If you’re asked to name the best or greatest villains you can think of in the DC Universe, a Green Lantern villain would rarely come up. The Superman and Batman bad guys would dominate most of that list. However, the Green Lantern Rogues Gallery is not to be cast aside so easily. Some of them are heavy hitters and strong enough to cause havoc in the universe.
These cosmic threats have managed to give the Green Lantern Corps a hard time on many occasions, and with the ever-growing comic and respective movie universe, it would bode well to know who is who. You know, just in case one of these bad guys show up.
They’re mean, ruthless, and do not care one bit about the code that the Green Lantern Corps follow. Let’s jump in and take a look at some Green Lantern super villains.
#15 The Zamarons
First Appearance: Green Lantern (Vol. 2) #16 (October 1962)
We kick this list off with the Zamarons, the female species of the Guardians. When the Malthusians evolved to the point where they no longer needed to reproduce, they split into different sects – the Guardians, the Controllers, and the Zamarons. While the Guardians sought knowledge and aimed to study the universe, Zamarons went in the direction of the physical. They are exceptionally skilled fighters, and the idea of these beings seems to have taken inspiration from the Amazons.
For the most part, the Zamarons have tried to do good, and the Star Sapphire is a product of their work with the emotion of love. However, the nature of the love they champion is the main problem. They were scorned when the Guardians decided to leave and believed that all betrayed lovers needed to take revenge on those who abandoned them. Their idea of love was possessive and jealous and would create much havoc in the universe.
Most Terrifying Thing The Zamarons Have Done: They used the violet crystal to control females who are scorned in love so that they may take revenge.
#14 Cyborg Superman
First Appearance: The Adventures of Superman #500 (June 1993)
This Villain’s name describes exactly what he is. Hank Henshaw, a former astronaut, was exposed to cosmic radiation and was supposed to die due to the after-effects of this radiation. Of the four-member team in space with him, only his wife survived in the end.
However, his consciousness was transferred into the technology at Lexcorp, and it was later revealed that he could not truly die. He managed to transfer his mind into the same pod that brought Superman to earth and used it to create another ship where he could travel the universe. During his travels, he was able to create a body for himself that was as powerful as Superman. What made matters even worse was that he blamed Superman for his crewmates’ death; since he could not be killed, he was driven mad.
Cyborg Superman has found himself at odds with the Justice League and the Green Lanterns on many occasions and was even held prisoner on Oa. This has made him resent the Guardians. Hank Simply wants an end to his existence and has even found himself to be a herald of the Anti-Monitor, who promised him the death he longs for.
Most Terrifying Thing Cyborg Superman Has Done: He helped destroy the whole of Coast City and all its inhabitants.
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#13 Black Hand
First Appearance: Green Lantern Vol. 2 #29 (June 1964)
Black Hand, Formerly William Hand, is an extensively self-trained supervillain who possessed a device that allowed him to drain the life force of others and use the power for himself. Further alien experiments allowed him to exert his power without needing the device.
Black Hand became more of a threat when he was chosen by the Guardian, Scar, to be the physical embodiment of death and the herald of Nekron. He is the first wielder of the Black Power, and his obsession with death was taken to an entirely another level. What makes him such a threat to the universe is that Black Hand is Nekron’s link to the living world. As long as Black Hand is ‘unliving,’ then Nekron still has a chance of coming back and attempting to bring the world of living under his control.
Most Terrifying Thing Black Hand Has Done: He killed his entire family and then himself.
#12 Volthoom
First Appearance: Green Lantern Annual Vol. 5 #1 (October 2012)
Volthoom is the very first person in the multiverse to ever wield a power ring. After discovering the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum on Earth 0 along with his mother, they created the Travel Lantern that facilitates traveling through different dimensions and time. He escaped with this lantern when his home planet was destroyed by aliens and eventually arrived at Earth 0, where he met with Malthusians.
Together with the early Guardians, Volthoom created his ring and further studied the Emotional Spectrum. The Great Heart was given to Volthoom, allowing him direct access to all emotions. This didn’t work out well for him because the spectrum caused Volthoom to go insane.
Long story short, equipped with one of the most powerful rings in existence, Volthoom went on a killing spree and took down many Guardians. It took the might of all the Guardians and the early Green Lanterns to take him out.
Most Terrifying Thing Volthoom Has Done: Volthoom destroyed his home world and all the inhabitants. This included his mother.
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#11 Hal Jordan-Parallax
First Appearance: Green Lantern Vol. 3 #5 (March 1994)
You know how they say that sometimes your worst enemy is yourself? Hal Jordan had to experience this first hand.
