‘Lanterns’ Episode 2: Antaan and the Manhunters Explained

Episode 2 of the show "Lanterns" reveals the existence of the Manhunters, a robotic group of peacekeeping agents created by the Guardians of the Universe in 1975. These Manhunters were designed to watch over the 3,600 sectors before the Guardians developed the Green Lantern Corps. However, the Manhunters became too violent and self-aware, rebelling against their creators and carrying out their own version of justice, resulting in the loss of numerous species.

In the series, Antaan (played by Paul Ben-Victor) is revealed to be an alien and the leader of a group of human-disguised extraterrestrials. He abducts John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and informs him that they believe a creature known as a Manhunter is hiding in Rushville, Nebraska. Antaan's purpose in Nebraska is to either alert the Manhunters to its identity in 48 hours or face the consequences of a violent uprising.

The Manhunters are not related to the Martian Manhunter, a misinterpretation that Antaan makes during the interrogation. Antaan reveals that one of the Manhunters escaped onto his homeworld, blending in among his people and eventually causing a holocaust against his people. Antaan was once close to this Manhunter before they carried out the massacre. The specific details of how the Manhunter destroyed Antaan's people are unclear, but Antaan is willing to detonate himself to kill the remaining Manhunter.

As the series progresses, it becomes clear that Antaan's backstory shares similarities with the Green Lantern villain Atrocitus, leader of the Red Lanterns. Both Antaan and Atrocitus lost their homeworlds due to rogue Manhunters. In the comics, Atrocitus survived the destruction of Sector 666, leaving only five beings, including Atrocitus, to live. The showrunners have acknowledged the similarities between Antaan and Atrocitus, with Mundy stating that Antaan is "very much analogous" to the Red Lantern villain.