LogFAQs > #972315258

#4 - Gal Gardner
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/3/1/AAJ38fAAEFHb.jpg
Functionally, Gal is an original character. Her art is largely irrelevant to the comic in which it appears, and there isn't actually a Vuldarian genderswap Guy Gardner lumbering around the universe somewhere. That's probably a crying shame; Gal has been my favorite comedic relief as of late, but all of her loudmouthed insults and leering pick-up lines really do a disservice to the character. What lies beneath, somewhere deep within Gal, is a person capable of great compassion and change. Though her resting gear is obnoxious, obstreperous, a true incorrigible cad, and despite the fact that she spends most of her time either staring at her exposed breasts (which she can't get enough of) or turning her arms into alien techno-organic weapons in red, Gal also has a softer side. For me, this was never better exemplified then when Guy Gardner (who treats her like a younger sister) was bowled over by news that his dearly beloved deceased boo, Ice, was actually still alive and while. This flummoxed Guy something fierce - and immediately, Gal was on her knees, holding up Guy's head, wrapping him in a cradling hug. She empathized immensely, and for a long, silent second, there was something deeply moving to me about that sort of clone-turned-counsel moment.

Originally rescued from the Auctioneer's menagerie-ship, Gal was one of three Gardner-clone products the party discovered within, but she's the only one that's lingered with any real effect. To the party, Gal is an aberration not just because she's a clone of one of their closest allies on Oa, but also because she's a clone of Guy from a time in his life he's largely moved past. Guy is far less fiery than those days, still rough around the edges but having matured greatly. Gal will seek out Rosetta, hoping to giggle like a schoolgirl with her about hot women with tight asses and tighter costumes. She doesn't know how to keep her hands to herself. And when she witnesses Data 7 sharing an intimate moment with Lantern Morro, she couldn't stop laughing about how it was gay... until she realized she was gay, also. Which sent her into a fit of laughter again. She's certainly not homophobic; she's just the most immature person imaginable. Apparently she goes to the dining hall on Oa just to watch a cute blonde eat her dinner.

I love extremely imperfect characters with the capacity to change, and that's Gal in a nutshell. Her future may not be the Guy Gardner who topped our last 52 list, but she has the potential to reach that point. We know one path this younger, more feminine Guy Gardner could take, but whether she does, that's another story entirely. But it's a story I can't wait to explore. Gal Gardner is maybe my favorite Oan non-Lantern right now, after all.

Hint: This character has a girl's name.