The Green Lanterns have created some of the most iconic heroes of the DC Universe – which is saying something. Yet there's still plenty to know and learn about these beloved heroes – especially the ones from other planets.
Kilowog is a hero of the Green Lantern Corps – he's been present in the comics for years, and has made his way into other media as well. He's loved for his determination, sass, and the fact that he adores calling Hal out on his need to hide behind a mask. Here are ten more facts that you should know about him.
10 Life Before the Corps
Kilowog had so much going for him, even before he was chosen to join the Green Lantern Corps. Hard as it may be to believe, Kilowog was actually a brilliant geneticist, one of the best on his planet.
Kilowog received the call of the corps, and he gladly went to their aid – even knowing that it was the equivalent of exiling himself to do do. That is how much duty meant to him, and still means to him.
9 Bolovax Vik
Fans probably remember the infamous events that occurred during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Kilowog certainly remembers. His home planet, Bolovax Vik was destroyed during that time. Thankfully, while the planet itself was lost, his people were saved.
Though all of that credit should go to Kilowog himself. He used his Green Lantern Ring, alongside the indomitable will that he is so well known for, in order to save them all. All 16 billion of his people were protected by the energies, kept safely in a bubble until Kilowog found a safe home for them. It should be noted that while Kilowog saved them the first time, they did ultimately get destroyed during the second destruction of their planet.
8 Alien Physiology
Kilowog is a Bolovaxian, and as such he has different abilities and strengths, making him stand out against many of the human characters we love so much. He has what could (and should) be considered superhuman strength, endurance, and durability for starters.
He also has a Communal Mind Link, or rather, he did. It could be used to connect with other Bolovaxians, a fact that must hurt him every day once he lost his people.
7 Trainer and Ally
One of the roles that Kilowog is most famous for is his role as a trainer in the Green Lantern Corps. While he may seem gruff and rough around the edges, the truth of the matter is that Kilowog is actually an excellent trainer.
He's also an ideal ally to have at your back, for he will never leave you, and knows when it is best to help, and when to leave things alone.
6 New Guardians
As mentioned above, Kilowog was originally interested in genetics over being a hero. It's that very interest that led him to join the New Guardians, where they hoped to help mankind evolve into something...more.
Admittedly Kilowog didn't stay long, as he was courted away by the Justice League – proof that more than one organization saw the usefulness in this mighty character.
5 Death at the Hands of An Old Friend
There was a time when Hal Jordan, famous Green Lantern, was possessed by the Parallax, an entity that made him do more than one evil thing during this possession. In regards to this list, the most notable thing Hal did during this time was to kill Kilowog.
He used his ring to kill his good friend and utterly destroy his body. Fans can only imagine what Kilowog was thinking during those last moments.
4 Weaponized
It seems like heroes rarely get the opportunity to rest or to stay dead. After Kilowog was killed by Hal, he was then raised using black magic. The goal was to turn him into a weapon and aim him directly at the friend that killed him.
This process turned Kilowog into a Dark Lantern, and it ultimately was not a plan that succeeded, thanks to the intervention of another hero.
3 Rebirth
Thankfully, the next time Kilowog was brought back, it was not to create more ill and pain in the universe. Kyle Rayner (famous White Lantern) and Ganthet worked together to bring Kilowog back to life and to the Green Lantern Corps.
He was not the only one raised during this time, and yet they all worked together to fight against the Parallax in a twist of poetic justice that was not lost on the fans.
2 Involvement in the Blackest Night
Like most of the heroes within the Lantern universe, Kilowog quickly became involved in the events of the Blackest Night. He was on Oa at the time the shield went down, meaning that he faced against the undead being brought back to life by the Black Lantern Power Rings.
In many ways, the battles that followed were deeply personal to Kilowog, as was the case for many other Lanterns. He faced off against fallen Green Lantern heroes, who knew his history and how to throw it back in his face.
1 Favorite Term
To end this list on a positive note, let's talk about a term that Kilowog loved to use more than any other. 'Poozer.' Originally it was meant to be a Bolovaxian insult (one that Kilowog used all of the time).
After the Blackest Night, it became more like a term of affection. The closest translation is probably 'useless rookie,' but it's said with the affection one might here in 'newbie' or 'rookie' these days.