Heir Apparent

"Heir Apparent" is the fifth episode of the first season of Green Lantern: The Animated Series. It aired on March 31, 2012.

Overview
Searching for some more recruits for their fight against the Red Lanterns, the crew of the Interceptor travel to the planet of Betrassus to find the planet's Green Lantern Dulok. However, Hal must fight for the hand of a queen named Iolande.

Synopsis
Aya guides the interceptor through space while simultaneously practicing the assembly of her new robot body. She detects a Green Lantern power ring signature and Hal orders her to plot a course toward it. When Razer notes that even if they recruit a third Green Lantern, they'll still be outnumbered against the Red Lantern Corps, Hal reminds him that Razer is one of them. Aya insists that she is a Green Lantern as well, but Hal orders her to stay on the ship when they arrive at the planet.

The interceptor arrives at Betrassus and Hal and Kilowog go to the palace. The newly-crowned queen, Iolande, is aware of the Green Lantern Corps and welcomes them as friends. Her brother, Ragnar, is eager to meet with the legendary Corps, and explains that their Green Lantern is Dulok to aid them against the Red Lanterns. Iolande knows of the Red Lanterns, who have attacked their outlying colonies, and the warrior Kothak speaks up to insist that they need a strong ruler, and that the queen should marry him so that he can command as king. Ragnar explains to his new friends that by tradition, the greatest warrior may challenge to claim the hand of an unwed queen. He then steps forward and asks if anyone will accept Kothak's challenge. Dulac arrives and says that he'll take the challenge.

That night, Hal and Kilowog speak with Dulok, a veteran Green Lantern, who says that he'd be glad to join them. He believes that Iolande has no romantic interest in him and says that he is only accepting Kothak's challenge to stop the marriage. Ragnar brings them drinks and asks how the ring chose Hal, and the Green Lantern explains that it simply found him. Kothak comes in and reminds Dulok that the challenge must be on equal terms, and Duloc is glad to fight him without his power ring. Once the warrior leaves, Dulok tells Hal that once he has defeated Kothak, he can join them in their battle against the Red Lanterns.

The next day, Hal and Kilowog are in the stands with Ragnar and watch as Kothak enters the arena. However, when Dulok doesn't arrive, Kothak accuses Dulok of cowardice. Hal and Kilowog don't believe it, and Hal steps up to accept Kothak's challenge and fight for Iolande's hand. Kothak refuses, saying that Hal is an outsider, but Iolande agrees. Kilowog warns Hal that he can't stay to be king, and Hal assures Kothak that he'll fight him without his power ring the next day.

Once they have leave the arena, Hal checks with Razer, who wonders what is delaying them. When he volunteers to help find Dulok, Hal tells him to stay in the intercepter and has Aya run a sensor scan. Once she signs off, Aya finds an energy trail and Razer prepares to leave, disregarding Hal's order. He suggests that she come with him and Aya eagerly agrees.

In the arena, Hal practices with the jet skimmers that are used in the battle. Iolande offers her help and he refuses at first, until he realizes that the skimmers are trickier than he thought.

Razer and Aya follow the energy trial into the catacombs beneath the castle and avoid the guards.

As Hal practices in the arena, Kothak flies up to him and knocks him off of his skimmer. Once the warrior leaves, Hal continues working with Iolande. In the stands, Kilowog watches his teammate and Ragnar brings him another drink. The prince notes that there are two Green Lanterns on the planet and hopes that they can help him deal with the internal menace that threatens his world.

Hal and Iolande fly out of the arena and over the city. Hal's skimmer engine suddenly starts smoking and the vehicle crashes onto a skywalk. Hal's ring protects him, much to Iolande's relief, and she suggests that he back out of the challenge or his own safety. Hal assures her that he can protect himself and Iolande worries that she doesn't have what it takes to be queen. The Green Lantern assures her that she has everything that she needs and so much more, and says that he's a good judge of character.

Aya tracks the energy source to a dead-end wall which Razer smashes open. Inside is a sarcophagus holding Dulac's dead body. There are no signs of a struggle or of the Green Lantern's power ring. When Aya can't find the ring on her sensors, Razer calls the others.

The day of the battle arrives and Hal and Kothak enter the arena while Kilowog watches from the stands and Ragnar gets him another drink. When Kothak boasts that he will easily dispose of Hal and take the queen for himself, Iolande tells him to mind his place. After vowing to fight for the people to give them the queen they deserve, Hal turns to fight Kothak and the two man joust from skimmers. Hal knocks Kothak off of his mount first but the warrior uses a spear to destroy Hal's skimmer. The two men fighting on foot while Kilowog cheers them on and pours another tankard of ale into his mouth. He then starts choking and collapses, dead. Iolande runs to his side and realizes that he's been poisoned. Hal and Kothak come up and Hal vows to find the person responsible, while Kothak insists that his opponent return to the arena so that they can finish the battle.