When Mongul and Cyborg Superman combined forces to destroy Coast City and murder all of its civilians, it caused Hal Jordan to lose control of himself. This gave Parallax the perfect opportunity to make its move and assert influence over Hal. Parallax filled Hal’s mind with doubt and fear from this tragic moment onwards. The fear entity’s influence grew stronger when Jordan approached the Guardians for the power to correct this horrific incident.
When denied, Hal descended into madness and ended up killing Killowog and most of the Guardians. At this point, Hal had the power of many Green Lantern rings that he had taken from different wielders and eventually came under the complete control of Parallax.
With this profound power, Hal sought to rewrite the events that led to the destruction of Coast City and avoid it as a whole. Parallax has always been a fearsome entity by itself and, with its manipulation of Hal Jordan, became a substantial threat to the universe.
Most Terrifying Thing Hal Jordan’s Parallax Has Done: He destroys the Green Lanterns and kills all the Guardians.
#10 Mongul
First Appearance: Green Lantern Secret Files and Origins 2005
This is not the original version of Mongul but rather the former’s son. The second generation proved stronger than his father and was already a formidable menace to the Justice League. This sinister conqueror is made even more fearsome after he receives a Yellow Lantern Ring upon murdering a Yellow Lantern. Later on, he gets five extra rings from Sinestro Corps Inductees.
Mogul’s crowning achievement is his Black Mercy seeds that feed off the psychic energy produced when its victim dreams and keeps them paralyzed. He was able to use these seeds to conquer many planets.
Mongul has tried the same seed on Hal Jordan effectively. His ambitions and methods make him a significant threat to the universe. With the six Yellow power rings, a green power ring, and the Black Mercy seeds, Mongul is a force to reckon with.
Most Terrifying Thing Mongul Has Done: He kills his sister, claiming Family to be a weakness.
#9 Starro
First Appearance: The Brave and the Bold #28 (February 1960)
Starro made its first appearance as a foe to the Justice League during the events of the New Frontier. The Leader of the Starr Conquerors, this intergalactic starfish, uses mind control to take control of entire civilizations. Going from one planet to another, Starro enslaves entire populations. Starro even managed to conquer several galaxies, and its power and influence grew with each planet it enslaved.
This has come under the radar of the Guardians. And Starro has even taken control of Oa at one point. Its goal is pretty simple- to dominate the universe. A monster with ambition like that and the power to back it up is dangerous. As an intergalactic police force, the GLs have repeatedly found themselves at odds with Starro. Thanks to the Justice League, they have stopped the cosmic starfish from materializing its plans.
Most Terrifying Thing Starro Has Done: Starro was able to usurp power over Nine Galaxies via mind control.
#8 Manhunters
First Appearance: Justice League of America #140 (March 1977)
The Manhunters were the predecessors to the Green Lantern Corps. Initially, the Guardian believed that to properly police the universe, emotion must be discarded. Hence, they created the Manhunters- highly intelligent, emotional creatures. They served as an effective interstellar police force for thousands of years until they became obsessed with hunting down criminals.
Krona opposed the idea of an emotionless force like that and chose a horrific path to prove his point. He reprogrammed the Manhunters to believe that all crime came from emotion and emotion came from living creatures. Their conclusion was to remove all organic life, and this decision is what led to the slaughter of all the living inhabitants of Space Sector 666.
After being defeated and exiled by the Guardians for their horrendous act, the remaining Manhunters escaped to various planets, where they spread the message of their brand of justice. They were able to create cults on many planets, including earth. They were capable of infecting their ideas in many corners of the universe, biding their time to take revenge against the Guardians and the Green Lanterns.
Most Terrifying Thing Manhunters Have Done: They massacred the entire population of Space Sector 666.
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#7 Larfleeze
First Appearance: Green Lantern Vol. 4 #25 (December 2007)
Larfleeze is the leader and the only member of the Orange Lantern Corps. The Orange power ring draws its power from the emotion of avarice/greed. Everyone’s Corps tries to recruit new members to grow their numbers and become stronger. However, corrupted by overwhelming covetousness, Larfleeze kills anyone who tries to get his same power. Greed.
The green power ring is already one of the most powerful weapons in the universe, but it still needs to be charged and can run out of power. However, the orange power rings do not have these drawbacks. It can be charged up to 100,000% percent, making it almost limitless in power. All the constructs that Larfleeze fights with are constructs of the beings he has killed for the orange lantern.
For the most part, Larfleeze is harmless, and as long as he is left alone, he is of no trouble. However, if Larfleeze’s greed grows, he could use his massive power to usurp the power of the universe.
Most Terrifying Thing Larfleeze Has Done: He murders all his friends to keep the Orange ring power to himself.
