Atrocitus



Survivor of the massacre in Sector 666 and founder of the Red Lantern Corps who anointed the Red Lantern in blood and harnessed the power of the Red Spectrum of Light.

Origin
The being known as Atrocitus (real name Atros) was born on planet Ryut, and was a survivor of the infamous Massacre of Sector 666, during which the Manhunters wiped out the life in an entire space sector (including his wife and his daughter) except for five lifeforms. These five became the terrorists known as the Five Inversions, led by Atrocitus, and sought revenge against the Guardians of the Universe and gained powers through dark magics. Over time, the demons would build themselves a strong following of worshipers and become known as the Empire of Tears. When the Guardians decided to rid the universe of magic to make way for order, the Empire crumbled and the Five Inversions were imprisoned and crucified on the planet Ysmault to serve out a long sentence for the crimes they had committed. However, the demons were still far from powerless. Through rituals and sacrifices, they discovered a black power so dark it was beyond the power of the Guardians' light.

Much later, Atrocitus was outraged with his associate Qull for revealing the prophecy of the Blackest Night to the Green Lantern Abin Sur. However, Qull's manipulations of the Green Lantern did aid Atrocitus in being released from Ysmault. Abin Sur took him from the planet against orders of the Guardians, traveling to Earth to use Atrocitus to help him find the source of this black power that was prophesied to consume the universe. In transit, Atrocitus exploited the fear these dark prophecies had infected Abin Sur with to free himself from his restraints. He severely wounded Abin Sur and caused them both to crash to Earth's surface, though Atrocitus fell from the ship while it was still airborne.

Atrocitus survived the fall and committed himself to locating the source of the black power on Earth. He used his blood rituals to discover it was to be found in a human named William Hand. He also constructed a cosmic divining rod to contain the power.

In finding William Hand, he was in turn found by two Green Lanterns, Sinestro and a rookie Hal Jordan. He used his cosmic divining rod on them to drain the power from their rings. With them no longer a threat to him, he continued his pursuit of William Hand. The two Green Lanterns managed to recharge their rings and catch up to him in time, but he was still a physical match for their power. He nearly killed Sinestro with a yellow crane and would have succeeded if Hal Jordan not surprisingly overcome the yellow weakness to stop him. Stunned, he was rendered unconscious by Sinestro, who triumphantly proclaimed himself the greatest Green Lantern.

Major story arcs
After the Sinestro Corps War years later, Atrocitus came to realize a new source of power that would grant not just an escape from Ysmault but his revenge, as well. Qull's blood would pay for it, because it was his manipulations of Abin Sur that led to the Five Inversions being left to rot on Ysmault rather than being transferred to Sciencells as was originally planned by the Guardians. Atrocitus bludgeoned Qull with a red lantern, christening it in blood and awakening the power of the Red Light of Rage. Atrocitus swore he would have his vengeance upon Sinestro.

Rather than leave Ysmault behind, Atrocitus constructed his Central Power Battery on the planet and made it the home-world of his Red Lantern Corps. Red power rings were dispatched, bringing back to him an army of beings overcome with rage. At the root of their rage for many of them were actions committed by the Sinestro Corps, and Atrocitus favored them as they fed directly into his plans. Knowing that Sinestro was being transferred to Korugar by the Green Lantern Corps to face his execution, Atrocitus led his Red Lanterns on an attack to intercept that transfer. He and his Red Lanterns tore through the combined forces of the Green Lantern Corps and Sinestro Corps, succeeding in bringing Sinestro back to Ysmault.

Atrocitus had Sinestro crucified and intended to have Sinestro's blood fuel his power battery. But first, he taunted Sinestro with the knowledge that he was aware of Sinestro's daughter. Hal Jordan arrived to take Sinestro back, but Atrocitus was prepared for his arrival and had him captured. Atrocitus had a prophecy for the human also, and it was one that said he would betray the Guardians again. However, it was with the arrival of a Sinestro Corps unit and then two Blue Lanterns that caused his plan to go awry. He did not fear the Blue Lanterns, knowing that their rings would be useless without Hal Jordan's green aura. He watched as Hal Jordan's rage against Sinestro turned him into a Red Lantern and encouraged Sinestro's death. Saint Walker interfered, freeing Hal Jordan of the red ring's influence with a blue one. Atrocitus was then attacked by a Hal Jordan struggling with three different rings and stunned, allowing for all parties to escape Ysmault.

