Oa
|
|
Oa is a fictional planet located at the center of the universe in DC Comics.
One of the oldest planets, Oa serves as the home and headquarters to a race of blue-skinned powerful humanoids who have dubbed themselves the Guardians of the Universe who administer the Green Lantern Corps. According to the story "Heart of A Star" in the Sandman: Endless Nights graphic novel, Oa's star is called Sto-Oa (the Light of Oa) by the inhabitants. Its location has been firmly established by numerous references in Green Lantern comics over the years.
Oa's history is not clear; according to some stories, the Guardians originated in a planet called Maltus and then moved to Oa as a convenient base of operations. Other stories had the Oans living in there from the beginning.
Oa appears to be mainly a desertic, lifeless planet. The main feature is the Guardian's city, which includes, among other things, the Main Power Battery that is charged by the Guardians with their own unique green energy, which the Battery then broadcasts to the personal Power Batteries of all the Green Lanterns.
At one time, Oa was host to several cities stolen from various worlds (including one from Earth) along with their unwilling inhabitants. This "mosaic" of cities was created by an insane Guardian who was left behind when the others left the universe for a time. Although he was defeated by the Green Lanterns, when the Guardians returned, they decided to keep the cities on Oa as an experiment of multicultural cohabitation. This decision was against many of the inhabitants' wishes to be returned to their home worlds, and was looked down upon by many Green Lanterns (but respected). The Green Lantern John Stewart was assigned to keep peace in the composite city (as portrayed in the comic book series Green Lantern: Mosaic). The cities were eventually returned to their original places.
Oa was eventually left uninhabited after the Green Lantern Hal Jordan, in an insane rampage, killed all but one of the Guardians and most of the Corps. Later it was destroyed in a battle between the still-insane Jordan and his succesor, Kyle Rayner.
The planet was reformed sometime later by Jordan's old friend and associate Tom Kalmaku in the graphic novel Legacy: The Last Will and Testament of Hal Jordan. The Central Power Battery was then recharged and the Guardians resurrected shortly therafter by Kyle Rayner after he spent some time as the near-omnipotent "Ion".