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Power ring (weapon)
Encyclopedia
A power ring is a fiction
al object featured in comic book
titles published by DC Comics
. It first appeared in All-American Comics
#16 (July 1940).
publisher All-American Publications
, which featured the first appearance of Alan Scott
. Green Lantern's original alter ego was Alan Ladd, a play on the name Aladdin
, until a conflict arose regarding the actor Alan Ladd
. Creator Marty Nodell has cited Richard Wagner
's opera cycle The Ring of the Nibelungen
and the sight of a trainman's green railway lantern as inspirations for the combination of a magical ring and lantern. It has been claimed that another original inspiration for the Silver Age interpretation of Green Lantern was the Lensman
series, a serial science fiction space opera, by E.E. "Doc" Smith, but the creators have vehemently denied this claim.
Alan Scott's ring is powered by the Green Flame (revised by later writers to be a mystical power called the Starheart), a magically empowered flame contained within an orb (The orb was actually a green, metal meteorite that fell to Earth which Alan Scott found. This was later explained as just a fragment that cracked off of the main Starheart that was still floating in space) which was fashioned into a lantern and ring by the character. Unlike the objects featured more prevalently in modern comics, "[s]cience in the original Green Lantern series was never a concern." This early version of the ring is shown as being powerless against wooden objects.
When the Green Lantern character was reinvented, beginning with the introduction of Hal Jordan
, the magical ring concept was replaced with a scientifically based one. The new version of the ring is created by the Guardians of the Universe
, who also create the Green Lantern Corps
. They divide the universe into 3600 sectors, each patrolled by two Green Lanterns equipped with power rings to assist them in their duties. The new concept for the ring also came with new limitations (though they would be removed or altered in later volumes). Specifically, the ring's charge would only last as long as one planetary rotation of the ringbearer's home planet, which for the Green Lanterns of Earth is twenty-four hours and "due to a flaw in the unique metal that powers the battery" was ineffective against anything yellow. The power ring is fueled by the willpower of its wearer.
The power ring's most distinctive effect is the generation of green, solid-light constructs, the precise physical nature of which has never been specified. The size, complexity, and strength of these constructs is limited only by the ring-bearer's willpower; whatever the wearer imagines, the ring will create.
When active, a power ring will encase its user in a protective, life-supporting force field. This force field allows the user to fly, travel through inhospitable environments (outer space
, underwater, etc.), and enter hyperspace
in order to move vast distances quickly. The ring also generates its wearer's Green Lantern uniform: the uniform appears over their normal attire and vanishes at the user's will. The uniform varies from Lantern to Lantern, based on anatomy, personal preference, and the social norms of their race. The only rule in this regard seems to be that the uniform must openly display the symbol of the corps, though even this has been modified based on preference, (a vampire
-hunting Lantern adapts the symbol into a cross, and a blind Lantern with no concept of light or color uses the image of a bell
) as in the case of Kyle Rayner
who wears a modified version of the symbol on his uniform.
Power rings also appear to be highly advanced computer
s; they are able to talk to and advise the wearer as to various courses of action, as well as act as a universal translator
. The ring can also scan for energy signatures or particular objects. For more intricate problems or problems that require a back logged history (Of a planet, person, group, ETC.), the ring connects with the main power battery on Oa which is the "main" computer, of sorts.
Power rings are able to give off electromagnetic radiation of various frequencies. This radiation can be focused by the wearer into a beam, similar in appearance and effect to a powerful laser
. The ring is also capable of producing an electrical current. Less frequently used capabilities include splitting atomic nuclei and manipulating subatomic particles (thereby transmuting chemical elements). A power ring is also capable of creating fully functional duplicates of itself.
While power rings have to be worn to be effective, at several points Green Lanterns have shown the ability to summon the ring to them from a distance (even if someone else is wearing it) or order it to carry out commands automatically after being removed. Some power rings have been shown to be genetically keyed to the wearer, like Kyle Rayner
's, though villains have circumvented this through various means. For instance, Manhunters use tissue samples to make Kyle's ring think it is still on his hand. When a Green Lantern is slain, their ring will automatically seek out a suitable replacement after logging the death for record. While the Green Lantern ring is an extremely advanced computer and is highly intelligent, it cannot think for itself. The ring will only act if it is given instructions by its wearer. Also, when a wearer expires, it will seek out a new replacement, but at that point, Mogo, the planet sized Green lantern takes over telepathic "custody" of the ring and issues its commands helping it find a suitable new recruit. Without Mogo, the ring would just transport itself to Oa and fall to the ground inert until it is needed again.
and do not themselves need recharging.
