Soranik Natu

Current Events

Green Lantern Corps Annual #1 served as the final entry in the story arc for The Rise of the Third Army. Guy Gardner travels to find Kilowog in subterranean Oa and reacquired his ring. At the same time reinforcements of Lanterns arrive and offer their support (including Soranik Natu.) Elsewhere John Stewart and Fatality are on Mogo and witnessing its rebirth after previously being destroyed in the War of the Green Lanterns story arc. Guy leads a diversionary attack on Oa and engages the Guardians of the Universe in a brief battle before the arrival of the New Guardians (including Carol Ferris and Kyle Rayner), the Manhunters and the Red Lanterns. The combined power is too much for the Guardians to deal with so they instead tap the power of the First Lantern. The result is a surge of power to which the outcome is unknown.

Soranik Natu has also appeared a few times in the new Green Lantern series, acting mostly in her capacity as a medical doctor for the Green Lantern Corps and their allies, such as Saint Walker of the Blue Lantern Corps.

Origin

Soranik’s background is more convoluted than is readily apparent from her early appearances. She is initially portrayed as a gifted surgeon and bearer of the horrible legacy of Green Lantern ring bearer for the planet of Korugar, a curse for a people who still resent the actions of a former ringbearer, Thaal Sinestro. Her parents incidentally were never mentioned until her true lineage was revealed. Although she was raised by the Natus, her father is actually Sinestro, and she was hidden from him since a young age to protect her. During her upbringing she excelled in the sciences and eventually became a skilled surgeon. Due to the disdain which the denizens of her planet have for the Green Lantern Corps, she rejected the ring numerous times before finally only accepting so that she could perform a difficult surgery. She begrudgingly reported for service to the Corps afterwards.

As her parents are Thaal Sinestro and Arin Sur, she is in fact only half Korugaran as her mother is a native of Ungara.

Character Evolution

Over the course of the Green Lantern Corps series, Soranik’s character development has been one of the major driving factors of many plots. She starts out as with many of her fellow Korugarians, somewhat distrustful of the Green Power Ring, even believing at one point that it is cursed and that she is not worthy of wearing it or of controlling its power. With the tutelage of others (especially Guy Gardner) she learns that she has great potential as a ring bearer and that it is her responsibility to be an active member of the Corps. She is thus a major player in a number of significant major story arcs or crossovers including the Corps – Sinestro Corps War, Ring Quest, and Blackest Night for instance. All the while that she is a member of the Corps she tries to balance this with her role as a Korugarian. She is initially shunned, finally excepted and eventually revered. A defining aspect of her personality becomes her romantic relationship with Kyle Rayner (although the two are no longer a couple following the events of War of the Green Lanterns and the DC reboot.) Another defining relationship is that with her partner. She is initially unreceptive to her partner (Iolande), for reasons that speak more to Soranik than to Iolande, but the two eventually form a strong bond, becoming close allies and friends. This can be seen for instance during the events of Blackest Night when the two of them were instrumental in evacuating injured Green Lantern Corps members to Mogo.

Storyline

During the events of the miniseries Green Lantern: Recharge, Soranik is first portrayed as a skilled surgeon from the planet of Korugar. In the midst of a difficult surgery in which her patient is likely to die, she does what no other Korugarian would do, she accepts the ring so that she can save a life.

Natu quickly used the ring’s power to save her patient’s life. As is standard protocol for a Green Lantern following selection, she is taken to Oa for training although she informs the senior Lanterns that she has no interest in becoming a member of the Corps.

Returning home she was ambushed by the Spider Guild, but due to the intervention of Kyle Rayner, Guy Gardner, Green Man and Stel. Still adamant in her refusal of the Corps, Kyle forces her to reconsider.

Her first mission as a member of the Green Lantern Corps formed the one of the main story lines of the new ongoing Green Lantern Corps monthly series. She believed that her ring was cursed, although this was in fact her response to her own fear. During her training she was able to rally her fellow recruits against an invasion by the Spider Guild and she was granted membership in the Corps.

On her first mission with her partner Myyrt, her ring failed her at a crucial moment and her partner died as a result. She retreated to Oa for help and with the help of Guy Gardner determined the source of her partner’s death, it in fact was not directly her fault, rather the manipulation of a prince who wished to become a Green Lantern, and did so at the expense of others’ lives. This would lead to his eventual arrest and the selection of his sister (Iolande) as the replacement Corps member for the sector and Soranik’s new partner.

