Broken Frontier

As the Blackest Night spreads across the DC Universe, Broken Frontier unearths the histories of several of the key players in the event.

Spoiler warning:  Read no further if you’ve not had a chance to dig into your most recent Blackest Night titles…

Although Katma Tui’s first appearance came in 1964 (the first female member of the Green Lantern Corps, as an aside) a significant portion of her back story was not depicted until 1991.  In Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn II (#1-6, April-September 1991), the tale of Sinestro’s fall from the Green Lantern Corps was depicted.  Known as the greatest of the Green Lanterns, Sinestro actually ruled his home world of Korugar with an iron fist.  Katma’s place among Sinestro’s forces eventually brought her to the attention of the Green Lantern Corps.  Even as Sinestro was being expelled from the Corps for his recently uncovered abuse of power, the Lanterns recognized a spark in Katma.  Selected to succeed Sinestro as the new Green Lantern of Space Sector 1417, Katma was swiftly trained and stationed back on Korugar.  Not long after she, alongside a Korugarian scientist, saved the entire planet from a space amoeba.  The encounter brought out strong feelings between the rookie Lantern and the scientist, so much so that Katma decided to abandon her role in favour of wedded life.  It was only through the intervention of Earth’s Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, that Katma came to realize just how important her work as a Green Lantern could be for both her world, and the universe on a whole (Green Lantern #30, July 1964).

Katma would serve as a background character over the next several years, although she did make a brief, but notable appearance in Green Lantern #46-47 (July-September 1966), a two-part story in which Hal Jordan died and was resurrected.  Years later, she was again drawn into Jordan’s circle, partnering with him, Green Arrow and Black Canary to face both the intergalactic threat of the Mocker, as well as more Terran rivals (Green Lantern #96-99, August-December 1977).  During this time, Katma exhibited fearless bravery, but still questioned her decision to commit her life to the Corps.  It was not until she faced the Mocker once again, that she confronted both her own past and accepted her destiny as a Green Lantern (Green Lantern #107, August 1978).

Katma’s appearances continued, still somewhat sporadically, although her adventures with the Corps brought her into conflict with foes such as the Weaponers of Qward (Green Lantern #127, April 1980), Krona and Nekron (Tales of the Green Lantern Corps #1-3, May-July 1981).

Following Hal Jordan’s resignation as Earth’s Green Lantern, Katma found herself serving as mentor and trainer for his replacement, John Stewart.  Relocating to Earth, Katma moved in with Stewart and adopted the Terran identity of “Katrina” (Green Lantern #187-188, April-May 1985).  Even as Katma trained Stewart on the responsibility and beliefs needed to be a Green Lantern, the respect between the two heroes grew, leading to a blossoming romance (Green Lantern #189, June 1985). 

After encounters with the Predator, Star Sapphire and the Zamarons (Green Lantern #190-193, July-October 1985), John Stewart was drawn away to participate in the Crisis on Infinite Earths (1985-1986).  During Stewart’s absence, Katma Tui and Hal Jordan met (Green Lantern #194, November 1985) to discuss events that had transpired since his resignation (an action Katma had greatly opposed, as Jordan’s motivations had been similar to her own when she nearly left the Corps for the love back in Green Lantern #30).  Once the Crisis concluded, Katma and her fellow Green Lanterns were left to chart their own destinies as their commanders, the Guardians, departed this universe (Green Lantern #200, May 1986).  Katma, alongside Green Lanterns John Stewart, Hal Jordan, Arisia, Kilowog, Ch’p and Salakk relocated their base of operations to Earth, building a citadel just outside of Los Angeles.  At the same time, many of the Lanterns elected to redesign their uniforms, providing Stewart and Tui the opportunity to cement their relationship with similar costumes (Green Lantern Corps #201, June 1986).

As the Earth-based Corps established themselves, battling the likes of Black Hand and Darkseid’s minions, Katma and John continued to grow closer.  On New Year’s Eve (with some surprising help from Green Lantern Guy Gardner), John proposed to Katma (Green Lantern Corps #211, April 1987).  The pair were married shortly thereafter (Green Lantern Corps #212, May 1987) and following a short sabbatical, returned to active duty during the Millennium affair (#1-8, January-February 1988). 

The group was reunited with the Green Lantern Corps as a whole with the return of Sinestro.  Put on trial for genocide, the Corps elected to execute Sinestro, resulting in a previously unknown failsafe to activating within the Green Lantern power rings, depowering them.  With that, the Corps officially disbanded, and Katma and Stewart returned to begin a new life on Earth (Green Lantern Corps #224, May 1988).

Not long after their return to Earth, Katma Tui was savagely murdered by Star Sapphire, merely to provoke Hal Jordan (Action Comics Weekly #601-602, May 1988).

Several years later, when a re-powered Stewart was the caretaker of the patchwork world, Mosaic (Green Lantern: Mosaic #1-18, June 1992-November 1993), Katma Tui briefly returned to life (although there are conflicting interpretations as to whether or not these events are still considered “in continuity").  It is generally accepted, however, that since Green Lantern #50 (March 1994, when the Central Power Battery was destroyed – again), Katma Tui has not been among the living…

…until the Black Lantern rings arrived on Oa, commanding Katma Tui of Korugar to rise (Blackest Night #1, September 2009).