WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Legion of Super-Heroes #12 by Brian Michael Bensid, Ryan Sook, Wade Von Grawbadger, Jordie Bellaire & Dave Sharpe, on sale now
The newest version of the DC Universe from the era of Legion of Super-Heroes has teased a number of changes to the galaxy, ranging from massive lineages of heroes to unexpected alliances. But it appears that one future incarnation of a classic heroic force might not be who they claim to be.
As Legion of Super-Heroes #12 suggests, it seems that the Gold Lanterns aren't the true final form of the Green Lantern Corps as they so presented themselves, and two Legion members are set to investigate the ensuing mystery.
The Gold Lantern is one of the most powerful members of the modern Legion of Super-Heroes. Seemingly the only such Lantern in the galaxy and chosen by the beings who the universe believes descended from the Green Lantern Guardians, the Gold Lantern is said to be powered by the powers of the emotional spectrum operating in sync. But Legion of Super-Heroes #12 throws all of that into disarray. After speaking of the Guardians alongside the Gold Lantern in search of more information about the coming "Great Darkness," Brainiac-5 is revealed to have conducted further investigation into the Guardians and their power.
It becomes apparent how important this research has proven to be when Brainiac goes to speak with the Gold Lantern. Finding him on Earth, Brainiac-5 briefly contains his ring in a protective shell the Guardians can't observe their conversation through any secret monitoring elements of the ring. Brainiac reveals that the Gold Lantern Ring actually has no real connection to the original Green Lantern Corps and that the "Guardians" aren't in fact the Elders of Oa. While the celebration following the saving of New Krypton keeps the pair from further discussing these revelations, it's clear these will radically change how Brainiac handles this mystery going forward -- especially because of how much he openly respects and admires the Gold Lantern.
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It also presents the future DC Universe with a series of questions that could have a galactic impact. What kind of force would be powerful enough to create the Gold Lantern, if not the Guardians? Why would they want to be identified as the future versions of the Guardians, instead of themselves? Their pedigree in the galaxy is enough that they still have the respect of the universe centuries into the future, but all of that then presents a more pressing question -- if these Guardians of the Gold lantern aren't in fact the Elders of Oa, then what happened to the original Guardians? This could mean that the Green Lantern Corps of this new future suffered the same fate as the Green Lantern Corps of previous DC futures, where they'd been largely wiped out, and only Sodam Yat remained into the distant future.
It's clear the Gold Lantern-producing "Oans" have secrets they want to keep away from the rest of the universe, implying they have something to hide, whether they're trying to move past a dark legacy or are secretly villains themselves. With the Legion set to go through a Future State-time-skip, there's no telling how this mystery could develop, or if the mystery of the Gold Lantern carries on for some time. With the Great Darkness also still on the horizon, the Legion certainly has its plate full as it heads further into DC's future.