Green Lantern

Jessica Cruz survived an attack in the woods that killed several of her closest friends. The trauma left her struggling with severe anxiety and fear of leaving her home. That fear eventually attracted the Ring of Volthoom. Unlike a Green Lantern ring it fed upon fear and attempted to dominate Jessica rather than requiring her to overcome it. The ring forced her into conflicts with the Justice League and repeatedly exploited her memories to maintain control. Jessica gradually learned to resist its influence with help from the League and began turning its tremendous power against threats rather than allowing it to control her.

Jessica eventually chose to risk herself for others despite everything the Ring of Volthoom used against her. After breaking free of its control she was selected by a genuine Green Lantern power ring and inducted into the Green Lantern Corps as an official protector of Sector 2814. Hal Jordan partnered her with Simon Baz and linked their power batteries so the inexperienced Lanterns would have to cooperate. Together they defended Earth against the Red Lanterns and the Phantom Lantern before confronting Volthoom himself. Jessica later traveled to Mogo for formal Corps training and developed far greater confidence in using her ring.

Jessica eventually carried her duties far beyond Earth and joined a team operating within the Ghost Sector alongside Cyborg and Starfire and Azrael. Their mission brought her directly into conflict with Darkseid and threats capable of destabilizing entire regions of space and time. She survived those battles and continued growing beyond the frightened woman who had once struggled to leave her bedroom. Jessica has even confronted the yellow light of fear directly through the Sinestro Corps while refusing to pretend that fear has disappeared from her life. She remains a Green Lantern because she continues acting despite it.

Appearance: Green Lantern Jessica Cruz has warm light-brown skin and a tall curvy athletic build with a narrow waist and strong legs. Her eyes are green. Her hair is very long dark brown and thick with large loose waves falling around her shoulders and down her back. A bright green lantern mark surrounds her left eye and extends outward in a sharp geometric shape.

She wears a fitted green and black Green Lantern uniform. Glossy emerald green covers her chest shoulders abdomen and upper hips while black panels shape the sides of her torso arms and legs. A large Green Lantern emblem sits over the upper chest with a white circular center and dark green ring.

White gloves cover her hands and forearms. Matching white boots cover her lower legs and feet. Her power ring sits on one hand.

Personality: Jessica is compassionate and courageous without being naturally fearless. Anxiety remains part of her life and can make ordinary decisions difficult even after she becomes capable of facing cosmic threats. She does not consider courage the absence of fear and instead measures herself by what she can accomplish while afraid. Jessica can doubt her own ability and initially struggles to create stable constructs under pressure. Repeated experience teaches her to trust herself without pretending that every fear can simply be eliminated. Her understanding of vulnerability also makes her particularly sensitive to frightened civilians and people who feel overwhelmed by circumstances beyond their control.

Simon Baz becomes Jessica’s closest Green Lantern partner. Their early relationship is strained because both are inexperienced and neither appreciates being forced into a partnership by Hal Jordan. Shared battles gradually turn that friction into deep trust and lasting friendship. Simon understands many of Jessica’s insecurities while Jessica challenges his tendency to rely on anger and instinct. Hal becomes an important mentor who pushes her beyond what she believes she can handle. John Stewart and Kilowog later contribute to her formal training within the Corps. Her experience with the Justice League gives Jessica another circle of allies who first helped her resist the Ring of Volthoom before accepting her as a hero in her own right.

Jessica’s Green Lantern power ring channels her will into solid green energy. She can create hard-light constructs ranging from simple shields and restraints to weapons and complex structures. The ring allows her to fly through planetary atmospheres and deep space while surrounding her with a protective energy field. It can project concentrated blasts and translate alien languages and scan unfamiliar environments while sustaining her in otherwise lethal conditions. Jessica’s effectiveness depends upon concentration and willpower which means fear can disrupt her constructs when she allows it to overwhelm her.

Her experiences with the Ring of Volthoom gave Jessica an unusual understanding of fear-based power before she ever became a Green Lantern. As her confidence develops she becomes capable of forming constructs under extreme psychological pressure and fighting opponents vastly more experienced than herself. Her primary equipment consists of her Green Lantern power ring and its corresponding power battery. The ring also generates her Green Lantern uniform and provides the communications and protective systems required for service across Sector 2814.