Arkham Asylum, outside Gotham City, NJ                              

A raging river of scarlet light constructs taking improbable physical shapes blasted through the corridor of the Arkham Asylum basement. A massive red polyhedron, each of its faces a shape with a different number of sides, rolled through the air with arms sticking out of either side and waving wildly. Ruby flowers growing from opposite ends of long, rubbery stems gyrated, and antique furniture wearing stylish shoes on its legs, all in shades of crimson, galloped through the stone-faced hallway. At the source of the glowing red deluge of madness, the Manhunter android called Nahnsenz held a power baton straight out before its face, which showed a twisted grin bathed in ruddy reflected light. “:.:. Hoo ..: hoo …::: hoo :.: HAAA!” the android cackled.

Voz, the hunchbacked, ursine Green Lantern who was easily the largest of the Corps contingent present, took the brunt of the baton’s wild explosive force. As Voz staggered backwards, his personal forcefield of green light beginning to grow large claws which flailed at the Manhunter’s insane constructs, the other Green Lanterns scattered as best they could in the narrow corridor. Adam and Shilandra Thane pushed themselves flat against opposite walls, out of the rushing path of the baton’s cerise energy. Medphyll and Kyle Rayner made more forward progress, sliding along the floor beneath the crimson constructs.

The Manhunter android called Skittzz, who had been hiding behind Nahnsenz, moved with evident trepidations toward Medphyll as the frond-headed Green Lantern moved past the baton wielder. Medphyll pointed his ring at Skittzz, shining green light at the android’s cobalt blue steel boots. The light coalesced into the lower trunks of trees around the Manhunter’s legs, with emerald roots that sank deep into the stone floor of the hallway. The android was trapped in place.

“Nice shootin’, Med,” Rayner said. “You keep him right there while I go lend Bats a hand.”

“That should not be a problem,” Medphyll answered, inclining his tuberous head toward the immobilized robot.

Skittzz had fixed its eyes on one of the fluorescent lamps overhead. The lamp was flickering arrhythmically, a pattern apparently fascinating the Manhunter android. Quietly, almost reverently, Skittzz was carrying on a conversation with the flashes of light, apparently interpreting them as communication.

Rayner shook his head and charged down the corridor. Parranoyt grappled with Batman, its jerky movements keeping the Dark Knight off-guard by sheer virtue of unpredictability. Spyte, meanwhile, had unsheathed his golden vibrodagger and plunged it deep into the electronic lock of the door to the Floronic Man’s cell. A shower of sparks bloomed from the lock, and Spyte yanked the door open.

Rayner willed his ring to increase the mass of his personal forcefield, and dove at the midget Manhunter android. Together, the Green Lantern and the red and blue robot tumbled into the cell. Spyte quickly wriggled out of Rayner’s grasp, and Rayner rose to his feet. As soon as he did, he brought a hand up to his nose as an acrid smell assaulted him. “Whoa!” Rayner reeled. “I haven’t smelled that much bud in one place since abstract art class in college.”

Trying to isolate the source of the smell, Rayner glanced around the cell, as did Spyte. Both found what they were looking for in the far corner. Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man, sat in a lotus position. His entire body was composed of cannabis. He smiled lazily at the Green Lantern and the Manhunter android, seemed about to say something, stopped as if he had forgotten what he was going to say, and simply smiled at his visitors again.

Spyte lunged at the Floronic Man, and Rayner turned his ring on the diminutive Manhunter. In a flash a midget-replica of Bob Marley cast in verdant energy appeared behind the android. The construct’s dreadlocks writhed like snakes and entangled the Manhunter’s short limbs. Spyte slashed wildly with its yellow-bladed weapon, but the vibrodagger had no effect on Rayner’s unique ring energies.

“What’s going on here,” the deep voice of the Dark Knight demanded from behind Rayner.

“Just your basic crazy-robots-trying-to-rub-out-ganja-elemental-type of situation,” Rayner replied, turning toward Batman. He could see Parranoyt in the corridor outside the door, its oversized eyes bulging sightlessly and its slender limbs finally stilled. Rayner reeled his construct and the restrained android toward him.

Batman was unimpressed by the explanation. “Are there others?”

“Well, yeah, but we’ve got the whole Corps working on figuring out where they are and what they’re up to,” Rayner assured his fellow Justice League member.

“See that they’re stopped,” Batman commanded. “They attacked a friend of mine tonight.”

