I like to think I know a lot about comic book lore. I have long box of X-Men issues under my bed and strong opinions about Nightwing. However, last night’s all-new episode of Lanterns on HBO had me scratching my head, totally confused.

That’s because Lanterns Episode 2 revealed a blind spot in my otherwise robust knowledge of superheroes and their villains: I don’t know squat about Manhunters.

**Spoilers for Lanterns Episode 2, now streaming on HBO Max**

In Lanterns Episode 2, a group of aliens disguised as humans kidnap John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) so they can first use a fancy cosmic doohickey to force him to experience the pain of their planet’s genocide and then task him with finding the Manhunter hiding undercover in Rushville, Nebraska. If he doesn’t? They’ll blow up the whole town.

Even though John’s sworn to secrecy, he still tells the current Green Lantern, Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler), about the Manhunter. Hal, in turn, soars off to the Guardians’ home planet of Oa to bust into a space jail so he can question his former mentor, Sinestro (Ulrich Thomsen), about these baddies.

Cut to me, sitting on my sofa, watching all this go down, and thinking the stupidest question imaginable: is Martian Manhunter a Manhunter?

Like, this is DC Comics, you know? Martian Manhunter, aka J’onn J’onzz, is in the Justice League. But Martian Manhunter is…from Mars? But he’s a Manhunter, too? And he’s been known to shapeshift???

Finding myself utterly confused, I did the only sensible thing and messaged the Green Lantern expert in my life: Decider contributor (and Lanterns recapper) Sean T. Collins:

That cleared up, I find myself realizing that other people out there might be confused about Manhunters in Lanterns. With that in mind, here are four key questions I had about Manhunters while watching Lanterns this week…and the answers my diligent research provided.

What Are Manhunters in Lanterns?

Manhunters are a race of superpowers robots who can shapeshift into any form. They were the Guardians of the Universe’s first stab at creating an intergalactic police force to protect and defend the innocent all over the universe. However, as they grew in power, they began to hurt more than they helped.

All of the Manhunters are supposed to be dead, but it seems that one has survived and they are hiding in Rushville.

Again, Manhunters are not nice, they are not our friends, and they are, in the words of Sean T. Collins, “bad news.”

Is Martian Manhunter a Manhunter in Lanterns?

No! Martian Manhunter is a Martian. A super-powered, shape-shifting Martian, who simply goes by the moniker, “Martian Manhunter.”

Also Martian Manhunter isn’t even in Lanterns! But if he were in Lanterns, Martian Manhunter would be our friend. I’m pretty sure of it!

Who is the Manhunter in Lanterns?

Well, well, well… That’s the big mystery, isn’t it? Supposing there’s a Manhunter hiding in plain sight in Rushville, it could be anyone from Jason Ritter’s chipper Billy Macon to his particularly paranoid father, William (Garret Dillahunt).

We don’t know who the Manhunter is in Lanterns, so feel free to drop your theories in the comments!

Is Michael Mann’s Manhunter on Streaming?

Yes! In fact, Michael Mann’s Manhunter is currently streaming on Prime Video in the United States.

Am I just thinking about the movie Manhunter because Sean pointed out how Sinestro’s introduction at the end of Lanterns Episode 2 mirrors Hannibal Lekter’s that film in his Lanterns recap? Yes, I am. But I’m also always thinking about Manhunter. Great picture! Michael Mann rules. So does Manhunter.