Origin
Parallax is the living embodiment of fear, a demonic parasitic entity which would travel from world to world, causing entire societies to destroy themselves out of fear and paranoia. Parallax is one of the seven Emotional Embodiments representing the individual aspects of the Emotional Spectrum and came into existence when the first insect of Earth emitted fear among its prey.
Originally, The Guardians Of The Universe trapped Parallax inside of a container which was kept safe on the planet Maltus. A group of thieves. led by Larfleeze, stole the containment unit along with a map that led them straight to the Orange Lantern Central Power Battery on the planet Okaara in The Vega System. During a struggle for the Orange Power Battery between Larfleeze and his former guild mates Blooch and Turpa, the Guardians and a group of Manhunters desperately tried to retrieve Parallax but, due to the intense power of the Orange Light of Avarice, all who attempted were killed in the process.
The Guardians eventually were able to strike a deal that would allow the person who won the struggle for the Orange Light of Avarice to keep all of it's power as well as have total control of the Vega System, so long as they did not breech its borders. Larfleeze ended up being the victor and shortly following his transformation into Agent Orange, he handed over the containment unit that was keeping Parallax imprisoned as a sign of good faith. Sometime later, Parallax went from being contained within the box to being imprisoned within the Green Lantern Central Power Battery. This caused the color yellow's immunity to Green Lantern rings as well as the Green Lantern rings' weakness to the color yellow.
Creation
Parallax was created by Ron Marz and Darryl Banks and first appeared in Green Lantern Vol.3 #50.
Character Evolution
Parallax (unlike most characters) has not changed throughout its history, and has remained evil, manipulating, and conniving. Although it has become possessive and more prone to attack Hal Jordan, out of anyone. Sinestro is currently the host of Parallax due to the events of Wrath of the First Lantern. Although it's more of the way that Sinestro is in more control of what Parallax is over him.
Major Story Arcs
Emerald Twilight
After Coast City was destroyed by Mongul and Cyborg Superman, Hal Jordan broke the Green Lantern code and used his power ring for personal gain. After being told he would be put on trial for this by a Guardian's transmission, he than gives into his fears and rage and attacks and destroys the Central Power Battery on Oa and Green Lantern Corps out of the destruction he emerged possessed by the Fear entity Parallax.
The Final Night and The Spectre
When Hal Jordan sacrificed himself rekindling the sun, he became the Spectre, the Spirit of Vengeance. Still, Parallax remained bound to him. The Spectre explained to Jordan the truth about Parallax. At the same time, at the headquarters of the JLA, Kyle Rayner shared similar information with Green Arrow. Rayner explained that he journeyed to the edge of the universe, and on the tenth planet from the star Pagallus, the inhabitants told him that Parallax was actually a yellow demonic parasitic entity that was born at the beginning of sentience, feeding on fear, creating terror in anything it came into contact with, and causing entire civilizations to destroy themselves out of paranoia.
Green Lantern: Rebirth
Rayner explained that there is an emotional spectrum from which the collective willpower of the universe is collected by the Central Power Battery, and that green willpower is the most pure. Parallax had lain dormant for billions of years, his true nature covered up by the Guardians to prevent anyone from trying to free it, and thus, it had eventually come to be referred to as simply “the yellow impurity.” This was the reason why the rings were useless against the color yellow. Parallax weakened its power over the corresponding spectrum, and hence only someone capable of overcoming great fear could master the power ring. The Guardians, therefore, selected only such persons to become Green Lanterns.
The Justice League Of America and Justice Society Of America arrived in the rebuilt Coast City to attack Parallax, but the entity inhibits their efforts by causing them to feel fear. The Spirit of Vengeance, however, manages to overpower Parallax, and finally removes the parasite from Jordan’s soul. Needing a soul to inhabit, Parallax attacks Ganthet, while Jordan’s soul is pulled toward the light of the afterlife. Ganthet manages to guide Jordan’s soul back to his corporeal body on the Moon. His soul and thoughts finally clear for the first time in a long time, Jordan emerges from the coffin resurrected as a mortal human, once again taking his place as a Green Lantern, the white portions of his hair even restored to their original brown. He and Sinestro engage in a fierce battle on the Moon. Eventually, Jordan forces the renegade back into the antimatter universe into which he was first banished. Jordan and Rayner then journey to Coast City, where they, along with John Stewart, Guy Gardner and Kilowog, free Ganthet from Parallax’s possession, and imprison the parasite back in the Central Power Battery on Oa.
Sinestro Corps War
During the Sinestro Cops War he was released from the battery and took possession of Kyle Rayner on the behest of Sinestro. While in possession of Kyle he used only two constructs, one of Kyle in his first Green Lantern costume, and one of him in his second incarnation as Ion, he than began attack Jordan (during the Green Lantern Corps attempt to save Ion and rescue Kyle Rayner from the grips of Parallax). After awhile of beating him around, he allowed the rest of the Corps to attack him, until the Lost Lanterns intervened. Parallax had no intention of allowing this opportunity to finish what he’d started so long ago to escape him. He attacked Hal and the Lost Lanterns full force, managing to torment and kill Jack T. Chance before they escaped. It was then that Sinestro returned to Qward, and Parallax went with him into the tunnels to hunt down the Lanterns. They managed to corner Hal and the other Earth lanterns, and while Sinestro dealt with Jordan, Parallax attacked Guy Gardner. He almost managed to kill the Lantern before the rest of the Lost Lanterns arrived yet again, this time with Ion in tow, and managed to escape again. Sinestro later sent him to scout ahead in Coast City and prepare for the final assault.
