Razer's Edge

"Razer's Edge" is the third episode of Green Lantern: The Animated Series. It originally aired on Cartoon Network on March 17, 2012.

' "Green Lanterns are best eaten... fresh." '

Overview
Hal and Kilowog drop captive Red Lantern Razer off at a prison asteroid run by the Spider Guild. However, when they learn that the wardens are torturing their prisoners, they go back to investigate and are captured... leaving only Razer and Aya to rescue them.

Synopsis
Aboard Aya, Razer is in his cell watching a replay of the destruction of the colony world when Kilowog comes in and demands more information about the Red Lanterns. When he starts to beat Razer, Hal Jordan interrupts him and asks Razer for his help since Atrocitus turned against him. Razer dismisses him, insisting that he hates both sides.

On the bridge Hal and Kilowog check in with the Guardians of the Universe, and Appa Ali Apsa objects to Hal being "rewarded" with the ship. Ganthet points out that since they are in Frontier Space, there is little else they can do. The Guardians tell the two Green Lanterns to gather intel on the Red Lantern threat and doing what they can to stop their advance. Kilowog reports that the Red Lantern ring itself is in a stasis box, and Hal wonders what they should do with Razer. Appa tells them to keep Razer imprisoned. Listening in, Razer believes they are weak for not executing him. Aya wonders why he wouldn't want to make restitution for his actions, but Razer dismisses her as a mere computer. Meanwhile, Hal tells Aya to find a world that they can use to imprison Razer.

Aya locates an asteroid prison and the warden, Myglom, greets them on behalf of the Spider Guild. He is eager to take Razer into custody regardless of the evidence against him, and assures Hal and Kilowog that no one escapes from the prison. Kilowog immediately hands Razer over to the wardens but Hal isn't so sure. Once they depart, Myglom and his spider soldiers strap Razer into a machine and begin torturing him. In space, Kilowog is relaxing at the console when something runs across the portal. He warns Hal, who doesn't see anything at first, but they finally spot a creature on the hull. They fly out and pursue the creature, which is crawling on the ship's hull. Hal manages to snag the creature and they take it inside. The alien, Goggan, says that it won't go back to the prison and explains that it tunneled out through an air shaft. Kilowog is ready to take Goggan back, but the alien says that it's forced to relive the pain of its life over and over. Hal thinks they should intervene, even if the people being tortured are criminals, and explains to Aya that they stand for punishment, not torture. Kilowog agrees that they should look around because they have to take Goggan back anyway, but isn't happy when Hal says they need to sneak in.

Aya approaches the prison asteroid and lands quietly on the far side of the asteroid. Hal and Kilowog slip inside and start exploring.

In his cell, Razer relives the most painful moments of his life. Razer is on his homeworld with his mate, Ilana, and vowing to join the militia to stop the Warlords from decimating their planet. She objects but Razer insists that he'll gain the power he needs to stop anyone from attacking them ever again. Hal and Kilowog find one of the machines and signs of someone digging desperately to get out. As they leave the chamber, filled with yellow rocks, the spider soldiers attack them. The Green Lanterns discover that their rings are low on power and are quickly subdued.

Razer returns home from the militia to discover that the Warlords have attacked again, leaving Illana dead among the rubble Hal and Kilowog are cocooned and hung up, and Myglom comes in to tell them that he can't release them now that they know his secret. He tells them that the mineral provides power and nullifies Green Lantern energies. Myglom insists that they don't torture the prisoners, but simply force them to relive their worst moments again and again. Spider soldiers attach devices to Hal and Kilowog while the warden tells them that once they relive their memories, they will eat them.

Aboard Aya, Goggan paces nervously and tells the computer that she should leave. She decides to take action and releases an energy probe. It enters the asteroid but is unable to bypass the yellow rocks.

Razer tells Illana's corpse that he came back for her and screams his rage to the heavens. A Red Lantern ring appears to him and Atrocitus speaks through it, tells him to give in to his hate and join their corps. Razer accepts and dons the ring, and dons the costume of a Red Lantern.

