Kilowog is a fictional superhero from DC Comics, and a member of the Green Lantern Corps.
Origins
A towering alien with a brutish and porcine appearance, Kilowog is renowned throughout the Green Lantern Corps as the primary trainer of the Corps' newest recruits. The
Guardians of the Universe recruited Kilowog, a gifted genetic scientist, from the planet Bolovax Vik, located in
Space Sector 674. Kilowog was trained by Lantern Ermey (reference to
Gunnery Sergeant R. Lee Ermey), who would often use the word "Poozer", which meant "useless rookies" (A word Kilowog would later adopt, albeit in a friendlier way). In the middle of a particularly arduous training session, Ermey had Kilowog and his fellow rookies help stop an attack on a group of Lanterns, one of whom was the future renegade
Sinestro. Ermey, fatally wounded in battle, commended Kilowog on his abilities, telling him that he had the makings of a great leader.
[1] In addition to serving with distinction as the Green Lantern of that sector, Kilowog also began to spend extensive periods of time on the Green Lantern Corps' home planet of
Oa instructing new recruits on how to handle and best utilize their
power rings. In this capacity, Kilowog acted as the first trainer to a young
Hal Jordan, the ring-recruited successor to the slain
Abin Sur of Ungara, the Green Lantern of
Space Sector 2814. Kilowog and his new recruit helped the Guardians confront Abin Sur's murderer, the
hive mind interstellar malefactor known as
Legion.
Crisis
During the
Crisis on Infinite Earths (referred to as a "
great crisis"), Bolovax Vik was destroyed. This was a powerful blow to the giant Green Lantern, as his race lived a highly communal lifestyle, and to be alone was one of the worst things imaginable. Owing somehow to this genetic similarity to and affinity for each other that all Bolovax Vikians possessed, Kilowog was able to rescue the entire population of his homeworld (billions of beings) by storing their collective life essences within his ring upon that world's annihilation.
The
Crisis saw the immortal Guardians ethically divided (a faction of six Guardians broke away from the majority, deciding to follow the example of their estranged brethren
The Controllers and create their own Green Lanterns to directly combat the
Anti-Monitor, but five of them were killed shortly after they chose their first and only recruit,
Guy Gardner of Earth) and their ranks depleted for the first time in millions of years (only 22 of the 36 Guardians survived). The Corps as well suffered hundreds of casualties. The Guardians then decided to end their direct leadership of the Corps, and left for another dimension with their former mates, the
Zamarons.
Earth years
Before leaving, the Guardians informed the remaining GLs that the Corps was now theirs to administer; they were no longer bound by their former assignment to one particular Space Sector and could deploy themselves as they saw fit. Adrift following the destruction of his Sector and the end of his role training new GLs for the Guardians, Kilowog relocated to Earth with his former pupil Jordan and the group of GLs that had decided to make their base there. They ultimately became the
Green Lantern Corps of Earth. While his appearance at first frightened most humans, Kilowog briefly became a celebrity following his defeat of the villain
Black Hand on live television in a battle over
Anaheim Stadium.
This goodwill was soon squandered, though, when he was approached by a
KGB agent and invited to live in the
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, as the society of Bolovax Vik was somewhat similar to a
communist system. During his time in the USSR, Kilowog was instrumental in the creation of the Soviet Union's first super-powered force, the
Rocket Red Brigade. Kilowog ultimately became disenchanted with the U.S.S.R. and the flawed communist nations of Earth.
While adventuring with the GLC of Earth, Kilowog found a world in
Space Sector 872 which would make a suitable "Bolovax Vik II". Moved to action, he tapped into his ring and reconstituted the entire population of his world, some 16 billion beings. No sooner had he done this, though, than the world was obliterated by the renegade Green Lantern
Sinestro, and all 16 billion Bolovax Vikians were permanently killed. The trauma of this drove Kilowog temporarily insane, but he was helped back to his senses by fellow GL
Arisia, to whom he confessed his love. He was also supported by other Green Lanterns, who made an effort to be near him, as they knew Kilowog's race enjoyed being in crowds.
Shortly after this adventure, the Corps was finally and completely destroyed when they voted as a body to execute the captured Sinestro for
crimes against the universe; this set in motion a chain of events that led to the dissolution of almost all power rings and the near-extinguishment of the
Great Power Battery of Oa. Kilowog returned to Earth with Jordan and wound up working with
Maxwell Lord's Justice League International as a handyman/repairman. He tended to construct many amazing devices and/or security systems in an astonishingly small amount of time. He also became friends with
Mitch Wacky and attempted to help the man erase the destruction of his alternate Earth. This did not go well.
The New Corps
Recently the Guardians were reconstituted, and reformed the Corps in the wake of Hal Jordan's
rebirth.
Currently Kilowog maintains the role of Green Lantern
drill sergeant, training new recruits (or "poozers" as he often refers to them) for the newest incarnation of the Green Lantern Corps, once again in the service of the Guardians of the Universe. In the
Infinite Crisis storyline, Kilowog (along with fellow
Green LanternKyle Rayner, later
Ion) played a key role in the
Rann-Thanagar War and its aftermath.
In
Superman/Batman #30 (2007) Kilowog is deeply affected by a force that has turned most of the super-powered aliens allied with Earth hostile against all humans. He, or the force controlling him, attempts to violently sway Superman into hating all humans, but a very confused Man of Steel does not fall for it. It is later revealed that Kilowog and other alien heroes are being affected by
Despero and an alien armada. The threat is swiftly neutralized by Superman and Batman.
Once again, in
Green Lantern Corps #11 (2007) Kilowog is pushed, apparently from a
Despotellis-infected
Mogo, into a xenophobic hate against the Guardians and the Corps, acting with imagery of his dead people. Kilowog fell victim to the deception.
During the
Sinestro Corps War, Kilowog was on the front line during the battle of
Mogo. When the conflict moved to Earth, Kilowog battled his
Sinestro Corps counterpart,
Arkillo. Kilowog defeated the villain and removed his ring. After the war's climax, Kilowog was seen on Mogo, eating dinner with energy constructs of his family members.
©Wikipedia
