Isamot Kol
Encyclopedia
Isamot Kol is a fictional comic book
superhero
, an extraterrestrial
from the planet Thanagar
, and a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps
. He first appeared in DC Comics
' Green Lantern Corps: Recharge
# 1 (November 2005), and was created by writers Geoff Johns
and Dave Gibbons
, and artist Patrick Gleason
. He was named after editor Peter Tomasi, in that "Isamot" is "Tomasi" spelled backwards.
lizard
belonging to one of the many different species who inhabit Thanagar) and a veteran soldier of the Rann-Thanagar War
. A member of the Imperial Thanagarian Army, Kol was scheduled to be executed for killing his commanding officer because his superior wanted to surrender to a squadron of Rann
ians. Kol explains to a fellow prisoner that he hates cowards, and that after killing his superior, he and the rest of his squad defeated the Rannians, and that his fellow soldiers attempted to report the superior’s death as an accident, but Kol, who personally held truth as a guiding principle, refused to lie.
At the exact moment before he was to be beheaded, however, he is saved by a Green Lantern power ring, the powerful weapon assigned to each member of the Green Lantern Corps. The Corps was in the process of recruiting 7,200 new members in an effort to rebuild their ranks following their destruction at the hands of the villain Parallax
. The rings allow their bearers to conjure virtually any object or form of energy limited only by the imagination and willpower of the wearer, and thus the ring, which includes a sentient
computer, frees Kol from his bonds, and allows him to escape his captors. His fellow prisoner begs to be taken with but Kol refuses, believing the man to have actually earned his fate.
Kol is brought to the planet Oa, home to the extraterrestrial Guardians of the Universe
who administer and oversee the Corps, for Green Lantern training .
, and the two new recruits valiantly attempted to pull the ship from the ensuing black hole, but were sucked in. This was part of a planned attack by the Spider Guild, operating out from the forbidden Vegan system.
They are discovered by the GL trainer Kilowog
, who had broken Lantern rules to find them. Isamot and Sarn, forced to go on by themselves due to Kilowog not being able to fit in the tunnels they were using, find out the Guild's plans to invade Oa
.
The Guild detect them and attack. The three join up with Guy Gardner
and Kyle Rayner
, who had also broken the rules to rescue the missing and unwilling GL recruit Soranik Natu
. Soranik's unwillingness to be a Lantern causes Kol to perceive her as a traitor. Despite this and other conflicts, the six Lanterns successfully make it back to Oa. They help in driving off the invasion of Guild forces.
) he had matured as a member of his species. He announced his desire to serve back again on Thanagar for a while, living with his intended mate Qaylyra, another saurian.
Unfortunately, Citadel
forces, alleged allies of Rann, attack Thanagar just as Isamot's mate enters her only receptive mating period. Isamot then must choose between his partner and the only possibility of a family. He chose his partner but by the time he returned she had taken another mate. With the mating urges over he returns to full duty.
Isamot fights alongside Vath during the Sinestro Corps War
. Later, he is forcibly pulled to Oa to take part in a treaty-breaking incursion into the depths of Okarran space, along with other Green Lanterns. The very act of being taken to Oa causes him to disrupt Thanagar flying police officers, who scoff and insult the very concept of a 'downsider' Green Lantern.
Isamot is part of a Green Lantern force sent to the time-ravaged Earth.
, who promptly attack the living Lanterns. As Isamot and Varth find themselves overwhelmed by the onslaught of the dead, they are saved by a member of the Indigo Tribe
.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
, an extraterrestrial
Extraterrestrial life in popular culture
In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...
from the planet Thanagar
Thanagar
Thanagar is a fictional planet in the . Thanagar is the original home of the humanoid Thanagarian race, noted for the discovery of gravity-defying Nth metal...
, and a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
. He first appeared in DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
' Green Lantern Corps: Recharge
Green Lantern Corps: Recharge
Green Lantern Corps: Recharge was a five-issue, monthly comic book limited series that was published by DC Comics from November 2005 to March 2006. The series was written by Geoff Johns and Dave Gibbons and illustrated by Patrick Gleason...
# 1 (November 2005), and was created by writers Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
and Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons
Dave Gibbons is an English comic book artist, writer and sometime letterer. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Alan Moore, which include the miniseries Watchmen and the Superman story "For the Man Who Has Everything"...
