Jessica Cruz represents a revolutionary shift in the Green Lantern mythos. Created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver, she first appeared as a name mention in Green Lantern #20 (2013) before making her full debut in Justice League #31 (August 2014). What makes her truly distinctive is that she stands as the first female human Green Lantern in DC Comics history. However, her path to wielding the emerald ring was far from the typical heroic journey—it began with tragedy, trauma, and an unlikely encounter with a corrupting force that feeds on fear itself.
The Traumatic Incident That Changed Everything
Jessica Cruz’s origin story doesn’t begin with an explosion or a grand adventure. Instead, it starts in the woods during a hunting trip with her closest friends. While exploring the forest, Jessica and her companions stumbled upon two criminals in the act of burying a body. The mobsters, desperate to hide their crime, turned violent. In the ensuing confrontation, the criminals murdered all of Jessica’s friends, leaving her as the sole survivor. Though she managed to escape the immediate danger, the psychological damage from witnessing the brutal deaths of those she loved cut far deeper than any physical wound could.
The trauma of this event shattered Jessica’s sense of safety and security. She developed severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), crippling anxiety, and agoraphobia so severe that she refused to leave her apartment for over three years. During this period of self-imposed isolation, Jessica became trapped in a cycle of fear and guilt, convinced that she should have done something to save her friends. She would not answer the door, rarely ventured outside, and essentially locked herself away from the world. Her supportive sister, Sara Cruz, became her lifeline during these difficult years, though even her encouragement couldn’t convince Jessica to face the outside world.
On the surface, Jessica Cruz seemed like the last person in the universe who could ever become a superhero. Yet, it was during this vulnerable moment—when her fear was at its absolute peak—that destiny intervened in an unexpected way.
The Ring of Volthoom: A Curse Masquerading as Selection
The Green Lantern Corps operates on a fundamental principle: the rings choose individuals who possess the ability to overcome fear. They seek out those with unwavering willpower, courage, and the strength to face terror and emerge victorious. Legendary Green Lanterns like Hal Jordan represent this ideal—fearless pilots selected for their ability to conquer any obstacle.
Jessica Cruz, locked in her apartment consumed by paralyzing anxiety, was the antithesis of this ideal.
Yet this is precisely why the Ring of Volthoom selected her.
Unlike a standard Green Lantern ring, the Ring of Volthoom operates on an entirely different principle. This ancient and corrupting artifact does not choose heroes who overcome fear—it instead seeks out individuals drowning in it. Born from Earth-3’s Crime Syndicate (the evil mirror universe versions of the Justice League), the Ring of Volthoom originally belonged to Power Ring, the twisted analog to the Green Lanterns. When Power Ring was killed during the Forever Evil storyline, his ring gained sentience and consciousness, becoming something far more sinister.
The Ring of Volthoom doesn’t just amplify fear; it feeds on it like a parasite, growing stronger as its host becomes more terrified. When the ring detected Jessica’s immense fear and accumulated trauma, it saw the perfect host—someone whose fear was so profound and all-consuming that it could sustain the ring’s dark hunger indefinitely.
One day, the Ring of Volthoom arrived at Jessica’s apartment and forced itself upon her, attaching to her hand against her will. Jessica desperately tried to reject it, even attempting to shoot it with a shotgun, but the ring proved unstoppable. She became the new “Power Ring,” and Volthoom’s corrupting influence began seeping into her mind, controlling her actions and amplifying her worst fears into nightmarish visions.
The Justice League Intervention
As Jessica’s mind became corrupted by Volthoom’s influence and she risked unleashing violence born from terror, the Justice League took notice. Batman was specifically dispatched to stop her, but rather than simply defeating her, Bruce Wayne did something extraordinary—he convinced her to face her fears. Through their dialogue, Batman helped Jessica see that the ring’s power over her came from her refusal to confront what terrified her most. By turning inward and fighting her own anxiety, she could reclaim control.
With Batman’s guidance, Jessica managed to wrestle control of the Ring of Volthoom away from its corrupting influence. The Justice League welcomed her, recognizing her potential despite her doubts about her own worthiness.
Training Under Hal Jordan
Barry Allen (The Flash) provided Jessica with initial guidance in controlling the ring’s power. However, it was Hal Jordan himself—the most legendary Green Lantern of them all—who became her primary mentor. This mentorship proved crucial to Jessica’s development as a hero. Hal taught her a fundamental truth about the Green Lantern power source: you don’t need to be fearless to wield the ring; you need to overcome fear when it arises.
Hal’s guidance helped Jessica understand that every small fear she conquered, every moment she pushed past her anxiety, was an act of willpower that strengthened the ring. The ring didn’t punish her for still experiencing fear—it celebrated her for confronting it. This reframing was transformative for Jessica, offering her a way to accept her mental health struggles while still becoming a hero.
The Sacrifice That Earned the Ring
The true turning point in Jessica’s journey came during The Darkseid War, when the cosmic conflict threatened Earth itself. Grail, the daughter of Darkseid, attacked Jessica and once again took control of her through the Ring of Volthoom. The Justice League was forced into an uneasy alliance with the Crime Syndicate to combat the threat, and during this chaos, Grail summoned the Black Racer—a cosmic entity of death itself.
The Black Racer targeted Barry Allen, the Flash, with its touch of death. In a moment of pure heroism, Jessica broke free from Volthoom’s control one final time and threw herself between Barry and the Black Racer. Everyone believed she had sacrificed herself, paying the ultimate price to save her friend.