“That’s the plan,” Rayner agreed. Without another word, Batman turned on his heel and disappeared into the darkness at the far end of the corridor.

Rayner dragged Spyte behind him into the corridor, where Medphyll still held Skittzz in place and Voz, Adam and Shilandra Thane stood over the severed limbs of the Nahnsenz android. “How much of this do you guys think we should take back to the Citadel?” Rayner asked his companions. “Kilowog had some luck with one head, after all …”

Before he could finish his thought, the Manhunter androids began to shudder violently, as a profound thrumming noise emanated from each of them. In unison, the boot jets of each android fired with unearthly force, activated by a failsafe device within the robots. Parranoyt’s limp form was carried off the ground by the thrust of its bootjets, and smashed through the corridor ceiling, unmindful of the damage inflicted on the android’s red and blue armor. Similarly, Nahnsenz’s legs flew off in two separate directions, with its mismatched arms holding onto one boot and its head and torso following another, holding on by its teeth. The collection of jumbled body parts plowed through the masonry of the Asylum in a red and blue blur. Spyte and Skittzz also slipped their bonds, the incredible emergency thrust of their boot jets surprising the Green Lantern’s with its ferocity. Given more time, the Lanterns could have willed their captives stronger restraints, but the Manhunter androids were bashing through the ceiling with unexpected speed.

“::You : will : not : escape::!” Spyte promised, screaming above the din of exploding stonework. “::No : man : escapes : the : Manhunters::!”

                              Guardians Citadel, Coast City, CA                              

In the central chamber of the Citadel, most of the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians gathered around the main monitor. The head of the Manhunter android Appathi was still hardwired into the monitor’s circuitry. Additional wires also led from the red steel-plated dome of the robot to a power battery on the floor.

Two contingents of Green Lanterns flew into the chamber within a few seconds of each other. The first was led by Kyle Rayner, returning with Voz, Adam, Shilandra Thane and Medphyll. The second group consisted of Larvox, Tuebeen, Apros, and Rot Lop Fan. Wununu Werro Wa greeted the two groups with a single question: “Were you successful, Green Lanterns?”

“Yes and no,” Rayner answered. “We stopped the Manhunters before they could carry out their plan to knock off Woodrue. But they all got away on some emergency flight plan. Nearly tore themselves apart doing it, but it caught us flat-footed.”

“We were not as successful,” Larvox admitted. “The renegade android collective fought with similar disregard for their own safety, but met their objective. Xiang Po is dead.”

“At least you were able to find Xiang Po,” Hollika Rahn offered. Her dark eyes, usually bright against her deep pink skin, were clouded with sadness. “Neither my ring, nor M’Dahna’s nor Galius Zed’s, could detect any trace of Betty Clawman in the entire Australian continent. The Manhunters had been there, that much is clear, but whether or not they were able to find Clawman themselves is a mystery.”

“Betty Clawman attained a commonality with nature which even your rings may have been unable to detect,” Ganthet informed the Green Lantern of Rhoon. “And if she has passed beyond your capacity to see, the Manhunters would have little hope of locating her.”

“Larvox,” Wununu continued brusquely, without sparing a glance at Ganthet, “did the renegades you encountered also flee at personal risk?”

The bacterial Green Lantern undulated its cilia in a gesture of the affirmative, his culture’s equivalent of a nod. The Guardians seemed to relax ever so slightly at this. Zafaacha Ziz Zo turned to Kilowog and, pointing to Appathi’s severed head, said, “You may now resume interrogation of the programming within that one.”

Kilowog moved to the main monitor’s console. He had spent enough time with the Manhunter’s processing system to be able to access it directly now, and the thick fingers of the alien from Bolivax Vik played swiftly over a keyboard to enter commands into the android.

The monitor soon began to fill with flashing scarlet words as the Manhunter’s system responded to Kilowog’s requests for data access. NEGATE THREAT OF HUMANITY – STERILIZE HUMANITY AT GENETIC LEVEL. BROADCAST ENERGY TO REMOVE REPRODUCTIVE CAPACITY OF HUMAN GENETIC MATERIAL. POWER SOURCE FOR BROADCAST … GREEN LANTERN POWER BATTERY.

Kilowog looked back at the Guardians. Zafaacha nodded curtly, and Kilowog entered a command which unlocked the circuit between the android’s internal systems and the power battery connected to it. POWER BATTERY LOCATED scrolled across the monitor above. Dazzling green energy enveloped the leading wires and Appathi’s head. A moment later, the android’s head split along countless glowing jade lines, and fell to a pile of shards atop the console. The glow from the power battery subsided as well.