With all his prey having escaped, Atrocitus used his blood ritual magic to search for the Blue Lantern Corps' home-world.

During the Blackest Night the Lost Lanterns came to Ysmault to retrieve Laira's body, but were opposed by Atrocitus and the Red Lanterns. During the conflict, several black power rings descended onto Ysmault, reanimating the bodies of Laira and Atrocitus's fellow Inversions. The reanimated Qull ripped out Atrocitus' heart; However, because Red Lantern rings effectively replace their wearer's hearts, the attack did not kill Atrocitus.

Atrocitus later appeared on Okaara to steal Larfleeze's power battery. However, Hal Jordan, Carol Ferris, Sinestro, Saint Walker, Ganthet, Sayd, and Indigo-1, save the two from Black Lanterns and stop Atrocitus. He was then brought back to Ryut, where his rage subsided into grief for his lost world. He agreed to help in the fight against the Black Lanterns, but promised to kill the Guardians when the conflict was over. Following the Black Lantern central power battery to Earth, the Corps leaders combined their lights to form the white light of creation, which, despite Indigo-1's claims, failed to destroy the battery, instead making the force behind it stronger. Ganthet then duplicated the leader's rings, in an attempt to bolster their forces. The duplicate of Atrocitus' ring found its way to Mera, temporarily inducting her into the Red Lantern Corps. When the Corps leaders and their deputies being attack by a Black Lantern Spectre, Atrocitus senses the spirit's true nature despite being influenced by the black ring; an embodiment of rage and vengeance. Atrocitus desires to harness The Spectre's powers for his vendettas against the Guardians after the spirit is free from the Black Lantern Corps. When Parallax frees the Spectre, Atrocitus attempts to convert him into his own rage entity, but fails, the Spectre warning him that the true rage entity is not to be trifled with.

Following Nekron's defeat, back on Ysmault, Atrocitus is in the midst of planning his assault on the Guardians when he is approached by Ganthet and Guy Gardner requesting his assistance on a mission back to Earth, presumably involving the White Lantern.

Later he is seen upon Earth during a hostage train situation. On the train Dex- Star appears following Atrocitus. He allows the citizens to leave while they burn the hostage takers. Using the blood of the hostage takers, they are able to create a map of where the the entities are located. But Parallax and Ion could not be found. Then suddenly Atrocitus and Dax- Star are interrupted by Hal, Carol, and Sinestro. He defends himself saying " I used Lethal force only in defending innocents." but Carol senses love in his heart. Outraged, he blasts everyone from the ground above. Above, Atrocitus reveals he has learned things about the universe of how he is under a "sacred mission" and he learned to construct ( a giant form of Mera is formed). In the middle of the fight, Lobo sweeps in to grab Hal by the neck. Atrocitus and Dex-Star escape the attack to find the White Lantern Battery Core. Atrocitus battles Lobo, and both of them battle hard. Soon, after a while, Lobo leaves. Hal Jordan realizes that there was something wrong with Lobo, saying that he is usually a hard opponent to beat. Hal, Carol, and Sinestro then join forces with Atrocitus to find whoever is taking the entities. Later on, Atrocitus thanks Lobo for his services. Lobo then asks why does Atrocitus wants to join Hal and the others. Atrocitus just says, "I have my reasons. I've paid for your services. Now go away." It is revealed that Atrocitus gave Lobo a red ring as payment.

