Sinestro Looked Terrified of the New Lantern in Episode 8 - Was He Faking It?
Comic book villain Sinestro is an ominous presence throughout Lanterns. Despite going rogue and killing a Guardian, he still has a peculiar hold over his Green Lantern protege, Hal Jordan.
He isn’t in the show all that much, but he plays a very important role in the series finale of Lanterns. It emerged that Noah — after breaking Sinestro out of prison and using Zoe’s portal to take him to Antaan’s desecrated planet — has Sinestro forge him a lantern. This isn’t just any ordinary lantern, however. It is actually forged with the fear that’s brimming in the planet’s water and air. In DC lore, fear is associated with the colour yellow, which explains the yellow streaks on the item.
When John tortures this information out of him, Sinestro’s reaction is very telling. As he dunks him in the fear-infected water, Sinestro repeats, “Don’t use it on me!” At the time, this stark moment of vulnerability in the unflappable man we’ve seen so far seemed unusual — but it later emerged that he was talking about the lantern.
But, what is it about the creation that scares him so much? Or, is he even scared at all? Here’s what might be happening in that pivotal scene in the Lanterns season finale.
Why Would Sinestro Be Scared Of The Lantern?
The question of whether Sinestro is faking his fear is a complex one — and honestly, two things can be true at the same time. On the one hand, he was the one who forged the lantern, so he knew what he signed up for and knew that the fear in the lantern would end up infecting whoever used it. On the other hand, he probably doesn’t want to end up being on the receiving end of that lantern.
As he says to the Halogram and John, fear can be “the most powerful force in the universe” if it is “harnessed correctly.” So, if he’s the one harnessing that fear from the lantern and pulling the strings of whoever else is harnessing it, this puts him in a powerful position. However, if he is not the one in power, he risks bearing the brunt of the consequences.
What Will the Lantern Lead To?
The main consequence specifically is that the lantern will probably end up unleashing Parallax. This is a formidable enemy from the comics that is, in essence, the manifestation of fear. It harnesses and manipulates huge amounts of energy. Along with having all the same cosmic abilities as the Power Ring, Parallax is able to project huge amounts of fear, control someone’s mind, and possess their body through a form of hypnosis. Parallax can also manipulate time and reality, among other things. Not someone you want to be messing with.
Theoretically, some say that Sinestro may well have intended Hal to use this lantern. As we’ve seen in the show, he has been worming his way into his psyche for years. This could explain why he’s so keen to bring Hal back to life and to speak to the Halogram rather than John, who is far more of an unknown and unpredictable foe.
So, arguably, Sinestro isn’t fearful of the lantern itself. He is very aware of the power it holds and embraces it as an opportunity to seize control. The thing he’s scared of is what will happen now that John is in control of it. After all, John even said in his rewritten oath that he will be “embracing” fear from now on. Now, Sinestro’s master plan is in uncharted territory — and not being in control is arguably the thing that scares him the most.