, and artist Patrick Gleason
Patrick Gleason (artist)
Patrick Gleason is a comic book artist. He has worked for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and Image Comics.- DC :*Green Lantern Corps: Recharge*Green Lantern Corps*Aquaman*JLA: Welcome to the Working Week*JSA*H-E-R-O*Robin...
. He was named after editor Peter Tomasi, in that "Isamot" is "Tomasi" spelled backwards.
Fictional character history
Kol is a Lizarkon (a humanoidHumanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
lizard
Lizard
Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains...
belonging to one of the many different species who inhabit Thanagar) and a veteran soldier of the Rann-Thanagar War
Rann-Thanagar War
Rann-Thanagar War is a six-issue comic book limited series published by DC Comics in 2005. Written by Dave Gibbons, and illustrated by Ivan Reis, Marc Campos, and John Kalisz, the series concerns a war between the planets Rann and Thanagar, and features Adam Strange, the Green Lantern Corps,...
. A member of the Imperial Thanagarian Army, Kol was scheduled to be executed for killing his commanding officer because his superior wanted to surrender to a squadron of Rann
Rann
Rann is a fictional planet in the Polaris star system of the whose capitol city is Ranagar. Rann is most famous for being the adopted planet of the Earth explorer and hero Adam Strange and for their teleportation device called the Zeta Beam...
ians. Kol explains to a fellow prisoner that he hates cowards, and that after killing his superior, he and the rest of his squad defeated the Rannians, and that his fellow soldiers attempted to report the superior’s death as an accident, but Kol, who personally held truth as a guiding principle, refused to lie.
At the exact moment before he was to be beheaded, however, he is saved by a Green Lantern power ring, the powerful weapon assigned to each member of the Green Lantern Corps. The Corps was in the process of recruiting 7,200 new members in an effort to rebuild their ranks following their destruction at the hands of the villain Parallax
Parallax (comics)
Parallax is a fictional comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks for Green Lantern vol...
. The rings allow their bearers to conjure virtually any object or form of energy limited only by the imagination and willpower of the wearer, and thus the ring, which includes a sentient
Sentience
Sentience is the ability to feel, perceive or be conscious, or to have subjective experiences. Eighteenth century philosophers used the concept to distinguish the ability to think from the ability to feel . In modern western philosophy, sentience is the ability to have sensations or experiences...
computer, frees Kol from his bonds, and allows him to escape his captors. His fellow prisoner begs to be taken with but Kol refuses, believing the man to have actually earned his fate.
Kol is brought to the planet Oa, home to the extraterrestrial Guardians of the Universe
Guardians of the Universe
The Guardians of the Universe, alternatively known as the Guardians or Oans are a fictional extraterrestrial race in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #1 , and were created by John Broome and Gil Kane. Here they do not reveal their existence to Hal, bringing his...
who administer and oversee the Corps, for Green Lantern training .
Spider Guild
Kol is given a temporary badge and partnered with fellow new recruit Vath Sarn, a Rannian who was also plucked from the war. In contrast to Sarn’s discipline and adaptability, Kol still saw Sarn as an enemy from the war, and instigated conflict with him as they began their first assignment. This was diverting ships away from Star 38, which, like several recent stars, had begun to show signs of instability. Kol was also slow to adapt to Corps protocols, questioning his orders, and even threatening an Okaaran hospital ship that fired upon him after refusing to change course from the star. The star eventually went supernovaSupernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
, and the two new recruits valiantly attempted to pull the ship from the ensuing black hole, but were sucked in. This was part of a planned attack by the Spider Guild, operating out from the forbidden Vegan system.
They are discovered by the GL trainer Kilowog
Kilowog
Kilowog is a fictional superhero from DC Comics, and a member of the Green Lantern Corps.-Origins:A towering alien with a brutish and porcine appearance, Kilowog is renowned throughout the Green Lantern Corps as the primary trainer of the Corps' newest recruits...
, who had broken Lantern rules to find them. Isamot and Sarn, forced to go on by themselves due to Kilowog not being able to fit in the tunnels they were using, find out the Guild's plans to invade Oa
Oa
Oa is a fictional planet that lies at the center of the DC Comics universe. Since its inception, Oa has been the planetary citadel of the Guardians of the Universe and the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps...
.
The Guild detect them and attack. The three join up with Guy Gardner
Guy Gardner (comics)
Guy Gardner is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He is a core member of the Green Lantern family of characters, and for a time was also a significant member of the Justice League family of characters.He was created by John Broome and Gil Kane in Green Lantern...
and Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol...