In the events leading up to the Sinestro Corps War, Soranik is confronted by the her predecessor (and unknown to herself at this time, her father) who wishes to see that that ring for the sector is in good hands and that she is well regarded by the members of the planet. Soranik played a secondary role in the events of the Sinestro Corps War, although her role in defeating Despotellis was key. Her next major story arc was Ring Quest, in which she and a number of other Lanterns (including Sodam Yat, Arisia, Kyle Rayner, Bzzd and Guy) traveled to the home planet of Mother Mercy in hopes of finding the source of a number of yellow power rings. They were eventually able to stop Mongul and to recruit mother mercy to the Green Lantern Corps.

In the buildup of events to Blackest Night Soranik experiences some major developments in her character, some of which pertain to the rewriting by the Guardians of the Book of Oa. As a medical professional she strongly opposes the decision to allow lethal force against enemies of the Corps, and despite a separate rule forbidding the romantic involvement between members of the corps, she and Kyle engage themselves as a couple.

Sinestro once again confronts his daughter, informing her that she is in fact his daughter (this also explains the tattoo on her face – he placed it there as a tracer.) Although she is maybe ready to accept her genetic link to him, she rejects any other link and still regards the Natus as her parents.

As the Guardians stood by and tried to manipulate the chain of events, the Green Lantern Corps witnesses the gradual chain of events leading into Blackest Night. During this crossover Soranik was closely involved with the defense of Oa, including the triage and rescue of various injured Green Lanterns to Mogo as well as a direct confrontation with the Black Lantern Jade and the resuscitation of her then romantic interest Kyle (with the aid of Miri Riam).

With the planet and Central Power Battery thus defended she journeyed to Earth to join in the final assault on Nekron and his forces.

When Nekron was defeated, the Entity of Life resurrected twelve beings, and among them was Kyle’s former lover, Jade. This caused some tension between the three, but Kyle ultimately elected to remain with Natu.

In the events leading up to and including the story arc Brightest Day, Natu was abducted by the Weaponer, the Qwardian who created her father’s original yellow ring. The Weaponer sought to use her to take vengeance on Sinestro for all the suffering his decision to make Sinestro that ring had caused for his people.

During her captivity, Natu came to see signs of nobility in the Weaponer, but her elevated opinion of him was soon crushed when the Weaponer chose to join the Sinestro Corps when defeated and offered the opportunity.

After her release she was corrupted by her green power ring in the events leading up to the War of the Green Lanterns.

After the Earth based Green Lanterns stopped the threat she and Kyle broke off their relationship due to the strain of recent events.

Sinestro Series

Demon Within

After the events of Wrath of the First Lantern Soranik is captured by Arkillo and a band of Sinestro Corp members. It is Arkillo’s plan to use Soranik as a bargain chip against Sinestro. Upon learning this Sinesrto attacks Arkillo and defeats him to take control of the Corps, and once Sinestro is leader again he frees Soranik.

He gives her permission to leave, but asks her to listen to him first. He shows her the Korugars he rescued earlier and asks her stay around and help him protect the Korugars. She agrees and her first mission is to tend to Arkillo, which Soranik does with the most painful process possible.

Soranik goes to Planet Muz in Sector 3502, with the Corp to help resuce some Korugars that are being held there. That is where she and the Corp meets the Pailing for the first time. During the fight, it is when Soranik uses her Green Lantern power effectively, that Sinestro realizes that the combo of Green and Yellow energy van hurt the Pailing’s Members.

While leaving Muz, Hal Jordan shows up and it is revealed that Soranik had called him. Soranik then watches as Hal and Sinestro argue over what to do about the Korugars and the Sinestro Corp. After they are done arguing Soranik agrees to stay with Sinestro and watch over the Korugars.

Godhead

Sacrifice

Space Sector 3601, Soranik and a small group of Sinestro Corps members check out a distress beacon which turns out to be a bunch of dead Korugars and a message from Mongul the Elder. Soranik and the Corp members go back to New Korugar while Sinestro goes to fight Mongul.

After Sinestro is capture Soranik gets a group to rescue him. While most of the corp fights Mongul out side Warworld, Soranik, Dez Trevius and Rigen Kale sneak in and rescue Sinestro. Soranik then watches while Sinestro defeats Mongul and the Apex League.

Daddy Issues

Soranik fights Sinestro and become a member of the Sinestro Corps.

Turning Yellow

After the fight with the Pale Bishop, Sinestro is too weak to lead the Sinestro Corp and makes Soranik their new leader. She uses her new leadership to take back all the rings that Sinestro gave to the earthlings to fight the Pailing and she leaves Arkillo and Saint Walker on Earth to be their newest protectors. She then takes her Corp back to New Korugar.

Alternate Versions

Future Ends

For more information see: Futures End

Soranik and the rest of the Sinestro Corp are killed by the Apex League, and are later brought back by Sinestro as his Black Lantern Corp.