Aya enters the machinery generating Razer's projected nightmare, taking on the form of Illana, and tells him that none of what he's experiencing is real. He says that he knows but doesn't mind the pain, as long as he can see Illana one last time. When Aya informs him that Hal and Kilowog came to save him and she needs his help, Razer tells he that he deserves to be there because he helped destroy an entire world. Aya explains that Kilowog saved the colonists and Razer says he still deserves to suffer, but Aya frees him anyway. When he warns that he'll never forgive her, Aya says that she's knows his pain but he disagrees, saying no machine can understand what he's been through. Aya directs him to the tunnel that leads to Hal and Kilowog, but Razer takes the other tunnel back to the ship instead over her protests. Myglom end the first torture session and decides to feed on them immediately. Razer enters the ship and finds Goggan in his cell. Ignoring him, Razer goes to the bridge and recovers his ring from the stasis cell.

As Myglom prepares to feed, Razer arrives and blasts the Spider Guild soldiers with his ring. He frees the Green Lanterns and continues blasting away at the spider soldiers. Hal and Kilowog leap into battle, fighting hand-to-hand while Myglom tries to slip away. However, Hal finds him and the warden attacks him. Despite the lack of his ring, Hal defeats Myglom and Razer and Kilowog finish the others. After a moment, Razer removes his ring rather than let the hate consume him, and hands it over to his captors.

Later, the Lanterns imprison Myglom and his men in the cells and appoint Goggan as the temporary warden until the Guardians can send a replacement in 18 months. Goggan assures them that no one will be tortured there. Kilowog wonders if Hal was going to appoint Razer as warden, but Hal says that Razer will be coming with them and gives him his ring back.

As Aya departs, Kilowog glances at Razer and says that he has a new worst memory. Meanwhile, Aya asks the freed Razer if he has recovered from his ordeal. He looks at his ring and asks why she risked her existence as an artificial intelligence to save Hal and Kilowog. Aya merely says that a Green Lantern would do no less, giving Razer food for thought.

Credits

 * Written by: Eugene Son
 * Directed by: Sam Liu
 * Starring:
 * Josh Keaton - Hal Jordan
 * Kevin Michael Richardson - Kilowog
 * Kurtwood Smith - Shyir Rev
 * Grey DeLisle -
 * Aya
 * Ilana (first appearance)
 * Jonathan Adams - Atrocitus
 * Tom Kenny - Zilius Zox
 * Jason Spisak - Razer
 * Robert Englund - Myglom
 * Rob Paulsen - Goggan (first appearance)
 * Ian Abercombie - Ganthet
 * Susanne Blakeslee - Sayd
 * Produced by:
 * James Krieg - Producer
 * Sam Register - Executive producer
 * Bruce Timm - Executive producer
 * Giancarlo Volpe - Producer
 * Music by:
 * Frederik Wiedmann
 * Film editing by:
 * Joe Gall
 * Casting by:
 * Lisa Schaffer
 * Production management:
 * James Davidson - Production supervisor
 * Josh Ling - Assistant production manager
 * Sandi Smith - Assistant production manager
 * Tramm Wigzell - Executive in charge of production: Cartoon Network
 * Art department:
 * Christopher Berkeley - Storyboard artist
 * Val Kung - Concept designer
 * Jeff Palm - Concept designer
 * David Maximo - Storyboard cleanup
 * Sound department:
 * Sarah Baluch - Recording machine operator
 * Jeff Collins - Recording machine operator
 * Robert Hargreaves -
 * Sound designer
 * Sound effects editor
 * Sound re-recording mixer
 * John Hegedes - Sound re-recording mixer
 * Special effects by:
 * Vincent Shou - Special effects lead
 * Visual effects by:
 * Roger Borelli - Lead modeler
 * Le Gao - Lighting lead
 * Camera and electrical department:
 * Feng-Yi Hsiao - Lighting director
 * Animation department:
 * Tim Cheung - Animation supervisor
 * John Lin - Layout lead
 * Clarence Robello - Animation lead
 * Thomas Perkins - Character designer
 * Casting department:
 * Liz Carroll - Casting administrator
 * Editorial department:
 * Steven White - Online editor
 * Music department:
 * Niki Sherrod - Executive in charge of music
 * Chris Tedesco - Music contractor
 * Other crew:
 * John Michael Beach - Business and legal affairs
 * Lori Blackstone - Business and legal affairs
 * Diana Chen - Production support
 * Tamara Miles - production support