However, the Black Racer’s touch didn’t destroy Jessica—it destroyed Volthoom instead, annihilating the corrupting ring that had tormented her for so long. The power ring crumbled to dust, finally freed from its parasite.
Seconds later, something extraordinary happened: a Green Lantern ring fell from the sky and chose Jessica Cruz.
For the first time, a Green Lantern ring didn’t come to Jessica because the Ring of Volthoom left her by default—it came because she had proven herself worthy through an act of self-sacrifice and demonstrated the very essence of willpower that defines the Corps. By risking everything to protect others, by overcoming the dark influence that had consumed her, Jessica had earned the ring’s respect.
Jessica Cruz: First Female Human Green Lantern
With her new Green Lantern ring, Jessica officially became the sworn protector of Sector 2814 and a full member of the Green Lantern Corps. Hal Jordan assigned her to work alongside another rookie Lantern, Simon Baz, and they were instructed to protect Earth together. To ensure cooperation, Hal merged their power batteries, requiring them to work in tandem. Both Jessica and Simon were also invited to join the Justice League, filling the role left by the departing Hal Jordan.
This new chapter brought both triumph and continued struggle for Jessica. While she had earned her ring and gained a place among the galaxy’s protectors, her anxiety and PTSD didn’t simply disappear. She constantly questioned whether she truly deserved the ring, plagued by self-doubt despite her heroic accomplishments. Simon Baz, her new partner, initially didn’t believe she was suited for the role, referring to her as a “nervous wreck.” Yet Jessica persisted, learning to channel her vulnerability into strength.
The Unique Symbolism of Jessica’s Journey
What makes Jessica Cruz’s origin and character arc so compelling is what she represents within the Green Lantern mythos. The traditional understanding of the Green Lantern Corps suggests that fear is something to be conquered and eliminated—that the greatest heroes are those who know no fear. Yet Jessica’s story offers a revolutionary counter-narrative.
Jessica didn’t become a hero by magically overcoming her anxiety or pretending her trauma didn’t exist. Rather, she became a hero by acknowledging her fears, learning to function despite them, and discovering that vulnerability itself could be a source of strength. She demonstrates that overcoming fear doesn’t mean never being afraid again—it means facing fear and choosing to act anyway.
As one analysis noted, “What sets a Jessica Cruz story apart from any other Green Lantern is how it examines our own relationship with fear”. She still struggles with anxiety that many people experience daily: the fear of making a career decision, forming friendships, finding a romantic partner, taking on leadership roles. By allowing a superhero to remain relatable and human in her struggles, DC Comics created something remarkable—a character who proves that mental health challenges don’t disqualify someone from greatness.
The Evolution Continues: From Rage Planet to Omega Energy
Jessica’s journey didn’t end with her acceptance into the Corps. In the Green Lanterns series alongside Simon Baz, she faced increasingly complex challenges. She had to learn to form green light constructs while managing panic attacks in battle. When the Red Lantern Corps attacked Earth, Jessica accidentally became a rage conduit, though she fought to regain control.
Her character development took yet another dramatic turn during Justice League Odyssey, where she was assigned to guard the mysterious Ghost Sector. When Darkseid and the heroes clashed, Jessica stood against the tyrant with less than two percent charge on her power ring—essentially as a mortal. Darkseid, impressed by her courage, offered her godhood. When she refused and punched him with her last energy, Darkseid destroyed her power ring and vaporized her with his Omega Beams.
Instead of dying, Jessica became infused with Omega Energy itself—transforming from a rookie Green Lantern into something far more powerful, a living avatar of one of the universe’s most destructive forces. She gained the ability to channel Omega Beams and became resistant to Darkseid’s influence.
Even more remarkable, in the Green Lantern 2021 Annual, Jessica temporarily wielded a Yellow Ring from the Sinestro Corps. Rather than corrupting her completely, this experience taught her that fear itself isn’t inherently evil—it can be a tool for empathy, understanding, and helping others confront their anxieties. She learned from Sinestro that the yellow light of fear, when properly understood, can bring control and peace by helping others face what truly frightens them.
A Hero for Everyone
Jessica Viviana Cruz’s origin as Green Lantern transcends the typical superhero narrative. She arrived not as a confident pilot or a fearless warrior, but as a traumatized young woman locked in her apartment, suffering from anxiety so severe it seemed impossible to overcome. Yet through that very vulnerability, she found her strength.
Her story represents something increasingly important in superhero fiction: the acknowledgment that heroes aren’t born without flaws or fears, but rather they learn to overcome adversity while remaining fundamentally human. She is Mexican-American, she is mentally ill, she is afraid—and she is, undeniably, one of the brightest lights in the Green Lantern Corps.
Jessica Cruz proves that the Green Lantern ring doesn’t just seek out the fearless. It seeks out those with the will to face their fears and rise anyway. And in doing so, she became the first female human Green Lantern—not despite her trauma and anxiety, but partially because of the strength those experiences forged within her.
In the darkest days of her anxiety, Jessica couldn’t imagine leaving her apartment. Today, she protects an entire sector of the universe. Her journey from agoraphobic victim to cosmic hero stands as one of DC Comics’ most inspiring transformations—a reminder that our greatest struggles can become our greatest sources of power.
