Warning: Major spoilers ahead for Lanterns Episode 5.
Lanterns Episode 5 finally answers the biggest question surrounding the mystery in Rushville. Zoe is revealed to be the Manhunter. The episode also explains her connection to the Guardians, Abin Sur and Antaan, while bringing the long-running debt between Zoe and Kerry Kane full circle. But the biggest twist comes at the end.
John Stewart kills Zoe, takes possession of the Green Lantern ring and then makes a decision that completely changes the direction of the story. The 2016 timeline ends with John walking away from the ring.
Here’s what happens in the explosive episode.
Who Is The Manhunter In Lanterns Episode 5?
The episode opens with a flashback involving Kerry Kane and Zoe. When Kerry’s car breaks down in Rushville, two men at a diner reveal that their boss in Gotham wants her dead. They need Kerry’s pinky finger as proof that she is dead. Zoe arrives and kills one of the men.
She then gives Kerry a switchblade and tells her to cut off her own finger. Kerry sends the finger to Gotham, while Zoe uses her powers to heal Kerry’s hand. That is when Zoe tells Kerry that she will owe her protection one day.
The promise eventually becomes important in the present-day storyline, explaining why Kerry repeatedly protects Zoe despite everything happening around them. John Stewart, meanwhile, is badly burned following the car crash from Episode 4.
Zoe takes him to the hospital and uses a drop of her own blood to help repair his damaged tissue. Then she finally tells him the truth. She is the Manhunter.
The Manhunters were created by the Guardians before the Green Lantern Corps. They were supposed to act as peacekeepers, but their methods became increasingly violent. The Guardians eventually attempted to shut them down. Zoe claims she was the only one to survive.
She spent years hiding and moving between alien societies, eventually becoming involved with Antaan’s people.
What Is Zoe’s Connection To Antaan And Abin Sur?
Zoe’s history with Antaan makes the conflict even more complicated. The two were once in love and had tried to have a child together. But Zoe’s programming continued to push her toward what she considered justice, which ultimately meant killing those she believed deserved it.
Antaan later became convinced that Zoe was responsible for a holocaust against his people. The episode also reveals what happened to Abin Sur. Abin Sur had captured Zoe and was taking her to the Guardians when his ship crashed near Rushville.
John eventually realizes that Zoe killed Abin Sur because she was afraid he would reveal her identity to the Guardians. She confirms his suspicion. After Abin Sur’s death, the Green Lantern ring eventually passed to John’s father before finding its way to Hal Jordan. Zoe then tells John that she intends to kill Hal so that John can take the ring. But John has already stopped trusting everyone around him.
Why Does Hal Jordan Betray John Stewart?
Hal has his own agenda. Rather than working with John to stop Zoe, he wants John out of the way so that he can capture the Manhunter himself and repair his standing with the Guardians. Hal leaves John trapped in the crashed car and heads to the diner, where he encounters Antaan and his forces. He lies to them.
Hal tells Antaan that William Macon is the Manhunter. That sends Antaan and his forces straight to the Macon ranch. They destroy the Weenie and the alien weapons before confronting Macon. Macon realises what is happening and pretends to be the Manhunter in an attempt to protect Zoe. Antaan kills him and cuts out his heart. But the heart does not crystallise. That proves Macon was human.
How Does John Stewart Kill Zoe?
While Hal is dealing with the fallout, he tries to locate Zoe using a ring-powered hologram on sentry protocol. He eventually finds her near the edge of town. Zoe’s people knock down the water tower containing the black smoke, cutting off Lantern power.
Hal’s ring is running low. He manages to fight his way out and flies a helicopter back to the motel, where he can recharge using the Lantern. But John has escaped from the hospital. He gets a sniper rifle from a gun store and calls his parents. John tells them that he intends to take the ring. He then ambushes Hal at the motel. The two fight over the ring.
Just as the confrontation escalates, Zoe fires a satellite laser at them. Hal uses the last of his ring’s charge to protect both himself and John. John escapes. But he does not go far. He finds a sniper position and waits.
Zoe arrives to kill Hal. John takes the shot. He shoots Zoe in the head before cutting out her heart. This time, the heart crystallises. That finally confirms that Zoe really was the last surviving Manhunter.
What Happens To Antaan?
Antaan also meets his end during the confrontation. After Zoe is killed, Antaan attempts to self-destruct in an effort to take Hal with him. The explosion creates a tornado and throws Antaan into the sky. He ultimately explodes.
With Zoe and Antaan dead, the major players behind the Rushville mystery are finally gone. But John is left with the Green Lantern ring. And that is where the episode takes its biggest turn.
Why Does John Stewart Give Up The Green Lantern Ring?
John takes the ring, the Lantern and Zoe’s crystallized heart back to the diner. A Guardian is waiting for him. She tells John that the ring looks good on him. But John doesn’t feel victorious. Instead, he feels empty.
John believes Hal betrayed the code and oath to hold onto the ring. At the same time, he resents the Guardians for putting him in a position where violence became the way to claim it. Most importantly, John no longer remembers why he wanted the ring in the first place. So he makes a choice nobody expects. He places the ring on the counter. And walks away. That decision effectively closes the book on the 2016 storyline.
What Happens Next In Lanterns?
With the Rushville mystery resolved, Lanterns is now set to move forward to its 2026 timeline. The ending leaves several major questions hanging. What happened to Hal Jordan? Why is Hal dead by 2026? How does Guy Gardner become the next Green Lantern? And what happened to John Stewart after he rejected the ring?
Episode 5 answers the mystery that started the story, but it deliberately leaves the larger Green Lantern mythology unresolved.
