Lanterns Finale Leaves John Stewart With Sinestro’s Lantern

The first-season finale of Lanterns leaves John Stewart with a fear-tainted lantern made by Sinestro, which Stewart uses to charge his ring before declaring himself an independent Green Lantern. The episode leaves Sinestro’s fate and the possibility of a future Sinestro Corps unresolved, rather than confirming that the group will form. During the finale, Sinestro tells Stewart that he forged the lantern for Noah Macon, the surviving Manhunter, on a planet affected by fear-inducing substances. The lantern’s exposure to that environment gives it a connection to fear. Stewart takes it after leaving Sinestro behind and uses it to power his ring. He then describes his role as an independent contractor, rather than as a member of a Green Lantern corps. The choice puts fear at the center of Stewart’s next chapter, but the episode does not establish that he has become a Yellow Lantern or that Sinestro has recruited him. Stewart presents fear as something to confront and overcome. Whether the lantern’s power will affect his future, or whether Sinestro intended it to influence Stewart, remains unclear. Sinestro’s explanation also leaves questions about Noah’s plan.