Blackest Night – 8

Synopsis

Green Lantern Hal Jordan, Star Sapphire Carol Ferris fighting against the Black Lantern Corps. We then see Sinestro, still being bonded to the White Entity fighting off against the mastermind behind the Blackest Night, Nekron. Commanding everyone else to stay away from his fight with Nekron, Sinestro feels that HE is the savior of the universe and that Nekron cannot kill him. As they are watching, Hal, Carol, the Atom, and Ganthet are amazed at the power that the White Entity has given Sinestro, which Ganthet claims is nothing less than the power of a god.

Sinestro uses his white power to chain Nekron up, and in the same way as the Black Lanterns have been gaining power, Sinestro rips out Nekron’s heart, essentially killing him. His ring commands him to rise, as a Black Lantern picks up his scythe and Black Lantern Power Battery, the Black Lantern transforms into Nekron, who continues his battle against Sinestro, and continues to try to rip out the entity from Sinestro’s body. The other Lanterns notice that Sinestro is losing control of the entity, with Hal citing that Sinestro’s ego is what is powering the entity, not his will to survive, and even considers joining with the entity, but Ganthet tells him that it will reject him as it is doing to Sinestro. However, Lex Luthor, under the control of his Orange Lantern Ring, demands for rings, saying that he has the power to save the Earth, but Larfleeze knocks him out from behind with the Orange Lantern Power Battery, claiming victory over who controls the Orange Lantern Corps. But, everyone hears a voice inside their heads that causes pain to them, it is Black Lantern Martian Manhunter, who attacks Hal, as we see Hal’s family together trying not to fear.

As the battle intensifies, Indigo-1 says something, which the Atom translates as a message that the Indigo Tribe has arrived, along with the members of all the other Lantern Corps, along with the Justice Society, the Teen Titans, and the rest of Earth’s heroes.

With every Lantern together, they all combine their rings and attack Nekron. As that’s happening, Guy Gardner is possessed by Boston Brand, also known as Deadman. Deadman tells Hal through Guy that he’s been floating inside the Black Lanterns and has learned many things about them, including Nekron. He tells Hal that Nekron is sentient blackness and that the reason why he’s wreaking havoc is because he has created a connection to the land of the living: through Black Hand. He tells him that in order to stop Nekron, they have to bring Black Hand back to life, but Hal doesn’t know how to do that, when Deadman leaves Guy’s body, leaving Guy with the same information that Deadman just told Hal. Guy then leads the other Lanterns in a charge against Nekron. But Nekron doesn’t strike back at them, he manages to separate Sinestro from the White Entity, and tells Hal that it was he who allowed him to come back to life, just like all the other heroes who died and came back to life. Hal retorts that while Nekron may have opened the door back to the living, he was the one who walked through that door and came back to life, but Black Hand attacks him from behind, saying that life has no purpose, no meaning, when Flash saves him, telling Black Hand that life doesn’t give them purpose, they give life purpose.

Superman then heads towards Hal threatening to kill him, but Hal reminds him that he was killed by Doomsday, but he returned to life. Hal then heads towards the Entity and bonds with him, saying that when the resurrected were given the chance, they all chose life over death. Using the power of the entity, Hal not only severed the connection between the Black Lantern Ring and Superman, but also, he transformed Wonder Woman, Superboy, the Flash, Green Arrow, Animal Man, Donna Troy, Kid Flash, and Ice into White Lanterns, and they all attacked Black Hand. The Entity then commands Black Hand to live, and he see Black Hand coughing out a White Lantern Ring, which heads for the Black Lantern Central Power Battery, and commands the Anti-Monitor to live again, which destroys the Battery. Now that he is alive again, the Anti-Monitor is no longer Nekron’s prisoner and power source, so he unleashes his power on him, but it has no effect on the guardian of death, and attacks the Anti-Monitor and sends him back to the Antimatter Universe.

While that is happening, Black Hand is coughing up a number of white rings, and we hear white rings calling out to Nekron and unleashing the white light through him, destroying him once and for all. We then see the white rings calling out the names of Osiris, Jade, Captain Boomerang, Hawk, Ronnie Raymond, Professor Zoom, Maxwell Lord, Hawkman, Hawkgirl, Martian Manhunter, Aquaman, and Deadman, and commands them all to live, with all the others looking in astonishment.

