PRINCESS IOLANDE	BIOGRAPHY
	Created by Dave Gibbons and Patrick Gleason

Princess Iolande; Art by Patrick Gleason

PERSONAL DATA

Occupation: Green Lantern, princess of Betrassus
Status: Active
Homeworld: Betrassus
Space Sector: 1417
Race: Betranians
Marital Status: Single
Known Relatives: King Nor (father, deceased), Prince Ragnar, Prince Stentar (brothers, deceased)
Group Affiliation(s): Green Lantern Corps
Sector Partner: Soranik Natu
Gender: Female
Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 120 lbs.
Eyes: Purple
Hair: Black
First Appearance: Green Lantern Corps Vol. 2 #1 (August 2006): "To Be a Lantern"
As a Green Lantern: Green Lantern Corps Vol. 2 #3 (October 2006): "Homecoming"
Creators: Dave Gibbons and Patrick Gleason

HISTORY

On the feudal world of Betrassus clan warriors had met in open battle for years, thinning the bloodlines. Clans later resorted to assassination and treachery. King Nor of the ruling Royal House of Betra had brought peace and stability to Betrassus. Nor had wanted his eldest son, Prince Ragnar, to show interest in the crown, but Ragnar had his eyes to the stars, wanting to become a Green Lantern. King Nor’s only daughter was the Princess Iolande. She possessed a near-eidetic memory and as royalty had travelled to many worlds within Sector 1417.

When heroic individuals across Sector 1417 were murdered, it was believed Princes Ragnar and Stentar would be likely targets for assassination. The Green Lanterns of Sector 1417, Soranik Natu of Korugar and Myrrt of C'ythonnis, were dispatched to protect the princes and find the killer or killers. The Lanterns were on their way to Betrassus when the warrior princes were attacked. Though Princess Iolande may have been as skilled a fighter as her brothers, the princes would not let her fight. One of the attacking battlemechs was able to break though Lantern Natu’s forcefield and slay Prince Stentar. Iolande tried to join in the battle, but could not activate Stentar’s buzz sword.

Despite her impressive skills as a surgeon, Lantern Natu was unable to save Prince Stentar's life. Oddly, Ragnar did not show remorse over his brother's death, only jubilation over finally meeting a Green Lantern.

For personal reasons, Soranik Natu abruptly left Betrassus to return to Oa, leaving her partner Myrrt alone with Ragnar. They were attacked once again, and Myrrt was mortally wounded. Natu returned with Honor Guard Lantern Guy Gardner, but too late to save her partner. After caring for her father, Iolande returned to Lantern Natu to offer words of comfort, but Natu was tracking the killer of Myrrt and Stentar.

The royal family laid Stentar to rest and learned of another death. Lantern Soranik Natu had been killed, found dead in a gutter with traces of yellow poison gas on her. More notable to Ragnar was that Sector 1417 was without a Green Lantern. It was Ragnar’s hope he would be selected. Later that night, he was. A power ring took him to Oa and his dreams.

When Ragnar returned to Betrassus, it was as a convicted murderer. Soranik Natu had not been killed, it was only a ruse to draw out Ragnar and bring him to Oa. Diplomatic immunity prevented the Green Lantern Corps from taking action against Ragnar, but the Betrassan Code of Honor did not allow such luxury. Ragnar admitted to his overwhelming urges for the power ring and the criminal lengths he went to achieve his goal. He had been sentenced to death, and in the moments before the execution was carried out Lantern Natu announced the new Green Lantern of Sector 1417 had been chosen. Ragnar’s brief flicker of hope was dashed as the power ring was presented to Princess Iolande. Ragnar was executed immediately afterwards.

As a Green Lantern, Iolande was the best in her training class. She felt she could do more than some of the assignments given to her by her trainer, Kilowog. It was only when Protocol Lantern Salakk respectfully asked her that she agreed to follow Kilowog’s orders.

When her training was complete, Kilowog brought Iolande to her sector partner, Soranik Natu on Korugar. Despite Natu coming under fire by Korugarian forces, she did not want any assistance from her fellow Lanterns. She especially did not appreciate any insights Princess Iolande volunteered. An angry Kilowog got the two Lanterns to refocus on their assignments.

The two Lanterns were sent to the mining planet Nibelos where they prevented the Children of the White Lobe from obtaining tellurium, a mineral with the unique property of being able to transmute mental energy into heat. Though the Lanterns were successful, Iolande did not stay until the end of the mission as she was called back to Betrassus with news her father the King was dying.

The dying words of her father were to give up the Green Lantern Corps and embrace her duties as the last of her royal bloodline on Betrassus. The priests of Betrassus and the medical skills of Soranik Natu were unable to save the king’s life. Iolande blamed them for their failure but later reconciled her feelings in time to join the Green Lantern Corps on Earth to battle the Sinestro Corps.

After the Sinestro Corps War, the Guardians of the Universe selected Iolande and Soranik Natu to join a Lantern task force sent to track and recover yellow power rings searching out new recruits for the Sinestro Corps. The Lanterns discovered Mongul had come into a possession of a number of yellow rings and had captured their fellow Lanterns Arisia and Sodam Yat. Freeing their fellow Lanterns, they had burned a large number of Black Mercy plants. This brought them into conflict with “Mother Mercy” also known as Matris Ater Clementia. The Lanterns learned Mongul had used the Sinestro Corps rings to alter the Black Mercy seedlings to instill fear.

Taken by surprise by Mongul, the Lanterns soon found themselves in the thrall of Black Mercy plants, but instead of being immersed in their dreams, they were forced to face their darkest fears. Iolande felt torn between her royal heritage and her oath to the Corps. Matris Ater Clementia had no loyalty to Mongul, and released the Lanterns as soon as he had left the planet. Mongul’s underling, Duel Eknham was left to guard the Lanterns but did not realize he had been betrayed. Eknham was slain by Guy Gardner as the Lanterns followed their foe into space.

The other half of Duel Eknham also met his fate while the Lanterns battled Mongul, ultimately sending Mongul to the same fate he had intended for them. Given the option to join the Sinestro Corps of the Green Lanterns, Mother Mercy chose the emerald ring..

POWERS AND WEAPONS

As a Green Lantern, Princess Iolande possesses a power ring and power battery.

CHRONOLOGY

For a definitive list of appearances of Princess Iolande in chronological order click here

GLCWP NOTE

According to thinkbabynames.com, the girl's name Iolande \i(o)-lan-de, iol(a)-nde\ is a variant of Violet (Latin) and Yolanda (Greek, Spanish), and the meaning of Iolande is "purple; violet flower."