Abin Sur

Abin Sur
Abin Sur as depicted in Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual #2 (February 1986). Art by Gil Kane (penciller and inker) and Anthony Tollin (colorist).
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Showcase #22 (September–October 1959)
Created by	John Broome Gil Kane
In-story information
Alter ego	Abin Sur
Species	Ungaran
Place of origin	Ungara
Team affiliations	Green Lantern Corps Indigo Tribe Black Lantern Corps Justice Incarnate
Notable aliases	Lagzia
Abilities	Green Lantern power ring

Abin Sur is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was a member of the Green Lantern Corps and is best known as the predecessor of Green Lantern Hal Jordan, whom Abin Sur's power ring chose as his replacement. After the Infinite Crisis events, details of Abin Sur's past are altered, and he was revealed to be a brother-in-law of Sinestro and uncle of his daughter Soranik Natu.

Abin Sur has appeared in various media outside comics, primarily in association with Green Lantern. Peter Mark Richman, Corey Burton, and Arnold Vosloo have voiced the character in animated television series and films. Furthermore, Temuera Morrison portrays Sur in Green Lantern (2011).

Publication history

Abin Sur first appeared in Showcase #22 and was created by John Broome and Gil Kane.

Fictional character biography

Originally a history professor on the planet Ungara, Abin Sur is appointed Green Lantern of Space Sector 2814 in the mid-1860s. As a child, he befriends Ruch Ehr and later, by association, Munni Jah. The two were a couple and Abin secretly loved Munni, but never spoke openly of this.

In early adventures in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Sur encounters various heroes, including Starman, Bulletman, and Martian Manhunter. ^[1] After being fatally wounded in a ship crash, Sur gives his ring to Hal Jordan. ^[2]

In later appearances, Sur appears as a spirit, while his past self is transported to the present during Zero Hour: Crisis in Time! . ^{[3] [4]} He undergoes the Karamm-Jeev Descent, an Ungaran form of reincarnation, and is reborn as Lagzia, the daughter of Ruch Ehr and Munni Jah.

Abin also has a son, Amon Sur, who is the leader of the Black Circle crime syndicate. Amon is angry at Abin for abandoning him for the Corps and becomes a member of the Sinestro Corps and an enemy of the Green Lanterns. ^{[5] [6] [7]}

The Prophecy

During Sinestro Corps War , it is revealed that Abin discovered a prophecy concerning his death and the Blackest Night, an uprising of the Black Lantern Corps. ^{[8] [9]} While Sur is investigating the prophecy, Atrocitus attacks him, leading to his death. ^[10]

Blackest Night

In Blackest Night, Abin Sur and his sister Arin are resurrected as Black Lanterns before Hal Jordan, Sinestro, Indigo-1, and Carol Ferris kill them. Furthermore, it is revealed that Sur helped found the Indigo Tribe by creating their central power battery and is included in their oath. ^[11]

DC Rebirth

In DC Rebirth , Hal Jordan meets with Abin Sur in Emerald Space, an afterlife for fallen Green Lanterns. ^[12] Furthermore, Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz use Ungara as a sanctuary for Molite refugees. ^{[13] [14]}

Other versions

Earth-3

An alternate universe variant of Abin Sur from Earth-3 appears in Justice League (vol. 2) #26. This version's power ring hosted the malevolent, ancient entity Volthoom and chose a cowardly janitor employed by Carol Ferris. ^[15]

Earth One

The corpse of an alternate universe variant of Abin Sur from Earth One appears in Green Lantern: Earth One. ^[16]

Flashpoint

An alternate timeline variant of Abin Sur appears in Flashpoint and Convergence . This version survived his crash landing on Earth and became a White Lantern. ^[17]

In Darkest Knight

An alternate universe variant of Abin Sur appears in the one-shot In Darkest Knight. This version's power ringer chose a young Bruce Wayne. ^[18]

Multiversity

An alternate universe variant of Abin Sur appears in Multiversity. This version possesses horns and comes from an unidentified Earth that had recently finished World War II. After taking part in a war against Vandal Savage, ^[19] he helps the save the multiverse from a cosmic army before joining a cross-dimensional group called Justice Incarnate. ^{[20] [21]}

Superman: Red Son

An alternate universe variant of Abin Sur appears in Superman: Red Son . After his spacecraft crashed at Roswell, he died shortly after. Following this, J. Edgar Hoover arranges for Sur and his ship to be hidden in Area 51.

Superman: Last Son of Earth

An alternate universe variant of Abin Sur appears in Superman: Last Son of Earth . Due to conflict in another part of his sector, this version failed to save Earth from a meteor that resulted in all but one million people's deaths.

World's Finest

An alternate universe variant of Abin Sur appears in Elseworld's Finest: Supergirl & Batgirl . This version is a longtime member of the Justice Society who has visited Krypton many times and develops a bond with Supergirl.

In other media

Television

• Abin Sur appears in the Challenge of the Superfriends episode "Secret Origins of the Super Friends", voiced by Dick Ryal. Lex Luthor travels back in time in an attempt to steal Abin's power ring before Hal Jordan can get it, but the Super Friends also travel back in time to foil his plot.
• Abin Sur appears in the Superman: The Animated Series episode "In Brightest Day...", voiced by an uncredited Peter Mark Richman. This version was killed by Sinestro while his power ring chose Kyle Rayner.
• Abin Sur appears in the Robot Chicken DC Comics Special . This version was killed by a bear.
• Abin Sur appears in the Teen Titans Go! episode "Orangins".

