Popverse's top stories

• D Comics (yes, sort of like DC Comics) is the working name for Disney and WEBTOON’s new comics app platform

• Don't read into the King Spawn movie title at Blumhouse, says Todd McFarlane - "Writers put titles on their scripts"

• 25 years later, X-Men legend Chris Claremont still rejects Marvel's Wolverine origin story and sticks to his own headcanon for Logan

John Stewart has been many things in DC Comics: an architect, a Marine, a Green Lantern, and a member of the Justice League. Even so, for most of his publication history, there wasn't a neat origin that wrapped up his background as both an architect (which was originally in his first appearance in Dennis O'Neil and Neil Adams' Green Lantern #87 from 1971) and a Marine (which was added later in 2007 by Geoff Johns in Green Lantern #26). What's always been clear, though, is that John Stewart is a principled and capable Green Lantern, with a sharp mind and eye for creating intricate Lantern constructs as well as defending justice. 

In episode 3 of Lanterns, "OutKast," it's revealed that the Guardians originally offered the Green Lantern ring to John Stewart's father, asking him, "Are you afraid?" in the middle of the night, to which he understandably said, "Yes." Later on, a Guardian explains to John's mother, Bernadette, that while John Sr. may not have been a good fit for the ring, perhaps infant John might be. It's then that Bernadette and John Sr. decide to raise their son John to be without fear. Our hero goes on to become a Marine and then an art school student before getting contacted by the Guardians once again. 

In an interview with Inverse, Lanterns co-creator Tom King discussed why John Stewart's origin was reimagined for the show. "I was like, oh my God, that's the show: That the ring chose Hal and he's like, ‘Yeah, of course.’ He doesn't think of the privilege of that idea. But John's family's like, ‘No, you gotta chase it. You gotta get it. There's a difference between him and [you]. I know it's not fair. That's the way the world is.’ And a lot of parents have that conversation with their kids, and it's a hard conversation to have," King said. 

For what it's worth, the episode was touching for me emotionally because it reminded me of how my parents raised me as a person of color and grandchild of immigrants who lived through war. To be clear, my dad wasn't shooting apples off the top of my head when I was a kid, but my mother especially hammered into my head from a young age that I shouldn't let fear govern my life. And I turned out fine! Still waiting on that Lantern ring, though. 

Lanterns is streaming now on HBO. 

Shine a light on our list of the best Green Lantern comics.