Green Lantern’s lore is one of the most expansive in DC Comics. From the many humans who have worn the ring to the Lantern Corps that patrol the universe, the Emerald Knights mythos boasts countless iconic heroes and villains. However, with the release of Green Lantern #40, DC Comics has officially resurrected one of the most controversial characters in the company’s history. This character’s death was heavily criticized and forever changed how people discuss and analyze female characters in fiction. For after 32 years, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner’s ex-girlfriend, Alexandra DeWitt, has returned as the new Black Hand and leader of the Black Lantern Corps.
Videos by ComicBook.com
In recent years, the Green Lantern Corps has been going through one of its most extraordinary eras. Not only has Kyle Rayner finally become Earth’s main Green Lantern again, but the Green Lantern Corps has also officially joined forces with the Yellow, Red, Blue, Indigo, Orange, and Star Sapphire Lantern Corps. A big part of this alliance stems from the creation of the Emotional Well, which acts like a universal Lantern Battery for all the Corps. However, in their attempts to create unity, the Corps’ meddling with the Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum accidentally caused the Emotional Well to mutate, becoming a gateway for the Black Lanterns, led by Alexandra DeWitt. And now with her resurrection, DC Comics is walking a tightrope.
Alexandra DeWitt’s Death Coined a Term for One of the Worst Tropes in Fiction
Even if you don’t know Alexandra DeWitt, you know the term her character inspired. Alexandra first appeared in 1994’s Green Lantern #48 as a kind-hearted photographer. Alexandra initially dumped Kyle for being immature, but after he received the Green Lantern ring, she decided to give their relationship another shot. However, her story ended suddenly and graphically in Green Lantern #54, when the supervillain Major Force murdered her and stuffed her in a fridge. Kyle opening the fridge to see Alexandra’s dead body has since gone down in history as one of the most infamous and inappropriate panels in comic book history.
Alexandra’s death wasn’t controversial because she was a beloved character. In fact, the opposite was true. Outside of being Kyle’s girlfriend, Alexandra was not given any agency or characterization, and her brutal death only served Kyle’s emotional journey. Essentially, Alexandra had no independent significance as a character and her death was merely a narrative tool that served as a motivation in Kyle’s character arc. This led the famous comic writer Gail Simmone to create the Women in Refrigerators list, named after Alexandra’s demise. Simmone’s list coined the fridging trope, in which a female character’s kidnapping, death, or other tragedies move the male character’s story along. The Women in Refrigerator list now includes over a hundred examples in comics, but even more appear in movies, TV, video games, and literature.
Since Alexandra’s death, DC Comics hasn’t done much with her that wasn’t tied to Kyle’s guilt over her loss. She even briefly popped up as a Black Lantern hiding in a fridge to haunt Kyle during the iconic Blackest Night event. At the same time, what Alexandra’s death helped show is the unfair and prejudiced treatment of female characters in media and that more work should be done to flesh them out beyond their impacts on the male leads. And while examples of fridging can still sometimes be found in modern media, Alexandra’s death unintentionally raised awareness of one of the most sexist tropes in fiction.
DC Comics is Taking a Big Risk with the New Black Hand
Given everything associated with Alexandra DeWitt’s death and legacy, DC Comics is taking a very large gamble that could have long-lasting and serious repercussions for the Green Lantern brand. Not only is Alexandra once again a Black Lantern, but she has also assumed the role of the Black Hand, leader of the Black Lanterns and second in command to Nekron, the Lord of the Unliving. And depending on how DC Comics handles Alexandra’s story moving forward, resurrecting her could either be one of the smartest or dumbest decisions the company has ever made.
For a character as infamous as Alexandra, DC Comics could easily dredge up every controversy they tried to bury. The worst thing that the writers could do with this opportunity is to demonstrate that they have not learned their lesson from the backlash that’s haunted the company for decades. And therefore, the absolute worst narrative path with Alexandra as the new Black Hand is to focus solely on how her resurrection and descent into villainy impacts Kyle. Additionally, if Alexandra’s motivations extend only to her anger toward Kyle and wanting revenge against him, she’ll once again be nothing more than a plot device her effect on Kyle’s character—something that we’ve already seen many times before.
However, there’s hope that Alexandra DeWitt will be more than a prop in Kyle’s story. The return of the Black Lanterns isn’t limited to the Green Lantern series, as Superman #43 also teased. This multi-comic teaser strongly implies that Alexandra will be part of a much larger storyline that will significantly impact the DC Universe. And as the new Black Hand, Alexandra has more than enough power to be a mighty and frequent villain who threatens all life in the cosmos. If DC plays its cards right, they can turn Alexandra into DC Comics’ next big bad, with her own motivations and storylines outside of Kyle, and make her a fully realized character who can move past her fateful death.
Do you think that brining back Alexandra DeWitt was a good idea? Leave a Comment below and join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
All of the DC Lantern Corps Oaths (and What They Mean)
More Comics
-
Image Courtesy of DC Comics Comics
1 day agoDC Just Made the New 52’s Most Forgotten Character Central to Darkseid’s Plans and It’s Bringing Back a Familiar Crisis
-
Image Courtesy of DC Comics Comics
1 day agoDC’s Answer to Ghost Rider Finally Gets an Origin Story, and It Could Make Him a Breakout Hero
-
Image Courtesy of DC Comics Comics
1 day agoAbsolute Batman’s Next Big Introduction Could Change Everything, and the Joker’s Endgame Just Got Very Dark
-
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics Comics
2 days agoDaredevil’s Best Comic Book Run Changed Marvel Forever and Decades Later No One Has Come Close
-
Image Courtesy of DC Comics Comics
2 days ago30 Years Ago, DC Married Off Superman and Lois Lane for a Reason Fans Might Not Expect