Satisfied, Wununu Werro Wa spoke to the assembled Green Lanterns. “The threat of the renegades will soon pass. As has been made evident, the renegades have lost all sense of self-preservation. Their faulty programming is manifesting in self-destruction. They will attempt to use the power battery, and will find the failsafe just as lethal as this one has. Their fanaticism will lead each of them to their destruction. They will not allow themselves to be stopped until every one of them has been consumed by the power battery.”

“With all due respect, Guardians,” Hal Jordan spoke out, “what about the human agents of the Manhunter cult?”

“They are at least as fanatical as their … masters,” Stel agreed. His voice was as metallic and unemotional as always, but the pause before the last word was unusual. Despite the extended periods of time Stel had spent in the Sciencell area with the imprisoned Manhunter agent Benici, however, no one noticed his hesitation.

“They will not be destroyed by the failsafe, of course,” Mikaba Mylla Mi answered. “But neither will they be able to carry out the renegades’ plot. The power battery is entirely incapable of such use. Yet another instance of the logical deterioration of the renegades.”

One of the Guardian’s cleared his throat meaningfully at the pronouncement. The other Guardians turned, parting slightly, to reveal Ganthet standing apart from the rest of his brethren. “If the Manhunters had stolen any other power battery, I would agree. However, as the one who created the battery for Kyle Rayner, I believe that my fellow Guardians may be … in error.”

“What do you mean, Ganthet?” Wununu demanded.

“The power ring worn by Kyle Rayner is keyed to his unique genetic structure. No other creature may use his ring. To accommodate this, his power battery possesses an energy signature attuned to human DNA. It could … quite easily … be used to manipulate DNA, including the manipulation the Manhunters are planning.” Ganthet raised his hand to his mouth and coughed again, adding quietly behind his fist, “And there is no failsafe in that battery.”

The Guardians regarded each other in shock, slowly but surely turning their attention from Ganthet to his protégé. Rayner spread his hands wide to indicate his own unawareness of Ganthet’s revelation, but the Guardians continued to level their baleful gazes at him. Rayner looked across the chamber at Hal Jordan pleadingly, but Jordan simply held up one hand in a wait-and-see motion. Finally, Rayner turned to Ganthet expectantly.

Ganthet straightened his shoulders. “We must take this fight to our former servants. We must find the lair of the Manhunters, wherever they have secreted Kyle Rayner’s power battery, and reclaim it. I will lead the Green Lantern Corps in this.”

“The Manhunters will not be easily found,” Mikaba scoffed, as the other Guardians conferred mutedly about the sheer impropriety of a Guardian accompanying the Corps into battle.

“Stel?” Ganthet asked.

“I do not know where the Manhunters are,” Stel replied. After a moment he added, “The prisoner would not reveal such information.”

“Then it would seem you cannot take up this … crusade,” Wununu observed darkly.

“None of us can,” a voice boomed from the rear of the chamber. “But fortunately, in this quest for freedom from the scourge of the Manhunters, we have allies.”

The assembled Lanterns turned to see Umburu of Z’Nang entering the chamber. A fresh gash ran down the side of his deep purple face, and through his white beard. He was followed by Torquemada, Tomar-Tu and Rudlen, as well as a human in street clothes – jeans, a flannel shirt, and a leather jacket.

“Mark Shaw,” Hal Jordan said, his reaction tempered greatly by the unpleasantness between Shaw and the Justice League during Shaw’s time as the Privateer.

“Your friends here made a timely arrival when some psycho androids showed up with unfinished business,” Shaw said, by way of explanation. “The Manhunters got away, and I … I have to hunt them down.”

“Have to?” Kyle Rayner asked.

Shaw nodded. “It’s a long story involving ancient spirits of the hunt, if we have time I’ll tell it to you on the way. But I can’t rest until I track the Manhunters to their nest and show them how unfinished business should be settled. To be honest with you, my skull feels like it’s on fire right now because I’m not actively in pursuit. I figured I owed the Green Lantern Corps the detour, though.”

Ganthet approached Shaw, and extended a small, blue hand. “Thank you, Mark Shaw. The Green Lanterns and I will protect you in exchange for your guiding us to our former servants.”

“I’m pretty good at protecting myself,” Shaw replied wryly.

“So we leave immediately,” Jordan interjected. “Where are we headed?”

“Over the hills and far away,” Shaw answered ominously.

