entered the dwelling and descended downward into the underground palace. The Controllers found a rotten feast of food that had recently been eaten despite its decay. The Controllers were confident in their immortal power that nothing could stand in their way and keep them from finding the Orange Light, no matter what primitive creatures resided in the so called palace. They came across the Orange Lantern Power Battery deep within the caverns of Okaara and as soon as they tried to take it the Controllers were completely slaughtered by a horde of Orange Lantern Corps members that seemed to appear from out of thin air.

Meanwhile Green Lantern Stel was persuing a Sinestro Corps member as they entered the Vega System. The Sinestro Corps member yelled that the Green Lanterns weren't allowed in the Vega Star System and that his persuit was useless. Suddenly Orange Lantern Blume appeared bellowing the word MINE over and over again. He swallowed and killed the Sinestro Corps member and severely crippled the robotic Stel. Stel was then branded with the Orange Lantern's Symbol of Avarice and then recovered by the Green Lanterns and brought back to Oa. As soon as the Guardians laid eyes on the symbol they recognized it immediately with disbelief-their long held secret had come back to haunt them. Then, from the orange symbol, a hologram of Larfleeze appeared.

Because of the Controllers' transgressions Larfleeze, the sole remaining keeper of the Orange Light and the leader of the Orange Lantern Corps was so enraged and infuriated he had a message for the Guardians; telling them their former treaty was null and void because of the actions taken by the Controllers breaching the isolation agreement they had set forth so long ago. Even though the Controllers had broken off from the Guardians over a billion years ago. Larfleeze then promised that if his demands were not met, his corps would descend upon them.

On Oa the Guardians subjected Hal Jordan to immense pain trying to remove the Blue Lantern Power Ring that was still attached to him from his encounter with the Red Lanterns and Blue Lanterns on Ysmault. John Stewart came to Hal's aid, telling the Guardians they had bigger problems to deal with, that being the orange light. The Guardian known as Scar declared that the criminals of the universe have sought safe haven in the Vega System for far too long and that it is time that the Book of Oa be revised and issue the next one of their ten new laws. The Vega System is no longer off limits to the Green Lantern Corps and the pact made with Larfleeze so long ago can no longer remain unspoken. The Orange Light can no longer be allowed to roam free in the universe. The Guardians then take a squad of Green Lanterns to Agent Orange's base of operations on Okaara to put a stop to him and round up the criminals hiding in the Vega System.

Gretti of Sector 2828 is ordered by his superior, Salakk, to meet the arrival party on Okaara. Dispite Gretti's nomadic nature and hesitancy to go back to his home world he followed the order and began making his way there. Upon arrival the Guardians and their squad are greeted by Gretti. Gretti got too close to Jordan and the blue ring began to over charge Gretti's green ring and the Gaurdians instructed him to not get too close to the "Blue Lantern". The Guardians were also communicating back to the Guardian known as Scar who stayed back on Oa because she felt ill and didn't believe she had the strength to fully confront the orange light at this time. The Guardians then proceeded into the Forest of Weeds to confront Larfleeze at his rotting palace. While Gretti warned them against that action because anyone that enters the forest is never seen or heard from ever again. The Guardians then pointed out that there is nothing a Guardian of the Universe fears and nothing they can not face. With one swift motion of their hand a gigantic path was scorched across the ground leading directly to the cavern dwelling of Larfleeze's palace. When they reached the entrance the Guardians forcefully proclaimed to Larfleeze to come out and surrender; with their rings down and disarmed. Larfleeze screamed back that the Guardians were trespassing on everything that belonged to him. The the ground quaked and the members of the Orange Lantern Corps rose from the depths. One of the first Orange Lanterns to strike was the Controllers. They had become a twisted mutated drone of Agent Orange. The Guardians realized that if the Controllers had fallen that the Orange Light must now be more powerful then ever. Their green energy constructs seemingly had no effect on the Orange Lanterns. They were instantly absorbed by them leaving the Green Lanterns out numbered and defenseless. Gretti and John Stewart became cornered. Gretti found himself attacked by four Orange Lanterns each one pulling at a different limb; each one demanding Gretti had something that belonged to them. He could not understand what they wanted and despite his struggles against them, the Orange Lanterns ripped him apart into several pieces.

Moments after Gretti's death the Orange Lantern Glomulus exclaimed Gretti's ring belonged to him and before the Green Power ring could seek out a replacement Glomulus swallowed the ring, destroying it. The Orange Lantern Corps' standard protocol went into effect and the Orange Light of Avarice consumed and stole Gretti's identity transforming him into the newest member of the Orange Lantern Corps. A demented version of his former self, Gretti became a mindless beast carrying out Larfleeze's orders and attacked John Stewart.

At the same time Hal Jordan tried to fight off the Orange Lanterns, when his blue ring sparked attracting the attention of Larfleeze himself. Larfleeze had never seen a blue ring before and shot orange tentacles from beneath the caverns underneath his feet ensnaring him and dragging him down below. In the darkness looming above Jordan's head Lafleeze stared at the Blue Lantern Ring. He uttered but three words, I WANT ONE. [5] As the battle between the Green Lantern Corps and Larfleeze's constructs, Hal and Larfleeze talk with each other. Larfleeze wants to know what the blue ring is powered by. Then, the ring talks to Larfleeze asking it what it hopes for. Noticing that the power of the blue ring is similar to his own, Larfleeze hopes for the blue ring to end the hunger of the orange light of avarice. But, the ring activates and defends itself from Larfleeze, which was enough for Hal to free himself and attack Larfleeze. When Hal realizes that he needs help from the others, he decides to stall for time, and makes a deal with Larfleeze. In exchange for information on how he found the Orange light, Larfleeze will get the blue ring. So, Larfleeze tells the story of how he and a four other aliens launched a heist on Maltus, the homeworld of the Oans. They took a box that was supposedly worth an entire star system and a map which once belonged to the Guardian Krona, when they were attacked by the Guardians and the Manhunters. Despite their claim that no man escapes the Manhunters, Larfleeze and his gang managed to escape, but they lost one member. On the map, they were told of a treasure that all would want, including the Guardians. That map led them to a temple on a planet in the Vega System, Okaara. When they got there, they lost another member to the Forest of Weeds. As they tried escaping, they fell into a cave, where they found the Orange Lantern Power Battery. Due to its power, Larfleeze and the remaining two members started fighting with each other over who got the battery. Then, the Guardians and Manhunters came and attacked. Many Guardians and Manhunters were killed in the battle, as well as another member of Larfleeze's gang.