As they are all watching their loved ones being brought back to life, the Red Lantern Ring attached to Mera suddenly stops, and she falls into cardiac arrest in the arms of Aquaman. Carol Ferris, who is still a Star Sapphire, uses her powers to connect Aquaman’s heart to Mera’s, which brings her back. When Mera asks her husband if they are dead, he just simply replies no, and they have a heartfelt embrace. As that’s happening, Hawkgirl looks at Hawkman and goes by the different names she has been referred to in all of her lives, meaning she remembers everything from their times with the Justice Society and Justice League. They then kiss each other, as Superman tells Martian Manhunter that he’s alive, which J’onn answers that it would appear so. Suddenly, Martian Manhunter hears a voice, and we see Firestorm breaking apart into Ronnie Raymond and Jason Rusch. Jason remembers Ronnie killing his girlfriend Gen. As Ronnie asks the Flash where Professor Stein is, we hear Henry Hall, the original Hawk, telling everyone around him not to touch him, with Dove trying to calm him down.

Guy then catches Maxwell Lord, thinking that he’s still a Black Lantern, but notices that his nose is bleeding and releases him, only for him to disappear. We then see Jade going up to Kyle Rayner and kissing him, in front of Kilowog and Kyle’s current girlfriend, Soranik Natu. Then, we see Superboy wondering who Amon Tomaz is, when Kid Flash tells him that he’s Osiris, who tells them both that he wants to go home. But, he’s not the only one as Professor Zoom goes home as well before the Flash can catch him. Captain Boomerang notices Flash and tries to attack him, only to be knocked out by Barry. Afterwards, Barry tries to look for Ralph Dibny, also known as the Elongated Man, and his late wife Sue, but Hal tells them that they aren’t there, with Barry wondering why. Just then, Deadman starts to panic, as for the first time, everyone can see him, and he removes his mask, saying that he isn’t supposed to be here. Then, Flash turns around just as Lex Luthor falls to the floor, being thrown by Larfleeze. Sinestro tells him that for once, Larfleeze has given someone something. Larfleeze is astonished at those words, but is more concerned with what was promised to him in return for his help against the Black Lantern Corps, his own Guardian. Ganthet tries to stop Sayd, but she feels that she can help Larfleeze. When Ganthet asks her about the Corps, she tells him that there is much to discuss about the future of the Blue Lantern Corps, as well as all the other Corps. She tells him, and the others, that the Anti-Monitor has returned, but their immediate threat is Black Hand, but he is missing. Saint Walker tells them that Indigo-1 and her tribe are missing as well. We then see the Indigo Tribe on a distant world with a new member to their Corps: Black Hand, who’s in chains and wearing the symbol of the Indigo Tribe.

Later in Gotham City, we see Barry and Hal at the grave of their old friend Batman, where the Blackest Night started. Barry is questioning why the White Entity resurrected those that it did bring back to life instead of everyone else, and whether the resurrections will end now that Nekron has been again been stopped. Hal tells him that Ganthet believes that there’s a bigger picture to it all, and that the dead shall now remain dead, except for Batman. Hal also mentions that when Nekron resurrected Batman as a Black Lantern, he didn’t recognise anyone, which means that what Tim Drake said is right, Batman is still alive. Barry then asks Hal about the White Entity and where it has gone. Hal tells him that because he was connected to the entity, he can still feel it out there, urging everyone to break away from the past and the Blackest Night, and into tomorrow, and into the Brightest Day.

We then cut to a road in a forest, where the police are investigating a huge crater, and we see for the first time, a White Lantern Power Battery. Then, on the last page, we see a verse from the Book of the Black, which is written in the language of the Indigo Tribe, which is still incapable of being translated, with Black Hand talking about certain stuff, mentioning the Guardians of the Universe, Abin Sur, Hal Jordan, Sinestro, the Green Lantern Corps, Munk, Atrocitus, Larfleeze, Saint Walker, Star Sapphire, Parallax, Hector Hammond. He then finishes with the oath of the Indigo Tribe, and the words “May compassion guide you”. We then see that him say a few words that we translated, that his name is William Hand, and that he needs help.