Guy Gardner is a jerk. Through and through, Guy is an unrepentant prick who loves nothing more than getting on people’s nerves. He’s arrogant to the point of insanity, aggressive as a bull wearing rose-tinted glasses, and overbearing as all get out. If he were a real person, then odds are that most people who met Guy would really not like him. He’s literally designed to be as aggravating as possible, something he takes great pride in. Mainstream audiences were introduced to Guy with his silver screen debut in James Gunn’s Superman, and they finally saw what everyone in the comic book community already knew; Guy Garnder is extremely hateable and that’s why we love him. Not only is he hilarious and someone who makes you cheer when he dishes it out and takes it, but he’s an incredibly complex character unlike any others in the Green Lantern Corps. Guy is despicable and deeply nuanced, and it makes him awesome.
Gardner Isn’t a Regular Guy
Guy grew up in an abusive home, with his father repeatedly beating him and berating him for not being more like his older brother Mace. This led Guy to act out and get into lots of trouble when he was younger, but he turned his life around after Mace, a police officer, caught him committing a crime and instead of arresting him, beat him up and told him he needed to get his life together. Mace gave Guy the kick in the pants he needed to turn back from the brink, with Guy supporting himself through college and graduating with a liberal arts degree. He would take a job as a social worker who worked with prisoners, but eventually left because the darkness he faced while working brought out his own bad tendencies. Guy would choose to work with kids with disabilities, which he found both fulfilling and made him a better person.
Unfortunately, not everything in Guy’s life turned out great from then on. Mace was revealed to be a dirty cop after a drug deal gone wrong left him paralyzed, leading his older brother to commit suicide. This led Guy’s own father to fall into alcoholism. Guy continued to try and better his life, and when Abin Sur died on Earth, Guy was equally as worthy as Hal Jordan of taking over his role, with Hal only being chosen because he was closer. The Guardians elected Guy as Hal’s official backup, but just when he would have been called into service, he was hit by a truck saving one of his students. Even after he heals and assists Hal on several adventures, he was trapped in the Phantom Zone, and only escaped after sustaining brain damage that left him in a coma for several years. Once he woke up, Guy was shown to be much more aggressive than before, almost with a completely different personality due to his intense and permanent brain damage.
Even after he finally becomes a superhero, Guy’s life only continues to get more complicated. His first mission as an actual Green Lantern has to be forcibly stopped by his comrades after they find out it would destroy the multiverse, and his eventual undercover role as a Red Lantern forces him to grapple with the unyielding rage deep inside his heart. And yet, through every heartbreak and broken bone, Guy Gardner continues to stay both a hero and a dick, and that’s amazing.
Guy Is a Flawed, Human Hero
Guy Gardner has plenty of flaws. But beyond his anger issues and desire to antagonize every single person he meets, there’s a very real person who is trying to live the best life he can after it was shattered to pieces so many times. Guy knows that he’s a jerk, and he knows that sometimes he’s one bad choice away from losing himself to rage that burns hotter than lava, but he tries to be a hero. He wants to lift other people up even when he tears them down with insults because he doesn’t want to see anyone else suffer if he can help it. Guy isn’t always likeable, but he’s always loveable because he’s trying his best. Also, it’s really funny to see him get his brain rocked because he asks for it all the time. His most famous moment is Batman knocking out his lights in one punch, and everyone obsessives over that panel for a reason. Guy is the meathead we all love despite the many reasons he gives us to hate him, and that’s what makes him such an interesting character.
Which Guy Gardner moment is your favorite? Mine, as normie as it is, has to be the Batman punch, because how can you top that? Let us know what your favorite is in the comments below!
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