After 63 Years, Green Lantern Has an Enemy to Rival Sinestro as DC Reveals Thaaros’ Brutal Origin

Warning! Spoilers ahead for Green Lantern #13!Move over Sinestro, because Green Lantern officially has an even more brutal nemesis. After months of little information, fans are finally getting a look at Lord Premier Thaaros’ origin and what it is that’s driving his current power grab of the Emotional Spectrum.

It’s taken months of subterfuge and cunning, but Lord Premier Thaaros has finally turned the Green Lantern Corps into the private army he’s always dreamed of. Now he’s out to master the power of the Emotional Spectrum. But where did Thaaros come from? And what does a glimpse at his past tell fans about Thaaros’ plans for the future?

Thaaros Finally Gets Revenge on the Man Who Destroyed His Childhood

In Green Lantern #13’s backup story “The Patient Blade” by Marc Guggenheim, Matthew Clark, Matt Herms, and Dave Sharpe, Lord Premier Thaaros reflects on his childhood. He thinks back to when his planet was still under a monarchy rule. Thaaros also thinks about his father, a duke who introduced Thaaros to the ways of high society. He also remembers his father being a pacifist who never raised a fist at anyone. That is until Thaaros’ father came home one day and viciously beat him.

However, it wasn’t Thaaros’ father, but rather a local criminal named Grund. Grund, like all Durlans, could shape-shift, and he used his abilities to mimic Thaaros’ father after killing him. Grund brutalizes the young man to teach him strength and to remind Thaaros never to try and seek revenge against Grund. Grund hands the blade he killed the duke with to Thaaros and threatens to make him slit his own throat if Thaaros ever comes after Grund.

Thaaros attempts to get revenge against Grund, but learns that he’s not strong enough to do so. But Thaaros learns the value of cunning and playing the long game. Years later, when Thaaros is finally in control of the Green Lantern Corps, he stops a smuggler and discovers its Grund in a different form. Thaaros gives Grund two options: Give himself up and be subjected to intense torture for years or kill himself with the knife Grund gave Thaaros years ago. Grund kills himself and Thaaros keeps the blade as a memento.

Who is Thaaros and How Did He Become Green Lantern’s New Nemesis?

Thaaros is the leading figure of the universe-wide governing body, the United Planets. Though outwardly seen as a kind and caring statesman, Thaaros is unbelievably corrupt. In the early part of his career, he secretly worked with Mongul to gain the warlord’s favor. Thaaros eventually became Lord Premier and his shadow partnership with Mongul nearly came out when Superman attempted to liberate Warworld. Thaaros even prevented the United Planets from aiding Superman in the hopes that Mongul would kill the Man of Steel and hide Thaaros’ secret.

Fortunately for Thaaros, Superman’s actions during the Warworld Saga didn’t lead to his partnership being uncovered. In fact, Thaaros gained more power than ever when the Guardians of the Universe disappeared and the United Planets were left in charge of the Green Lantern Corps. Unbeknownst to the Lanterns, Thaaros was out to take sole control of the Emotional Spectrum. After quarantining Earth and reassigning the planet’s Lanterns, Thaaros embarked on his most heinous plot yet: Blowing up and destroying the DC Universe’s Central Power Batteries.

One by one, the various corps fell and their members were either arrested or killed. With every corps that was destroyed, Thaaros’ new ‘United Planets’ Lanterns’ became able to channel different lights. If that wasn’t bad enough, Thaaros was using his underlings and sacrificing their lives in the hopes of accessing the mysterious Source Lantern. So far, Thaaros has been unsuccessful. But with both the Green Lantern Corps and the United Planets under his control, Thaaros has cemented himself as one of the biggest threats in the DC Universe.

Thaaros is Green Lantern’s Most Patient and Clever Enemy

This look back at Thaaros’ childhood does work as an effective character study of who the United Planets’ Lord Premier really is. In a more peaceful time, Thaaros could have been like his father, a kind man who truly understood diplomacy. Instead, Thaaros was ultimately shaped by his experience with Grund, who taught Thaaros that the only way someone like him could survive in the world was by being strong and clever enough (not to mention patient).

Green Lantern has gone up against a lot of different villains in the past and few have proven to be as big a threat as his greatest nemesis, Sinestro. However, while Sinestro is most certainly a force unto himself, Thaaros is a much more pressing concern. Sure Sinestro mastered fear and used his self-titled corps to wage war on the Green Lanterns. But Thaaros is much more insidious. He wormed his way into one of the most powerful positions around and used it to turn the Green Lantern Corps into his personal army.

Thaaros knows how to manipulate the system and people. Without even trying he was able to deceive the corps and turn it into a fascist army. And Thaaros is only getting worse. Aside from bombing the numerous Central Power Batteries across the DC Universe, he’s replaced the United Planets’ ruling council with other Durlans, making Thaaros virtually untouchable. Sinestro is an amazing general and knows how to wage a proper war. But Thaaros’ life experience has molded him into one of the most terrifying threats Green Lantern has ever faced.

What Can Green Lantern Do About Thaaros?

Right now, there’s not much Hal or any of his fellow Green Lanterns can do. Hal’s fighting for his life on Earth during Amanda Waller’s crusade against metahumans while the Earth Lanterns that haven’t been arrested are evading Thaaros’ enforcers. The only way the Green Lanterns are getting out of this is with outside help. Whether that means from the Justice League or even Sinestro (who almost certainly wants to kill Thaaros), someone’s going to have to step in. If not, then Green Lantern’s newest foe just might win the war he’s waging.

Green Lantern #13 is available now from DC Comics.

Green Lantern #13 (2024)
	Writer: Jeremy Adams and Marc Guggenheim Artists: Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, and Matthew Clark Colorist: Romulo Fajardo, Jr. and Matt Herms Letterer: Dave Sharpe Cover Artist: Ariel Colón

Green Lantern

Green Lantern is the name given to multiple enforcers of intergalactic justice in the DC Universe. Green Lanterns can harness the cosmic energy of willpower, and create unique spectral objects to face off against their enemies. Though some Green Lanterns have assisted with the Justice League, they primarily belong to the Green Lantern Corps.