While there have been theories as to why Earth has so many Green Lanterns it has never been fully explained within the DC Universe. Recently, in Green Lantern #8 Hal Jordan and Razer were attacked by the United Planets Lantern Corps. The results of the battle were the United Planet Lantern Corps capturing Razer and quickly leaving. Now after spending months grounded on Earth Hal Jordan has been given the motivation needed to return to space. To do so Hal needed to find a way to power up his Manhunter-made Green Lantern Ring so he could safely travel through space. This led to this week’s Green Lantern #9 revealing the truth about the greater importance of Earth to the DC Universe.
WHY EARTH IS SPECIAL FOR GREEN LANTERNS
After Razer was captured Madame Xanadu recommended Hal Jordan to travel to Monte de Sante Trega, where Hal felt a surge of power the moment when Sinestro became a Red Lantern. When he arrives in Monte de Sante Trega, Hal finds a lush and vibrant land that appeared untouched. To Hal’s surprise he is immediately greeted by his old friend Tom Kalmaku. Tom revealed at some point he felt a Guardian of the Universe tell him to travel to Monte de Sante Trega. There Tom discovered his destiny as the last of the New Guardians.
In his role as a Guardian Tom had a specific job on Earth, with the help the elemental force known as The Green, to wait until a Lantern arrived to serve his role. With Hal finding him Tom used his powers as a Guardian to open the secret location to a Green Lantern Power Battery on Earth.
Tom told Hal it was not by happenstance that there were so many Green Lanterns. At some point in the past the Guardians designated the humans of Earth as having “an excess of will” due to their innate ability to follow orders. To ensure that the “Green Light of Justice” was never extinguished the Guardian secretly placed an Green Lantern Power Battery on Earth.
Since there were only six Green Lantern Power Rings created, the Power Battery was placed on Earth at some point between New 52 and DC Rebirth. This was likely to ensure Hal, John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, Guy Gardner, Simon Baz, and Jessica Cruz could always fill their roles as Green Lanterns.
While not stated, Earth getting its own Power Battery also likely had another reason for that decision. As we’ve seen repeatedly, Earth has been the center of every major DC Universe event. Placing a Power Battery on Earth could be an emergency solution for dealing with these events. Which plays into Tom mentioning more Power Rings can be created by Earth’s Power Battery, though it’ll take time.
EARTH POTENTIAL CENTER OF EMOTIONAL SPECTRUM
The location of a second Power Battery on Earth certainly gives an in-universe explanation for there being so many human Green Lanterns. Though unintentionally because of the instability of the Emotional Spectrum going on right now could alter Earth’s Power Battery purpose. We see this by the fact that somehow while on Earth, Sinestro became a Red Lantern when his anger over his grounded status quo reached a boiling point.
The events with Sinestro could very well be tied to the different Lantern Power Batteries being destroyed. The Green Lantern, Red Lantern, Blue Lantern, and Yellow Lantern Power Batteries destruction has created an instability in the Emotional Spectrum. The danger of instability is even mentioned by Jessica Cruz when defending why she stopped the Orange Lantern Power Battery’s destruction. As Jessica mentions, if not handled carefully blowing up a Power Battery can cause it’s Emotional Spectrum energy to leak out.
This explanation could explain why when Hal and Sinestro were having their climatic battle in Green Lantern #6 the Superman Family noticed Emotional Spectrum radiating across the universe. The intensity of Hal and Sinestro’s fight could’ve drawn the Emotional Spectrum energy released by the other Power Batteries explosion to Earth. Because of that the Earth Power Battery could be absorbing the wild Emotional Spectrum energy.
It would play back into Hal first detecting a surge of power coming from Monte de Sante when Sinestro became a Red Lantern. In trying to gain greater control of the universe the United Planets may unintentionally make Earth the center of the Emotional Spectrum. Ironic, since their first decision when gaining control of the Green Lantern Corps was to quarantine Sector 2814, wiping their hands of any responsibility of helping Earth.