PLOT:
Imprisoned on Ysmault by the (then) Green Lantern Sinestro, Atrocitus is the last of his kind. Originating from Sector 666 - the rest of his breed slaughtered by the Guardians' Manhunters millenia ago leaving his heart festering with hate and anger. Sinking to the bottom of a pool of blood, Atrocitus witnesses the creation of a red power ring. His heart stops beating so that the ring can take over that function for him. He bursts forth expelling all of his now tainted blood so that it can be replaced by liquid fire of hate supplied by the ring.
As the power battery boils to the surface, Atrocitus begins assembling his Red Lanterns Corps to seek out revenge against Sinestro. Each member bears a grudge of their own - usually against Sinestro and they all begin the ritual of expelling their old blood from their bodies. They stand surrounded by crucified demons while they vommit out blood in fits of rage in preparation for their battle.
On Earth, Hal Jordan is still reeling from his first ever 1011 (the death of Orion) when he receives word that Sinestro's execution has been scheduled. Conflicted over the fate of his former mentor, Hal leaves Cowgirl and his brother behind so that he can seek advice from Carol Ferris. Is Hal simply trying to find justification for killing his former friend?
Meanwhile, the Controllers are tracking the orange light to a planet called Okaara in a region that no Green Lantern is allowed to go. The Controllers want to seek out the orange light for their own possession but an unknown voice announces their intention to claim the orange power for their own.
Green Lantern Ash locates the headpiece for Anti-Montior's armor floating out in space. According to the trajectory, Ash determines that the Anti-Monitor's corpse would have landed somewhere in Atrocitus' home sector of 666. He contacts the scarred Guardian on Oa who gives him permission to pursue the corpse into the sector. But the Guardian, after having received her scar from the Anti-Monitor's attack, refuses to have her face healed. She instead vows to keep the scar as a reminder and appears to be experiencing the different emotions representive of the various light spectrums.
Sinestro's sciencell is being transported to Korugar - the site of Sinestro's first abuse of power. Even though the Planet Earth has been quarantined due to the 1011, Hal and John are able to leave the planet to escort Sinestro during the journey from Oa. Along the way they are ambushed by a group of Sinestro Corps members. Sinestro is freed but before he can receive his yellow power ring the group is attacked a second time by the newly formed Red Lanterns!
A battle between the three factions breaks out and Sinestro is kidnapped by Atrocitus and his group. During the fight Hal is attacked by Red Lantern Laira. Her ring, expelling blood like fluid which ignites into fire engulfs Hal and corrupts his power ring.
Left to float out into space and die, Hal's ring begins to mysteriously re-charge itself to 200% power capacity. Emerging out of nowhere, a Blue Lantern named Saint Walker announces that he was sent by Ganthet to save Jordan. He declares that if the universe is going to survive Blackest Night they're going to need to rescue Sinestro from the Red Lanterns!
NOTE:
The events of this story take place between Final Crisis #1 & Final Crisis #2
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