Powers and Abilities

• Medical Doctor: Her medical abilities are quite extensive, despite being a surgeon she has proven to be quite effective in other medical fields, such as obstetrics and immunology. Her medical training also gives her a sharply analytical mind, which translates to being a fair detective.

Dr. Soranik Natu wields a Green Lantern Power ring, which gives her several very formidable abilities and tactical resources:

• Emotional Spectrum Green Will Energy Conduit: The rings use pure energy supplied by a Power Battery, which in most cases takes the form of bright green light. This energy is the green light of willpower of the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum. A Green Lantern’s ring, considered by some to be one of the most powerful weapons in the known universe, has the ability to affect and use fundamental forces of the known universe, including electromagnetic energies such as gravity, radiation, heat, light, and powerful blasts of concussive force. It is also theorized that the ring also has a basis in other dimensional energies commonly called magic by users of such energies. The ring can also create fields of force formed from an unknown energy that is bound by the users’ will. The limitations of such use are the skill, knowledge and imagination of the user.
• Energy Projection: The ring can be used to fire blasts of energy or create weapons such as projectiles of them. The ring can project beams of force powered by the will of the user. Their appearance does not indicate the power of the weapon. The weapon’s power is more an indication of the will of the user.
• Force Field: The ring can create various force fields of various sizes and shapes to protect the wearer and others in the vicinity. With the cosmic scope of a Green Lantern’s duties, it is only natural that the power ring is designed for operation in space. The ring creates a force field around the wearer, protecting them from the hazards of the void including filtration of stellar radiation and microscopic particulate matter which would ordinarily be fatal should the space debris strike the ring wielder at high speeds. An atmosphere appropriate to the ring wielder’s biology is created inside the force-field while body temperature is maintained and waste products are removed. Gravitational stresses which could cause injury are stabilized for the ring wielder. Theoretically, a ring wielder could use the ring as their sole source of life support. The force field is created instantaneously whenever needed as part of the ring’s automatic defensive system.
• Energy Constructs: The primary function of the power ring is to provide a weapon capable of transforming the wearer’s thoughts into physical constructs through the wearer’s strength of willpower. A Green Lantern can create any particular items or construct that they can imagine as long as they have the willpower necessary to will it into existence. The constructs exist only as long as a Green Lantern is fueling them with their willpower. Items created by the rings are not indestructible and are only as powerful as the willpower of the Green Lantern creating them. The types of constructs usually reflects the ring wearer’s personality.
• Phasing: The power ring allows the wearer to pass through solid objects such as walls, though this is also a function of the ring-bearer’s will and not an automatic ability of the ring itself.
• Environmental Playback: Upon request, the power ring can recreate a holographic environment based on data in its memory banks. The ring-bearer can observe events in a ghostlike state, but the cannot alter the outcome of the playback. All objects in the playback will appear in the full spectrum of colors, regardless of the wielder’s level of expertise creating simulacra. The power ring will automatically end the playback if outside interference warrants the ring-bearer’s undivided attention.
• Invisibility and Light Refraction: A ring-bearer can render themselves invisible by willing the ring to bend light waves around their body. A similar action allows an experienced ring-bearer to create objects of colors other than green, even simulacrums of living people.
• Energy Absorption: The ring can absorb and store other energies. Doing so does not replenish the normal store of energy the ring has. For example: a ring that needs recharging but contained a store of electricity could only discharge that electricity.
• Superhuman Strength: While not super strength of the conventional sense, a Lantern, while using constructs created by the ring, becomes capable of lifting/moving tremendous weights far heavier than they would normally be able to with comparatively little effort.
• Flight: By the manipulation of anti-gravitons and directed molecular movement, the ring allows the user to fly at incredible speeds. In atmosphere, a Green Lantern has been known to fly as fast as Mach 10 in atmosphere by creating an aerodynamic envelope around their body. In space, a Green Lantern’s flying ability has been shown to reach velocities far exceeding light speed. In atmospheres, air friction is not a hindrance since heat is either absorbed or reflected by the ring’s field.
• Wormholes and Spacial Warps: The power ring grants its bearer access to wormholes in space, enabling a Green Lantern to rapidly cut the time and distance needed to respond to an emergency. Black holes can also be navigated by experienced ring wielders. A Green Lantern can travel through a black hole to be deposited outside a white hole in a far off sector of space.
• Time Travel: Time travel is possible with the power ring, though the further forward in time a ring-bearer travels, the more willpower it takes.
