Episode 134: Fear Ourself
Takes place 20-21 January 2013.
Short version
Paul goes looking for a yellow ring to help purge the Anti-Life from Earth, and inadvertently releases the Yellow Entity, but is able to help recapture it.
Longer version
Paul and Jade go look for ways to create a yellow power ring in order to use all seven colours to purge Earth of the Anti-Life Equation. On the planet that Weaponer Kalmin terrorised to death in order to forge the first yellow ring, they find the antimatter universe version of Hal Jordan, Joseph Harrolds, who has been trapped in a fear-inducing machine for an extended period of time by Weaponer Lysis. Upon being released and pondering the world around him and its fate, Harrolds attains yellow enlightenment and merges with Parallax, the Embodiment of Fear, before leaving, supposedly to return to the antimatter Earth.
Rather than going, however, "Harrallax" attempts to make Paul afraid by creating illusions of NEMO crumbling and the Reach destroying what he has built. When Paul recognises the fakes, the fusion leaves for the matter universe, intending to bring about the real thing in hopes of making Paul afraid. With assistance from Malvolio and Lysis, Paul is able to halt Harrallax's rampage, and Harrolds assists in breaking their fusion rather than be entirely subsumed by Parallax. Parallax is then trapped in a prison built by Controller Hinon, and handed over to the Guardians for safekeeping.
In the aftermath, Joseph Harrolds' point of view reveals that he's secretly in league with Sinestro and Weaponer Lysis, with plans to recruit large numbers of Anti-Lifed workers from the Paragon Earth and start forging yellow rings.
- Alternate Universe: We see P'ol continue to assist the Tau in their understanding of both their universe's version of humans and demons.
- Did We Just Have Tea with Cthulhu?: Paul has a cordial conversation with the Embodiment of Fear before they go off to Earth -16. Subverted after it's revealed that this was actually part of an illusion that the Embodiment of Fear created to try and trap Paul.
- Driven to Suicide: When Paul and Jade travel to the planet that Kalmin terrorized to death in order to create Sinestro's power ring, they find evidence that some of the last survivors took their own lives out of fear and despair.
- Enlightenment Superpowers: Joseph Harrolds achieves yellow enlightenment after having a discussion with Paul over the nature of fear.
- Fusion Dance: Parallax bonds with Joseph Harrolds in a similar manner to Paul's merge with the Ophidian. However, as Paul points out, Parallax is less compatible with human patterns of thought than the Ophidian is; being constantly terrified isn't a feasible way for humans to operate, but constantly wanting things is. When Parallax attempts to go further and convert Harrolds into a mere puppet, Harrolds fights back and pushes it out, breaking the fusion.
- Heroic Willpower: When Parallax is losing the fight and tries to entirely take over, Harrolds' text turns from yellow to green, and he pushes the Entity out of him.Harrolds: No, that's... Not happening.
- I Know What You Fear: Joseph Harrolds, after becoming one with Parallax, gains the ability to do this and points out one of Paul's fears."You fear… Getting it wrong. You change things, risk things, and the idea that you might be wrong and that you've misled everyone makes everything resonate with a constant unease."
- He later does the same with Malvolio by pointing out that the latter never returned to Earth after he learned that he accidentally killed his father in front of his mother.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Weaponer Lysis informs Paul that the machine Harrolds was trapped in was supposed to let him experience overwhelming fear without attracting Parallax's attention, which would then have helped Lysis to forge rings and lanterns. Breaking Harrolds out of it was like lighting up a beacon for Parallax and results in a rampaging Entity host.
- Switching P.O.V.: We see the POV of a low ranking Orange Lantern and Joseph Harrolds.