When searching for the Red Lantern Corps entity, the Butcher, Atrocitus ran into trouble with both, his entity and the Spectre ( Crispus Allen). In Deer Lodge, Montana, a messed up family couple was traveling in the mountains. When the husband, Jake, was explained to be abusing his wife (Jenny), he told his wife that they would be together forever, and if she refuses he will kill her. As Atrocitus is searching for his entity on Earth, he needs blood to find the entity and decides to kill the horrible couple. Dropping down in front of the Jake and Jenny, the impact of Atrocitus' stop made them break their neck while flying out of the window. Burning the blood, Atrocitus saw where the Entity was headed. To an execution of a psychopath! The murderer named, Hayes, killed a man's daughter with horrible brutality. When the entity broke into the room, it talked to James Kim (the father who got his daughter killed) and said that he had great rage in his heart, however before he could get controlled by the entity Spectre came roaring in. In the end, Spectre was talked down by Atrocitus to not kill the human that was controlled by Butcher, and the two left away from the scene.

When Atrocitus tries to help combat Krona, Krona sense the Butcher's rage on Atrocitus. Ophidian controlled Hector Hammond then uses his powers to steal Atrocitus's memories to find where Atrocitus had hidden The Butcher. Ophidian tells Krona Atrocitus had hidden it in his lantern's pocket dimension, which Krona then finds and steals the Butcher. Krona then knocks out Jordan, Indigo-1, Larfleeze and Atrocitus and retreat to the lost sector.

While passing through space Sector 666, Atrocitus comes across a group of hunters who have taken hold of Dex-Starr. He tears into their ship and slaughters them all. While returning to Ysmault to he begins to contemplate the meaning of his Lantern's mission and the pureness of his rage. He watches over his fellow lanterns, savage with rage and lacking intelligence. Atrocitus retreats to the body of Krona, which he keeps as they are "married in rage" though his death was stolen from him by Hal Jordan. It was Krona who programmed the Manhunters to terminate everyone on Ryut to show that emotions were needed to police the galaxy. Atrocitus makes a blood sacrifice from Krona and sees a universe crying out for vengeance. Atrocitus finds faith in his mission to punish those truly worthy of his vengeance.

While deciding which of his Lanterns to give intelligence, Atrocitus recalls a time on the planet Ghan IX and a war between its native Ghanites and the Yuevers. Two Yuever pilots accidentally fire upon children and kill them, One child is left alive and her cries for vengeance reach out to Atrocitus. He comes to the planet and kills the Yuevers who try to plead it was a mistake and who would avenge his child's vengeance. Atrocitus reasons that this child's would be the purest of rage.

Atrocitus decides to cast Bleez into the blood pool, putting her through her most painful memories again in order to regain her intelligence. She emerges and immediately begins to question and challenge Atrocitus. Atrocitus offers her a chance to seek vengeance upon the two suitors she rejected who ordered her wings be stripped. They travel to Havania where Bleez kills one suitor in front of the other, leaving him alive to live with the consequences of his actions. Atrocitus turns and kills him as well and say there is no room for pity in vengeance. Upon their return to Ysmault, Atrocitus notices how the other Lanterns, though savage, gather around Bleez.

Atrocitus chases a savage Skallox and interrogates him as to Bleez's true intentions. He is unable to get answers so he bites into Skallox's neck and drinks his blood. This allows Atrocitus to see his memories as he observes the savage Red Lanterns gathering around Bleez and possibly saying to kill Atrocitus. Atrocitus casts Skallox, Ratchet and Zilius Zox into the Blood Ocean to regain their sanity. He returns to Krona's corpse and vents his worries about Bleez. Atrocitus leaves the planet to clear his mind and heads to sector 495 where a young girl has just been blinded in a ritual. Her cries of rage bring Atrocitus to the temple where he kills the priests and destroys the temple. He then travels to sector 2814 where he kills a man who abandoned and abused his wife and family. When Atrocitus returns to Ysmault he discovers that Krona's body is missing. He immediately takes after Bleez and beats her, demanding to know where Krona is. She calms him down, for a moment as he storms off searching for Krona. He is attacked from behind but does not see his attacker. Atrocitus regroups with his Lanterns and again accuses Bleez of conspiring against him. This time Skallox stands to her defense and as Atrocitus begins to explain his actions he stops and wonders why he is doing so.

