Guy Gardner: What You Need to Know About Green Lantern in Superman

Guy Gardner was introduced to the DC Universe in Green Lantern (Volume 2) #59 by John Broome and Gil Kane. The character was eventually chosen to be Hal Jordan's replacement, someone who could essentially take over Green Lantern duties whenever necessary.

Guy Gardner is one of the most talked about Green Lanterns on Earth, simply because he's a jerk. When reimagined by Steve Englehart and Joe Staton, Guy Gardner became a divisive figure - not only with other superheroes, but also within the Green Lantern Corps. However, no matter how much of a jerk Guy Gardner can be, the character remains as devoted to the Corps as anyone, becoming a lauded member of the Green Lantern Honor Guard.

Hal Jordan learned about Guy Gardner from The Guardians

Long before the concept of having a backup Green Lantern existed, Guy Gardner was introduced as an "Elseworlds" type character. In his first appearance, audiences saw him as a character who Abin Sur's ring sensed without fear, but Hal Jordan was closer. The Guardians used a machine to show what would happen if Guy were chosen, and it wasn't good.

After proving himself against many threats and reaching Oa, he traveled back to Earth via a different route with Hal. Along the way, he encountered an alien race where a disease had wiped out all the adults and left the children trapped in child form. But while Guy was able to help the children there, he contracted the disease himself, and passed the ring to Hal Jordan in that universe. However, Hal would go on to discover Guy and befriend him in his universe, eventually leading to him becoming a backup.

Hal Jordan once wanted to marry Guy Gardner's girlfriend.

This is a strange existence from the 60s and 70s that wouldn't be a problem today. After Hal Jordan had to temporarily give up his position to have the Guardians of the Universe fix his ring, Guy Gardner was chosen to act as a hero. The writers spent an issue making Guy Gardner the main Green Lantern, but when he tried to charge his ring, Guy discovered that the problem was Hal's lantern, not his ring.

The Lantern sucked Guy into the Phantom Zone, and everyone believed he was gone. Meanwhile, Hal began dating and eventually tried to marry Guy's ex-girlfriend, Kari Limbo. However, when Kari realized Guy wasn't dead, the two broke up.

Guy Gardner's personality changes after being punched by Batman

Now everyone remembers that Batman knocked Guy Gardner out with one punch. But what people may not remember is what happened next. Guy ended up getting hit in the head a second time after trying to find his ring, and the result was a complete change in personality.

Instead of being the most annoying and loudest member of the team, he became the nicest member of the Justice League International. This complete 180-degree change lasted about a year before he returned to normal in Justice League International #19 by Keith Giffen, JM DeMatteis, and Kevin Maguire.

Guy Gardner uses Sinestro's second gold ring

Guy Gardner was never the nicest Green Lantern, and that eventually cost him his place in the Green Lantern Corps. Hal Jordan fought him for the right to keep the ring, and when he lost it, Guy's life suddenly became a lot harder. His only chance to become a superhero again was to steal Sinestro's ring from the hallways of Oa.

Guy teamed up with Lobo with the promise of letting Lobo have the ring, but after they arrived on Oa and Guy got the ring, he quickly betrayed the superpowered biker. From there, he returned to Earth, causing a lot of trouble for the Justice League while trying to become a superhero in his own right.

Ice is Guy Gardner's girlfriend.

Guy Gardner's most enduring relationship was with Ice in Justice League International. Although he had trouble admitting his feelings, the two eventually began dating and maintained a close but troubled relationship for much of the late 80s and early 90s. The two have since grown more distant since Ice was resurrected in the late 2000s.

Potentially, this has something to do with her becoming a Black Lantern and attacking him in Blackest Night, but viewers are more inclined to think it's because Guy is too devoted to the Corps.

Jessica Tanner

Update 20 December 2024