Sciencells are detention facilities constructed by the Guardians of the Universe to house the most dangerous interstellar criminals. Sciencells are near inpeneterable prison cells located on the planet Oa. They are created by the Guardians of the Universe to house prisoners of the Green Lantern Corps.
History
Origin
In their quest to bring order to the stars, it was only a matter of time before the Guardians of the Universe made many enemies. Whenever possible, the Oans did not kill their foes, they contained them. The magic wielding Empire of Tears was subjugated and imprisoned on the tombworld of Ysmault. The insect race of Tchkk-Tchkki, later known as Legion, was enclosed in an emerald forcefield around their world.
The Guardians used one world, known only as the Guardians' Prison Planet to contain dozens of cosmic criminals. This world featured shifting time periods, and each captive was chronologically out of phase with his fellow prisoners.
Early Years
The deadliest of their foes were brought to Oa and imprisoned in the Sciencells. Each cell was specifically designed to contain the villain and neutralize his/her/its powers. The sciencells had their own chamber, connected to the Oan citadel.
Millennia ago, MadGod Sector 3600 was defeated by the Guardians and was constrained by a matrix of their making. By showing the sector that they were its superiors, the Guardians had imprisoned it for all time. It too was kept in a sciencell.
The sciencells were powered by energy from the Central Power Battery. When the Anti-Monitor struck at the Guardians through the battery during the so-called Crisis on Infinite Earths, the sciencell power wavered, allowing at least one of the prisoners to escape. Hal Jordan, at the time resigned from the Green Lantern Corps, fought the alien creature in a research tunnel far from the Oan central citadel.
Following the Crisis, the Oans chose to end their self-appointed Guardianship. Before leaving our universe, the Guardians ordered the Green Lantern Corps to capture a number of cosmic criminals, especially those that had killed Green Lanterns. Sinestro somehow managed to escape but was quickly returned to his cell.
Oa was left behind by the Green Lanterns and the Guardians. The sole remaining Oan in the universe was Appa Ali Apsa. The former Guardian returned to Maltus with the Green Lantern Corps Honor Guard.
Drawing upon knowledge from his days as a Green Lantern, Sinestro believed the empty cell next to his was filled with the MadGod Sector, though he was ridiculed by other prisoners. He began to tell it stories designed to show the Sector its imprisonment was only in its mind. By the 999th tale Sinestro received a reaction. By the 1,000th tale Sector 3600 opened the Sciencells but only Sinestro was quick enough to escape and seal the sciencells once more. The other prisoners who had doubted him for so long would need to find their own escape.
Sinestro, teamed with Sector 3600, went on a reign of destruction, killing untold billions across known space before he and his powerful ally were once more defeated. When Sinestro was tried and executed by the Green Lantern Corps he was able to seize control of the Central Power Battery and initiate an implosion. The emerald energy of the battery reabsorbed the power rings of virtually all of the universe's Green Lanterns. The sciencells, powered by the emerald energy, were opened and all the prisoners escaped to seek revenge on their captors.
The Guardian that went Mad
The ringless Green Lanterns had to fight back as best they could until Hal Jordan stabilized the Central Battery and rounded up the escapees. The prisoners were later transferred to their individual sciencells. Appa Ali Apsa remained on Oa as caretaker of the remains of the Central Power Battery.
Months of isolation from his brother Guardians caused Appa Ali Apsa to slowly slip into madness. Appa killed the former Green Lantern Priest for refusing to join in a mind union.
The insane Guardian went to the Oan sciencecells to find company. He wanted to join with the prisoners but began killing them one by one out of spite. When he came upon Goldface, the quick thinking criminal made a deal. He promised if Appa Ali Apsa would send him to Earth, he would recruit others to keep him company.
On Earth, Goldface gathered his rivals to send to Oa, but he never heard from the Guardian again. Goldface tried to start an interstellar criminal organization with the help of other sciencell escapees, Repo, Jocasta, Piston and Evil Star. Internal fighting and the arrival of Hal Jordan led to the break up of the fledgling organization.
Residents
- Lyssa Drak
- Goldface
- Sinestro
- Vice
- Imecsub
- Ragnar
- Alex Nero
- Superboy-Prime
- Cyborg Superman
- Evil Star
- Despero
- Quintet
- Sinestro Corps Soldier of Sector 3550
- Plasma Fig
- Myrwhydden
- Lurlan Dupo
- Warden: Voz