The Guardians stopped the battle, telling them that they only desired the box and that they would allow the orange light to stay in the Vega System, but only one of them would be allowed to wield the light, with Larfleeze winning. He tells Hal that the Guardians kept the pact a secret, much like the Massacre of Sector 666 and the knowledge of Parallax. Surprised, Hal asks how he knows about Parallax, to which Larfleeze reveals was what was in the box that they stole. Now that he has told his story, Larfleeze demands the blue ring, but it cannot be removed from Hal's finger. So, Larfleeze creates an axe and cuts Hal's hand off and takes the ring, which inducts him into the Blue Lantern Corps, but suddenly, the blue light dissipates off of Larfleeze and he realizes that the blue ring created an illusion of him taking the ring, but in reality, it was still attached to Hal, who attacks Larfleeze, using his own constructs. He manages to distract Larfleeze enough for Hal to take the Power Battery away from him, but he too is affected by the light and the battery speaks to his mind and he transforms into an Orange Lantern. But because it has been with Larfleeze for so long, its power is as much a part of him, which allows him to take the battery back. He then absorbs his Lanterns back into the battery, which allows for the Guardians and the other Green Lanterns to enter the temple, but he uses the power on himself and creates a giant construct of himself and attacks the Green Lanterns and the Guardians. Because the green light is absorbed by the orange, they have no hope, but the blue ring continues to ask Hal what he hopes for. He then answers that he hopes that the blue ring will stop asking him and leave his hand. The blue ring acknowledges it as sincerity and unleashes its full power on Larfleeze, and destroys his construct, until its power is completely drained. It leaves Hal's hand and initiates a scan of the sector. But now, they are all back where they started, and since they cannot possibly defeat Larfleeze, the Guardians decide to make another deal with Larfleeze and send the other Lanterns out of the temple.

When the Guardians emerge, the others ask what happened, but the Guardians refuse to tell them. Meanwhile on Odym, homeworld of the Blue Lantern Corps, we see Ganthet and Sayd inducting a new member into their Corps. Just as they are finished, they are attacked by the Orange Lantern Corps, where it is revealed that the Guardians gave him the location of the Blue Lantern Corps.

Blackest Night
Later on, when the Blackest Night event comes, we see the battle between the Orange and Blue Lantern Corps, as Black Lanterns circle above Odym, waiting for a death to happen. Because they need the power of the Green Lantern to fight back against the Orange light, the Blue Lanterns cannot do much to defend themselves. The Orange Lanterns manage to uproot the Blue Lantern Central Power Battery, while Larfleeze watches the battle from his battery on Okaara. Hal, along with Sinestro, Indigo-1, Star Sapphire teleport onto Odym, seeking to recruit the Blue Lanterns against the Blackest Night. Since the power of the Green Lantern is nearby, the blue rings are able to fire at the orange constructs, but before they are destroyed, they disappear. We then see Black Lantern Rings descend on Okaara and resurrect the corpses of Larfleeze's constructs, who attack him. However, the head of the Red Lantern Corps, Atrocitus is also there, trying to take the Orange battery to amplify his own power against the Black Lanterns. Afterwards, the heads of the other Lantern Corps, along with Ganthet and Sayd, arrive on Okaara and manage to stop the fight between Atrocitus and Larfleeze. They manage to get Larfleeze to join them after Sayd pledges herself to be Larfleeze's Guardian after the Blackest Night is over.

They all then teleport to Coast City on Earth to witness the rise of Nekron and they combine their powers to destroy the Guardian Scar. After combining their powers to destroy the Black Lantern Central Power Battery, which proves ineffective, Ganthet initializes a program within the seven rings, citing that despite their differences, the rings are based on Oan technology, which allows for duplication enabling them to deputize an individual for 24 hours. The duplicate rings then seek out sentient beings who have the great capability to instill their respective emotions. Larfleeze's ring attaches itself to Lex Luthor due to his desire for power and inducts him into the Orange Lantern Corps. After Nekron resurrects Batman to release a number of black rings on those who died and were brought back to life, we see that Luthor has been immersed in the power of avarice, which causes him to fight against Larfleeze trying to take his ring, as well as the rings of everyone else. He tells Larfleeze that the power of the orange ring is the same as the black ring, it takes the identity of whoever it kills, and that the only thing he has ever wanted is to be like Superman, who was turned into a Black Lantern, and tries to kill Superman so that he can steal his identity and turn him into an Orange Lantern under his control. He succeeds in taking the yellow power ring from the Scarecrow, who was inducted into the Sinestro Corps, and even tries to take Mera's Red Power Ring from her before he is stopped by the other Lanterns who manage to restrain him, but the Black Lantern Spectre attacks.

Members

 * Larfleeze (Living member)
 * Blume
 * Glomulus
 * Gretti