Guardians of the Universe

The Guardians of the Universe are fictional characters in the DC Comics superhero universe. They serve as the administrators of the Green Lantern Corps, an interstellar police force which patrols the universe.

Functionally immortal, Guardians resemble short (approximately 4 feet [122 cm] tall), large-headed, white-haired pale blue humans wearing red robes with Green Lantern chest symbol similar to their lanterns. They possess vast knowledge and psionic power which mirrors the abilities of their Green Lanterns' power rings.

The appearance of the Guardians of the Universe are modelled on David Ben-Gurion. [1] (http://www.hadassah.org/news/content/per_hadassah/archive/2003/03_JUN/art.htm)

Contents

1 History 1.1 Background 1.2 Campaigns 1.3 Consequences

History

Background

The Guardians evolved on the planet Maltus, and were possibly the first intelligent life forms in the Universe. They became scientists and thinkers experimenting on the worlds round them. One experiment lead to the creation of a new species, the Psions. In a pivotal moment, billions of years ago, a Maltusian named Krona used time-bending technology to observe the beginning of the Universe. This experiment flooded the beginning of the Universe with entropy causing it "to be born old". (This is a retcon, originally the experiment created evil, and splintered the Universe into the Multiverse).

Feeling responsible for this the Maltusians relocated to the planet Oa (at "the centre of the Universe"), and became the Guardians. Their goal was simple: Combat evil and create an orderly universe. And they acted quickly on that goal.

Campaigns

• Before life existed on Earth they learnt how to manipulate what they called "the Glow", and eventually created a Central Battery to store this energy.
• Hunting down those who preyed on the weak, they captured a fear elemental, Parallax. They imprisoned the creature in the Central Battery hoping to lock it away forever.
• The magic wielding Empire of Tears was subjugated and imprisoned on the throneworld and tombworld of Ysmault.
• Trying to remove magic from the Universe they bound as much magical energy as possible into an orb called the Starheart. This would eventually become the ring and lantern of Alan Scott.
• On Mars the Guardians confronted the destructive race known as "The Burning" and split the race into two new species the Green Martians (see Martian Manhunter) and the White Martians. The Guardians changed their reproductive behaviour, and gave them an inherent fear of fire in order to stop their species from destroying much of the universe.
• Robotic Manhunters were created to patrol the Universe. The Manhunters rebelled, believing they were superior to the Guardians and should be in control, and were exiled.
• The mad God that was the entire Sector 3600 was defeated by the Guardians and was constrained by a matrix of their making. By showing the sector that they were its superiors, the Guardians had imprisoned it for all time.
• The insect race of Tchkk-Tchkki, later known as Legion, was enclosed in an emerald forcefield around their world.
• On OA, the Green Lantern Corps was established to replace the Manhunters. These troops were given some of the power of the Central Battery, accessed through a ring.
• Against Apokolips they waged a war. They tried several times to infiltrate Darkseid's home, finally deciding on a war against his rule. Their troops were brutally defeated with two-thirds dead. The attack on Apokolips ended with truce.

Consequences

The Manhunter rebellion led to schisms. One group felt that the Manhunters' belief that the only way to protect the Universe was to control it was valid. They became the Controllers. At the same time the female Oans felt that there was no need to involve themselves in the Universe's problems at all, and left to become the Zamarons. Over the years the Controllers and Zamarons evolved to look most unlike the Guardians. Other groups have also left the Guardians, although less dramatically. One such group settled on Earth and became the origin for legends of leprechauns. The Manhunters themselves become avowed enemies of the Guardians. The Akopolips campaign ended with a truce with the Guardians forced to abandon a soldier (Raker Qarrigat) to Darkseid. Fearing dissension they ordered all records of the Campaign expunged.

The Guardians were almost wiped out in the events of Emerald Twilight, the only survivor being Ganthet. However, they have since been restored, and are now mixed sex. They have returned to OA, re-ignited the Main Battery and are now rebuilding the Corps.