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#6 Atrocitus
First Appearance: Green Lantern Vol. 4 #25 (December 2007)
Atrocitus might just be one of the scariest characters in the DC universe and is the leader of the Red Lantern Corps. The Red power ring draws its power from the emotion of rage, and it’s safe to say that Atrocitus is full of rage.
When the Manhunter massacred the entire Space Sector 666, only five survivors were left. They went on to form a terrorist group called the Five Inversions, and Atrocitus was their leader. This group blamed the Guardians for the horror that ensued in their space sector and set out to destroy the immortal Malthusians by the means necessary. This blind rage eventually led to Atrocitus creating the first Red Power ring using the blood of the Five Inversions he murdered. As we said, the man is furious.
He eventually went on to establish the Red Lantern Corps, and they were simply merciless. If the Red Lanterns were to grow stronger and rage was spread across the Universe, it would birth chaos like never before, with a literal bloodbath.
Most Terrifying Thing Atrocitus Has Done: He Killed the other members of his terrorist group “Five Inversion” and used their blood to create the Red Rage rings.
#5 Sinestro
First Appearance: Green Lantern Vol. 2 #7 (August 1961)
Sinestro is probably the most famous Green Lantern on this list. Formerly a Green Lantern is the arch enemy of Hal Jordan and has gone out of his way to beat the Green Lanterns in whatever way he can.
Under Sinestro’s protection, the Space sector was said to be one of the safest sectors in the universe. He did not let anyone study how he achieved this, nor let anyone come into the sector either. As long as the job was done and peace was kept, the Guardians and the GL Lanterns didn’t mind. He was, after all, the “the Greatest Green Lantern of all time .”
However, the Corps eventually learned that Sinestro achieved this by upholding himself as a dictator and ruling everyone with fear. This caused him to be stripped of his power as a Green Lantern, eventually creating the first Yellow power ring and forming the Yellow Lantern Corps.
His Yellow Lanterns have crossed swords with the Green Lanterns many times, and on many occasions, they even came close to defeating the green ring wielders. Sinestro’s Yellow Lanterns are dead set on spreading the message of fear and controlling the universe via this emotion that is considered the opposite of willpower.
Most Terrifying Thing Sinestro Has Done: He Manipulated the Mad God of Space Sector 3600, gained unimaginable powers, and killed billions of living beings.
#4 Darkseid
First Appearance: Superman’s Pal Jimmy Olsen (December 1970)
Darkseid needs no introduction. He is the biggest foe that the Justice League has ever fought, and no matter how many times he has beaten away, he keeps coming back. Consistency is key, right?
An insanely powerful force that seeks to obtain the Anti-Life Equation so that he can eliminate free completely and control everything living thing in the universe. The Green Lantern Corps would not be doing an impressive job if this was not something they looked into. Darkseid first appeared as the Justice League’s enemy when he came to conquer earth. However, the Green Lantern Corps were already aware of this threat and had been aiding all of Darkseid’s opposing forces. The GL corps even have an alliance with New Genesis.
Darkseid is constantly in pursuit of power, and the green power ring is one of the most powerful weapons in the universe. The extent of its power is only limited by imagination and willpower. We all know that Darkseid’s will to conquer is unlike anything else. With his bare hands, Darkseid has conquered many worlds and slaughtered anyone who stands in his way. This is true for the many GLs that have fallen at his hands.
Most Terrifying Thing Darkseid Has Done: Darkseid murdered half the population of Themyscira in an attempt to get some information from Wonder Woman.
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#3 Krona
First Appearance: Green Lantern Vol. 2 #40 (October 1965)
Let’s clarify this: the Guardians are not to be seen as role models. Sure, they head a police force that is meant to protect the universe, but to put it plainly, they can be real jerks. Their hubris is enormous, and their ego even bigger. At least they’re good at the end of the day. Right?
What if one of them turns out to be a maniacal scientist who only cares about the result and nothing else? Enter Krona. The rebel among the Guardians had valid reasoning behind his actions. The actions themselves are far from moral. While the other Guardians wanted to rid themselves of their emotions so that they could form a highly objective space police force, Krona went in the opposite direction. He believed that emotion must not be cast away. It could be good, but the way he tried to prove it was beyond heartless. He manipulated the Manhunters to slaughter the entire Space Sector 666. Every living inhabitant was killed, save five beings.
Krona was so intelligent that he was able to create a machine that helped witness the beginning of time. This machine blew up and caused the Universe to shatter. This finally caught the attention of other members of his race and led to the formation of various policing forces that would stop things like this from happening in the future. Krona even manages to capture all the emotional entities and control them.
Most Terrifying Thing Krona Has Done: Krona programmed the Manhunters to carry out a mass genocide of Space Sector 666. Every living thing in that part of the universe was killed.
