Green Lantern # 200 1986 VF/NM

Green Lantern #200 (Volume 2, published in 1986) is a special, giant-sized anniversary issue that marks the conclusion of the series and features the Guardians of the Universe leaving Oa and the Green Lantern Corps to evolve with the Zamarons. 

Main Plot: "Five Billion Years" 

The entire Green Lantern Corps is called back to Oa for a momentous assembly. Dozens of Lanterns return from across the galaxy, bringing with them a vast array of captured super-villains. 

The Guardians announce that their race has become stagnant and it is time for them to move on and evolve. They plan to leave their home planet and merge with their female counterparts, the Zamarons, to a new plane of existence. This decision leaves the Green Lantern Corps to police itself and the universe without their direct guidance. 

Before they depart, a massive battle erupts on Oa. The Weaponers of Qward, led by Sinestro, launch an attack, joined by a mind-controlled Guy Gardner and Star Sapphire (Carol Ferris), who are being manipulated by the psychic Hector Hammond. This villainous team-up targets the other Green Lanterns, but they are ultimately subdued by the combined might of the Corps and the Guardians. 

In a final twist, it is revealed that Sinestro managed to escape his prison cell and impersonated one of the Guardians, intending to serve as a "snake in their garden of Eden". The Guardians quickly stop him, placing him back in custody. Finally, the Guardians and Zamarons depart through a spatial rift, leaving the Corps to face the universe on their own. 

Key Details

• Creative Team: The issue was written by Steve Englehart, with art by Joe Staton and Bruce Patterson, and features a striking cover by Walt Simonson.
• Context: The issue directly follows the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths and sets up a new direction for the franchise. The main title was continued immediately with a new name, Green Lantern Corps #201.
• Significance: This landmark issue is remembered for radically changing the status quo, transitioning the Corps into a self-governing body and setting the stage for the stories that would follow in the Green Lantern Corps series.