Guy Gardner’sGreen Lanternhas just made his live-action debut in James Gunn’sSuperman. Played by Nathan Fillion, the DCU’s Guy is just as much of a jerk as he is in the original comics. As such, some people less familiar with Guy’s origins may be wondering why this particular Green Lantern has such an attitude to begin with.
Debuting in 1968,Guy Gardner was the second human member of the Green Lantern Corpsafter Hal Jordan. Eventually sporting a more unique uniform and a ridiculous bowl-cut to go with it, Guy is best known for being one of DC’s biggest tools (while still being considered a hero).Here’s some background covering why Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern is such a jerk in DC Comics (andSuperman).
Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern Has A Major Problem With Authority
Stemming From His Childhood
Firstly, DC Comics has established that Guy Gardner’s major problem with authority stems from his troubled childhood. Having an abusive father, Guy Gardner was frequently abused both verbally and physically.
To handle the constant abuse, Guy quickly gained a tough exterior, becoming quite rebellious toward any kind of authority figure. Sure enough, the Green Lantern who most often has issues with the Corps leading Guardians of Oa is Guy.
Likewise, Guy frequently butts heads with anyone who tries to get in his way or tries to redirect him, including members of the Justice League and his fellow Green Lanterns. During their JLI days,Guy consistently clashed with Batman, leading to the infamous moment where Guy tried taking over the team, challenged The Dark Knight to a fist fight, and was promptly knocked out cold by one punch.
Guy’s Constantly Trying To Prove Himself
The Green Lantern Who Was Picked Second
Guy’s father favoring his older brother over is a big reason why Guy constantly tries to prove himself, even as an adult.Likewise, it didn’t help that Guy would have been picked first to wield Abin Sur’s ring, with DC confirming Gardner was the being with the greatest willpower on Earth. However, Gardner was simply too far away from where Sur crash-landed, so Hal Jordan was picked instead.
Guy did become a reserve Lantern in case Hal was ever incapacitated and eventually a full Green Lantern in his own right. However,it all served to fuel Guy’s feelings of inadequacy, hence his constant stubbornness and determination to prove himself as the best and strongest guy in the room, albeit in unhelpful ways (especially when he’s not).
Guy Was A Completely Different Character After His Injury/Coma
Originally, Guy Gardner was a much kinder person, having been a gym teacher who was always willing to fill in for Jordan when needed. However,John Stewart came into the picture as a new reserve Green Lanternafter Guy was seriously injured, sustaining some pretty serious head trama that put him in a coma for quite a long time.
Once he woke up from his coma and was used in DC Comics stories again, Guy was a huge jerk with major attitude problems.
Additionally, Guy Gardner’s entire personality similarly changed after he woke up from being punched by Batman, leading to him being kinder and more cooperative. Admittedly, this was played for comedy, seeing how a subsequent concussion to the head reverted Guy to his old self as a huge jerk, going back to antagonizing his fellow teammates.
That said, irritability and aggression are signs of significant head trauma, and Guy’s original injury can’t be discounted as a key factor contributing to his negative attitude.
At The End Of The Day, Guy Gardner’s Green Lantern Is Loyal
With Fiercely Impressive Willpower
Likewise, it says something that Guy was targeted by Abin Sur’s ring first before Hal Jordan, having the most capacity for willpower over the entire planet’s population.Due to Guy’s supernaturally powerful will, one shouldn’t really be all that surprised to see that the person with the most willpower would also be one of the most hardheaded and stubborn, especially considering all of his traits mentioned above.
For those who manage to gain his respect, Guy Gardner is incredibly loyal and a very strong ally. He refuses to abandon his friends, even in the midst of his bad behavior. As such, Guy’s loyalty and impressive power as a Green Lantern does explain why the Justice League and other heroes still keep him around, even if they often have to tolerate his lesser traits.
Keeping that in mind, it’s exciting to see Nathan Fillion’s portrayal of Guy Gardner in James Gunn’sSuperman. He’s still a major jerk, andGuy even tries to challenge Superman to a fight at one point. That being said, it’s going to be very exciting to see what the DCU has in store for Guy, especially with his confirmed roles inPeacemakerseason 2 and next year’sLanterns.
