So, who actually is Hector Hammond in HBO’s Lanterns? His real identity in the DCU explained

The new episode of Lanterns is out, and you might wonder who actually is Hector Hammond, and how is he connected to DC’s Green Lantern.

Episode four of Lanterns introduces a mysterious businessman called Hector Hammond, played by Jason Manuel Olazábal. He owns Atlas Inc., runs a series of high-tech slaughterhouses and seems to have access to technology that is far beyond anything an ordinary human should have.

So, it looks like the show has finally brought one of Green Lantern’s classic villains into the story. Except, well, there is a pretty big catch. So, here’s what you need to know.

Hector Hammond is actually a classic Green Lantern villain

In the comics, Hector Hammond is one of Green Lantern’s long-running enemies. He first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #15 in 1961. He was originally a criminal who discovered a strange meteor that could accelerate human evolution.

The meteor’s radiation transformed Hammond into a super-genius and gave him powerful telepathic and telekinetic abilities. His enormous brain also became a defining part of his appearance, while his body eventually became severely atrophied.

He has a long history with Green Lantern

Hammond has repeatedly gone up against Green Lantern in the comics, using his intelligence and psychic abilities to cause trouble. His powers have included controlling people’s minds and even taking control of Green Lantern’s power ring.

You might actually recognise him from the 2011 Green Lantern film. Peter Sarsgaard played the character in the 2011 film starring Ryan Reynolds. That version was a scientist who was exposed to Parallax DNA and eventually became one of the film’s main villains.

The Lanterns version is very different, but the name is clearly a nod to the comics.

So, who is the Hector Hammond in Lanterns?

John and Hal trace the satellite that apparently killed Zoe back to Atlas Inc., which leads them to Hammond. They find a man with advanced technology, a suspicious lack of history and a very obvious connection to the mystery they are investigating.

Hammond even claims that he is the Manhunter. But he isn’t. Hal eventually calls his bluff, and Hammond admits that he is human. He then claims that William Macon is the real Manhunter. And that turns out to be another deception.

The man calling himself Hector Hammond is revealed to actually be Hector Gutierrez. Gutierrez is an engineering student who has been using the Hammond identity as part of the larger deception surrounding the Manhunter.

So, the name was clearly the bait. The show hasn’t actually introduced the real Hector Hammond as a Green Lantern villain. Instead, he turns out to be another red herring in the Manhunter investigation.

As it’s revealed at the end, the real Manhunter is actually Zoe.

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