"Semper Fi" - On the resurrected Xanshi, John Stewart encounters Driq, who is half-Green Lantern and half-Black Lantern. Driq tries to convince Stewart to destroy all the Black Lanterns on Xanshi before more rise. Stewart blows up Driq's lantern to no avail. Driq tells Stewart to find another method, but Black Lantern Katma Tui emerges and the Black Lanterns swarm Stewart. Tui reminds Stewart of a time that he told her his fears - of dying in a foreign land and surrounded by strangers. Stewart rebounds by saying he is not afraid, he knows his time to move past his failures, and move on. An a great display of will and ringpower, he breaks free and creates ring-constructs of soldiers to take on the Black Lanterns. Katma Tui tells Stewart that he cannot win a war on his own and he agrees and takes off into space for reinforcements. He thinks he's going to see Oa, but instead sees Earth ahead.

"The Birth of Nekron" - Black Lantern Jean Loring takes Mera and the Atom through a journey in time. She shows that the universe began in darkness but life was to be afraid of darkness. The Guardians emerged as keepers of the light. Darkness then manifested it's own guardian in the form of Nekron. She then explained that Nekron had held onto certain heroes so that he could reclaim them now so that the universe could be returned to darkness. Black Lantern Jean Loring said that no one could stop them, but did not see Deadman following from behind.