While all of this was going on, Parallax was also dealing with Kyle Rayner. Trapped inside his own mind when Parallax took over his body, Kyle has been forced to watch him commit these heinous acts. While he had been fighting Hal Jordan, he had tormented him about his lost loved ones, Donna Troy, Jade, Alex, and his mother. Using the power of his mind, Kyle attempted to fight back, but Parallax was stronger. He was able to crush his spirit, or so Parallax thought. Kyle managed to find hope and the power to fight back just as events in reality happened. Parallax’s first stop was the home of Hal Jordan’s brother’s family. Just as he was about to attack his family, Jordan arrived and attacked him, dragging him out into the desert and away from his family. Hal called out to Kyle, and managed to get through to him, but his power ring died just as he was about to save him. Parallax absorbed Hal as well, and now with both of them seemed more powerful than ever. John Stewart arrived just as this occurred, and was forced to face this new foe. John managed to hold him off until Guy arrived with a painting Kyle’s mother drew to help him snap out of it. Inside of Parallax Kyle and Hal together managed to find the willpower to escape. Parallax was not yet defeated and, while the Lanterns celebrated, he made his move to regain his prisoners. It was only with the timely intervention of former Guardians, Ganthet and Sayd, that he was denied his victory. The two Oans trapped him in the four individual power batteries of the Earth Lanterns. He is currently still trapped.
Blackest Night
He was released by Hal Jordan to help him battle a black ring possessed Spectre during Blackest Night, because Hal said that the Spectre was afraid of Parallax. Hal Jordan willingly offered himself to be Parallax's host again. Now fused with Parallax, Hal was able to free the Spectre from his imprisonment in the Black Power Ring. The Spectre admits that he is afraid of Parallax and his kind. With the help of the Spectre and Carol Ferris, Hal was released from the Parasite's hold. Just before Parallax was able to fuse with Sinestro, he was warped to a distant location by unknown means.
Brightest Day/New Guardians
During the Brightest Day arc, in issue #54 of Green Lantern. Parallax is seen chained to a pillar with it's corps symbol underneath. Other pillars have the other Corps symbols, but Parallax is currently only one of two being chained up, along with Ion. He is later used by Krona to travel to Earth and he ends up possessing Barry Allen to torment Hal Jordan. But he was later ripped out of Barry Allen by Krona. Once Krona got possession of the rest of the entities, and was taken to an unknown location.
Wrath of the First Lantern
As The First Lantern, Volthoom, attempts to bring the universe under his control, many beings in the Green Lantern universe try unsuccessfully to stop him, including the black lantern Hal Jordan. As Hal is being tortured by Volthoom, Sinestro calls onto the fear entity, urging it to take Sinestro's as its host. However, unlike previous hosts, Sinestro is now able to control the fear entity. However, Volthoom proves to be too big of a match for the Parallax wielding Sinestro alone, but is able to destroy Volthoom once Nekron, using Hal Jordan as it's life line is able to put an end to the First Lantern.
Sinestro later uses his new found powers to seek and kill the Guardians of the Universe, before disappearing into a self-imposed exile and eventually losing control over Parallax and setting the entity free.
Powers
Possession: The host of parallax gets a tremendous amount of energy and power by just feeding off fear.
Energy constructs: creates constructs just like a sinestro corps lantern
Mind Control: can install fear in others to be able to control them.
Superhuman strenght and speed: When Sinestro released Parallax upon Hal jordan, Parallax quickly gave him a beat down without wny damage.
Other Media
Green Lantern (2011)
Parallax appears in the Green Lantern (2011) live-action film.
Parallax was created as a result of the Guardian of the Universe Krona becoming possessed and corrupted by the yellow fear energy. He caused great destruction until he was imprisoned on the planet Ryut by the Green Lantern Abin Sur. He is accidentally freed by alien astronauts that came upon his prison. Parallax attacked Abin Sur's ship and mortally wounded him, but not before he could eject himself from his ship to Earth, where Abin Sur gave his power ring to Hal Jordan. Parallax began killing other Green Lanterns and destroying civilizations until it reached Earth. Meanwhile, Hector Hammond obtained psionic power after coming in contact with a portion of Parallax on Abin Sur's body as he was performing an autopsy. As Parallax arrived on Earth, interrupting Hector and Hal's battle. Parallax kills Hector for failing to destroy Hal and attempts to kill him, but Carol Ferris helped him escape. Hal then tricks Parallax into following him out into space and get Parallax trapped in the sun's gravitational pull. Parallax was burned up by the sun.
Powers
Parallax had the ability to kill any living creatures by absorbing their life force out of them via their fear. The more life force and fear it absorbs, the stronger and larger it gets. Parallax could also fire powerful yellow energy blasts from it's mouth. It also gave Hector Hammond psionic powers after contact with a portion of Parallax on Abin Sur's body. Hammond and Parallax could telepathically communicate.
