The limitations of comic book superheroes have always reached across people in spandex, once in a while you'll get a superhero who is an animal or a machine, and sometimes you'll get a superhero who is a sentient planet. Okay, maybe that only happens once. Z-Lister, Green Lantern, Earth Day Reference, and all-around swell civilization, Mogo the Living Planet.
Among the Green Lantern Corps there exists a rumor of a Green Lantern so powerful and mysterious that his mere presence may destroy the Corps should he ever join them on there home planet of Oa. This legendary Green Lantern first appeared in "Green Lantern #188" in 1985 as part of a story titled "Mogo Doesn't Socialize". If you know your astronomy you'd know that an entire planet getting within kiss-distance of another planet could result in either one or both of the planets being destroyed. Knowing this, Mogo often projects light holograms to communicate with humanoid beings. In addition to having a Green Lantern Power Ring buried in his core, Mogo has an extrasensory awareness of everything that happens on his surface. If a bear craps in his woods, Mogo will know. Luckily, Mogo can alter his own weather, surface conditions, size and gravity to better suit (or better disable) anyone who sets foot on him. One visitor was a bounty hunter on the search for Mogo-unaware of Mogo's "appearance"-and roamed Mogo for several years before learning the truth and retreating in fear. Able to travel light-speeds, Mogo has also allowed foreign aliens to settle down on his surface. Sometimes these visiting creatures create colonies, although Mogo's compassion towards these settlers can sometimes blow up his face. Metaphorically of course, Mogo doesn't have a face. During a time when he was cut off from the GLC and the Central Batteries' power, Mogo lost consciousness and was colonized by aliens who drained him of his resources and polluted him. Green Lantern Kyle Rayner was able to rescue Mogo before he could become too far gone. Mogo's main position among the GLC is to provide backup as a last resort and to distribute and guide Green Lantern Power Rings to worthy candidates. Yes, somewhere on Mogo there just so happens to be a pile of Power Rings laying about.
One of the best things about the Green Lantern comics are the characters, no question. Talking squirrels, living planets, bird-men and ball-shaped people, the array of personalities is endless. Mogo himself is not just an interesting character for being a Green Lantern, but fascinating just for being a sentient planet. His openness for change, but suffrage for pollution is much what I'd imagine our planet would feel if it were sentient. Wait, what if it is? Uh, Earth? You know that thing I did? I'm sorry. Be grateful you have a planet nice enough not to grow a mountain under your toilet seat! Happy Earth Day and thanks for reading!
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