Kyle Rayner sacrificed his near omnipotence to reignite the Lantern on Oa, bring back the guardians and restart the Green Lantern Corps.
Kyle Rayner first became a Green Lantern in the wake of the destruction of the entire Green Lantern Corps at the hands of Hal Jordan. Unlike the majority of his predecessors, Kyle became a hero without the guidance of the corps or any sort of home base on Oa. At one point, he was so desperate for the company of other Lanterns that he subconsciously manifested several imaginary comrades. So it’s only natural that Rayner was the one who restarted the Green Lantern Corps by giving life to a new generation of Guardians of the Universe.
In Judd Winick, Dale Eaglesham and Rodney Ramos’s Green Lantern #145, Kyle battles Alexander Nero for control over Ion, the embodiment of willpower that was stored in the central power battery on Oa before its destruction. Once discovered, this incredible source of power became widely sought after by heroes and villains alike. After an arduous fight, Rayner emerges victorious and now wields unparalleled power. He puts this new power to good use. He renames himself Ion and begins helping people at such an incredible speed that even Superman has time to sit around at home watching TV.
As Ion, Rayner has the power to be in multiple places at once. He can simultaneously deliver food to people in impoverished countries, stop armed robberies across the globe, repair damaged satellites, negotiate peace treaties on other planets and draw his comics without missing a moment. His relationship with time and space is reminiscent of Doctor Manhattan, as is his almost frightening omnipotence. As he continues to explore his new powers, Kyle’s potential seems limitless. He can manipulate sound waves and even dabbles in mind reading.
But the power doesn’t rob Kyle of his humanity. He works doubly hard to help the people in his life, and he is able to do more for them than they would even think to ask or expect. He restores Jade’s original powers in the blink of an eye and helps John Stewart walk again. In less than a week as Ion, Rayner ascends to a god-like degree of influence over the universe. He is an unstoppable force of good, but Superman warns him that his efforts to help and protect the entire universe might be inadvertently robbing individuals of their independence. He tells Kyle that people need to have some degree of agency rather than just being constantly watched over by Ion.
After this grave warning from the Man of Steel, Kyle seeks council from the original Lantern Alan Scott and Hal Jordan in his new form, the Spectre. Scott and Jordan tell Kyle that while Superman makes a salient point, it is natural for Kyle to struggle to adjust to his power. In Green Lantern #150 by Judd Winick, Pat Quinn John Lowe, Dale Eaglesham and Rodney Ramos, Rayner arranges to meet Ganthet, the last Guardian, on Oa. He explains to Ganthet that “he knows the power he possesses is not destined for a single man.” He has done a tremendous amount with the power of Ion, but he believes that it could have an even bigger impact if it was shared among others. Rayner channels his power into the Central Power Battery.
Young Guardians pour out of the newly lit lantern much to the delight of Ganthet, who is finally reunited with his peers after years of loneliness. The green light triumphantly spreads across Oa as the Corps’s power source springs back to life. Kyle loses his tremendous powers, but he gains the companionship and support of the Green Lantern Corps that he has been missing since becoming a hero. He went from being the last Lantern to being the salvation of the Corps. His selflessness made room for a new generation of guardians and Lanterns to protect the universe.
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