Heroes

 * Hal Jordan
 * Kilowog
 * Razer
 * Aya

Villains

 * Myglom (first appearance)
 * Spider Guild (first appearance)
 * Red Lantern Corps (mentioned only)

Other characters

 * Goggan (first appearance)
 * Ilana (first appearance, appears in flashback(s))

Locations

 * Frontier Space
 * Spider Guild Prison (first appearance)
 * Volkreg (appears in flashback(s))
 * Colony 12 (illusion only)

Items

 * Green Lantern Power Ring
 * Red Lantern Power Ring
 * Yellow crystals (first appearance)

Vehicles

 * Interceptor

Quotes

 * Hal Jordan: (to Myglom) I was kicking butt long before I ever got this ring, and I've been squashing bugs even longer!
 * Razer: (finding his wife to be dead) Ilana? But... I came back for you... I came back... I CAME BACK FOR YOU!
 * Kilowog: Like looking at that stuff, Poozer? Proud of what you did? How many of you Red Lanterns are out there? Why are you hunting Green Lanterns? (slams Razer against the wall) ANSWER ME!
 * Hal Jordan: Easy there, Kilowog! This thing's a rental, remember?
 * Hal Jordan: The Red Lanterns abandoned you, Razer, left you for dead. I think that calls for a little payback, don't you? Help us. Tell us what you know.
 * Razer: I do hate the Red Lanterns for what they made me... but that doesn't mean I've stopped hating Green Lanterns. It just means I have more people to hate.
 * Hal Jordan: This place gives me the creeps. It's like fear irradiates from the walls. It's a dank, dark repulsive hole full of...
 * Kilowog: Spiders.
 * Hal Jordan: I was going to say 'rats', but... oh. (sees the Spider Guild)
 * Kilowog: Even if there is something wrong with the prison, it's not like Myglom's gonna let us see it. They'll clean up their act as soon as they see us coming.
 * Hal Jordan: That's why they're not gonna see us coming.
 * Kilowog: Please, don't say it...
 * Hal Jordan: We're going to break INTO the prison.
 * Kilowog: (shudders) These yellow stones are everywhere, they make my skin crawl...
 * Hal Jordan: I've never seen you scared before.
 * Hal Jordan: I ain't afraid of no rocks!
 * (a Red Lantern Power Ring approaches Razer)
 * Atrocitus: Razer of the Forgotten Zone, you have great rage in your heart. You belong to the Red Lantern Corps. Give in. The ring knows your pain.
 * Razer: SOMEONE MUST PAY! (holds out his hand for the ring)
 * Atrocitus: You will have revenge. This, your new master Atrocitus, promises...
 * (Razer becomes a Red Lantern)
 * Hal Jordan: (to Razer) Great timing, kid!
 * Kilowog: (brandishes a stalactite) You want some, poozer? There's plenty for everyone!
 * Aya: Razer, listen to me: none of this is real. This is not really happening. Do not panic. I am the AYA program.
 * Razer: I know this is fantasy, an illusion meant to bring me pain.
 * Aya: You know, then why...
 * Razer: The memories keep replaying over and over in my head. They hurt, but I don't mind. I get to see her again, even if it's for one more moment.
 * Aya: I don't understand.
 * Razer: Pray you never do.
 * Aya: I need your help. I cannot save Hal and Kilowog without you. Some force is keeping me out of the prison.
 * Razer: The prison? What are the Green Lanterns even doing here?
 * Aya: The heard the prisoners were being tortured here, and Hal thought it unacceptable. They came back to investigate, and to save you if it was true.
 * Razer: They shouldn't have done that! I deserve to be here! I helped destroy an entire world, all those people died because of me...
 * Aya: No. Kilowog was able to rescue the settlers before the world was destroyed.
 * Razer: What? Then I didn't...