Originally, power rings were unable to affect objects colored yellow
, though Lanterns have typically found ways around the limitation by indirect manipulation. The reason why the rings were unable to affect yellow objects has changed significantly from writer to writer. In early stories, it was because of a design flaw. Gerard Jones
revised this, in a story that revealed that the Guardians could change the weakness randomly and at will. After the destruction of the central battery Ganthet revealed to Kyle Rayner that an "imperfection" in the central battery was responsible for the yellow weakness (which his ring didn't have as there was no Central Battery). In Green Lantern: Rebirth, writer Geoff Johns
revealed that the "yellow impurity" was the result of Parallax
, a yellow energy being made of pure fear, which had been imprisoned in the Central Power Battery. This change to the fictional history also allowed characters to overcome the yellow weakness by recognizing the fear behind it and facing that fear.
By far, the most significant limitation of the power ring is the willpower of the wielder. The requirements needed to wield a power ring have changed sporadically during the history of Green Lantern titles, often creating continuity
confusions. Allowing power rings to fall into the wrong hands has been a favorite plot device in many previous Green Lantern stories. However, only people with exceptional willpower can use a power ring, a restriction which makes use of the rings by average individuals incredibly difficult (if not impossible). For instance, when Green Arrow
used a power ring to attack Sinestro, it pushed the hero's body to the point of exhaustion (and for all his effort he was only able to generate a single arrow, which did little to Sinestro other than annoy him). Mind control, hallucinogens, psychic attacks, "neural chaff" and other phenomena that disrupt thought processes will all indirectly impair a power ring's effectiveness. More abstractly, so can a weakening of resolve and will. For example, during the Millennium
crossover, Hal Jordan fights a Manhunter who psychologically attacks him, to make him doubt that the people he is protecting value the principles he is fighting for. Jordan's resolve begins to weaken and his ring loses effectiveness until one of his charges strikes the Manhunter, declaring that she does deeply value Jordan's principles as well. With this dramatic affirmation, Jordan's faith in his cause is restored and the ring instantly returns to full power. The ring, though, does have some psychic defenses: Guy Gardner's ring apparently is able to put up psi-shields around him and Blue Beetle in their battle against the Ultra-Humanite
. There is also a limit to the amount of willpower the ring can take, as seen when John Stewart attempted to use his ring to re-build a destroyed planet, only to have his ring inform him, "Willpower exceeding power ring capabilities."
In the current incarnation of the Corps, the ring originally possessed programming to prevent the wearer from killing sentient beings. Hal Jordan was thought to have used power rings to kill a number of Corps members during Emerald Twilight
, though he did tell Kilowog that he "left them enough power to survive." During the Sinestro Corps War event, they were revealed to be alive, held prisoner by the Cyborg Superman
on the planet Biot. These Lanterns are referred to as the "Lost Lanterns". Any attempt to kill using a green power ring was automatically diverted, and in some cases resulted in the ring locking out the user. However, this restriction was rescinded by the Guardians to combat the Sinestro Corps, then for the general execution of their duties.
It has been claimed in-universe that only a pure form of willpower can use the ring effectively. When Green Arrow
tried to use Hal Jordan
's power ring against Sinestro, it caused him great pain and difficulty because (according to Sinestro) Green Arrow's will was "cynical". It has also been shown that the user's stamina is drained with every construct. When Green Arrow fires a small arrow-like construct from the ring, he describes the experience as feeling like losing a week's worth of sleep. When he questions Kyle Rayner about this, Kyle affirms that the feeling is normal.
. With the Central Power Battery destroyed, all the remaining power rings stop working. In desperation Ganthet
, the only surviving Guardian, uses what little power remains to create a new power ring and gives it to Kyle Rayner.
