Lanterns reveals its most unexpected twist in Episode 5 with a connection to Superman

This week's Lanterns episode ended on a note which surprisingly set up Guy Gardner's time as a Green Lantern in last year's Superman. One thing that has confused the fans since the announcement of the series is how Guy Gardner figures into the overall DCU, since the HBO series revolves only around Hal Jordan and John Stewart.

However, the way episode 5 ends explains why Guy Gardner is using the Green Lantern ring in Superman. It has to do with John Stewart's decision in the closing minutes of this week's Lanterns episode.

From Lanterns to Superman - Explaining the Green Lantern Lore in the DCU:

Many fans believe that one of the bodies in Circe's vision in the dystopian future is that of a Green Lantern. However, the first time we physically saw a Green Lantern character in the DCU was Superman, where Guy Gardner is the only Lantern. However, HBO's Lanterns doesn't revolve around Guy Gardner, instead it is headlined by Hal Jordan and John Stewart.

Now, the fifth episode reveals why neither John nor Hal were wearing the ring in the episode 1 flash-forward, which was set in 2026. This week's episode was a culmination of several things that were set up in the previous four episodes. Firstly, the town of Rushville is destroyed in this week's episode. It also ends with three key deaths, the impact of which will be felt in the remaining three episodes.

But the most important scene in this episode is the brutal altercation between Hal and John at the former's motel room. The ring is drained of power, and Hal rushes to the motel room to recharge it. As Hal places the ring on the Green Lantern and is about to utter the oath, John attacks him and the two fight. This fight is briefly interrupted as Zoe's space laser weapon approaches the motel.

Hal forms a bubble around himself and John for protection as the lasers hit the motel. John then runs out, leaving Hal trapped in the motel debris. Sometime later, Zoe approaches Hal with the intention to kill. However, this entire situation is a trap for Zoe as John shoots her using a sniper rifle from a distance. Then, John returns to Hal, takes his former mentor's ring along with the Green Lantern, and heads to a bar.

Lianna is waiting for John at the bar; this is where things transpire in a way the Guardian did not expect. She expected John Stewart to join the Lanterns by uttering the Green Lantern oath and accepting his responsibility. Instead, John identifies the ring as the root cause of Hal Jordan's corruption, and he hands it over to the Guardian, along with Zoe's crystallized heart.

This explains why John and Hal are not wearing the ring in the 2026 portion of the first episode. John chose to walk away from the Green Lantern Corps in 2016, even when he met the criteria to wear the ring. After John walks away from being the Lantern, Guy Gardner joins the Corps sometime between 2016 and 2025, the year in which Superman takes place.

There is only one problem - Guy Gardner's ring looks different

When we meet Guy Gardner in Superman, the ring looks different than Hal's ring, which John would've inherited. It can be explained away by Guy's ring being different than the one we see in the HBO series. So, Hal's ring could be worn by a different Lantern Corps member. Some even hope that this might be the series setting up the fan-favorite Lantern Kyle Rayner.

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What is your theory regarding why Guy Gardner is wearing a different ring than the one we see in Lanterns?

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