#2 Nekron
First Appearance: Tales of Green Lantern Corps #2 (June 1981)
Death has made many appearances throughout the DC Universe. One of the scariest ones among them is Nekron. He is the physical form of the concept of Death. Nekron exists as the direct opposite to life and the ultimate opponent to anything and everything that is living.
The Lord of the Unliving is a sinister force in the universe, and one of the most terrifying forces the Green Lantern Corps has faced. Nekron stayed in his realm of the unliving for most of the existence of the living universe. He became aware of the existence of the living realm upon the death of Krona and then immediately knew that he had to conquer this new realm.
The powers that this fearsome being possesses are endless and make even the Guardians tremble. Nekron is so powerful that he was able to empower minions like Krona with so much power that it took the might of the entire GL Corps to bring him down.
Nekron builds his power by killing anything living and feeding on their emotions. His vast powers enabled him to form the Black Lanterns. During the events of Blackest Night, Nekron had an entire army of Zombies with Power Rings. It took the living embodiment of Life and the whole might of the White Lanterns to take him down. This was extra demanding because there was no way to kill death.
Most Terrifying Thing Nekron Has Done: Nekron was able to influence the criminal, William Hand, for his entire life. This eventually led to Hand murdering his entire family and then himself.
#1 Parallax
First Appearance: Green Lantern Vol. 3 #50 (March 1994)
We end this list with none other than Parallax. Most would be familiar with this villain from the questionable Green Lantern movie. The live-action adaption didn’t exactly do the character justice, but trust us, Parallax is the real deal. It’s an entity that simply wants to conquer and is the sworn enemy of the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians.
For those unfamiliar with the character, Parallax is the living embodiment of fear. It is a yellow, terrifying-looking creature that manifested itself after feeding on fear. Its sole purpose is to instill fear, go from civilization to civilization and conquer planets by simply making them live in fear. This fear, in turn, feeds this demonic entity and makes it more and more powerful. To put it in context, even the Guardians fear it. The Green Lantern Corps are often directly in conflict with Parallax, mainly because it is the opposing force to the GL power source, Will power. If the mightiest force in the Universe is afraid of it, run.
This creature is so powerful that it even managed to take control of Hal Jordan, one of the greatest Green Lanterns. Parallax is also the source of power for the entire Yellow Lantern Corps. It has slayed hundreds of GLs and keeps returning as a menace to the Space Cops.
Most Terrifying Thing Parallax Has Done: It Massacred Several Green Lanterns during the events of the Sinestro Corps war and also brutally murdered Jack T Chance after making him experience his greatest, deepest fear.
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Honorable Mentions
- The Five Inversions
- The Legion
- The Predator
- The Anti-Monitor
- Star Sapphire
With this, we come to the end of our list of Green Lantern supervillains. Most of these foes are formidable and pack quite the punch. They have given our Space Police a run for their money on many occasions, some of which are just plain scary. From killing families to entire galaxies, these bad guys are not to be messed with.
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FAQs
Who Was Green Lantern First Villain?
Sinestro is one of the first villains that Hal Jordon fights as a Green Lantern. Before his first appearance, Sinestro had already moved away from the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Why Did Sinestro Become Evil?
There was always a small evil part of Sinestro. His Space Sector, which was one of the safest in the Universe, it turns out, was ruled by him via dictatorship. When this information surfaced, The Guardians stripped him of his power, leading him to go evil and create his own Yellow Ring.
Which Lantern Corps Did Sinestro Start?
Sinestro started the Sinestro Corps. They donned Yellow rings that harnessed the power of fear and are the antithesis of the Green Lantern Corps.
Is Sinestro Stronger Than Green Lantern?
Sinestro was a formidable Green Lantern himself and was known as the greatest. He used that experience as a Yellow Lantern and could beat most Green Lanterns. Hal Jordan, among some others, is the only one who can beat him.
Why Does Sinestro Hate Hal?
Sinestro grew Jealous of Hal due to his success and the favor of the Guardians.
Which Lantern Ring Is the Strongest?
The White Lantern ring is the strongest as it possesses the power of all the rings combined. Hal Jordon once wore this ring and was dubbed the most powerful entity in the universe.
Why Is Green Lanterns Weakness Yellow?
Yellow is the color for Fear. Fear is the Antithesis of Will. If you have fear and doubt in your mind, then you may not have a strong will.
Who Is Hawkgirl’s Enemy?
Artemis Crock is a recurring enemy of Hawkgirl. She was once a hero and a member of the Young Justice Team.
Are Yellow Lanterns Stronger Than Green?
No, they are direct opposites. Yellow (Fear) is the antithesis of Green (Willpower). These are both opposing forces. It depends on which emotion is stronger in each person.
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