The Green Lantern Corps is a proud tradition that has existed for eons in the DC Universe, but on Earth, it only dates back several decades now. On average, DC has introduced new Green Lanterns to the canon universe roughly every ten years or so. While the characters can't acknowledge that directly, Green Lantern has a sense of legacy that can't be compared to any other hero.
Considering each sector is supposed to have two Lanterns, there are many more Green Lanterns than most fans might realize. While Green Lantern (Vol. 7) #1 (by Jeremy Adams, Xermanico, Romulo Fajardo, Jr., and Dave Sharpe) has focused almost entirely on Hal Jordan and John Stewart, there are many other Lanterns who have carried the torch for Earth.
Updated by Sage Ashford on May 19th, 2023: After months of being without a book, Green Lantern fans finally get to enjoy a new series thanks to Adam, Xermanico, Fajardo, and Sharpe — with a John Stewart back-up from Philip Kennedy Johnson and Montos. With that in mind, we've updated this list to add more information about all the Green Lanterns of Earth, including their first appearances and what they've been up to lately.
10 Alan Scott
First Appearance: All-American Comics (Vol. 1) #16 by Bill Finger and Martin Nodell
The first human Green Lantern, Alan Scott was introduced in All-American Comics #16 back in 1940. Decades before the space cop element was introduced to the fans, Green Lantern was just one more superhero among many. He found his ring during a train accident, and it granted him incredible magic powers according to an ancient prophecy.
Eventually, the ring’s power was retconned to be the combined chaos magic at the start of the universe. Because of this, Alan Scott has always straddled the line between being magic and an honorary member of the Green Lantern Corps. Often, Alan is part of the JSA, a book that has been set up to fail in the past. However, DC is launching a new comic about the Golden Age Green Lantern coming this fall.
9 Hal Jordan
First Appearance: Showcase (Vol. 1) #22 by John Broome, Gil Kane, Joe Giella, and Gaspar Saladino
Roughly twenty years after Alan Scott hit the scene, DC completely reinvented the concept of being a Green Lantern. No longer was it one Earthling with super-powers, but instead, he was one of thousands of beings charged with protecting the universe. Hal Jordan was introduced in 1959 in Showcase #22.
A test pilot for Ferris Aircraft, Hal Jordan was granted his power ring when the previous Green Lantern of his sector, Abin Sur, crash-landed on Earth and made the ring look for someone who possessed no fear. Though Hal was the first human Green Lantern, he would also come to be known as the greatest of them all. Coincidentally, Hal often appears in the best Green Lantern comics.
8 Guy Gardner
First Appearance: Green Lantern (Vol. 2) #59 by John Broome, Gil Kane, Sid Greene, and Gaspar Saladino
Though it had been twenty years between Alan Scott and Hal Jordan’s introduction, the next Green Lantern would make his appearance much sooner. Only a decade later, Guy Gardner appeared. Readers discovered Guy alongside Hal Jordan, who viewed Guy's time as a Green Lantern through a machine that looked at an alternate universe.
In Guy’s case, he wasn’t chosen as the next Green Lantern because Hal Jordan was closer to the original crash site. Still, Guy got his opportunity as a Lantern when he was chosen as Jordan’s backup. Early on, Guy earned a reputation for being abrasive and was added to a team whenever creators wanted some easy friction.
7 John Stewart
First Appearance: Green Lantern (Vol. 2) #87 by Dennis O'Neil, Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, and John Costanza
Barely a few years after Guy Gardner came along, John Stewart was introduced. In Green Lantern #87 in 1971, the Green Lanterns would gain a new member. Created by Denny O’Neil and Neal Adams, John Stewart was an architect who became a Green Lantern and worked alongside Hal Jordan. Non-comic fans remember Stewart for being part of the Justice League cartoon, often calling him the best Green Lantern.
John Stewart has done a lot in his decades as a hero. Not only is he responsible for blowing up the planet Xanshi, but he was also given the power to become the first human Guardian of the Universe, watching over the Mosaic planet. More recently, John was granted the power of the Godstorm, giving him nearly infinite power.
6 Kyle Rayner
First Appearance: Green Lantern (Vol. 3) #48 by Ron Marz, Bill Willingham, Romeo Tanghal, Robert Campanella, Anthony Tollin, and Albert DeGuzman
The Green Lantern universe was satisfied with its human Lanterns for years, but eventually DC decided the franchise needed a shake-up. Hal Jordan destroyed the Corps after losing Coast City, and the last Guardian of the Universe gave the last ring and Lantern to the first human he found on Earth: Kyle Rayner.
