Editing Guardians of the Universe (section)

====The New 52====
With Kyle Rayner having rebelled against the Guardians to join the 'New Guardians', a makeshift team consisting of representatives from all seven Corps,<ref>''Green Lantern: New Guardians'' #4 (December 2011)</ref> Hal Jordan's recent expulsion (although he has been forced to assist Sinestro's activities), and the 'recommendations' of the now-emotionless Ganthet,<ref>''Green Lantern'' (vol. 5) #1 (November 2011)</ref> the Guardians are preparing to create the 'Third Army' to replace the Green Lantern Corps. This would involve them recovering the mysterious 'First Lantern' for an undefined role,<ref>''Green Lantern'' (vol. 5) #3 (January 2012)</ref> prompting Sinestro, who learned about this prophecy after touching the Book of the Black, to enlist Hal's aid in stopping this scheme.<ref>''Green Lantern'' (vol. 5) #6 (February 2012)</ref>

The Guardians began searching for the Book of the Black by tracking Starstorm, who was one of the last people to have had contact with the Book. When he proves useless to them, the Guardians kill Starstorm without mercy.<ref>''Green Lantern'' (vol. 5) #9 (July 2012)</ref> Furthermore, it was revealed that they were the masterminds behind the release of Abysmus, one of Atrocitus' early experiments at creating life by the use of necromancy and shamanic rituals, so he could try to destroy the Red Lantern Corps by poisoning their Central Power Battery.<ref>''Red Lanterns'' (vol. 1) #12 (October 2012)</ref> It is also speculated that they were the masterminds behind the release of Archangel Invictus from Larfleeze's prison and the fall of the Blue Lantern Corps during the Reach invasion in Odym.<ref>''Green Lantern: New Guardians'' (vol. 1) #9, 10, 11, and 12 (July, August, September, and October 2012)</ref> Secretly, they also were pleased with the outcome of the Alpha War which saw the death of all Alpha Lanterns as it kept their hands clean of any involvement as they intended to destroy their Green Lanterns whilst bringing about the rise of the Third Army.<ref>''Green Lantern Corps'' (vol. 3) #12 (August 2012)</ref>

To do so, the Guardians of the Universe traveled to the Chamber of Shadows, where they had sealed other Oans away for billion of years. As the Guardians open the Chamber, the imprisoned Oans believe that they were finally joining them, but the Guardians clarify that they are there for the First Lantern. The other Oans were stunned by the Guardians (who have become unemotional), telling them that keeping the First Lantern captivity was their objective. The Guardians attack the other Oans, and a Guardian kills the elder Oan named Reegal, as they take the First Lantern, Volthoom that is trapped inside, and seal the other Oans back in the Chamber of Shadows. The Guardians intervene with the Black Lantern, Black Hand, charging him up with enough power to drain Green Lanterns Hal and Sinestro, after learning and finding out that Hal Jordan is wearing a Green Power Ring and becoming a member of the Green Lantern Corps again, which apparently kills them both, as well as the discharge of Hal Jordan once again. The Guardians then use the power of the First Lantern to create the Third Army from their own flesh and will, and so the "Rise of the Third Army" has begun.<ref>''Green Lantern'' (vol. 5) Annual #1 (August 2012)</ref>