, who had also broken the rules to rescue the missing and unwilling GL recruit Soranik Natu
Soranik Natu
Soranik Natu is a fictional character, a member of the Green Lantern Corps in the . She first appears in Green Lantern Corps: Recharge #1 , and was created by writers Geoff Johns, Dave Gibbons, and artist Patrick Gleason. Sora is an extraterrestrial from the planet Korugar...
. Soranik's unwillingness to be a Lantern causes Kol to perceive her as a traitor. Despite this and other conflicts, the six Lanterns successfully make it back to Oa. They help in driving off the invasion of Guild forces.
Thanagar problems
Isamot decides to reduce his serving time from the Green Lantern Corps, due to the mating urges (akin to a Pon farrPon farr
Pon farr is a term used in the fictional Star Trek canonical TV series. In Star Trek, pon farr is a psychophysical condition affecting Vulcans, in which Vulcan males and females go into heat every seven years, going into a blood fever, becoming violent, and finally dying if they do not mate with...
) he had matured as a member of his species. He announced his desire to serve back again on Thanagar for a while, living with his intended mate Qaylyra, another saurian.
Unfortunately, Citadel
Citadel (comics)
The Citadel is a fictional organization, a fascist empire in the DC Universe.-Fictional history:The first Citadelian brother of Auron, and child of the goddess X'Hal adopted the technology of the Psions in order to betray his family and clone his own race of beings called Citadelians...
forces, alleged allies of Rann, attack Thanagar just as Isamot's mate enters her only receptive mating period. Isamot then must choose between his partner and the only possibility of a family. He chose his partner but by the time he returned she had taken another mate. With the mating urges over he returns to full duty.
Isamot fights alongside Vath during the Sinestro Corps War
Sinestro Corps War
"Sinestro Corps War" is an American comic book crossover event published by DC Comics in its Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps titles. Written by Geoff Johns and Dave Gibbons and drawn by Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, and Ethan Van Sciver, the 11-part saga was originally published between June...
. Later, he is forcibly pulled to Oa to take part in a treaty-breaking incursion into the depths of Okarran space, along with other Green Lanterns. The very act of being taken to Oa causes him to disrupt Thanagar flying police officers, who scoff and insult the very concept of a 'downsider' Green Lantern.
Isamot is part of a Green Lantern force sent to the time-ravaged Earth.
Blackest Night
A swarm of black power rings descend on Oa, turning all the honored dead in the Lantern crypt into Black LanternsBlack Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
, who promptly attack the living Lanterns. As Isamot and Varth find themselves overwhelmed by the onslaught of the dead, they are saved by a member of the Indigo Tribe
Indigo Tribe
The Indigo Tribe is a fictional organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They debuted in Green Lantern vol. 4 #25 and were created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver.-Fictional group history:...
.
In other media
- Isamot KoI is one of the Green Lanterns in Green Lantern: First FlightGreen Lantern: First Flight# "Main Title" # "The Ring Chooses Hal" # "Hal Meets / The Flight of The Lanterns" # "Labella's Club" # "Going After Cuch" # "The Way I Heard It" # "Bugs in the Baggage" # "Teleport Pursuit"...
fighting SinestroSinestroThaal Sinestro is a fictional character, an alien supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, Sinestro is the former mentor of Hal Jordan and the arch-nemesis of the entire Green Lantern Corps. Sinestro first appears in Green Lantern #7 . In 2009, Sinestro was...
.
- Isamot Kol appears in the 2011 live action film Green LanternGreen Lantern (film)Green Lantern is a 2011 superhero film based on the DC Comics character of the same name. The film stars Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard, Mark Strong, Angela Bassett and Tim Robbins, with Martin Campbell directing a script by Greg Berlanti and comic book writers Michael Green and Marc...
. When SinestroSinestroThaal Sinestro is a fictional character, an alien supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, Sinestro is the former mentor of Hal Jordan and the arch-nemesis of the entire Green Lantern Corps. Sinestro first appears in Green Lantern #7 . In 2009, Sinestro was...
appears to give his speech to the Corps, Isamot can be seen in the crowds. He is later chosen to be part of Sinestro's elite squad, and is promptly killed by ParallaxParallaxParallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different lines of sight, and is measured by the angle or semi-angle of inclination between those two lines. The term is derived from the Greek παράλλαξις , meaning "alteration"...
. Isamot is also part of the film toyline.