Green Lantern #25 (2008)

On Earth, the war between the Green Lantern Corps and the Sinestro Corps rages. Though augmented by Earths' superheroes, the Lanterns are hard pressed due to the Anti-Monitor and Superboy-Prime. Outside of Coast City, Ganthet and Sayd discuss the situation with Earth's Green Lanterns. However, they will not be assisting in the battle, as they are exiles, and seek to prevent the final verse from unfolding. John recognizes that they're talking about the Blackest Night, saying that Tomar-Re mentioned it to him. Ganthet tells the humans what the prophecy will entail, which will see the rise of the seven Lantern Corps, each fueled by one color of the emotional spectrum of the universe—Rage, Greed, Fear, Will, Hope, Compassion, and Love. The seven corps will go to war with each other, and as the War of Light intensifies, it will herald the coming of the Blackest Night, where the universe will become a place without life. Hal asks how to stop it, but Ganthet and Sayd are unaware. However, they tell the humans that they will be waiting with a backup plan, and as they depart, ask the Earth Lanterns to do as they have always done: follow their hearts. As Guy Gardner and John Stewart head to New York, Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner head to Jim Jordan's apartment. Accessing the television with his ring, Hal issues a request for the people of Coast City to evacuate. Jim says that running away is what he's done all his life, but it's never been what Hal has done, and he's going to stay. Susan and the kids also refuse to leave. Kyle then informs Hal that the lights of the city have begun to turn green in a show of support. Hal then receives a message from Honnu, informing them that despite their past, Hal stood with the Lost Lanterns on Qward, and they are coming to return the favor by defending Coast City. Emboldened, Hal and Kyle head to space to battle Sinestro. In New York City, the Green Lanterns and heroes are starting to lose ground due to the Anti-Monitor consuming positive matter from Earth and converting it into Antimatter. Lanterns, civilians, and Sinestros alike are caught in the waves, and the heroes and Lanterns are forced to begin retreating. During the retreat, Guy begins to falter, and coughs up yellow blood. Suddenly, voices cry out the Anti-Monitor's crimes against them and the worlds he destroyed. Furious that they had been imprisoned and rendered non-factors during the First Crisis, the Guardians of the Universe attack the Anti-Monitor with full force. The Guardians are able to pierce the Anti-Monitor's armor, but they are only equal to him as a united front, and the Anti-Monitor grabs a female Guardian and seriously burns her with his touch. John tries to take Guy to Soranik Natu, but Guy, wanting to go down fighting, suddenly realizes a perfect weapon to use against the Anti-Monitor—Warworld, with its Yellow Power Battery. Above Coast City, Sinestro finds it ironic that Hal has accepted the devotion he once received on Korugar. Hal counters that the difference between them is that Hal earned it, while Sinestro demanded it. Laira, however, demands vengeance for Ke'Haan's death, and begins cutting through the Sinestros with wild abandon. As the Green Lanterns begin using their rings to kill the Sinestro Corps members, Amon Sur becomes terrified, and flees, while Sinestro claims he's already won. Kyle sees his smile, and Hal realizes that this is what Sinestro wanted all along: the whole point of the War was to get the Guardians to allow the Green Lanterns to use lethal force against their enemies. Sinestro confirms this, saying that despite everything that has happened, he still supports the idea of the Green Lantern Corps policing the universe, but felt that they always lacked the proper aggression to deal with chaos. Now the Green Lanterns will become feared throughout the universe, and the universe will ultimately benefit from this. He also uses Manhunters to drain Hal and Kyle's rings dry, forcing them land back at Coast City. In New York, Kilowog orders the Green Lanterns to regroup and leave the Sinestros to the superheroes. Salakk has some concerns about Guy's plan - specifically, detonating the Yellow Battery could destroy the galaxy - but the Guardians appear to approve, keeping the Anti-Monitor occupied. Guy and John wrap Oan energy chains around Warworld, then hurl right in front of the Anti-Monitor. The Green Lanterns then throw a forcefield to contain the explosion and keep Hank Henshaw and the Anti-Monitor within the blast radius. As Henshaw thanks the Lanterns for ending his life, Warworld explodes, and both the Anti-Monitor and Henshaw are caught in the blast. Without Henshaw to guide them, the Manhunters begin to shut down, meaning the Sinestro Corps members can no longer recharge their rings from a remote location. The Anti-Monitor is still alive, but injured. As he tries to resume his attack, Superboy-Prime attacks him, having intended to kill him when the war was over for destroying Earth-Prime, then throws him deep into space. Both Corps and the heroes try to restrain him, but only Superman and Power Girl are able to hold their own, and even barely. The Guardians turn their attention toward him, saying he caused enough destruction to last even their lifetimes. As Superboy-Prime grabs one, the Guardian converts himself into a living bomb of Oan energy, sacrificing himself to kill Prime. Superboy-Prime is consumed in the explosion, and no trace of him is left. With Guy unable to stand, John takes him to Natu, who realizes that he's been infected with Despotellis, the sentient disease that killed Kyle Rayner's mother. She injects Guy with Leezle Pon, who attacks the Despotellis cells, curing Guy. At Coast City, Hal uses a Manhunter head to drain Sinestro's ring. Sinestro then fights the two humans on even terms, jumping from building to building, taunting Hal with what his father's final words may have been, but Hal doesn't care about his words: Martin Jordan's actions proved that died without fear. Kyle then shouts that they aren't afraid of Sinestro, but he reminds them that everything that lives knows fear. Hal reminds Sinestro that the Green Lanterns aren't without fear, they over come it. Finally subduing Sinestro, Hal places him under arrest. Deprived of their leaders and Power Battery, the Sinestro Corps retreats. The next day, the Earth Lanterns are having lunch with the Jordans, while Hal and John discuss the lethal force law. Hal admits that he isn't totally against it, but fears what it may lead to. John says that it's going to have to be up to the Lanterns to decide that. On the news, reports are documenting the Green Lantern Corps assistance in cleanup of the damage done to the various cities targeted. It is also announced that Coast City was the only targeted city that didn't evacuate its populace. What's more, new residents are moving in, and the media hails Coast City as the "city without fear". On Oa, the Guardians discuss what has happened to the Sinestro Corps leaders, and reveal that Superboy-Prime was ripped apart a molecular level, meaning if he survived, he is in another part of the Multiverse. While Sinestro and Parallax are imprisoned, and the Anti-Monitor, Superboy-Prime, and Henshaw most likely dead, the rest of the Sinestro Corps has yet to be accounted for. The Guardians also debate on whether or not to initiate the second of the new laws, while Sinestro, in his cell, smiles. In space, the Manhunters recover Henshaw's head, and manage to revive him, as a tear runs down his cheek. On another planet, Ganthet and Sayd know that the Guardians will be made overconfident by the victory, but they know that the Green Lanterns of Earth will do everything in their power to prevent the Blackest Night from occurring. Knowing that they must help, Ganthet and Sayd decide that they will do more than just hope - they will make hope their weapon, and the power of the Blue Lantern Corps. On an unnamed planet, the shriveled body of the Anti-Monitor crashes, and a mysterious voice commands him to rise. To weak to resist, he screams in horror as a prison forms around him--in the form of a Black Lantern Power Battery.