Starheart

The Starheart, also known as the Green Flame of Life is a mystical energy featured in comic books published by DC Comics. It first appeared in All-American Comics 16 in July, 1940 in a story titled "The Origin of Green Lantern!", which is the first appearance of Alan Scott - the Golden Age Green Lantern.

History
Three and a half billion years ago a humanoid race from the world of Maltus sought to bring order to the stars. An offshoot of the race became known as the Guardians of the Universe. They sought to remove magic from the universe, and laid siege to the necromantic forces of the cosmos. The war was costly on both sides. The last to fall was the powerful Empire of Tears, finally subdued by the Guardians on the tombworld of Ysmault.

After the wars, all the stray mystical energies in the universe were gathered and bound in an orb called the Starheart. This collective force was hidden in the heart of a star and grew in power and eventually gained self-awareness as the Green Flame of Life. Though the Guardians were powerful, the force of magic was something that could not be contained forever. In preparation for this day, the Starheart willed a small portion of itself to travel through the universe to fulfill its destiny. As it traveled through space, the piece of the Starheart gathered debris over the centuries until in resembled a meteor. Two thousand years ago, the Starheart fragment had found its way to Earth and, after fusing with the evil spirit of Yalan Gur, crashed as a meteor in China. A man named Chang eventually shaped the meteor into a lantern. Centuries later an insane lamp-maker named Billings reshaped it into a train lantern. In 1940, this lamp was found by Alan Scott who used its incredible incomprehensible power to become the first Green Lantern on Earth in centuries.

Decades later, an alien named Zalaz stole the Starheart to raise his beloved M'la from the dead. Opposed by Alan Scott, Hal Jordan and Green Arrow, Zalaz retreated into the Starheart and awakened M'la inside it. M'la became the Starheart's guardian. The original consciousness of the Starheart later reawakened and destroyed M'la. It grew in power and sought to control Alan Scott's life, making him a young man again. Scott and the mystic Green Lantern Torquemada managed to contain some of the Starheart's evil energy, but the Starheart itself escaped.

After the events known as Zero Hour the ring and lantern were de-powered and the Green Flame dwelt within Scott's body. More recently, the Starheart resurfaced in another realm from which it took control over Scott's son, Obsidian, in an effort to steal back the power from Alan. By sacrificing her own Starheart powers, Alan's daughter Jade defeated the entity. The Green Flame now makes up Alan Scott's entire body, and he uses the power to battle evil as Sentinel. Wood is its only weakness.