Comic Title: Secret Origins #23
Publisher: DC
Cover Date: February 1988
On Sale Date: October 20, 1987 Shipping Date October 20, 1987
Source: DC Releases, #45

Shipping Date October 20, 1987
Source: Amazing Heroes, #127

Shipping Date October 20, 1987
Source: Capital City Distributors, Orderpak October 1987

Newsstand Date November 10, 1987
Source: Amazing Heroes, #127

Copyright Date October 20, 1987
Source: Library of Congress, Copyright Office 1987

Cover Price: $1.25
Page Count: 48
Editor: Greg Weisman

Title: "The Secret Origin of the Guardians of the Universe"
Pages: 21

Crossover Event:
Millennium

Writer: Todd Klein
Penciller: Jonathan Peterson
Inker: Al Vey
Letterer: Agustin Mas
Colorist: Carl Gafford

Feature Character(s)

• Guardians of the Universe (in flashback; origin revealed; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Green Lantern Corps #217)
• Herupa Hando Hu (last appearance in Millennium #4; next appearance in Millennium #5)

Guest Star(s)

• Betty Clawman (last appearance in Millennium #4; next appearance in Millennium #5)
• Takeo Yakata (last appearance in Millennium #4; next appearance in Millennium #5)
• Xiang Po (last appearance in Millennium #4; next appearance in Millennium #5)
• Tom Kalmaku (last appearance in Millennium #4; next appearance in Millennium #5)
• Floronic Man (last appearance in Millennium #4; next appearance in Millennium #5)
• Celia Windward (last appearance in Millennium #4; next appearance in Millennium #5)
• Gregorio De La Vega (last appearance in Millennium #4; next appearance in Millennium #5)

Supporting Character(s)

• Nadia Safir (last appearance in Millennium #4; next appearance in Millennium #5)
• Zamarons (in flashback to the Guardians' origin; first post-Crisis appearance as a group; next appearance in Superman #14)
• John Stewart (last appearance in Millennium #4; next appearance in Millennium #5)
• Katma Tui (last appearance in Millennium #4; next appearance in Millennium #5)

Villain(s)

• Krona (in flashback; first post-Crisis appearance; no further appearances)

Flashback Appearance(s)

• Herupa Hando Hu (origin revealed; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Millennium #1)
• Nadia Safir (origin revealed; earliest chronological appearance; next appearance in Millennium #1)

Cameo Appearance(s)

• Green Lantern Corps (in flashbacks to their creation and accomplishments)
• Manhunters (in flashback to Secret Origins #22)
• Green Lantern (in flashback)
• Sinestro (in flashback)
• Arisia (in flashback)
• Tomar-Re (in flashback)
• Ch'p (in flashback)
• Sonar (in flashback)
• Monitor (in flashback)
• Anti-Monitor (in flashback)
• Goldface (in flashback)

Comments:
This issue is labeled:"Millennium Week 6".

The framing sequence of this story presents a chronology dilemma. Although this is a Millennium Week 6 tie-in, the footnote on page 1 indicates that this story takes place after Millennium #5, not during and after Millennium #6 as other crossovers from that week. However, there are two key factors in the story which contradict that chronology. First is the presence of Katma Tui. She left for space in Milllennium #5 and did not return to Earth until the end of Millennium #7. The second factor is the absence of Janwillem Kroeg, one of the Chosen, who left the group during Millennium #6. If he has already left the group then this story must take place after Katma returned to Earth in Millennium #7. However, by that time Herupa and Nadia had withered with old age not evident in this story. Therefore the only other conlusion is that this story takes place prior to Katma's departure in Millennium #5. Although this leaves Kroeg's absence unexplained, perhaps he is simply in another part of the Green Lantern Citadel and chose not to participate in this portion of the training provided by Herupa and Nadia.

Synopsis:
As Herupa and Nadia prepare the Chosen to become new Guardians, some of the group questions where the Guardians come from and ask for answers. The Guardian then shares the history of the Guardians with the Chosen and a pair of Earth's Green Lanterns.

The Guardians originated on a planet known as Maltus. They lived a symbiotic relationship with a micro-organism which over time and allowed their evolution to reach a point where their race became immortal. However, before reaching that point a terrible plague spread by contact between the sexes forces the men and women of their culture to live separately. Herupa explains that while working as an assistant to Krona he befriended and fell in love with female Nadia Safir. Their emotional relationship was a taboo.

Eventually, the immortals left Maltus and colonized Oa. The men devoted themselves to sceince and order. They created the Central Power Battery and the Manhunters. After the androids rebelled, the Green Lantern Corps was created to replace them. Meanwhile, the women left Oa to found their own world and became the Zamarons. Only recently have members of the two sexes reunited. They chose to leave the Universe behind to reconnect with each other.

Herupa and Nadia have now returned to help humanity reach the next level of evolution and to teach a new group that will take the place of the Guardians.