GREEN LANTERN #3: How do Green Lanterns see themselves?

[starwolf_oakley]

While I know we can't know the backstory and character of every Green Lantern ever, I'm curious to what degree Green Lanterns see themselves as "space cops" or "space fire-fighters." Do some Lanterns see themselves as representatives of law and order (judge, jury and jailer), while other Lanterns are more about fighting disasters and saving lives instead of fighting "space crime"?



Here's a page from GREEN LANTERN Vol 5 #3.



In wondering how the Lanterns see themselves, there's the question of "What do the Guardians want the Lanterns to be?" Do they want them to fight crime on various planets and sectors. Do the Guardians see crime the same way the Lanterns do?

As often, I may be over thinking this.

Comments

[mrstatham]

Altruism isn't necessarily a good thing, though, right? Especially in the hands of this bunch.

I mean, by my definition, altruism's doing a good deed because you want to, and with no expectations of reward or praise - someone can correct me if I'm entirely off the mark there - but how well does that mesh with an army, and a group of people whose previous ideas and models of peacekeeping A - were a complete fuck up, B - Now police the known galaxy and would be difficult to remove without severe upheaval, and C - were, again, complete fuckups.

Personally, I think it would've been more interesting if Johns had brought in a different group entirely working under the altruism concept. Because as it is - even from this page, you can tell the idea will get completely fucked up, as per usual, and Saint Hal will probably save the day.

[starwolf_oakley]

Altruism isn't necessarily a good thing, though, right? Especially in the hands of this bunch.

It isn't really altruism, in that the Guardians themselves don't act on behalf of others, they have the Manhunters, the Corps, and now their Third Army to do that. The Guardians exist for their own sakes, while the Corps does all the hard work.

To me, the Guardians have a sense of Nobilse Oblige. Roughly translated, that means "With great power comes great responsibility, and a really smug sense of superiority."

[icon_uk]

That's not quite what noblesse oblige meant though.

The original French rules of the concept were.
- Whoever claims to be noble must conduct himself nobly.
- (Figuratively) One must act in a fashion that conforms to one's
position, and with the reputation that one has earned.

And in English it usually meant
- "Noble ancestry constrains to honourable behaviour; privilege
entails to responsibility".
- If you are fortunate enough to have privilege and power, use
them, don't fritter your live away meaninglessly.

If you did it smugly, you were missing the point of it.

There are worse philosophies (Though I freely admit there are many, better ones)