Green Lantern has become one of DC’s most prominent flagship properties since its initial debut in All-American Comics #16 in 1940. Alan Scott was the first Green Lantern introduced into the DC Universe and was created by cartoonist Martin Nodell. While Alan Scott will always be respected in the world of comics for establishing the entire corps of Green Lanterns, the DC canon has a much deeper history that extends far before Alan Scott ever became a Lantern.
Canonically speaking, the Green Lantern Corps has a long and fascinating history that all begins with a twisted and incredibly powerful character named Volthoom who was created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver in Green Lantern Annual #1 in 2012. Years later, Volthoom’s backstory was revealed in Sam Humphries and Robson Rocha’s Green Lanterns #18, which also introduced the First Seven.
The First Seven were – as the name implies – the first seven beings to ever be chosen by the Power Rings and take on the title of Green Lantern for the sake of defeating Volthoom after he had become drunk with power.
The First Seven are a fascinating piece of Green Lantern lore with each of the seven bringing his or her own backstory, experience, and unique powers to the team that would eventually branch out into the Green Lantern Corps of today.
Alitha the Gladiator
Alitha was first shown as a silhouette in Green Lanterns #18, and was fully introduced in Issue #23. She was a gladiator of the Third World, Galactica, a planet within a universe that had been torn apart from constant war and the death of beings known as the Old Gods. When the people of Galactica were debating whether to remain on their dying planet or travel to other worlds, Alitha stood up as the only one brave enough to inspire, teach, and serve as an example to her people and any who would fight against them. Her fearlessness and bravery attracted the attention of Rami, the greatest of the Guardians of the Universe, and within a single moment was transformed into the first of the seven.
Sadly, Alitha’s place among the Seven would be short-lived. When she and the other Lanterns faced Volthoom in Green Lanterns #30, she is overpowered and disintegrated by the villain.
Z’kran Z’rann the Assassin
Z’Kran belongs to the race of White Martians, characterized by a thin pure-white body and sharp features. As a child, he witnessed the massacre of his entire village by a group of Martian criminals. He barely escaped with his life, and would forever carry a scar across his face in remembrance of that night. Ten years later, now known as The Stranger and wearing a costume much like that worn by the Martian Manhunter, Z’Kran would get his revenge on the criminals as he slaughtered them one-by-one with his bare hands.
After the Martian had taken his revenge, one of the original Power Rings appeared before him and granted him the power of a Green Lantern. Z’Kran possesses incredible stealth – a rare traits among Lanterns – to such an extent that he can skulk away mid-conversation. Z’Kran would also meet his end in the battle against Volthoom when he used his power to peer into Volthoom’s mind and, instead of seeing a mad criminal as he expected, he sees a man in the grip of pain and chaos. However, this slight hesitation was enough for Volthoom to regain the upper-hand and eliminate the Martian Lantern.
Tyran’r the Mighty
Tyran’r comes from the Planet Tamaran and in his full introduction in Green Lanterns #25 he is being held accountable for apparently attempting to steal from his own people. Little context is given, but Tyran’r has been brought before Mrak’r the Wizard King of Tamaran to pay for his crimes. In an act of ridicule, Mrak’r destroys Tyran’r’s legendary sword, which he believes is the source of Tyran’r’s power — and he couldn’t be more wrong. Tyran’r’s people are humanoid tigers in appearance as well as in ferocity, as we see when he breaks out of his chains with ease and mows down the guards as well as Mrak’r himself.
After morning the loss of his sword, the unmistakable beam of green light from the Power Ring appears before him and grants him a power to far exceed the sword he lost. Tyran’r is among one of the only Lanterns from the original seven who are still alive today after their battle against Volthoom. With his age now catching up with him, he has become the Keeper of the Vault of Shadows where he watches over the remains of his fallen comrades and has given his Power Ring to Simon Baz.
Kaja Dox the Scientist
Kaja’s story is a bit more understated than Z’Kran’s and Tyran’r’s, which in turn makes it much more relatable. Kaja comes from the Planet Yod-Culu, a place where technological advancement and intelligence are seen as the most important of all traits. And even in such a place, Kaja had one of the most notable minds in all of Yod-Culu. While on her planet she worked the underwhelming job of a computer repair person until she was fed up with the ungrateful customers and was fired. Her overbearing mother attempted to talk her into leaving her life behind, but Kaja made the decision that her little life was exactly what she wanted, and that’s what made it worth fighting for.
This heartfelt decision is what caught the attention of Rami. A Power Ring quickly made its way to Kaja and, ironically, took her away from her life anyway. However, Kaja – along with Tyran’r – is one of the only First Seven who survived the fight against Volthoom. Kaja and Tyran’r remained close friends as she left to become a scientist and begin a family. After many years she died peacefully and her body joined the other five deceased members of the First Seven.
Jan-Al the Kryptonian
Jan-Al comes from the iconic planet of Krypton where she was selected to be part of the first Kryptonian colonization attempt. As their ship was traveling, the Kryptonians encountered a strange purple sun that halted the entire ship and threatened the lives of everyone on it. They narrowly escaped and managed to land on a nearby wasteland planet. Jan-Al exhibited leadership and bravery that would make any Kryptonian proud and that bravery was put to the test when a sudden dust storm rolled in and she had to make a life-or-death decision on how to protect her crew. It was her efforts that saved her entire crew.
Once all the Seven are given their powers and are brought together, it doesn’t take long for them to go out of control with their new abilities and attack one another. In this moment, Jan-Al teaches the group the imperative lesson on how much power is contained inside the ring when she attempts to gather too much willpower and ends up burning herself up in a blaze of green energy. She is the first of the Seven to die, but her sacrifice was the wake-up call the others needed in order to understand the situation they had suddenly become a part of.
Calleen the Plant Elemental
Calleen is not only one of the first Green Lanterns, but she is also known as the first ever Plant Elemental. Centuries before even the time of Volthoom, the planet Alstair was almost entirely destroyed by an enormous fire. At one point, the only living being on the entire planet was a single sprout that fought against its own extinction. Years and years went by and the once dead planet was covered over in lush forests and oceans all stemming from that single sprout that became much more than meets the eye. The sprout eventually took on sentience and became Calleen, the protector of Alstair who swore to save as many worlds as possible.
Her bravery and refusal to accept extinction gained her the sixth Power Ring and right to be known as a Green Lantern. Sadly, her life-giving ability would never truly been seen on other worlds as she is killed by Volthoom in the early stages of their fight.
Brill the Hive Mind
Brill is a Grendian, a mechanical being created from an immense artificial intelligence known as The Hive, which is also the race of active Green Lantern Stel. Brill was chosen from among his billion other brothers and sisters in The Hive to become separated and given sentience to travel alone and find his place in the universe. Luckily for him it wasn’t long before his purpose was made clear. Soon after going out into the universe, a Power Ring was sent to him by Rami.
Although Brill was the last of the Seven to be gifted the power of the Ring, he was one of the first to perish in the fight against Volthoom. Only moments after Alitha is torn apart, Brill attempts to trap Volthoom in an inescapable shape, but the Mad Lantern walks right through it before making short work of the Grendian by plunging a hand inside the robotic being and destroying him from the inside out.
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