Blackest Night (Comic Book)

Blackest Night is the name of a limited series and crossover event created by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. Consisting of nine issues, including an issue #0, the story concerns the eighth "lantern corps": the Black Lanterns, which initially starts with the villain Black Hand. Black Hand increases the corps' membership by resurrecting the dead with Black Lantern rings in order to gather enough power to resurrect the corps' leader: Nekron. In order to assimilate into the Black Lanterns and raise Nekron, the hosts have to be dead, so the resurrected seek out their associates in order to kill them (primarily by ripping their hearts out). However, the dead also have the ability to infect someone, so they can be assimilated on their own.

While the main events of the story are in the limited series, there are several comic books that tie into the story, as well as separate miniseries that feature a formerly dead adversary or associate of the character the tie-in is based on.

Volume 1, Issue 5
Black Hand uses the skull of "Bruce Wayne" to create Black Lantern rings throughout the story. When the remaining superheroes arrive to stop Nekron, he uses the skull to resurrect itself as a Black Lantern member. The zombified Bruce Wayne then catches the heroes off-guard and spits rings onto several heroes, including Superman, Wonder Woman, and Animal Man.

Blackest Night: Wonder Woman
This tie-in involves the villain Maxwell Lord, who forcibly died at the hands of Wonder Woman.

Volume 1, Issue 1
Maxwell Lord is resurrected by a Black Lantern Ring and demands a rematch against his killer. In order to lure Wonder Woman, Maxwell uses his mind control powers to hold two soldiers hostage. After having his torso split apart, he reluctantly sets the two free at Wonder Woman's request.

Volume 1, Issue 2
Taking place after Issue 5 of the main series, Wonder Woman is possessed by a Black Lantern ring and faces off against Mera. The rings uses Wonder Woman's knowledge of Mera to torment her emotionally. However, Wonder Woman struggles to control herself and flies away. However, her efforts are futile when Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark) tries to comfort her, resulting in Cassie's death. She then dismembers a possessed Donna Troy in anger. Diana would later be set free when the goddess Aphrodite casts illusions of her mother Hippolyta and Batman. Reminded of her compassion, she accepts a violet ring and becomes a Star Sapphire, returning to battle with her newfound abilities.