The Guardians begin an evil agenda, as they assign John to track down Mogo's dead remains, due to claims that they are moving and trying to reform it. The Guardians then promote [[Guy Gardner (character)|Guy Gardner]] as the 'Sentinel Lantern' and entrust him with guarding a group of ambassadors travelling to a planet for a crucial conference, only to subsequently release Xar, Guy's old enemy, from the Science-Cells. They presume Xar will go after Guy's family on Earth, knowing that Guy will abandon his duty and return to Earth while Xar attacks the ambassadors.<ref>''Green Lantern Corps'' (vol. 3) #13 (October 2012)</ref> The Guardians' plans have changed after Guy breaks off the attack from the Third Army and survives; the Guardians then frame Guy for failing his duty to protect the ambassadors, who were killed and expel him from the Green Lantern Corps.<ref>''Green Lantern Corps'' (vol. 3) #14 (November 2012)</ref> Suspicious about the Guardians' agenda, Salaak's began spying on them and discover they had already spread the Third Army across the universe, but the Guardians caught him before he can reveal this information, and imprison Salaak in the Citadel.<ref>''Green Lantern Corps'' (vol. 3) #15 (December 2012)</ref> The Guardians watches the Third Army spread over the universe, destroying all life and free will. They have told the First Lantern that once the Third Army completes their control over the whole universe, there will be no need for him.<ref>''Green Lantern'' (vol. 5) #14 (November 2012)</ref> Later, the Guardians realize they cannot completely control the universe and need more members of the Third Army. They use more of the power of the First Lantern, without realizing that the First Lantern's prison is breaking.<ref>''Green Lantern'' (vol. 5) #15 (December 2012)</ref>

The Guardians fool the Green Lanterns into a meeting to paralyse them, so they can reveal the reason behind their plan to replace the Green Lantern Corps with the Third Army. However, they are thwarted by Guy's diversion after he survives his fate at the hands of the Third Army and discovers their involvement with the Third Army. Kilowog then used his oath to cause the Central Power Battery to depower so that he could send distress calls to all the Green Lanterns and warn that the Guardians have turned against their own Corps. The Green Lantern Corps, including Guy Gardner (who rejoined them after finding out their plans), join the New Guardians and Atrocitus' Manhunters that arrive to rebel against the treacherous Guardians. When they are able to destroy the Third Army, Volthoom breaks free by taking the wounded Guardians' energy power and igniting the light, apparently resulting in the destruction of the universe.<ref>''Green Lantern Corps'' (vol. 3) Annual #1 (January 2013)</ref>

The Guardians then wake up imprisoned on the planet Maltus by Volthoom, who restores Ganthet's emotions. It is revealed that when Krona tried to observe the beginnings of the universe, his experiment allowed a vessel to emerge on Oa where inside was a figure in a spacesuit with a bright lantern battery. Calling himself Volthoom, this being had traveled across time and space and it was him who apparently tutored the Maltusians about the power of the Emotional Spectrum and at some point was given the name of The First Lantern. However, during one of Krona's experiments involving the Great Heart, he witnessed the creation of The First Ring, which he attempted to claim for himself, only to be infused with the combined emotional awareness of the Maltusians themselves. He was deemed dangerous and unstable by the nascent Guardians of the Universe who were threatened by his great power. Thus, it was ultimately decided to imprison him within The Chamber of Shadows, a lantern shaped construct built near a black hole, where he was trapped inside for untold millennia. A number of Oans remained behind to ensure that The First Lantern was kept imprisoned and became known as The Hidden Ones, while those that remained embarked on their mission of policing the universe with the Manhunters. The First Lantern's custodians and wardens vowed that he would never be released, due to the dangers he posed. According to Krona, the Guardians were responsible for betraying the First Lantern. His only legacy on Oa was within The Foundry in the area that stored the Power Gauntlet, where an inscription mentions The First Lantern. Volthoom intends to feed off the other Lanterns' emotions to fuel his own emotional powers.<ref name="gl5.17">''Green Lantern'' (vol. 5) #17 (February 2013)</ref> When Volthoom is slain by Nekron, while Hal Jordan is now a member of the Green Lantern Corps, the Guardians are freed, but are then executed by Sinestro for the destruction of Korugar, although he spared one Guardian to Atrocitus. Sinestro spares Ganthet and reunites him with Sayd, but exiles them from Oa. The Malthusians who guarded Volthoom become the new "Templar Guardians".<ref>''Green Lantern'' (vol. 5) #20 (May 2013)</ref> Because they are so out of touch with the current state of the universe, the Templar Guardians appoint Hal as a temporary leader of the Corps while they set out on a voyage of learning.<ref>''Green Lantern'' (vol. 5) #21 (June 2013)</ref>