Atrocitus goes to the Abominable Zone on Ysmault where he first created and buried his attempts at Lanterns. He is attacked by Abysmus, one of his failed experiments who has eaten Krona and is wearing his skin. Killing him will be the closest Atrocitus can come to killing Krona which sends him into a rage. As Atrocitus is about to kill Abysmus, Rankorr crashes onto the planet. Briefly distracted, Atrocitus is impaled by Abysmus.

Rankorr helps Atrocitus recover from Abysmus' attack as he stops Zilius Zox from attacking Rankorr. The Red Lanterns begin to die as their power source has been corrupted. Atrocitus heads toward their central power battery to find it in ruin. He returns to his lanterns who continue to fight with Rankorr. Atrocitus explains to Zilius that it was Abysmus who is responsible for the attack on them all. Bleez returns to Ysmault with a contingent of Lanterns looking to oust Atrocitus as their leader. As the warring factions of Red Lanterns battle each other the planet itself begins to break apart. Atrocitus declares the Red Lanterns must abandon Ysmault in search of their true enemy. He takes off alone after Abysmus.

During his search through space for Abysmus, Atrocitus and Dex Starr track a signal to the Eye of the Storm. Atrocitus rips into the ship and finds Stormwatch in possession of an injured Skallox. He takes on all of Stormwatch in an attempt to free Skallox until Martian Manhunter looks into his thoughts to find out what he's after. Atrocitus leaves with Skallox and Dex Starr as they continue their hunt. They arrive on the planet Arkimedes in sector 1939 where Atrocitus preforms a blood prophecy which weakens him. Abysmus comes through the blood and attacks Atrocitus, totally overpowering him. Atrocitus watches as Dex Starr suffers a brutal hit and is reminded of his rage. With his last bit of power he fires a signal flare into space, calling out to any remaining Red Lanterns. Rankorr answers his call and unleashes the power of all the deceased Red Lanterns on Abysmus. This allows Atrocitus to deliver the killing blow and tear out a "blood seed" from Abysmus' chest. Atrocitus returns to Ysmault with his Lanterns and uses the blood seed to repower their power battery which saves the Red Lanterns.

Atrocitus and his Lanterns arrive on planet Arthky, Sector 2967 in answer to the rage of a girl, sold into slavery during a civil war whose sister has just been murdered. After slaying her captors Atrocitus, Skorch, Rankorr and Bleez are attacked by the Third Army. They tear off Skorch's arm and turn her into one of them. Atrocitus realizes they retain their eyes and kills her by stabbing through them. They return to Ysmault to study one of the corpses as Atrocitus discovers they have been created by the Guardians. He sends his Lanterns to retrieve blood to power their battery for the coming battle and demands that Rankorr return to Earth and confront the origin of his rage to grow stronger. Bleez accompanies him and Dex-Starr follows. Atrocitus returns to Ryut believing that he must use the disabled Manhunters to combat the Third Army.

Power and Abilities
Atrocitus is a physically powerful being capable of great strength and resistance to injury. He is also very adept with blood magic, which he can use to perform such feats as conjuring omens of the future and divining secret truths. He has also learned how to form constructs with his ring.

Atrocitus has better control over his red power ring than other Red Lanterns. He is not reduced to a mindless rage like the others but retains all the power it imbues such as flight through space and breathing destructive red napalm.

Atrocitus is able to survive his heart being ripped out and continues to act and behave normally (for him that is). It is unknown if this is an innate power, a result of his connection to his ring, or a standard ability of all Red Lanterns. One theory is that the rage is so great in his heart that it blinds him to everything even the concept of death thus preserving his life indefinitely. It is mentioned that a Red Lantern's heart is replaced by their ring, and Hal Jordan was informed that removing Laira's ring would be fatal to her.

Atrocitus might be a feared being, however he is only the way he is today because of great pain. Having his pain being bottled up for so many years has made him cold, but not to the world. He is angry at the guardians for creating the manhunters, that eventually broke control and went on a rampage of destruction. While a red lantern ring is deadly as it is powerful, he is in full control of every member of his Red Lantern Corps. He also understands that sometimes not everyone needs to be killed (as seen in Green Lantern #61), when he convinced the Spectre to not kill an innocent man. While he is deadly, he does have great emotions of hope.