 * Razer: Fools. For what I have done, they should execute me.
 * Aya: I do not understand your desire for self-destruction. If one regrets one's actions, one should find a way to make restitution.
 * Razer: I am not about to debate this with a computer.
 * Kilowog: You know, for a second there I thought you were going to make Razer the warden.
 * Hal Jordan: Are you crazy? I couldn't possibly leave a Red Lantern in charge of this place... because he's coming with us.
 * Kilowog: An escaped convict will say anything to stay out of prison.
 * Hal Jordan: And if he's telling the truth?
 * Kilowog: Razer's worse than a criminal... if the spiders want to torture him, let 'em!
 * Hal Jordan: It's our job, our DUTY, to serve and protect. Even if they're criminals.
 * Aya: Intriguing. Criminals must be punished, surely the prisoners deserve their fate.
 * Hal Jordan: They deserve justice, which sometimes involves punishment... but not torture.
 * Razer: You are an artificial intelligence, yet you risked your existence to save them.
 * Aya: A Green Lantern would do no less.
 * Aya: (forcibly restores Razer)  What you want is irrelevant.
 * (Razer runs to the Interceptor)
 * Aya: No. You can not leave them behind to die!
 * Myglom: No one has EVER escaped from this facility, I am very proud of that. But I am even more proud of our rehabilitation program. You'll find that nearly a hundred percent of our "guests" never return to their life of crime...
 * Razer: I doubt very much that these machines will be able to "rehabilitate" me...
 * Myglom: Oh, don't be too concerned with that... soon you will be far, far away...
 * (Razer is heard screaming)
 * Myglom: Oh, your rings won't work here. you must have noticed this before now... (points to the yellow crystals) We stumbled on a rich planet of it nearby. Not only does it power and light the whole facility, it has an interesting side effect: it nullifies the energy of a Green Lantern Power Ring.
 * Hal Jordan: So you DO run a Gulag after all!
 * Myglom: Not at all. We don't torture the prisoners here... not in the traditional sense.
 * (two spiders attach headbands to Hal Jordan and Kilowog)
 * Myglom: These devices force the wearer to relive their worst moments, again and again.
 * Kilowog: So, that's what you've got in store for us? A couple of bad dreams?
 * Myglom: Oh no, no. The memories are only the beginning. After we treat our prisoners, then we eat them.

Series continuity

 * The Spider Guild Prison and the yellow stones are mentioned by Hal again in "Fear Itself".

Trivia

 * Razer's wife, Ilana is introduced.
 * The Green Lanterns encounter yellow crystals that render their rings ineffective. In the Green Lantern comics, the Yellow power of Fear is the counterpart of the Green power of Willpower, and is utilized by the Sinestro Corps.
 * Myglom (Robert Englund) tortures his prisoners by trapping them in nightmares where they relive there worst experiences. This is apt, as Englund is famous for playing dream demon Freddy Krueger in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" films.

Background
Originally, the Interceptor used to have a rising floor that the Green Lanterns used to exit the ship. It was eventually moved to the side of the room. Hal and Kilowog used to fight the Spider Guild guards as soon as they entered the jail, but the scene was cut for time. The scene with the closeup of the candles in the episode was supposed to be a shot within Razer's memory, directly after the scene where Hal and Kilowog fight the Spider Guild guards. The shot was later moved to Ilana's "funeral" scenes.