Kilowog

Kilowog is an alien from the planet Bolovax Vik. The natives of this planet are large muscular beings with coloring similar to that of humans, but whose heads are somewhat similar in appearance to that of a warthog. The natives of Bolovax Vik are a collective group of creatures with the ability to be able to link their thoughts as one in what is referred to as the mass mind. When the planet's member of the Green Lantern Corps passed away, the mass mind chose Kilowog as his replacement. Kilowog accepted the decision, even though it meant that he had to be excluded from the mass mind from that point on.

Kilowog became famous through out the Corps for his skill and bravery. Though Kilowog was fierce in appearance, he was gentle in nature and a born teacher. For these reasons, Kilowog became the Corps' finest trainer of new members. He carried on in this capacity from many years, and even trained Hal Jordan, one of the Corps most reknowned of members.

During the Crisis on Infinite Earths, Bolovax Vik was destroyed by the waves of antimatter that spread through the universe. Kilowog was present at the time and though the planet and all of its inhabitants were killed, Kilowog was spared by the power of his ring. The connection between Kilowog and his people was so strong that the ring attempted to save them, but was unable to do so. Instead it was able to save an insubstantial pattern of all of the inhabitants within itself.

Kilowog wandered for a time, despondent at the loss of his people, until the Guardians of the Universe decided to do away with the sectors that they had enforced for the Corps members for many years. A number of the members of the Corps gathered on Earth and Kilowog chose to join them in hopes of having a sense of community. Though the group were accepting of Kilowog and tried to make him at home, he did not achieve the sense of community that he had experienced with his own people.

While on Earth, Kilowog was approached by the Soviet Union to help them to develop a program to create a group of superheroes using his knowledge of advanced technology and the power of his ring. Kilowog accepted, drawn by the similarity between the tenents of communism and the collective nature of his homeworld. Through Kilowog's efforts, the Rocket Red Brigade was created. Unfortunately, the government of the Soviet Union tried to use the Red Rocket Brigade for their own advancement and placed Kilowog in the position of battling the first Red Rocket, Josef Denisovich. The battle ended in the death of Denisovich at Kilowog's hand.

Later, with the help of his friends in the Corps, Kilowog found a planet on which he hoped to bring about the return of his homeworld. Releasing the patterns of his people, Kilowog was hoping to be able to use his knowledge to build bodies for his people. Unfortunately, the planet was attacked by one of the Corps greatest enemies, Sinestro. Using the power of the sentient area of space Sector 3600, Sinestro destroyed the planet. Kilowog was not able to save his people a second time and enraged, he attacked Sinestro, who was able to escape.

Eventually, Sinestro was captured and tried by the Corps for his crimes. Kilowog was one of the most fervent supporters of putting Sinestro to death for his crimes. The members of the Corps found him guilty and sentenced him to death which was carried out by the Corps using their power rings. The Green Lanterns were unaware of a protocol within the central power battery that powered their rings, which came into effect when a member of the Sinestro's race was killed by the ring. Years before, the Korugarians and the Guardians became at odds over the Korugarian women. To insure that the Guardians did not use their power to harm the Korugarians, they set up protocol that would destroy the power battery if one of their race was killed with the Guardians' power.

The killing of Sinestro caused nearly all of the members of the Green Lantern Corps to lose their power rings, including Kilowog. Aftr the Corps disbanded, Kilowog was taken to Earth where he lived among the people of China, where he hoped that he would exprience the same type of community as on his homeworld. Kilowog lived their for a number of years until an alliance of alien races invaded Earth. Kilowog ended up fighting along side the group of heroes called the New Guardians and eventually became affiliated with the Justice League. He worked with the League for a number of years, helping them with technical issues and spending time with his friend Guy Gardener, one of the few Green Lantern's still active. A number of years later, Hal Jordan began to rebuild the Green Lantern Corps and approached Kilowog about being in charge of training. Kilowog accepted and took up his old role of trainer again.

Not long after the rebuilt Corps was active, Hal Jordan went mad when his home city of Coast City was destroyed. Jordan attempted to rebuild Coast City using his ring, but did not possess enough power. He attacked other members of the Corps on his way to Oa to take the power of the rebuilt central power battery. Once Jordan arrived on Oa, he was confronted by his old teacher Kilowog. Kilowog was killed by Jordan in his madness.