Before they can resolve the issue, Kilowog's ring removes itself from its finger and flies into the air. It hovers briefly before Iolande and then Kothak, and finally settles itself on Ragnar's finger. He immediately tells everyone to bow down before him, insisting that he is now the most powerful warrior on the planet and the only one suitable to rule as king. The prince boasts that he killed Dulac so that his power ring would come to him. However, when that didn't work, he killed Kilowog to obtain his power rings. Hal and the others refuse to bow to him and Ragnar prepares to blast them, only to watch in shock as the power ring disappears. Hal punches him and Kilowog stands up, revealing that he faked drinking the poisoned ale and used his ring to create a fake construct to give to Ragnar and trick him into betraying himself.

A desperate Ragnar grabs Iolande and uses her as a hostage to make his escape while his bribed soldiers attack Hal, Kilowog, and Kothak. While Kothak fights his way past them and goes after the escaping Ragnar, Kilowog tosses Hal's ring to him and he dons it just in time to drive back the soldiers. The two Green Lanterns fly after Ragnar, who manages to evade Kothak. The prince heads for the gate but the Green Lanterns snag his skimmer and bring him to a stop. When Ragnar tries to use Iolande as a hostage again, Hal tells the queen to put on Dulac's power ring. She removes it from a brooch, dons it, and blasts Ragnar to the ground. When he tries to stab her, she easily repels him and he's forced to beg for mercy.

Later, Iolande has her soldiers take Ragnar away to prison and thanks the Green Lanterns for their help. Kothak kneels before her, saying that she is a great and powerful leader and worthy of his loyalty. Everyone else present bows as well. Hal then talks to the new Green Lantern in her private chamber and explains that Ragnar slipped up when he said there were only two Green Lanterns on the planet when everyone believed that Dulac was still alive. He was confident that Dulac's power ring went to Iolande as the most worthy candidate in the sector. Iolande admits that she would like to participate in the fight against the Red Lanterns, but her duties as queen come first.

Cast
For full credits click here.

Heroes

 * Hal Jordan
 * Kilowog
 * Razer
 * Aya

Villains

 * Ragnar (first appearance)
 * Red Lantern Corps (mentioned only)
 * Atrocitus (mentioned only)

Other characters

 * Iolande (first appearance)
 * Kothak (first appearance)
 * Dulok (only appearance; death)

Locations

 * Frontier Space
 * Betrassus (first appearance)

Items

 * Green Lantern Power Ring
 * Red Lantern Power Ring

Vehicles

 * Interceptor

Quotes

 * Hal Jordan: So, want to come along with us?
 * Iolande: I would love to come with you. But to my people, I am more than a Green Lantern.
 * Hal Jordan: You're their queen...
 * Iolande: Yes. As Queen, there is very little I can choose. In fact, I can choose very little. But I can choose to do this... (kisses Hal Jordan)


 * Hal Jordan: Iolande, your name sounds like a waterfall.
 * Kilowog: Worst line ever.


 * Dulok: We shall see.


 * Iolande: (to Hal and Kilowog) I am Queen Iolande. I welcome you to Betrassus.


 * Aya: I can now assemble myself in 2.1 seconds.
 * Kilowog: And up until two days ago, you weren't much more than a real smart disembodied voice. Jordan, back me up here.
 * Hal Jordan: Any girl who can get ready in less than three seconds has my stamp of approval.


 * Aya: For reference, when in my physical form, I prefer not to be pushed into the dirt.

Series continuity

 * Ragnar was kept in prison till "Regime Change", when he became a Red Lantern.

Trivia

 * The storyline was adapted from the issues 1-3 of the Green Lantern Corps comic. Human Green Lantern, Guy Gardner and Green Lantern, Soranik Natu investigated the death of Soranik's partner and prince of Betrassus. They discover the murderer is the Prince Ragnar. His motive for killing Green Lantern of his sector was in hopes of becoming one. In conclusion of the story Soranik chooses Princess Iolande to be her partner and second Green Lantern of their sector.
 * Hal had mentioned about how he became a Green Lantern after one Green Lantern crash landed on Earth and dies.
 * Ragnar and Iolande first appeared in Green Lantern Corps#1, and were created by Dave Gibbons and Patrick Gleason. In the comic, Ragnar is obsessed with the Green Lantern Corps and secretly murders everyone in the sector who might possibly receive a Green Lantern ring before him. He then murders a Green Lantern so that he will be chosen as the new sector guard. The dead Lantern's partner sees through the ruse and Ragnar is eventually executed by his sister, Iolande, who becomes the new Green Lantern.

Goofs

 * All the rings from dead lanterns have been returning to Oa, despite their worthy beings existing in the area much closer than an 18 month trip. Yet this ring finds a new wielder on the planet instead.