Forget DCeased: DC Comics' Green Lantern Corps boasts the strangest zombie past.
Although DCeased may publish undead-based antics, the zombie-themed realm has been somewhat redundant given DC's own mainline reality. Though "zombie outbreak" is a typical comic story contrivance, it turns out that Green Lantern's own Guardians of the Universe (and their forebears) have been responsible for not one but four Zombie outbreaks in the DC Universe.
Following Green Lantern: War Journal #9 by Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Montos, which reveals the history of the Dark Star and the Radiant Dead, this disclosure follows The Maltusians, who would later become the Guardians, Zamarons, and Controllers, looted the mineralized blood of the Old Gods to build implements of power, according to the Book of Oa; but, unintentionally created a conduit to the mad deity, Olgrun: the Dark Star. Implumed to have become the Revenge Queen now guiding her host of Olgrun's Zombie specters against the living, the Maltusian responsible died trying to sever the link.
Mostly DC's undead plagues are caused by Maltus.
DC history is considerably enhanced by ancient Maltusians. Highly evolved entities, Maltusians were fixated on the idea of bringing the universe under control (as stressed in Green Lantern: War Journal #9). With such examples include the Dark Star mentioned above as well as the scientist Krona's intervention with the formation of the cosmos, their manipulation to this aim is famed for generating more harm than good. An ideological divide finally caused the Maltusians to split into three societies: the Guardians, who avoided feeling; the Zamarons, who welcomed it; and the Controllers, who sought more aggressive possibilities.
Available now digitally and in collected editions from Dc Comics, fans of the classic DC Universe and those of classic zombie stories should check out Tom Taylor, Trevor Hairsine, Stefano Gaudiano, and Rain Beredo's original DCeased series. Every one of these groups would then go on to leave its unique imprint on the cosmos. Arguably the most well-known and problematic of the three are the Guardians, founders of the Manhunters and the Green Lantern Corps; while the universe was presumably more stable under the Green Lanterns' care, the Guardian's love of manipulation and secret keeping often resulted in more damage than benefit. The Zamarons were in charge of founding the Star Sapphire Corps and serve as guardians of the Violet light of the emotional spectrum—that is, the literal force of love.
Deep-Cut Zombie Sources for DC's Controllers and Darkstars
Once they observed the favorable impact their peacekeeping activities were having on their local space sector, the third group of Maltusians, the Controllers, developed the Darkstars as an outgrowth of their own Galactic Police operations. Although a Darkstar's exo-suit lacked the same energy-manipulating capabilities as a Lantern Ring, it nevertheless let for self-powered spaceflight, improved physical capabilities, and energy blasts.
Twice over, the "Darkstars" represent the dubious honor of an undead scourge upon the DC Universe. The ruin of the Darkstar came about when the Controllers judged that the Darkstars had not significantly lessened anarchy in the cosmos and therefore shelved the project, leading to the eventual death outfall of the remaining Darkstars. Regretfully, the Darkstars' future was not yet finished. With the Darkstars acting as her troops and priests, co-opting the Controller's exo-suit technology, the extra-dimensional entity known as Lady Styx revived the "Darkstar" appellation as her zombie heralds lay waste to world after world spreading her forces. The Maltusians who unleashed the Dark Star of the Fenn and the Radiant Dead first used the moniker, therefore the "Darkstars" had the dubious honor of being an undead plague twice over: a fate cruelly reflected by those who would be forced to rise under Lady Styx.
One of the main pre-new 52 events was the ascent of the Black Lanterns.
The next Lantern-based zombie apocalypse would occur in the shape of 2009's Blackest Night event, when the death-avatar Nekron led his host of "Black Lantern" zombies against the DC Universe. Through the use of parasitic Black Lantern rings, Nekron reanimated armies of dead heroes to strike against the living, feasting upon the emotional spectrum that ordinarily empowers the members of the other Lantern Corps.
The Black Lantern danger was especially lethal: not only could they spread underath through the conventional modes of zombie infection (bites and scratches), they could also instantaneously infect heroes who had lately died and been revived. The Black Lanterns could not have been brought about without the cooperation of Scar, a Guardian who had been infected by the force underlying the Black Lanterns after being struck by the Anti-Monitor. Scar's place among the Guardians proved integral to orchestrating the Black Lantern attack, as she was able to subvert the Guardian's decisions and manipulate events in order to bring about the Black Lantern's prophesized "Blackest Night" while simultaneously weakening the Lantern Corps' abilities to respond. Therefore, Scar joins the lengthy lineage of Maltusians who have unleashed zombie horrors upon the DC Universe.
The Third Army Is One of Green Lantern History's Greatest Tragedies
Sadly, the Guardians learnt the exact wrong lesson following the events of Blackest Night. 2012's Rise of the Third Army storyline details how, after witnessing the ongoing conflicts between the various Lantern Corps, the Guardians decided that basing their peacekeeping efforts upon the green light of willpower was misguided: the very force of will that made the Green Lanterns so powerful also made them impossible for the Guardians to control. To that end, the Guardians created the Third Army, a force to replace the Green Lanterns and overwrite all free will in the universe with their own.
While the Third Army eventually failed, they are the Guardian's most direct and deliberate zombie assault on the DC Universe to date. The Third Army is a near-perfect example of a zombie menace. They are capable of assimilating others by touch, overwritting the victim's mind and expelling their heart, leaving an exact copy of a Third Army soldier behind. Furthermore, the Third Army lacked any means of receiving or expressing communication, leaving the Guardian's will as their sole influence. Lacking any emotion, the Third Army is highly resistant to attacks based within the emotional spectrum, such as Lantern Corps energy. While the Third Army eventually failed, they are the Guardian's most direct and deliberate zombie assault on the DC Universe to date.
Maltus's Legacy Continues to Threaten the Entire DCU
While the classic Guardians, the Controllers, and the ancient Maltusians have all dedicated millennia to the preservation of peace throughout the universe, their meddling has arguably unleashed far more harm than good, resulting in four separate zombie outbreaks: the spread of the Dark Star's corrupting influence, the Darkstars' fall to Lady Styx, the Black Lanterns, and the Third Army.
No other faction in the DC Universe has unleashed such apocalyptic forces with the same chilling regularity. The DCeased franchise may illustrate the horrors of spreading Anti-Life, but Green Lantern's Guardians have beaten them to the punch four times already, and in mainline canon to boot.
Green Lantern: A History of Intergalactic Justice and Undead Plagues
Green Lantern is the name given to several characters in the D.C. Comics canon, centering on individuals who dispense intergalactic justice. Green Lanterns may use their will and design original spectral things to fight against their foes. Though some Green Lanterns have assisted with the Justice League, they primarily belong to the Green Lantern Corps.
Several individuals have taken up the name, powers, and duties of the Green Lantern since the character was created for Dc Comics in the 1940s. But no matter who takes on the name, members of the Green Lanterns, an intergalactic force for protection and justice, seek to eliminate evil and keep Earth (and other planets) safe.
