Lyssa Drak

Lyssa Drak is an alien supervillainess published by DC Comics. First appearing in Green Lantern vol. 4 #18 (May 2007), she was created by Geoff Johns and Dave Gibbons.[1]

Lyssa Drak
Lyssa Drak as seen in the art for Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1, artist Dave Gibbons.
Publication information
PublisherDC Comics
First appearanceGreen Lantern vol. 4 #18 (May 2007)
Created byGeoff Johns (writer)
Dave Gibbons (artist)
In-story information
Alter egoLyssa Drak
SpeciesBin-Mon Sur (revealed to be a Talokian)
Place of originTalok IV
Team affiliationsSinestro Corps
AbilitiesQwardian power ring

Fictional character biography

Little is known about the enigmatic Lyssa Drak except that she is from Talok IV, one of the three inhabitable worlds in the Talokian star system in Sector 3500 that Lydea Mallor (Talok VIII), Lyrissa Mallor (Talok VIII), Shadow Lass (Talok VIII) and Mikaal Tomas (Talok III) hail from.[2] How she came to be a member of the Sinestro Corps, which is based in the anti-matter universe on the planet of Qward, is unknown, though it can be assumed she was recruited by Sinestro himself.

Drak is also involved in the training of prospective Sinestro soldiers. Once a corpsmen has finished the physical training and was judged by Arkillo, the Sinestro Corps drill sergeant, to be ready for the next phase of training, the new recruit would have their yellow power ring drained of energy and they would enter a Fear Lodge. Within the dark confines of the Fear Lodge, the recruit would have to face their fears and embrace them in order to recharge their ring. If a recruit succeeded, their ring would open the Fear Lodge. If the recruit failed, they would be left inside to die, either from thirst, starvation, suffocation, or suicide. Whatever the recruit's fate, Lyssa Drak was there to record their success or failure in the Book of Parallax. For reasons unknown, this tome, which holds the stories of the greatest Sinestro Corpsmen and tells stories of Despotellis,[3] Karu-Sil,[4] and Bedovian,[5] was chained to Lyssa Drak with yellow energy from Sinestro himself. This was possibly for the need to have a historian for his Corps and a way for Sinestro to revisit his Corps' success. Lyssa Drak is quite loyal to Sinestro and highly devoted to updating the book and keeping it safe.

Aside from recording the history of the Sinestro Corps, Lyssa Drak also seems to have some insight as to what will take place for her corps as well. Whether this is actual knowledge of the future or simply plans intended by Sinestro remains to be seen.

When introducing herself to Amon Sur, Drak hinted that she had the ability to sense the feelings of others. Lyssa Drak presided over Amon Sur's initiation and helped prepare him for his time in the Fear Lodge. Amon had approached Lyssa for help to purge his fear. Instead, Lyssa read from the Book of Parallax stories of other Sinestro Corps members. Afterwards, Amon entered the Fear Lodge, learned his greatest fear is the Green Lantern Hal Jordan, and successfully ignited the charge in his ring.

Sinestro Corps War

When the Sinestro Corps waged war on the Green Lantern Corps, Green Lanterns John Stewart and Guy Gardner were captured and Lyssa was charged with overseeing their captivity. Hal Jordan, along with fellow Lanterns Graf Toren and Tomar Tu, came to the rescue. Lyssa Drak was grateful for the chance to defeat the three Lanterns, for she wanted to add her own success to the pages of the Book of Parallax. Drak was defeated herself, and she and the book were placed under Green Lantern custody.[6][7]

While kept in a lantern-powered cage for a time by the married couple Matoo and Amnee Pree, Drak terrifies them with a tale of Kryb, the Yellow Lantern who targets Green Lantern parents, killing them and taking their children. Lyssa frightens the pregnant Amnee with the prediction that Kryb will come for their child on the day it is born. This prompts the couple to take Lyssa back to Oa and a sciencell prison ahead of schedule as Matoo and Amnee decide to lead the hunt for Kryb.[8]