                              Ferris Aircraft Offices, Los Angeles, CA                              

Carol Ferris looked across her desk at the visitor from the Federal Commission on Xenomilitary Operations. He seemed entirely unremarkable: middle-aged, dark hair beginning to gray and buzz cut short, his suit new, dark, but not particularly stylish. He looked back at her attentively, somehow managing to make her feel uneasy despite the lack of anything she could put her finger on as the cause.

“So you see why I felt it important to contact your agency,” Carol said.

“Yes,” the man said, “and I hope you believe me when I say that we value your cooperation immensely, Ms. Ferris. Your … intimate … knowledge of Green Lantern is invaluable. The Green Lantern Corps has brought quite an alien influence into this country … completely without approval at the appropriate levels, I might add.”

“It’s not my intention to cause trouble for them, you realize,” Carol added hurriedly. “I simply want to minimize the trouble caused by truly hostile forces that … that …”

“… seem to be drawn to the Green Lanterns like moths to a flame?” the agent finished for her with a cold, hard smile. “I understand, Ms. Ferris. It is a … complicated situation. But rest assured, the situation is under control.”

Carol had decided that she definitely did not like the man sitting in her office, and was beginning to regret ever having made a phone call to his department. “Under control?” she repeated skeptically.

“Rest assured,” he repeated smugly. “With me on the case … any case … well, you know what they say.”

“No,” Carol sighed, crossing her arms across her chest. “What do they say?”

“Let’s just say that in my career there have been … no escapes,” he answered.

                              High in the Himalayas, Nepal                              

“Mark, are you sure one of us can’t carry you?” Kyle Rayner asked. He, along with the rest of the Green Lantern Corps and Ganthet, floated over Mark Shaw’s head, held aloft by the verdant energies of their power rings. Shaw, on the other hand, trudged through three feet of snow that glittered across the mountaintop like broken glass.

“I’m sure,” Shaw answered. “Do you think I’d be down here freezing my keester if I didn’t absolutely have to?” Shaw had picked up boots and a long coat, both covered in layers of woven yak hair, to protect against the elements, which were brutal. He had allowed the Green Lanterns to carry him in ring constructs as they had traversed the globe, but as they approached their destination, and the spirit of the Celtic Wild Hunt became more fierce within him, he had insisted on proceeding on foot.

“We just want to be sure we’re making progress,” Hal Jordan added, as a gust of icy wind rushed past them all, momentarily halting Shaw’s forward motion. “From your vantage point, you could get disoriented pretty easily, but up here, the perspective …”

Shaw cut the veteran Green Lantern off. “I’ve been around here before, for one thing. But I’m not relying on memory at this point, or even sight. I just need to follow my gut, and I need to be on the ground for that to work. It … wait. There,” Shaw pointed at a dark fissure in the rock face to his right. He ran through the deep drifts of ice and snow as best he could, approaching the narrow crack in the mountain. The Green Lanterns followed.

Shaw disappeared into the fissure, following the a downward-sloping surface. The fissure actually widened as it ran deeper; where the two sides came together overhead, a glacier had sealed the top surface with layers of ice. It was therefore dim in the valley, as little sunlight trickled through the frozen mass atop the crags. But the area contained within was immense, and the ground flattened to a surface larger than the village at the base of the mountain where their ascent had begun.

“There, on the opposite side,” Shaw pointed across the expanse of rock. “Can you see the structure? That’s where they are.”

No sooner had Shaw directed the Green Lanterns’ attentions to the building opposite than forms began to rise from the top of the structure. In moments they were recognizable as the red and blue armors of the Manhunter androids, flying rapidly on a direct course for the Corps. More slowly, in the wake of the androids, other figures approached; the human agents of the cult, accompanied by what appeared to be packs of large dogs.

“All right, this is it,” Jordan said.

“Make me proud, poozers,” Kilowog said to his fellow Corps mebers.

“Let’s do this …” Rayner added, when abruptly, he fell from the sky and landed awkwardly beside Shaw. Rayner’s ring glowed feebly, then went dark, and his costume faded from sight, replaced by his plain clothes.

“So much for conserving energy,” Rayner grumbled as the Manhunter forces closed in on them.

TO BE CONTINUED!

NEXT ISSUE: The final outcome of the Manhunter War will be determined on the roof of the world - along with the ultimate fate of the Corps! Can Ganthet and the Green Lanterns prevail? You must not miss our most spectacular finale ever!