HBO’s Lanterns Confirms Its 5th Major Villain In Surprise First Look

HBO's Lanterns series is already packed with major villains, but the latest episode surprised fans with a first look at, and a reference to, another important antagonist. DC Studios' third series in the DCU is only four episodes in, yet the scale of the story Damon Lindelof, Chris Mundy, and Tom King are telling keeps growing. Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan and Aaron Pierre's John Stewart are at the center of a murder investigation in rural Nebraska, and as the episodes progress, new rogues continue to emerge.

Lanterns Episode 4, titled "The Weenie," confirmed the presence of Hector Hammond, an enemy of the Green Lantern Corps from the comics. Most fans will recognize the name from the 2011 Green Lantern movie rather than the page. In that film, Hammond was the first villain Hal Jordan faced, turned evil after being infected by Parallax, the entity that resides in the Yellow Lantern Central Power Battery. 

This turned him into a telepath with a swollen skull. The movie bombed with critics and at the box office, and for years, the character looked like damaged goods for any future adaptation.

Given this infamous reputation the Ryan Reynolds movie earned, few expected Hammond to appear in James Gunn's DC reboot, though his debut comes with a catch. 

In the latest episode, a drone strike from space destroys Zoe Macon's truck, prompting Sheriff Kerry to assist Hal and John in tracking down those responsible. Her investigation leads to a company called Atlas, Inc., and its owner, Hector Hammond, who operates a network of high-tech slaughterhouses across the country. 

Hal and John slip into the nearest Atlas facility, where they come face to face with Hector Hammond. He claims to be the Manhunter and proves his villainous intent by mentioning the home address of John's parents, warning the Lanterns that he would not hesitate to hurt John's family if any harm befell him.

However, after Hal presses him and sees through his lies, the supposed Hector Hammond admits that it is not his real name. He reveals his actual identity as Hector Gutierrez, played by Jason Manuel Olazábal, an engineer who adopted the alias for his work with William Macon and the Manhunter. The advanced technology behind Atlas, including its satellites, came from the Manhunter, and Gutierrez insists he only took the deal to help his family. 

Before Hal and John leave, he points them toward William Macon as the real Manhunter, which also turns out to be a lie, as the episode eventually reveals Zoe as the true one. So although this episode introduces Hector Hammond, it comes with a twist that he's not actually the one. Still, Lanterns just brought back a character from 15 years ago fans never imagined would feature in live-action again in any capacity.

It's possible Hector Gutierrez could have been lying, and his real identity is actually Hector Hammond, the one we're all familiar with from the comics. While that might still be unclear, the reference Lanterns is making here to the large-headed DC villain now exists in the DCU.

Other Villains That Feature in Lanterns 

Sinestro

Ulrich Thomsen plays Thaal Sinestro, Hal Jordan's former mentor and father figure who fell to the corrupting yellow energy of fear. Just like Hammond, Sinestro appeared in the 2011 Green Lantern film. In the comics, the Green Lantern Corps expelled him after a failed coup that left one of the twelve Guardians of the Universe dead. In the DCU, a similar story has already played out, with Sinestro's plans thwarted. 

He's now locked up in a maximum-security facility where he still manages to keep tabs on the latest Green Lantern news. Hal visited him in Episode 2 to press him for information about the Manhunters. In Episode 4, Sinestro shared what he knew while trying to manipulate Hal and tap into his deep fear of being replaced by Stewart.

William Macon

Garrett Dillahunt's William Macon is introduced in Lanterns as one of the most powerful men in Rushville. In the latest episode, the secret behind his success comes to light. Macon admits that the Manhunter cured his cancer and made the town prosper, and in exchange, he protects his benefactor's identity at any cost. Fans have long theorized that he might be the biggest threat in the series and could secretly be William Hand from DC Comics. 

Black Hand plays a major role in the Blackest Night storyline, one of the most popular events in Green Lantern lore. If Macon is indeed Black Hand, it means DC just introduced the Green Lanterns' greatest threat: the Black Lanterns.

Zoe Macon

Zoe Macon, portrayed by Poorna Jagannathan, was one of the characters fans least suspected of being a villain. She was introduced as Macon's wife, but Episode 4 confirmed that she's the Manhunter Hal and John have been hunting all along. She faked her own death when the drone strike hit her truck. Hal figured out she was alive after all, given how unmoved John was by her so-called demise. 

In DC Comics, the Guardians of the Universe built the Manhunters as an army of android peacekeepers long before the Green Lantern Corps existed. The machines went rogue and wiped out Space Sector 666, a genocide that remains central to Green Lantern lore.

Antaan 

Paul Ben-Victor plays Antaan, the leader of a group of aliens who came to Rushville hunting the Manhunter. His people know what the machine can do, because one wiped out almost their entire race. In Episode 2, they kidnapped John and gave him 48 hours to find the Manhunter before they destroyed the town themselves. 

Antaan's backstory mirrors Atrocitus from the comics, a survivor of the Manhunters' massacre of Sector 666 who went on to found the Red Lantern Corps. The show is yet to confirm the connection, but the parallels are hard to brush aside.

Bonus: Lianna 

Laura Linney portrays Lianna, a member of the Guardians of the Universe who played a key role in John Stewart's induction into the Corps. She seems to be an ally, but certain remarks she makes suggest ulterior motives. In Episode 4, she visited John and urged him to take Hal's ring and replace him, a move that comes across as shady. Her comic book history doesn't do her any favors either. 

In DC lore, Lianna is a Maltusian tied to the Guardians who debuted as an enemy of high-ranking Green Lantern Kyle Rayner before later joining the Omega Men. The Guardians themselves can be quite evil sometimes, so it won’t be surprising if Lianna turns out to be more foe than friend.