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The Guardians divided the known universe into 3,600 sectors of equal size. Each sector is assigned its own Lantern, who is responsible for protecting the life forms in that sector from evil and disaster.
A Green Lantern is given awesome responsibilities. Those selected for membership have to possess a superior dedication to the Guardians' cause and a certain uncompromising morality. The only important factors in selection are the being's dedication to duty and willingness to help his fellow creatures.
WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A GREEN LANTERN
New Green Lanterns are usually inducted into the Corps by one of two methods. First, if a current Lantern is mortally wounded or unable to continue his duties for some other reason, he has a responsibility to select and induct a suitable replacement. The Power Ring is able to seek out a worth Ring-bearer. Sectors that contain an unusually large number of inhabited worlds, the Guardians will often choose an alternate Lantern to stand ready at a moment's notice.
The second method is to be selected and inducted by the Guardians themselves. Many times a Lantern is unable to pass on the Ring before death or retirement.
NECESSARY CHARACTERISTICS
There are three characteristics that any candidate must possess in order to be considered for membership in the Green Lantern Corps. First, he must be worthy, meaning he will always meet the responsibilities of being a Lantern and always use the Ring to uphold the good. The procedure for selecting a Lantern and determining worthiness is so good that in the 3 billion year history of the Corps only one Lantern has ever betrayed this principle: Sinestro of Korugar.
Second, a Lantern must have a strong Psyche. The Power Ring is only as powerful as the Psyche of the wielder. The Guardians or the Ring will always select a candidate with the strongest willpower in order to leave the sector in question in the hands of the most effective Green Lantern possible. Every Lantern will have a Psyche of RM or greater, with most being AM or higher. Finally, a Green Lantern must be completely without fear.
PROBATIONARY PERIOD
New Green Lanterns are placed on a brief period of probation, during which they are closely scrutinized by the Guardians. If during this time he is unaware of the Guardians existence and the Corps, after he proves his worthiness he will be summoned to Oa and everything revealed.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF A GREEN LANTERN
As soon as you accept the Power Ring, a Green Lantern pledges to carry out certain responsibilities enumerated below:
1. Protection of Life and Liberty within assigned sector
Your first and foremost duty is to protect the inhabitants and territory of your space sector. This includes combating evil wherever and whenever it is encountered, and to do everything within ones power to protect the inhabitants of the sector from natural disasters and cataclysms.
2. Follow the Orders of the Guardians without question
Green Lanterns are sworn to follow the orders of the Guardians without hesitation. Lanterns must learn the Guardians always have a valid reason for their instructions.
3. Non-Interference
A Green Lantern must never perform any action that will alter a world's culture or political makeup. He must also never perform any action that is against the collective will of its inhabitants.
4. Act within local Laws and subject oneself to local Authority
While on inhabited territory, the Lantern must make every effort to conduct himself in accordance with the local laws. He must also submit to local authorities, within reason.
5. Proven Peril Clause
A Lantern must not take action against anyone or anything until the objet or creature in question is proven to present a danger to life or liberty.
6. Refusal to Act for Personal Gain
A Lantern must never use the powers at their disposal for personal gain. They can also not accept any rewards for services rendered.
7. Cooperation with Fellows
A Lanter is obligated to assist and show respect for his fellow Lanterns.
8. Respect for Life
A Lantern must never willingly take the life of another living creature, unless it is the only solution to a problem. They are also only allowed to use reasonable force in combatting a menace.
9. Combat the Greatest Danger
A Lantern must always give top priority to the greatest danger present within the sector.
10. Preservation of Honor
A Lantern must always attempt to maintain the honor of the Corps, and should refrain from dishonesty and the use of treachery.
Note that the Lanterns are trusted to maintain this code. The Guardians have enough confidence in them however to give the Lantern the option of violating any of the above principals if it is warranted in their best judgment. If any principal is violated, be prepared to defend the action before the Guardians.
DISCIPLINE
Upon violation of any principal, a Lantern may be summoned to Oa for trial. The charges would be read and an explanation be asked for. If the actions could be explained the matter was forgotten. Otherwise he would be disciplined. The penalty was usually one of the following:
1. Removal from the Corps
Before taking such an action, the Guardians would consider the past service record, which may influence them to settle on a lesser form of punishment. This punishment would also be incurred if a Lantern began to fail to meet the three basic requirements for Corps membership.
2. Probation
If during the probation period the Lantern took any action resembling an offense, the Guardians would remove him from the Corps.
3. Personal Supervision
Sometimes the Lantern would be ordered to move to Oa for a time so the Guardians could instruct and supervise him themselves.
4. Exile
If the Guardians determined that personal obligations were interfering with his duties they would often exile the offender from his homeworld for a period of one year.
5. Ritual of Endurance
In extreme cases where guilt or innocence could not be determined, or two or more Lanterns disagreed over a comrades guilt, the Guardians would subject him to the Ritual of Endurance. A Lantern must make it through a small pocket of the anti-matter universe unaided. Failure often brought death.
REWARDS
The only reward is a hearty thanks and the satisfaction of a job well done. The only special honor was to be appointed to the Guardians own personal guard. The Honor Guard consists of one or more Lanterns who remain on Oa to council the masters.
CONTACT WITH THE GUARDIANS
The Guardians kept constant contact with the members of the Corps, advising and directing them. The Guardians would contact a sector's Lantern and dispatch him a troubled area. They communicated through the Power Battery. There is an emergency signalling device that allowed them to instantly send an SOS to the entire Corps.
The Guardians could also summon a Lantern's energy twin to Oa. The energy twin is a living creature's life force. While it is in transit, the physical form lies motionless. Any information passed to the twin is passed to the body when it comes back.
In rare instances the Guardians would summon the physical form of the Lantern. Usually for regular meetings of the Corps. About once a year all Lanterns were expected to attend.
Of the course, the most famous Green Lantern is Hal Jordan.
