Since we’re on the topic of colourism and pertaining to John Stewart i’m gonna point out again the creator of John even stated that he made him darkskin on purpose, despite pushback from DC editorial. It’s meant to be a commentary on colorism, which is very prevalent still to this day. eighth paragraph right here not including intro but i do suggest reading the whole thing. https://t.co/791rvGDa4q
HISTORY LESSON:
John Stewart being a former US Marine is a DCAU exclusive, not something originating from the comics.
In his comic debut, Green Lantern (1960) #87, John was just an architect who was selected by the Guardians to be a substitute Green Lantern after Guy Gardner’s sudden injury (where he was hit by a bus).
This change in origin which was introduced in Justice League: The Animated Series was made by co producer Bruce Timm who believed John being a military man was more fitting and dynamic for his version than the character’s original profession, as well as offering narrative contrast to the rest of the Justice League as a more “no play” straight and narrow kind of character. He was no longer a substitute Green Lantern, but a full time superhero who was rewarded for his bravery and sense of righteousness.
In my personal opinion, there are pros and cons to this. I’ll be the first to say that as a black man, I didn’t particularly like how Dennis O Neil wrote John or most black men back then, made more jovial but extremely stereotypical with countless racial jokes. I also don’t particularly enjoy that the first black Green Lantern was chosen after the white guy had to lay down for a while. In Black Lightning’s chapter of ‘The Other History of The DC Universe’ by John Ridley, Jefferson Pierce describes John as a show off and appeaser to white people who only treated him as a substitute to a substitute.
His personality in the animated series does seem more digestible as someone resembling more of your dad (intentional by voice actor Phil Lamar) and just coming off as a badass with edge. But I also missed the simplicity of the Guardians choosing John for his creative mind as an architect as it felt more unique to me.
Modern comics have managed to find a coexistence between these two origins, allowing John to be a former Marines and use that to pay for his college education to become an architect. This seems to be what Damon Lindelof and Chris Mundy are doing with their John Stewart in Lanterns.
The major red flag most people are likely discussing however is that former CIA agent Tom King is involved in the series, and will more than likely play a part in detailing John’s time in service. In Secret Origins (2014) issue #9, John’s time with the marines is mostly overlooked aside from him being a great sniper and refusing a direct order which got him an honorable discharge (the guardians witnessed this and even feared John may be too resistant to authority), but more recent retellings would attempt to fill in the gaps by saying he fought in Afghanistan and even has PTSD from this horrific incident. How King, Lindelof, and Mundy tackles this event in the character’s life has yet to be revealed.