WARNING! The Following Article Contains SPOILERS For The Flash #47.
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The latest issue of The Flash - the opening chapter of the long-awaited Flash War event - presents a number of surprising revelations. One of the most unexpected is that one superhero from the future is a member of The Sinestro Corps A.K.A. The Yellow Lanterns.
Once considered the greatest of Green Lanterns, Thal Sinestro was drummed out of The Green Lantern Corps after it was discovered that he had turned his homeworld into a fascist state in an attempt to force peace upon it. Ever determined to prove that his way of keeping the peace was the only way, Sinestro sought to channel the power of Fear Itself, acquiring the first yellow power ring and going on to form a team of similarly minded individuals (The Sinestro Corps) in an effort to destroy the willpower-fueled Green Lanterns.
Recent events in the Hal Jordan and The Green Lantern Corps comics saw the ranks of both teams decimated, forging an alliance between The Green Lanterns and those Sinestro Corps members who were honestly concerned with protecting the innocent and instilling order upon the universe.
That alliance is apparently still going strong in the 25th century - home of The Renegades, a peace-keeping force who drew inspiration from the 21st century gang of super-criminals known as The Rogues. While most of The Renegades utilize the weapons of the classic Rogues for noble causes (Commander Cold, for instance, wields the cold gun of the original Captain Cold), the first chapter of Flash War reveals Golden Guardian - a Renegade who seemingly adopted the persona of The Golden Glider - to be the wielder of a Yellow Lantern ring.
Despite not being as fast as the various speedsters in this issue, Golden Guardian proves to be the most troublesome of The Renegades. The rings of Yellow Lanterns draw power off of their wearer’s ability to inspire fear as well as the fear of any nearby lifeforms. Yellow Lanterns have the ability to manifest a target’s greatest fear in the form of an energy construct. This usually pushes the target further over the edge and gives the ring wielder more power.
In the case of the Barry Allen Flash, his greatest fear is a projection of Eobard Thawne - the Reverse Flash, who dedicated his existence to ruining Barry’s life and went back in time to eliminate Barry’s mother. For Wally West - the current Kid Flash - the ring manifests constructs of his father, Daniel West, who became the latest incarnation of The Reverse Flash in the New 52 The Flash comics.
While the battle between the various speedsters and The Renegades ends peacefully, for a time it seems that The Golden Guardian was more than a match The Fastest Men Alive. Proof that no matter how fast you are, you can’t outrun your fears… even if you’re The Flash!
More: The Future Origins Of DC’s New Reverse Flash Revealed
The Flash #47 is available now from DC Comics.