Introduced in Green Lantern (Vol. 3) #48 in 1994, Kyle would be the only Green Lantern throughout the remainder of the 90s. Even after Hal and the Corps returned, Kyle achieved greater heights as the hero Ion, and then later as the White Lantern. Perhaps more than any other Lantern, Kyle found himself wielding absurd power, but he always did the right thing with it, right down to creating the best constructs.
5 Jade
First Appearance As Green Lantern: Green Lantern (Vol. 3) #107 by Ron Marz, Jeff Johnson, Chris Batista, Bob Wiacek, John Lowe, Rob Schwager, and Chris Eliopoulos
Jennifer-Lynn Hayden didn’t need a ring because she was born to Alan Scott, so she had a connection to the Starheart naturally. Introduced in All-Star Squadron #25 in 1983, Jenny spent her younger years as a hero in Infinity Inc. After a while, she left the hero business and became a photographer.
When Jennifer's powers were lost thanks to another problem with the Starheart, Kyle offered her a Green Lantern ring in Green Lantern Vol. 3 #107. Though there still wasn't a Corps, Jennifer temporarily became a Green Lantern. Later, when Kyle was Ion and had all the power of the Central Power Battery, he restored Jennifer's former powers.
4 Simon Baz
First Appearance: The New 52: FCBD Special Edition (Vol 1) #1 by Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, Ivan Reis, Gene Ha, Kenneth Rocafort, Scott Williams, Joe Prado, Kenneth Rocafort, Gene Ha, Blond, Art Lyon, Rod Reis, Alex Sinclair, and Sal Cipriano
Simon Baz was originally introduced in Green Lantern (Vol. 5) #0 in 2012 (by Geoff Johns, Doug Mahnke, Christian Alamy, Keith Champagne, Mark Irwin, Tony Aviña, and Alex Sinclair). Simon became another member of the Corps after Hal and Sinestro were both pulled into a pocket dimension. Hal and Sinestro's rings combined, then they sought Simon Baz out and turned him into the next Green Lantern.
With Simon’s help, the Green Lanterns beat back the dangerous Third Army, a collection of beings without emotions and were aiming to bring “order” to the universe by forcibly making every being just like them. These days, Simon is still a Lantern member and spent his early years paired with Jessica Cruz, the other rookie Green Lantern.
3 Jessica Cruz
First Appearance: Justice League (Vol. 2) #30 by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Doug Mahnke, Scott Hanna, Rod Reis, and Dezi Sienty
Jessica Cruz wasn’t a member of the Green Lantern Corps at first. Instead, she was forcibly given the ring of Volthoom, which turned her into the new Power Ring. The Ring constantly tried to force Jessica to follow her commands. However, she not only resisted, but her ability to do so made her courageous enough to be selected as a Green Lantern Corps member.
Jessica Cruz joined the Corps in Justice League #50 and went on to become a notable rookie by helping to defeat the Red Lantern Corps on Earth. Most recently, Jessica was inducted into the Sinestro Corps after the Green Lantern Central Power Battery was destroyed.
2 Keli Quintela
First Appearance: Young Justice (Vol. 3) #1 by Brian Michael Bendis, Patrick Gleason, and Alejandro Sanchez
Keli Quintela was introduced first within the pages of Young Justice. A Bolivian teenager, she ran into a gauntlet that she hacked, gaining access to the Central Power Battery. With that power, Keli became Teen Lantern and joined the reformed Young Justice.
Though that team didn’t stay together long, Keli has recently found herself on Oa, where the Guardians planned to figure out where she got her gauntlet from. With the Guardians missing and the Green Lantern Corps under the control of the United Planets, this mystery has been placed on hold.
1 Sojourner Mullein
First Appearance: Far Sector (Vol. 1) #1 by N.K. Jemisin, Jamal Campbell, and Deron Bennett
Created by legendary scribe N.K. Jemisin and super-artist Jamal Campbell, Jo Mullein was assigned to patrol not an entire sector, but a location known as the City Enduring. This unique colony is made up of multiple different alien species all working together.
After spending time solving the first City Enduring murder in five centuries, Jo Mullein returned to the Green Lantern Corps just in time to help them uncover who destroyed the Central Power Battery. According to Future State: Justice League, she’s not only successful but eventually becomes Green Lantern for the Earth of that era.