Blackest Night

She is later seen imprisoned on Oa along with several other members of the Sinestro Corps.[9] Several members of the Green Lantern Corps have tried to interrogate her following her capture, but she inevitably tells them a story about her fellow Sinestro Corps members rather than share her secrets. She was awaiting trial on Oa when Scar, the Black Guardian, released the Red Lantern Corps member Vice in the sciencells to provoke a massive riot. In the melee, Lyssa is freed and reunited with her ring. She claims that she can once again feel the Book of Parallax.[10] While trying to find her precious book, Lyssa discovered instead the Guardian Scar's "Book of the Black" and hastily attempted to claim it as her own, but she didn't notice Scar's presence and was almost immediately sealed inside the book, looking out of it in horror as Scar turned the page, remarking "I hope you enjoy the view from in there".[11]

Brightest Day

Following Scar's death Ganthet and Guy Gardner discovered the Book of the Black, with Lyssa still trapped within. Guy took a moment to mock Lyssa's predicament before closing the book.[12] Lyssa is forced to watch every moment of the Blackest Night over and over again as she reveals her greatest fear, which is of the unknown. While lamenting her fate, she is pulled out of the book by the mysterious foe currently capturing the emotional entities. Lyssa is able to recognize the robed stranger, who informs her that her assistance is required since another book will soon be made and a keeper is needed.[13]

Feeling betrayed and abandoned by her fellow corpsmembers after the events of Blackest Night, Lyssa defected from the Sinestro Corps and was later revealed to be the keeper of the Book of the Black. After launching her attack on her former leader, Sinestro, and the "New Guardians" she is capable of trapping Sinestro himself, Carol Ferris, Atrocitus, Larfleeze, Saint Walker and Indigo-1 inside the book. However, Sinestro was able to prevent her from capturing Hal Jordan as well by causing a detonation combining the energy of their rings, but the energy explosion also affected the Book of the Black, which disappeared in a rainbow light, leaving only behind the rings of the six trapped lanterns.[14]

The New 52

Following the War of the Green Lanterns storyline, Lyssa Drak is confronted by the now Green Lantern Sinestro who tracked her with the aid of Starstorm, an energy-manipulating alien hero he fought while in the Sinestro Corps, whose contact with the Book of the Black reveals the Guardians' plan to replace the Corps with the 'Third Army'.[15] Lyssa Drak told the Guardians of the Universe that they can help her get the Book of Parallax, while she was trapped in the Sciencell. She became a member of the Sinestro Corps and escaped the Sciencell when Sinestro became a member of the Sinestro Corps.

Powers and abilities

As a member of the Sinestro Corps Lyssa possessed a yellow power ring which allowed its wielder to create constructs in the form of whatever objects its bearer can imagine. The power rings also provide flight, force fields and communication. In addition, she is a skilled fighter and survivalist, and quick learner.

In other media

Film

Video games

References
  1. Cowsill, Alan; Irvine, Alex; Korte, Steve; Manning, Matt; Wiacek, Win; Wilson, Sven (2016). The DC Comics Encyclopedia: The Definitive Guide to the Characters of the DC Universe. DK Publishing. p. 97. ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
  2. "The Unofficial Lyssa Drak Biography". Archived from the original on 2012-07-30.
  3. Green Lantern vol. 4 #18 (March 2007)
  4. Green Lantern vol. 4 #19 (May 2007)
  5. Green Lantern vol. 4 #20 (July 2007)
  6. Green Lantern vol. 4 #22 (August 2007)
  7. Green Lantern vol. 4 #23 (September 2007)
  8. Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Superboy-Prime (October 2007)
  9. Green Lantern vol. 4 #26 (December 2007)
  10. Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #36 (May 2009)
  11. Green Lantern Corps vol. 2 #37 (June 2009)
  12. Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors #1 (August 2010)
  13. Untold Tales of Blackest Night (October 2010)
  14. Green Lantern vol. 4 #64 (May 2011)
  15. Green Lantern vol. 5 #6 (February 2012)
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