Recap / Superman: The Animated Series S3 E7 "In Brightest Day..."

Green Lantern guardian Abin Sur, pursued by Sinestro, instructs his ring to seek a new, worthy guardian before dying. The ring selects Kyle Rayner, an artist working for the Daily Planet.

This episode features examples of:

• Adaptation Origin Connection:
  • Abin Sur and Sinestro have parts in Kyle Rayner becoming a Green Lantern in this continuity, with Abin Sur choosing Kyle Rayner as his successor as he did Hal Jordan in the comics and Sinestro being responsible for Abin Sur's death in the first place.
  • Also, Kyle works as a cartoonist for the Daily Planet, enabling Superman to have ties to his origin in this continuity.
• Adaptational Angst Downgrade: Kyle notably doesn't have to suffer his girlfriend getting killed by Major Force due to this continuity depicting him as single when he becomes a Green Lantern.
• Badass Normal: Kyle, which is part of why he was chosen.
• Big Damn Heroes: Superman flies a powerless Kyle out of the way before Sinestro cuts him to pieces.
• Big "WHAT?!": Sinestro when he realizes Kyle tricked him with a fake ring that's about to explode.
• Biting-the-Hand Humor: Kyle got rejected by DC Comics.
• By the Power of Grayskull!: The Lantern battery is activated by the Green Lantern motto.
  Kyle/Guardians: In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might beware my power, Green Lantern's light!
• The Cameo: When the Guardians explain the Corps to Superman, they show him images of currently serving Lanterns, such as Kilowog and Tomar-Re.
• Composite Character: Kyle Rayner resembles his comic counterpart in career and personality, but also physically resembles Hal Jordan in addition to having Hal's origin of joining the Green Lantern Corps through inheriting Abin Sur's ring.
• Dude, Where's My Respect?: Kyle is not well-recognized in the Daily Planet, and Perry gives him a hard time. Jimmy appears to be his only friend.
• Due to the Dead: Upon confirming that Abin Sur is dead, the Guardians lower their heads sadly and have a moment of silence.
• Evil Gloating: Lampshaded and averted.
  Kyle: Wait! Don't you want to talk first? You know, banter back and forth to show me your innate superiority?
  Sinestro: No.
  • Ultimately Played Straight when Sinestro goes on a rant later about how he would've been the greatest Green Lantern of all time and how powerful he'll be with the ring.
• Gilligan Cut: After Kyle stops a mugger, Jimmy takes a picture, saying "Page One for sure!" Cut to a disappointed Jimmy posting the picture in Kyle's cubicle, asking "No Page One, huh?"
• Hero Killer: Sinestro is responsible for Abin Sur's death. One of the Guardians tells Superman that Sinestro has successfully killed other Lanterns prior to this.
• Hero of Another Story: Superman learns there are numerous Green Lanterns out there patrolling areas of space.
• How Do I Shot Web?: Kyle and Superman try to figure out how the Lantern battery works.
• Hypocrite: After introducing himself to Superman by irritably attacking him simply for having the misfortune of being near Abin Sur's space pod when the Green Lantern ring went missing, Sinestro muses to himself that he has no idea why the Lantern ring would be entrusted to a race of brutes.
• I Surrender, Suckers: Kyle pretends to hand over his ring, but actually hands over a ring-construct decoy that explodes when Sinestro takes hold of it.
• I'm Dying, Please Take My MacGuffin: The plot starts off by Abin Sur passing on his ring, which eventually makes its way into Kyle's hands.
• Leitmotif: Composer Michael McCuisition's theme for Kyle, which doubles as the Green Lantern Corps theme. This leitmotif later gets carried over to Justice League and becomes a recurring theme for John Stewart.
• Motive Rant: Sinestro does one, while pursuing Kyle through the canyon.
  Sinestro: I could've been the greatest Green Lantern ever. That's why the Guardians were afraid of me! WHY THEY TOOK MY RING AWAY! They never imagined I would return to destroy them all.
• Mythology Gag:
  • Kyle's rejection letter came from DC Comics.
  • Hal Jordan gets his nod when Kyle is flung into a fighter plane assigned to a "Col. Hal Jordan".
  • Kyle shows he's a Badass Normal when he helps stop a thief - who looks just like Guy Gardner.
• No-Nonsense Nemesis: Sinestro doesn't bother gloating, he just tries to kill Kyle.
• Oh, Crap!: Kyle when the ring's power gives out mid-fight.
• Recycled Animation: When Abin Sur's ship hits the space shuttle, there's a full screen frame of a fire explosion, which is reused footage from "Where There's Smoke" when Volcana blasted Superman with a fire ball in the parking lot. This is used again when Sinestro blows up Abin Sur's ship, when Kyle's shield explodes, when his ring collides with Sinestro's and finally when the fake ring he gives Sinestro explodes.
• Shut Up, Hannibal!: Kyle tries to pull this against Sinestro, but finds his ring has run out of power.
  Sinestro: You can't run from me, Green Lantern. I never give up!
  Kyle: You never shut up, either. (tries to use his ring, which fizzles) What?
• The Smurfette Principle: There's a single female Guardian, apparently the head of the council.
• Unprovoked Pervert Payback: As the ring searches for its new recruit, it brushes against a woman's backside, causing her to turn and smack the guy standing behind her.
• The Worf Effect: Sinestro spends much of the episode effectively tossing Superman around.

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