SPOILER WARNING for Dark Nights: Death Metal Rise of the New God
Green Lantern John Stewart has proven that, even in the darkest of times, he is one of DC’s greatest leaders. Making his comic book debut in 1971’s Green Lantern #87 by Dennis O’Neil, John Stewart has certainly made his mark on the DC Universe. A former Marine, the hero not only entered the Green Lantern role with valuable battlefield experience, but with the ability to make crucial decisions amidst stressful conditions. While he is a powerhouse on his own, Stewart is also a consistent member of the Justice League, famously holding a position in the main roster of the animated Justice League series. All of these experiences shaped him into the dependable leader that DC’s heroes need.
John Stewart and Earth’s other Green Lanterns are fighting alongside a slew of heroes from around the multiverse to help save the day in Dark Nights: Death Metal. Their initial mission in the DC event had the team travel to multiple Earths in order to destroy the towers that gave Perpetua her crisis energy. The mission was not easy, as Stewart was captured by Earth 3’s Owlman, and the rest of the heroes were ambushed by the Rainbow Batman Corps. Luckily, he was able to convince Owlman to join the fight to save the multiverse and the Earth 3 villain turned the tide of the battle. After their success, the allied heroes hopped aboard a spacecraft to join the rest of the Justice League in the battle against the Batman Who Laughs.
Dark Nights: Death Metal Rise of the New God by James Tynion IV and Jesús Merino picks up on the heroes’ voyage through space in a short story at the end of the book, titled “The Weight of Leadership.” The short story by Bryan Hill and Nik Virella opens with Jessica Cruz telling Stewart that their ship is not going to survive their journey through the Bleed, an interdimensional plane of existence. This prompts Stewart to gather the other Green Lanterns to figure out how to save everyone on board. Once all of them are on the same page, Stewart tells Hal Jordan to pilot the ship while the rest of the Lanterns combine their powers to break through the Bleed’s barrier and back to Earth. The plan is a success, but they are quickly met with a brand new problem.
As they arrive home, the heroes realize that the Batman Who Laughs has become immensely more powerful. Most of the Green Lanterns lose hope at the sight, but Stewart tells them that the battle isn’t over. He then gathers the rest of the heroes from the ship and prepares them for the battle ahead. The intergalactic police officer tells the heroes that he and the rest of the Lanterns will share their power with them and that the rest is up to the heroes themselves.
John Stewart’s leadership skills are apparent throughout the comic and he is able to use them in a multitude of ways. He challenges Guy Gardner’s cocky attitude in order to get the hero on board with a plan and he is able to motivate the rest of the passengers to join their next battle even though the odds are against them. Stewart even explains his leadership philosophy to the readers. He says that instead of telling people what to do, leadership is all about, “Reminding them what they can do. Making your faith in them their faith in themselves. So that the impossible, the difficult… becomes the already done.” By helping his allies achieve the impossible, John Stewart easily establishes himself as an amazing leader.
Technically, it is unknown whether or not the Green Lantern’s final speech worked, but it is likely that his allies will follow him into battle one more time. The Batman Who Laughs poses an unfathomable threat to the multiverse, but with John Stewart leading the charge, DC’s heroes will put up a major fight.