This article contains spoilers for “Lanterns” Episode 2.
HBO’s “Lanterns” might just be DC’s riskiest bet yet, a mix of “True Detective” and the “Watchmen” TV show that grounds one of the most fantastical superheroes in the DC pantheon while still constantly alluding to his space opera elements. So far, this is a thrilling detective story with a compelling mystery, memorable side characters, and a buddy dynamic that’s fun to watch. Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) and John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) make for an odd couple with nothing in common and clear disdain for one another, which makes them great together.
But don’t let the grounded storytelling and the small town setting trick you. This is very much still a DC superhero story. In addition to showcasing the powers of the Green Lantern, an alien threat in the premiere, and references to Jordan’s long history of space policing, Episode 2 of “Lanterns” also delivers one great little nod to the comics that longtime DC fans will appreciate.
It happens after Hal sends John back to Coast City to retrieve the titular lantern from Hal’s mansion so he can recharge his ring. When he arrives, John needs to access Hal’s vault, which only opens with voice recognition. By putting Hal on speaker phone right by the vault, he can input the voice key and open it. That voice key Hal speaks to unlock the vault? “Mogo doesn’t socialize.”
This is a non-sequitur to casual fans, but eagle-eared DC fans may recognize the phrase as a very obscure reference to an Alan Moore comic book of the same name, the one that introduces a planet-sized Green Lantern named Mogo.
Mogo seems like a nice planet, but is not the best at parties
Mogo first appeared in May 1985 in issue #188 of “Green Lantern,” which was written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons before the two teamed up to create “Watchmen.” In the story, titled “Tales of the Green Lantern Corps: Mogo Doesn’t Socialize,” a Green Lantern recruit in the grand library at the Corps’ central precinct planet, Oa, is fascinated by tales of legendary Lanterns. Another lantern tells her the tale of Mogo, a massive sentient planet who happens to also be a Green Lantern. The title is a reference to the fact that Mogo’s gravitational field is so strong that if it gets too close to any other planet, it would essentially destroy it. So it doesn’t really visit Oa or the other lanterns, hence it not socializing.
At first, Mogo was just a fun little joke for a comic issue, but the character has grown in importance over the last few decades. Mogo is one of the most powerful Green Lanterns in the DC Universe, and is in charge of telepathically guiding vacant Power Rings to find new users. Likewise, Mogo’s surface tends to be a friendly ground for Green Lanterns to train or recuperate. Mogo can alter its weather and surface conditions, changing its gravity or vegetation, such as when it creates foliage in the shape of the Green Lantern symbol to showcase its affiliation with the corps.
During the “War of the Green Lanterns” crossover, Mogo was corrupted and taken over by a Black Lantern energy, forcing John Stewart to kill it. Thankfully, the sentient planet was resurrected in the New 52 timeline, becoming the new headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps.
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