Film

• Abin Sur appears in Justice League: The New Frontier , voiced by Corey Burton. ^[22] This version was caught in the explosion of a US spacecraft called the Flying Cloud while it was traveling to Mars. Due in part to Hal Jordan co-piloting the spacecraft, Abin gives his power ring to him before dying.
• Abin Sur appears in Green Lantern: First Flight , voiced by Richard McGonagle. ^{[22] [23]} This version possesses a more alien appearance with horns and four-fingered hands. He was tasked by the Guardians of the Universe to work undercover in Kanjar Ro's gang after they stole the yellow element. However, one of Kanjar's underlings discovered Abin's identity and mortally wounded him. After stealing a ship, Abin crash-landed on Earth, was found by Hal Jordan, and gave his power ring to him before dying.
• Abin Sur appears in Green Lantern: Emerald Knights , voiced by Arnold Vosloo. ^[22] Similarly to the events of "Green Lantern: Secret Origin", this version previously worked with Sinestro and was warned of his impending death and Sinestro's betrayal by Atrocitus. Additionally, his power ring was originally wielded by Avra, the first Green Lantern to use their ring to create constructs.
• Abin Sur appears in Green Lantern (2011), portrayed by Temuera Morrison. ^[24] This version previously fought Parallax and used a starship to evacuate planets that the entity targeted. After being fatally wounded by Parallax, Abin flees in one of his starship's escape pods, crash-lands on Earth, and passes his power ring onto Hal Jordan before he dies. Abin's body is subsequently discovered and taken by the Department of Extranormal Operations (DEO), who task Hector Hammond with performing the autopsy, which results in Hammond being infected by Parallax's DNA.
• The Flashpoint incarnation of Abin Sur makes a non-speaking cameo appearance in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox . This version died before he could pass his power ring on to Hal Jordan, after which the U.S. government recovers his body and spaceship in an attempt to stop the war between Atlantis and Themyscira.
• The Superman: Red Son incarnation of Abin Sur appears in the self-titled film adaptation. Following his death, this version and his ship were discovered by the U.S. government in 1967. By 1983, U.S. scientists successfully reverse-engineer Abin's ring and grant its capabilities to Hal Jordan and a small team of soldiers so they can fight the Soviet Superman.

Video games

Abin Sur appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure . ^[25]

Merchandise

• Abin Sur received a figure in Mattel's DC Universe Classics line as part of a two-pack with Hal Jordan. Additionally, a figure of Abin as a Black Lantern was released individually in a later wave.
• The Green Lantern (2011) incarnation of Abin Sur received a figure in the associated tie-in toy line.

References

1. • Green Lantern (vol. 2) #26 (January 1964)
   • Green Lantern (vol. 2) #55 (September 1967)
   • Green Lantern (vol. 2) #149 (February 1982)
2. Green Lantern vol. 2 #182 (1984)
3. Green Lantern vol. 3 #32-35 (November 1992-January 1993)
4. Green Lantern vol. 3 Annual #7 (1998)
5. Green Lantern vol. 4 #14 (November 2006)
6. Green Lantern vol. 4 #15 (November 2006)
7. Green Lantern vol. 4 #16 (January 2007)
8. Green Lantern vol. 4 #25 (December 2007)
9. Green Lantern vol. 4 #29 (March 2008)
10. • Green Lantern (vol. 4) #20 (May 2007)
    • Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special one-shot (July 2007)
    • Green Lantern (vol. 4) #27 (January 2008)
    • Green Lantern (vol. 4) #30 (April 2008)
    • Green Lantern (vol. 4) #33 (July 2008)
    • Green Lantern (vol. 4) #35 (October 2008)
11. • Blackest Night #2 (August 2009)
    • Green Lantern (vol. 4) #45 - #47 (August - October 2009)
    • Blackest Night #5 (November 2009)
    • Green Lantern (vol. 4) #66 (May 2011)
    • Green Lantern (vol. 5) #9 (May 2012)
12. Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #9 (November 2016)
13. Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #10 (December 2016)
14. Green Lanterns #33-35 (2017-2018)
15. Justice League vol. 2 #26 (Feb 2013)
16. Green Lantern: Earth One vol. 1
17. • Flashpoint: Abin Sur – The Green Lantern #1 - #3 (June - August 2011)
    • Flashpoint: Hal Jordan #1 (June 2011)
    • Convergence: Superman #1 (April 2015)
18. In Darkest Knight one-shot (1994)
19. Multiversity: Society of Super-Heroes #1 (2014)
20. Multiversity #2 (April 2014)
21. Dog Days of Summer #1 (2019)
22. "Abin Sur Voices (Green Lantern)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved June 19, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.
23. Mautner, Chris (August 4, 2009). "Abin Sur was only a few days away from retirement: A review of Green Lantern: First Flight". Comic Book Resources . Retrieved November 27, 2024.
24. "'Green Lantern' taps two Kiwi actors (exclusive)". Heatvisionblog.com. March 14, 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-03-18. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
25. Eisen, Andrew (October 4, 2013). "DC Characters and Objects - Scribblenauts Unmasked Guide". IGN. Retrieved June 19, 2024.

External links

• DC Guide entry for Abin Sur