• Limited Cellular Regeneration: A Green Lantern can use their ring to heal physical injuries in their self or others.
• Electromagnetic Scanning: The ring has a wide range of detection abilities based on the imagination of the user. If the ring-bearer can conceive of it, they can probably detect it. Most normal electromagnetic phenomena are within the range of the ring, including radio, radar, television, infrared, ultraviolet, microwave, and high frequency band communications.
• Thought Relay: Otherwise known as a telepathic link, which can be used to coordinate tactics with other Green Lanterns or report of the status of an active mission to a sector partner or other Lantern. The links can also be established with non-Green Lanterns, though it requires more willpower.
• Galactic Encyclopedia: The earlier rings worn by the Corps functioned as references for their bearers. Having the vast knowledge of the Book of Oa to draw upon, each ring functions as a ready reference on most peoples, stellar events and conditions that may have been seen by other rings or other Green Lanterns.
• Universal Translator: The power ring can translate virtually any language in the universe, facilitating diplomatic encounters rather than violent confrontations. Complications arise when a frame of reference for translation is not available, as evidenced during Katma Tui’s induction of Rot Lop Fan into the Green Lantern Corps. Katma Tui had the difficult assignment of explaining the concepts of “light” and “color” to the sightless Rot Lop Fan. She overcame this barrier by using sound rather than light as the basis of the ring’s power. Some Green Lanterns, such as the planet form known as Mogo, have used the ring to create an intermediary “being” to expedite communication.
• Material Alteration: The Green Lantern’s uniform is not made out of fabric. It is created by the power ring whenever the ring-bearer wills to wear it. Most Green Lanterns wear similar uniforms that are programmed into the ring by default. However, each Green Lantern is able to adjust their uniform to fit their own needs, personalities, or whims. The green parts of the wearer’s uniform are usually very warm or hot to those who touch it, while the black parts are very cold. The uniform also produces a “siren” taking on the form of the Green Lantern Corps’ symbol, circling the Green Lantern when active. The symbol, or badge, will not appear on the uniform until after a newly inducted Lantern has completed training on Oa, leading to the term “White-Circle” to describe a rookie Lantern.
• Ring Duplication: A power ring is capable of duplicating themselves. Each duplicate shares the qualities and capabilities of the original ring. The duplicate rings are subject to over-ride control by the original ring-bearer, and take a significant expenditure of energy to create.
• Emergency Beacon: A Green Lantern in distress can use their power ring as an emergency beacon. The alert can be directed to a Green Lantern’s neighboring sector, or it can be a Corps-wide alert.
• Homing Beacon: A homing beacon in the power ring can lead one Green Lantern to another. Though a power ring can be ordered to disguise itself to elude power ring wielding trackers.
• Mind Alteration: Though the ethics of mind tampering may be debatable, sometimes it is deemed necessary. As the power ring relies on thought and will to operate, mind tampering is not impossible. The real difficulty lies in properly applying the power. There lies a risk of severe damage to the mind where alterations are being attempted should mistakes be made. A ring-bearer can use the power ring to erase portions of an individual’s memories. Green Lanterns have used mind techniques as part of training. New recruits may be subjected to mind scans by other Green Lanterns or the Guardians of the Universe. They are taught to build mental defenses to protect themselves from mental attack. The power ring can also be used to beam information from the ring wielder to another being. Green Lanterns have used this technique to share information regarding their enemies during combat situations.
• Pocket Dimension: A ring-bearer can use their ring to create a small extra-dimensional holding space in which they can store their power battery for ease of retrieval. These pocket dimensions can be accessed from any location.
• Security Protocol: The rings can be programmed. They are coded to the wearer to make them unusable if stolen. The ring will refuse to take an action that would kill a being unless they are on Oa or have obtained permission. The Guardians recently removed the lethal force prohibition, first to allow lethal force against members of the Sinestro Corps, then against all enemies of the Green Lantern Corps.
• Preset Conditions: Commands can be stored in the ring to be executed at a later date even if the bearer is not wearing the ring.

As with any Green Lantern it is the corps member themselves that determines the individual value of the ring, and despite her relative inexperience as a Corps member Soranik has proven repeatedly that she above average in her abilities.

Green Lantern Statistics

• Height: 6′ 4″
• Weight: 174 lbs
• Eyes: Violet
• Hair: Black
• Race: Korugaran
• Place of Birth: Korugar
• Marital Status: Single
• Occupation: Medical Doctor, member of the Green Lantern Corps
• Known Relatives: Thaal Sinestro (father), Arin Sur (mother), Abin Sur (Uncle), Amon Sur (Cousin) , Karoll Natu (adoptive mother), Dgibb Natu (adoptive father)
• Green Lantern Status: Active
• Space Sector: 1417
• Sector Partner: Princess Iolande
• Predecessor: Tarkus Whin