OAN SCIENCELLS	ATLAS
Created by Steve Englehart and Joe Staton

LOCALE INFORMATION

Name: Oan Sciencells
Status: Active
Location: Oa
Space Sector: 0
Warden: Voz
Inmate(s): (See inmate listing)
First Appearance: Green Lantern Vol. 2 #195 (December 1985): "4"
Creators: Steve Englehart; Joe Staton

HISTORY

In their quest to bring order to the stars, it was only a matter of time before the Guardians of the Universe made many enemies. Whenever possible, the Oans did not kill their foes, they contained them. The magic wielding Empire of Tears was subjugated and imprisoned on the tomb world of Ysmault. The insect race of Tchkk-Tchkki, later known as Legion, was enclosed in an emerald forcefield around their world.

- Green Lantern Corps Annual #2, Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn #1 - 6

The Guardians utilized one world, known only as the Guardians' Prison Planet to contain dozens of cosmic criminals. This world featured shifting time periods, each captive was chronologically out of phase with his fellow prisoners. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #55 - 56

The deadliest of their foes were brought to Oa and imprisoned in the Sciencells. Each cell was specifically designed to contain the villain and neutralize his/her/its powers. The sciencells had their own chamber, connected to the Oan citadel.

Millennia ago MadGod Sector 3600 was defeated by the Guardians and was constrained by a matrix of their making. By showing the sector that they were its superiors, the Guardians had imprisoned it for all time. It too was kept in a sciencell. - Green Lantern Corps Annual #2

The sciencells were powered by energy from the Central Power Battery. When the Anti-Monitor struck at the Guardians through the battery during the so-called Crisis on Infinite Earths the sciencell power wavered, allowing at least one of the prisoners to escape. Hal Jordan, at the time resigned from the Green Lantern Corps, fought the alien creature in a research tunnel far from the Oan central citadel. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #195

Following the Crisis, the Oans chose to end their self-appointed Guardianship. Before leaving our universe, the Guardians ordered the Green Lantern Corps to capture a number of cosmic criminals,

especially those that had killed Green Lanterns. Sinestro somehow managed to escape but was quickly returned to his cell. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #199 - 200

Oa was left behind by the Green Lanterns and the Guardians. The sole remaining Oan in the universe was Appa Ali Apsa. The former Guardian returned to Maltus with the Green Lantern Corps Honor Guard. - Green Lantern Vol. 2 #200

Drawing upon knowledge from his days as a Green Lantern, Sinestro believed the empty cell next to his was filled with the MadGod Sector 3600. Though he was ridiculed by other prisoners, Sinestro began to tell it stories designed to show the Sector its imprisonment was only in its mind. By the 999th tale Sinestro received a reaction. By the 1,000th tale Sector 3600 opened the Sciencells but only Sinestro was quick enough to escape and seal the sciencells once more. The other prisoners who had doubted him for so long would need to find their own escape. - Green Lantern Corps Annual #2

Sinestro and Sector 3600 when on a reign of destruction, killing untold billions across known space before he and his powerful ally were once more defeated. When Sinestro was tried and executed by the Green Lantern Corps he was able to seize control of the Central Power Battery and initiate an implosion. The emerald energy of the battery reabsorbed the power rings of virtually all of the universe's Green Lanterns. The sciencells, powered by the emerald energy, were opened and all the prisoners escaped to seek revenge on their captors.

The ringless Green Lanterns had to fight back as best they could until Hal Jordan stabilized the Central Battery and rounded up the escapees. The prisoners were later transferred back to their individual sciencells. Appa Ali Apsa remained on Oa as caretaker of the remains of the Central Power Battery. - Green Lantern Corps # 224

Months of isolation from his brother Guardians caused Appa Ali Apsa to slowly slip into madness. Appa killed the former Green Lantern Priest for refusing to join in a mind union. - Green Lantern Special #2, Green Lantern Vol. 3 #1 - 2

The insane Guardian went to the Oan sciencecells to find company. He wanted to join with the prisoners but began killing them one by one out of spite. When he came upon Goldface, the quick thinking criminal made a deal. He promised if Appa Ali Apsa would send him to Earth, he would recruit others to keep him company.

Many of the other convicts had the same idea and were spared. The current whereabouts of Lurlan Dupo, Sector 3600 and Myrwhydden have yet to be revealed. On Earth, Goldface gathered his rivals to send to Oa, but he never heard from the Guardian again. Goldface tried to start an interstellar criminal organization with the help of other sciencell escapees, Repo, Jocasta, Piston and Evil Star. Internal fighting and the arrival of Hal Jordan led to the break up of the fledgling organization. - Green Lantern Vol. 3 #18, 26- 28

The Green Lantern Corps collapsed due to Parallax' absorption of the Central Power Battery. Some time later the planet Oa itself was destroyed in a fight between Parallax and the last possessor of the power ring, Kyle Rayner. It has yet to be revealed if the Sciencells were emptied before the destruction of Oa. - Green Lantern Vol. 3 #50, 0

Oa was later restored by Tom Kalmaku. When the Green Lantern Corps was reborn following Hal Jordan's return and the defeat of Parallax, Oa once more had need of the sciencells. Green Lantern Vozof Sector 571 is currently the warden, and is trying to recruit Lantern G'hu of Sector 2937 as head guard of the sciencells. - Green Lantern/Sinestro Corps Secret Files #1

The most common cell resembles the insignia of the Green Lantern Corps and is a cube formation. The new cells are specifically created by the Guardians themselves to contain both prisoners, and in the case of the Sinestro Corps, their yellow power rings. There appears to be hundreds of these cubes and it has been shown they are stacked at least twelve high. The sciencells can be taken out of their stacks for transporting prisoners. - Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns #1

A unique sciencell was created for Superboy-Prime. The cell enclosed a miniature red sun, and was consistently guarded by fifty Green Lanterns in what was called “prime duty.” - Infinite Crisis #7, Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1

Escapees from the sciencells have included the Cyborg Superman, Nero, and Superboy-Prime, freed during a Sinestro Corps attack on Oa. Despero later escaped under different circumstances. It is noted that none of the sciencell inmates have ever been successfully rehabilitated. -Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1, Green Lantern/Sinestro Corps Secret Files #1

The recent imprisonment of Red Lantern Vice was shortlived. Vice was able to burn through his sciencell to attack Green Lantern Voz. Vice then turned his anger towards the imprisoned Sinestro Corps The Guardian known as Scar caused the failure of the containment unit holding the yellow power rings of the Sinestro Corps. The subsequent destruction included the deaths of many Green Lanterns, including Lantern Greb and the collapse of the Oan battery shell.

Once the riot was finally put down, the Guardians of the Universe ordered the execution of a great number of prisoners in conjunction with the first and second laws from the Book of Oa. The sentences were carried out by the Alpha-Lanterns. - Green Lantern Corps Vol. 2 #35 - 38

PROFILE REFERENCES

Green Lantern/Sinestro Corps Secret Files #1 (February 2008)