63 years later, Green Lantern has a foe to rival Sinestro as DC reveals Thaaros' brutal origins

Summary

• Uncovering Thaaros' traumatic past sheds light on his ruthless, patient and intelligent demeanor.
• Thaaros rose to power by cunningly turning the Green Lantern Corps into his personal army.
• Green Lantern faces his most dangerous foe yet in Thaaros, who threatens to destroy the DC Universe.

Warning! Spoilers for Green Lantern #13!Move over Sinestro because Green lantern officially has a more brutal enemy. After months of tidbits, fans are finally getting a look at the origins of Lord Prime Thaaros and what led to his current power grab in the Emotional Spectrum.

It took months of trickery and subterfuge, but Lord Premier Thaaros finally turned the Green Lantern Corps into the personal army he had always dreamed of. Now he is ready to harness the power of the Emotional Spectrum. So where did Thaaros come from? What does a look back at his past tell fans about Thaaros' plans for the future?

Thaaros finally gets revenge on the man who destroyed his childhood

In Green Lantern #13 “The Patient Blade,” a back-up story by Marc Guggenheim, Matthew Clark, Matt Herms, and Dave Sharpe, chronicles the childhood of Lord Premier Thaaros. He remembers the time when his planet was still under the rule of the monarchy. Thaaros also thinks about his duke father who introduced Thaaros to the ways of high society. He also remembers that his father was a pacifist who did not raise his fist to anyone. That is Until Taaros' father came home one day and brutally beat him.

But Thaaros learns the value of cunning and playing the long game.

But it wasn't Thaaros' father, but a local criminal named Grund. Grund, like all Durlans, could shapeshift, and after killing Thaaros, he used his abilities to impersonate his father. Grund brutalizes the young man to teach him strength and to remind Thaaros never to seek revenge on Grund. Grund gives Thaaros the knife he killed with the duke and If Thaaros ever comes after Grund, he threatens to cut his own throat.

Thaaros seeks revenge on Grund, but learns that he is not strong enough for it. But Thaaros learns the value of cunning and playing the long game. Years later, when Thaaros finally takes control of the Green Lantern Corps, he intercepts a smuggler and discovers his Grund in a different form. Thaaros offers Grund two options: Surrender and suffer years of severe torture, or kill himself with the knife Grund gave Thaaros years ago. Grund kills himself and Thaaros keeps the blade as a memento.

Who is Thaaros and how did he become Green Lantern's new nemesis?

Thaaros is the leading figure of the United Planets, the entity that governs the entire universe. Although seemingly a kind and caring statesman, Thaaros is incredibly corrupt. In the early stages of his career, he secretly worked with Mongol to curry favor with the warlord. Thaaros eventually became Lord Prime, and his shadow partnership with Mongol was revealed almost as Superman attempted to liberate Warworld. Thaaros even stopped the United Planets from helping Superman in hopes that Mongol would kill the Man of Steel. and conceals the secret of Thaaros.

Thaaros makes his first appearance
Action Comics #1036 (2022)
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Fortunately for Thaaros, Superman's actions during the Warworld Saga did not lead to his partnership being revealed. In fact, Thaaros became more powerful than ever when the Guardians of the Universe disappeared and the United Planets were put in charge of the Green Lantern Corps. Unbeknownst to the Lanterns, Thaaros was poised to seize sole control of the Emotional Spectrum. After quarantining Earth and reassigning the planet's Lanterns, Thaaros embarked on his most nefarious plan yet: Exploding and destroying the Central Power Batteries of the DC Universe.

One by one, the various corps fell and their members were either imprisoned or killed. With each destroyed hull, Thaaros' new “United Planets” Lanterns were able to channel different lights. If that wasn't bad enough, Thaaros was using his minions and sacrificing their lives in hopes of accessing the mysterious Source Lantern. So far, Thaaros has failed. However, both the Green Lantern Corps and the United Planets are under his control. Thaaros has solidified himself as one of the biggest threats in the DC Universe.

Thaaros is Green Lantern's Most Patient and Intelligent Enemy

This glimpse into Thaaros' childhood works as an impressive character study of who the Lord Premier of the United Planets really is. In a more peaceful time, Thaaros might have been a benevolent man with a real understanding of diplomacy like his father. Instead, Thaaros was ultimately shaped by his experience with GrundThaarosa was taught that the only way for someone like her to survive in the world was to be strong and smart enough (not to mention patient).

…he replaced the ruling council of the United Planets with other Durlans, making Thaaros virtually invulnerable.

The Green Lantern has faced many different villains in the past, and few have proven to be as big a threat as his greatest enemy, Sinestro. However, while Sinestro is certainly a force unto himself, Thaaros is a more pressing concern. Certainly, Sinestro has mastered the fear and used his eponymous corps to wage war against the Green Lanterns. But Thaaros is more insidious. He has entered one of the most powerful positions around He used it to turn the Green Lantern Corps into his personal army.

Thaaros knows how to manipulate the system and people. Without even trying, he was able to deceive the corps and turn it into a fascist army. And Thaaros keeps getting worse. In addition to bombing numerous Central Power Batteries in the DC Universe, he replaced the ruling council of the United Planets with other Durlans, making Thaaros virtually invulnerable. Sinestro is an amazing general and knows how to wage war properly. But Thaaros' life experiences have shaped him One of the scariest threats Green Lantern has ever faced.

What can Green Lantern do about Thaaros?

Right now, there's not much Hal or any of his fellow Green Lanterns can do. Hal's fight for his life on Earth during Amanda Waller's crusade against the metahumans, the elusive Earth Lanterns escape Thaaros' guards. The only way the Green Lanterns can get out of this situation is with outside help. Whether it's the Justice League or Sinestro (who almost certainly wants to kill Thaaros), someone will have to intervene. Otherwise, then Green Lantern the newest enemy may just win the war he's waging.

Green Lantern #13 available now from DC Comics.