Warning: Spoilers for Green Lantern #19
Green Lanternjust debuted a new spaceship in DC lore to kick off his next thrilling adventure, and it’s full of references that will put smiles on fans' faces. Hal Jordan has flown many ships in his day thanks to his background as a pilot, but his latest ship stands out from the rest as a callback toGreen Lantern: The Animated Series.
InGreen Lantern#19 by Jeremy Adams, Fernando Pasarin, Oclair Albert, and Jason Paz, Hal teams up with Kyle Rayner, Superboy, and a new character named Odyssey on a mission to thwart theFractal Lanterns' plans. To navigate the galaxy, Green Lantern prepares a cool new ride so he and his team can fly in style.
If the ship looks familiar to longtime fans, that’s because it’s the Interceptor, which was introduced inGreen Lantern: The Animated Series.Hal even claims that he and the ship have"been through a lot together", tying the TV show’s continuity into the comics'.
Green Lantern’s Spaceship Returns in a Callback toGreen Lantern: The Animated Series
The Interceptor Is Back, Hinting at a Major Character’s Comic Debut
Green Lantern: The Animated Seriesaired on Cartoon Network from 2011 to 2013, starring Hal Jordan and a team of fellow Lanterns in action-packed battles across the stars.The ship they fly in the series is called the Interceptor, and it’s an exact match to the one Green Lantern shows off in this issue. The Interceptor is massive and boasts impressive speed, but according to Hal, it’s missing a key feature:“We don’t have our artificial intelligence on board anymore.“In the animated show, the Interceptor is controlled by a navigation system - and Green Lantern’s mention of her could be hinting at a future appearance.
DC Settles the Age-Old Debate: Are the Green Lanterns Cops?
As the DC Universe’s biggest peacekeeping force, the question of whether the Green Lanterns are cops is a valid one. Fortunately, DC has an answer.
The artificial intelligence referenced by Green Lantern is a character named Aya, one of Hal’s crew members in the TV show.She is fueled by the Green Lanterns' central power battery, granting her thewillpower of a Lanterndespite her perceived lack of sentience. Over time, she falls in love with Razer, only to take a villainous turn after feeling rejected by him. She tries to wipe out theEmotional Spectrum, then ultimately sacrifices herself to restore peace. The series ends on a cliffhanger as Razer searches for her, and now, Green Lantern’s comics may pick up where that story left off by reintroducing Aya alongside the Interceptor.
Is DC Teasing the Return of a Fan-Favorite Green Lantern Character?
Aya, the Interceptor’s Artificial Intelligence, Could Join Hal Jordan’s Crew
Aya’s arrival in the comics wouldn’t be unprecedented, as she wouldn’t be the first major character from the show to cross into another medium. InGreen Lantern#6,Razer made his comic debutas a former ally of Hal Jordan, canonizing the events of the animated series to a degree with his existence. Therefore, there’s a chance that Aya could appear as well.Jeremy Adams has avoided addressing her exact whereaboutsin past interviews, so her presence isn’t confirmed, though there’s certainly room to speculate. The return of the Interceptor serves as proof that Aya could potentially reunite withGreen Lanternin the comics.
