As a group of verdant colored cosmic cops, it makes sense that the Green Lantern Corps would face a bevy of powerful goes of astronomical proportions. These have included the enemy Corps, the necromantic Black Hand, and the gigantic Relic. One forgotten foe of theirs, however, is similar to Watchmen’s central character.
Volthoom was the First Lantern who inevitably went mad, with his ambitions and power making him eerily similar to Doctor Manhattan. The Guardians’ first failure isn’t nearly as well-known as the villain of Doomsday Clock, but he may be just as tough. Here's a look at a DC villain whose frightening abilities could possibly show up again to haunt the Green Lantern Corps.
Volthoom, the First Lantern
Volthoom debuted in Green Lantern Annual #1 (by Geoff Johns, Ethan Van Sciver, Hi-Fi Design, and Sal Cipriano), though he was based on a pre-existing concept/character. This variant of Volthoom came from another universe, with him and his scientist mother discovering the Emotional Spectrum that would later power the rings of the various Lantern Corps. They would be able to harness its power to create an interdimensional “Travel Lantern.” This would be used by Volthoom to traverse the various other realities when his homeworld was overtaken by invaders.
He eventually found the Prime Earth, where he met the aliens that would become the Guardians of the Universe. These beings purged their emotions into something called the Great Heart, which created a ring that Volthoom would then wear. Using it to exact dark justice in his new universal home, Volthoom later had the Great Heart put in his own chest, granting him direct access to the emotional spectrum. This made him immensely powerful, but it also eventually made him lose his mind.
Throughout the eons afterward, Volthoom would be imprisoned, attacked by all the Lantern Corps, and briefly sent away to the Dead Zone. None of these things could truly stop him, however, as his ties to the Emotional Spectrum now meant that he could never die. He even learned how to body hop, showcasing how evil and emotions are eternal.
The First Lantern vs. Doctor Manhattan
On the surface and underneath, Volthoom’s recent portrayal as the First Lantern is very similar to Watchmen’s Doctor Manhattan. His final Emotional Spectrum-empowered form is that of a glowing, seemingly naked humanoid, just like Doctor Manhattan. His previous profession as a scientist is just like Manhattan’s, too. Volthoom possessing the body of a Guardian is similar to Manhattan’s shape-shifting powers, though since he doesn’t give off radiation like Manhattan, he’s probably even better at blending in among unaware people.
Volthoom, through use of the Travel Lantern, was able to go to different universes and hope to eventually reform his own. This evokes Doctor Manhattan, who was inspired by DC's Captain Atom, using his cosmic powers to galavant throughout the Multiverse, eventually settling in and trying to rework the DC Universe.
Though Volthoom tried to do the same things in Geoff Johns’ run on Green Lantern, he’s not quite as adept as Manhattan, who altered realities far more effortlessly. This could, however, be tied to his having in imprisoned beforehand and having his energy drained for the creation of the Third Army.
One big similarity to Manhattan, however, is that Volthoom is immortal. Even Nekron could not keep Volthoom dead due to his Emotional Spectrum immortality. Manhattan can’t die either by virtue of being an energy being, meaning that he’ll always exist somewhere in the Multiverse. The same goes for the First Lantern, whose comparative obscurity potentially makes him even more dangerous.