Kyle's ring is unique throughout the history of the Green Lantern characters, and was for a time the only working power ring throughout the DC Universe. His ring is not dependent on the Central Power Battery, and is free from the yellow impurity
. However, the ring does not prevent mortal damage automatically. The ring no longer needs to be charged every twenty-four hours; instead, its use is based on how much power it absorbs when recharging and how much is expended when it is in use. For example, after the destruction of Oa, Kyle's ring has more power than ever before and does not need to be recharged for an extended period of time. Unlike Hal Jordan's ring, it is unable to make copies of itself. After Kyle became settled into his role as the new Green Lantern, a Hal Jordan from the past visits Kyle's time after his own death as Parallax. He gives a copy of his ring to Kyle, which has the ability to replicate itself. Kyle attempts to use Hal's ring to restart the Green Lantern Corps with limited results.
The apparently random induction in the Corps, more than once contested by Ganthet as simple fatality during most of the Green Lantern v3 run, is later retcon
ned into the very first induction of a new breed of Lanterns. Since the Corps become aware of the Emotional spectrum, and the crippling effects the yellow light of Fear radiated by Parallax has over the green light of Will radiated by Ion, the Lantern Rookies are not anymore chosen by merely People unable to feel fear, but from people able to feel, and overcome, their fears. Since Kyle had always been able to do so, wrestling against his fears for his entire life, his ring gained immunity against the Yellow Impurity and his particularly fortified will was instrumental in bringing upon the rebirth of the Corps and setting an example to follow for the newer recruits.
Before giving up the power of the Central Battery Kyle further modified his ring. He gave the ring a permanent back up charge (so his ring could never be totally powerless). He also designed a recall feature that if his ring were ever removed from his hand that it could be summoned by him where ever he was.
as well as a corresponding emotion from which they derive their abilities.
The corps that exists are as follows: red
(rage
), orange
(avarice), yellow
(fear), green
(willpower
), blue
(hope
), indigo
(compassion), violet (love), black
(death), and white
(life).
According to Ganthet, the farther from the center of the spectrum the color is, the more control the ring's power has over its user. Therefore, green rings are the most stable, while red and violet rings exert the most influence over the behavior of their users. Artist Ethan Van Sciver
, who worked with Geoff Johns
on the concept of a spectrum of power rings, described their development:
Van Sciver designed aspects of the other Corps. According to Johns: "Ethan redefined the way Green Lanterns' energy is used visually. He started the "siren" symbol and now it's everywhere. He also designed the various Corps' symbols and there's a rhyme and reason to them all."
In Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps comics, these additional Corps are introduced as part of a forbidden chapter on cosmic revelations in the Book of Oa. Included in this chapter are the prophecies about the Blackest Night. At the end of the Sinestro Corps War
, former Guardians
Ganthet
and Sayd
reveal to the four Earth-based Green Lanterns the final verse of the prophecy. They explain to the Lanterns (and the reader) that the prophecy describes the formation of five more Corps in addition to the Green Lantern and Sinestro Corps; one for each of the remaining colors of the emotional spectrum. They go on to say that after these additional forces have come together, war will break out between the seven Corps until they destroy each other and the universe. These seven Corps described within the Blackest Night prophecy are joined by a final Corps not described in the text. Slowly revealed through the machinations of the Guardian Scar
and the mysterious appearance of a black power battery within various issues (beginning with the Anti-Monitor
's absorption into it at the conclusion of the Sinestro Corps War
), a Black Lantern Corps is also formed.
, a member of the Empire of Tears on the prison planet Ysmault, forges the first Red Power Battery from the innards of Qull, the being who tells Abin Sur
the prophecy of "the Blackest Night". Red power rings are powered by rage, feed on the rage of their users and anyone nearby, and are charged by the blood of those the user kills. Unlike Green Lantern rings, which provide a helpful commentary to their user, red rings are depicted as constantly emitting violent commands ("Kill," "Rage," "Pain," "Hatred," etc.), driving their wearers insane with rage and reducing them to little more than snarling beasts. The rings, however, seek out beings with great rage.
A user's red ring functionally replaces the user's heart, tainting their blood with red energy, and forces it out of their body through their mouth as a highly corrosive substance. The red ring's energy is also capable of corrupting the energies of other power rings, keeping them from functioning properly. The aura of a red ring is savage and rough in comparison to a green ring, but can be used similarly with sufficient focus, as Atrocitus demonstrates by creating a giant construct of Mera. Originally, a Blue Lanterns' energy was the only known power source capable of neutralizing the Red Lanterns' influences, and are also the only means of removing a red power ring from its user without killing them. Mogo managed to purify Guy Gardner during the Blackest Night but as Guy has not been cured by a Blue Lantern, traces of the Red Rage remain. Also a Star Sapphire, working with a Red Lantern's true love, is capable of restoring a Red Lantern.
