Who are the Manhunters in ‘Lanterns’? Here’s the origin of the Green Lantern Corps’ enemies
The HBO series introduces the Manhunters, the robotic predecessors of the Green Lantern Corps, as John Stewart searches for the mole threatening the investigation.
The unexpected success of ‘Lanterns’ has attracted many fans who were initially skeptical of the series, as well as complete newcomers to the Green Lantern universe. The second episode of the series mentions a group that is well known to longtime fans, but completely unfamiliar to those delving into the adventures of the Green Lantern Corps for the first time: the Manhunters.
The origins of the Manhunters date back even before the founding of the Green Lantern Corps. The Guardians of the Universe, creators of the Green Lanterns’ cosmic police force, had previously created this species of androids with the goal of maintaining universal order, and they did so under the motto “No man escapes the Manhunters.” Being machines, they administered justice coldly and absolutely, without regard for compassion or free will.
But if the humans (and aliens) of the Green Lantern Corps aren’t infallible, neither are androids—and these began to rebel and commit atrocities, the greatest of which was the massacre in Space Sector 666, where they exterminated nearly all life in the sector. Following that disaster, the Guardians decided to abandon the project and created a police force made up of living beings capable of exercising moral judgment: the Green Lantern Corps, each member equipped with a power ring. Now, the Manhunters continue to be enemies of the Green Lanterns, obsessed with proving that the Guardians were wrong to replace them.
The planet Ryut, home to Atrocitus—one of the few survivors of the disaster—was located in that sector. His wife and son died, instilling in him a deep hatred for the Guardians and leading him to found the Red Lantern Corps. Created by Geoff Johns in 2008 during his brilliant run on ‘Green Lantern,’ Atrocitus has remained one of the Lanterns’ fiercest enemies ever since.
Who is the Manhunter in “Lanterns”?
In ‘Lanterns’, we learn that John Stewart now has 48 hours to figure out who the Manhunter is. Fans are already speculating, and the first names are starting to surface, with William Macon being the most frequently mentioned—though he’s so obvious that he should actually be the first one we rule out. Also mentioned are his son Billy, Sheriff Kerry Kane, and—most likely—Zoey Macon, William’s wife, with whom Stewart has a romantic affair in the first episode.
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‘Lanterns’ is currently available on HBO.
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