Green Lantern #14
Green Lantern #14 marks the first appearance and origin of Sonar (Bito Wladon), one of Hal Jordan's most enduring Silver Age adversaries and a recurring fixture in Green Lantern mythology across more than six decades. The issue is notable for grounding its villain in geopolitics rather than pure science fiction: Sonar turns to crime not for personal gain, but to thrust his tiny, isolated Balkan nation of Modora onto the world stage, a motivation that gave the character unusual depth and moral complexity for a 1962 superhero comic. The story's concept of a 'sound-conquering' villain whose weapon exploited Green Lantern's yellow weakness was a direct product of the puzzle-box storytelling philosophy that editor Julius Schwartz and writer John Broome pioneered throughout the Silver Age, pushing readers to follow scientific logic even in superhero fantasy. Sonar subsequently returned, eventually seized control of Modora itself, fought multiple Green Lanterns, and crossed into animation — making this issue the origin point of a villain whose ambitions outlasted most of his contemporaries.
In "The Man Who Conquered Sound!", Green Lantern finds himself in the small nation of Modora, where a simple errand to collect a stamp for Pieface's collection takes a sudden turn when he uncovers the sinister plans of the sound-powered villain Sonar. Written by John Broome and brought to life with dynamic art by Gil Kane, inks by Joe Giella, and lettering by Gaspar Saladino, this 1962 classic blends espionage and science fiction with a touch of whimsy—while the cover by Gil Kane and Murphy Anderson captures the moment’s tension in bold, striking detail.
In "The Man Who Conquered Sound!" from Green Lantern #14 (1962), Green Lantern arrives in the small nation of Modora on a simple errand—fetching a stamp for Pieface’s collection—only to uncover a far more dangerous plot. There, he faces Sonar, a villain whose mastery of sound threatens to shake the world apart.
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The issue was produced by the core Silver Age Green Lantern creative engine: writer John Broome, penciler Gil Kane, inker Joe Giella, and cover inker Murphy Anderson, all under the editorial direction of Julius Schwartz. Broome had been Schwartz's client as a science-fiction pulp writer in the 1930s before Schwartz became a DC editor, and the two had collaborated closely since the very launch of Hal Jordan's Green Lantern in Showcase #22 (1959); Schwartz was known for hands-on plot development, and the politically-tinged premise of Sonar — a small-country nationalist who weaponizes sound — reflects the Cold War intellectual flavoring Broome and Schwartz routinely injected into the series. Kane, who drew the first 61 issues of the solo Green Lantern title, was at this point well into developing the dynamic figure work and dramatic layouts that defined Silver Age DC action art. The issue's 36-page format contained two complete stories, a standard anthology structure of the era.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance and full origin of Sonar (real name Bito Wladon), a sound-based villain and recurring enemy of Hal Jordan, published with a cover date of July 10, 1962.
- Written by John Broome, penciled by Gil Kane, inked by Joe Giella; cover penciled by Gil Kane and inked by Murphy Anderson; edited by Julius Schwartz.
- Sonar's civilian identity is Bito Wladon, a self-taught acoustical engineer from the fictional Balkan microstate of Modora, whose parents were deaf and who was shunned by his countrymen — motivating him to commit crimes in America to put Modora on the international map.
- The lead story is titled 'The Man Who Conquered Sound!'; a second story, 'My Brother, Green Lantern!', features Hal's brother Jim Jordan accidentally using the power ring.
- Sonar's sonic arsenal — including a device capable of making Green Lantern perceive everything as yellow, exploiting Hal Jordan's ring weakness — was central to the plot and showed Broome's trademark use of the ring's established rules as a storytelling device.
- The issue has been reprinted in Green Lantern Archives Vol. 3 (2001), Showcase Presents: Green Lantern Vol. 1 (2005, black and white), The Green Lantern Chronicles Vol. 3 (2010), the Green Lantern Omnibus Vol. 1 (2011), and Green Lantern: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 1 (2017), among others.
- Sonar went on to become ruler of Modora in later comics, fought multiple Green Lanterns including John Stewart and Guy Gardner, and spawned at least two successor characters using the Sonar name.
- The Bito Wladon version of Sonar appeared in animated form in Justice League Unlimited (as a member of Gorilla Grodd's Secret Society) and in the animated film Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox.
Full credits
Reprints
Reprinted in Rymdmannen #4/1962 (1962), Green Lantern Archives #3 (2001), Showcase Presents: Green Lantern #1 (2005), The Green Lantern Chronicles #3 (2010), The Green Lantern Omnibus #1 (2011), Green Lantern: The Silver Age Omnibus #1 (2017), Green Lantern: The Silver Age #2 (2018)
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