Warning: may contain spoilers for Far Sector #11
Sojourner “Jo” Mullein, the Far Sector, has lost control of the crucial mission she was assigned. The odds have been stacked against the rookie Lantern ever since she arrived in the City Enduring, and the Guardian that recruited Jo didn’t give her the whole story.
The three alien species that populate The City Enduring have coexisted for generations by suppressing the emotions of all citizens. Switchoff, a drug that overrides the emotion exploit began to elicit hostility and discord among the population, and after the world experienced its first murder in centuries, the ruling council sought the assistance of the Green Lantern Corp. Jo Mullein, was personally selected, given a unique Green Lantern ring, and a limited timeline to help resolve the City Enduring’s issues. During her investigation, she’s prevented massacres at protests and uncovered conspiracies related to the murder, and a vote to end the emotion exploit. Far Sector's Lantern even hacked into the internet with her ring and ed her own consciousness to pursue suspects. However, all that could not prevent a contentious attempted coup by a portion of the council.
A forceful coup, voter suppression, and being declared an enemy of the state are sudden and unfortunate signs that Green Lantern Mullein’s mission is falling apart. A preview for Far Sector #11, by N.K. Jemisin and Jamal Campbell shows citizens of the City Enduring being arrested, abused, and prevented from casting their votes on the pivotal referendum, as Sojourner escorts a deposed council member on the run. A confidential report from the Guardians of the Universe also reveals some startling details about Mullein’s posting. They state the Guardian that sent Jo did so on her own authority because their hesitance to respond was destined to lead to the City Enduring’s rulers becoming an aggressor empire. That would have inevitably forced the entire Green Lantern Corp to intervene. With the current coup, it would appear that result has become more likely unless Jo can turn things around.
Sojourner seems to be unaware that she isn’t officially listed as a Green Lantern and that her ring was designed and assigned in secret. The pressures of being a rogue Green Lantern, with the fate of the universe on her shoulders, would have likely come up for the only individual in the world that is allowed to experience emotions. Jo was told she had a year for the mission, and at the time that seemed like the Guardian was offering a trial period for the job. Learning about the grim simulation that inspired this rogue mission, now it feels like it may have been a deadline before the City Enduring became an unavoidable problem. Now, only Green Lantern Mullein can keep the Guardians of the Universe from failing the universe. Fortunately, the transcript shows Mullein’s original Guardian has complete faith in her abilities.
Even without knowing the totality of the stakes in the City Enduring, by stepping up and trying to make a difference despite all the obstacles in her path, Sojourner Jo Mullein has already proven she is Green Lantern material. While things look bleak in the preview for the penultimate issue of Far Sector, a good Green Lantern does their best work in “blackest night”, and in her short tenure with the ring, Jo Mullein has consistently risen to the occasion.
