Thaal Sinestro of the planet Korugar in Sector 1417 is an intergalactic dictator and the arch-nemesis of Green Lantern Corps. At one point the greatest member of the Green Lantern Corps, and during his time as a Green Lantern he trained many students including Hal Jordan (Green Lantern). Sinestro was corrupted by his power and The Guardians of the Universe exiled him to the Antimatter Universe after learning he had used his power to set up a dictatorship against his own planet of Korugar. Having fought the Green Lanterns for many years with a Yellow Lantern Ring forged by the Weaponers of Qward, he now seeks to impose his own order and control onto the universe, employing his Yellow Ring to combat the green he has grown to despise. His prowess and ruthlessness have made him one of the most feared villains in existence, and eventually, he established his own Lantern Corps, aptly named the Sinestro Corps to spread fear throughout the universe.
History
Thaal Sinestro was born on the planet Korugar in Space Sector 1417. When he was young, he worked as an archaeologist obsessed with the past, dedicated to restoring old ruins of long dead civilizations. One day, while on an archaeological dig Sinestro witnessed a space craft crash land near his dig site. Sinestro approached the spacecraft and discovered a mortally wounded alien inside. This alien was wearing a strange ring, which he offered up to Sinestro so he could battle the man that had injured him. At that moment the enemy arrived- a Weaponer of Qward. The Weaponers were a race of aliens from the Antimatter Universe whose culture was focused on war. Sinestro picked up the ring and slipped it on his finger, which instantly transformed Sinestro's clothes into a green suit. Sinestro soon figured out that the ring created whatever he desired as long as he had the will to power it. With this knowledge Sinestro quickly destroyed the Weaponers. Once they were safe, the Lantern asked that Sinestro return the ring to him so he could receive medical attention. However Sinestro refused, and coldly took the ring for himself and left the alien to die a slow and painful death.
Green Lantern Corps
With this new power in his hands Sinestro decided that instead of digging up the past he would instead strive to build for the future. Eventually he was contacted by Abin Sur, another wielder of the green ring. Abin revealed to Sinestro that the ring was worn by all members of the Green Lantern Corps, a intergalactic police force tasked with ridding evil from the universe. Abin brought Sinestro to Oa, the home world of the Green Lantern Corps, to meet the Guardians of the Universe. The Guardians were the creators and leaders of the Green Lantern Corps, and they demanded Sinestro swear the Green Lantern Oath before being accepted into the Corps, unaware of the fact that he had taken the life of a Green Lantern. Sinestro conceded and was inducted into the Corps, officially becoming a Green Lantern. He was tasked with keeping Sector 1417, which Korugar was situated in, safe from threats.
Sinestro was soon considered the greatest of the Green Lanterns, often fighting alongside his partner and friend Abin Sur. One day Abin took Sinestro to see his home planet, Ungara, where he met Abin's family. Sinestro soon became infatuated with Abin's sister Arin, and the pair quickly fell deeply in love. Eventually Arin and Sinestro wed, and Sinestro moved back to his home planet with his new bride. While on his home planet he realized that if he stretched his willpower to the limit he could make his world a paradise, an example of what a Green Lantern could really do. He began monitoring communications, populations and heartbeats so that nothing on his home planet would happen without his knowledge. He also created robots out of his willpower to patrol the bustling city of Korugar. Within a few years Sinestro controlled the whole planet.
Dictator of Korugar
The Guardians soon learned that Sinestro had a dark side. Sinestro had become fixated on creating and maintaining his own twisted sense of "order", and wanted to rid the universe of scum and disobedience. The other Green Lantern's and The Guardians were also shocked by Sinestro's merciless and cruel tactics to get information. These included ruthless torture of criminals, and some "necessary" murder. The Guardians would often correct him of his own ruthlessness, but he would speak them out as fools. Eventually, his twisted sense of justice led him to conquer Korugar and rule over it as a dictator, though he kept this a secret from the Guardians.
Sinestro soon had a baby daughter with Arin which they named Soranik. However after threats to the baby were made by disgruntled civilians, Arin gave the baby up for adoption. Sinestro began passing his teachings and philosophies to the new recruits of the Lantern Corps. Arin would begin to resent her husband for what he was doing to his people.
Traning Hal Jordan
When Abin-Sur died and his Power Ring was given to Earth test pilot Hal Jordan, the Guardians asked Sinestro to become his mentor and train the new recruit. Hal became Sinestro's new partner. In the same way he did with Abin, Sinestro found a quick friend in Jordan. From the beginning, despite taking a liking to him, Sinestro had little tolerance for his pupil and his tactics. While Hal considered all life sacred, including Earth's criminals, Sinestro was fixated on wiping them from existence. On their first diplomatic assignment, Hal proved to be reckless and Sinestro believed that he was a waste of his time. Once Hal's basic training was complete, he continued his duties as a Lantern while maintaining his iron grip on Korugar.
Then upon returning to his home planet of Korugar, they were met with very much opposition and Hal discovered that Sinestro forced his planet to worship him and that he had a very strict and unjust set of rules. After being gone so long, Korugar's citizens rebelled. When Hal found out about his conquest of his planet and, sickened by Sinestro's abuse of his Green Lantern powers and what he was doing to his people. With the arrival of a new Lantern on their side, the people of Korugar became restless and began rebelling against their overlord. Sinestro was stricken by grief when Arin was killed by a child suicide bomber after his head.
Banishment
Hal brought Sinestro before the Guardians on the Green Lantern's base world of Oa, where he was stripped of his Power Ring and banished to the Anti-Matter world of Qward. Other Green Lanterns who believed in Sinestro followed him into the Anti-Matter Universe. Embittered over his apparent 'betrayal', Sinestro sought revenge against Hal, the Guardians, and the Green Lantern Corp. Sinestro made a pact with the Weaponers of Qward, who supplied him with a new ring. This ring would channel the yellow light of fear, making Sinestro the first Yellow Lantern. He escaped Qward and launched an attack on Oa but was ultimately defeated by Hal, whose will was strong enough to overpower Sinestro's fear and beat him.
Sinestro Corps
In time, he built his own corps wielding rings very similar to his own, recruiting those who could create fear in others and forming the Sinestro Corps, wielders of the yellow light. They eventually launched a great war against the forces of Oa, becoming fierce enemies in the War of Light.
Gallery
Trivia
- In his twisted way, Sinestro still considers Hal Jordan his friend.
- Sinestro is usually portrayed as being left-handed.
External Links
Sinestro on the DC Comics Wiki