(initially known as "Agent Orange") is the only living individual to wield the power of the orange light, although Lex Luthor
briefly shared that power during the "Blackest Night" storyline.
Some of Larfleeze's abilities are shared with other Corps: flight, aura projection, and orange light constructs. As a side effect of wielding the orange light, Larfleeze is burdened with an insatiable hunger that is never quelled regardless of how much food he eats. The power of the orange light allows Larfleeze to steal the identities of those he kills, transforming them into an "Orange Lantern" construct. These Orange Lanterns are able to steal the identities of others for Larfleeze in the same way. The orange light also has the power to absorb the energies of other power rings. However, it cannot absorb constructs produced by violet or blue power rings. By being in constant contact with his main power battery, Larfleeze has become one with his power source. This allows him to maintain a power level high enough to support an entire Corps of orange light constructs even when separated from it. Larfleeze and his constructs are resistant to magic and the abilities of green power rings, but do not retain the same protection against blue or violet rings. The blue light of hope can also nullify his insatiable hunger when he is near a bearer of it.
following his banishment to the antimatter universe of Qward
, and could only be recharged by fighting a Green Lantern. After his imprisonment in the power battery his ring was taken by Guy Gardner
who used it until it was destroyed by Parallax. Upon his return to life, Sinestro was seen wearing a new yellow power ring. Before he could be defeated Sinestro retreated to the anti-matter universe where he spent the year creating his Sinestro Corps.
Yellow Power rings are now fueled by fear instead of willpower, but function the same as their green counterparts. Members of the Sinestro Corps are chosen for their ability to instill great fear in others. In order to become a member of the Sinestro Corps, one must free themselves from a small prison. With their yellow power ring completely drained of its energy, they must provide it with the spark it needs to accomplish this feat by facing their own greatest fear. Originally Yellow rings could be charged by Manhunter androids that have yellow power batteries built into themselves, which in turn are connected to the Central Yellow Power Battery on Qward. There are also portable batteries similar to those used by Green Lanterns. Aside from the recharging limitations common among the various Corps, their only known weakness is that their power can be drained by a Blue power ring or disrupted by a Red Power Ring.
According to Ethan Van Sciver, the ring's symbol is based on ancient carvings made by beings who had looked into the gullet of Parallax and survived.
and Sayd
create the first blue power ring. The home planet of the Blue Lanterns and the Central Blue Power Battery is the planet Odym, an idyllic planet orbiting the star Polaris
. Blue power rings are fueled by hope; they give their users the most power, but they must be near an active Green power ring to tap into their full potential. Otherwise, the blue rings are only capable of default abilities (flight and a protective aura). This is because hope requires willpower to enact it. Blue rings must be fueled by true hope in order to operate at their user's command.
While within the proximity of a Green Lantern's ring, a blue ring can heal wounds, neutralize the corrupting effects of a red power ring, block the energy-stealing properties of orange rings, can drain the power from yellow power rings, and recharge a green power ring to twice its maximum power level. This effect can also negatively impact a green ring, as close proximity to the blue central power battery will overcharge a green ring, causing it to implode (taking the user's hand with it). If a Blue Lantern wishes it, it can also dampen the hunger caused by the orange light. A noteworthy ability of blue rings is the power to scan a target's psyche and create illusions based on their hopes. A blue power ring is capable of feeding off the hope of other beings, eschewing constant recharging while still performing impressive feats, including reversing a dying sun's age. Blue rings can also grant precognitive visions to their wielders.
Like all power rings, indigo rings are capable of the default Corps abilities of flight and protective aura generation. Indigo power rings give their users the ability to perceive compassion in others and to force compassion onto those who feel none. Paradoxically, indigo light has the ability to heal individuals with great empathy and to expose people to pain they've inflicted on other people. Indigo Power Rings can teleport their users and others over intergalactic distances. This ability utilizes a great deal of power from an indigo power ring, and Indigo Tribe members try to use it sparingly.
gem is too great for them to control and forge a Violet Power Battery and power ring out of the Star Sapphire gem, using the bodies that sparked the Star Sapphire as a mediator. This allows them to distribute its powers throughout an entire Corps of Star Sapphires.
Violet power rings are fueled by the emotion of love
. They allow their wearer to fly, generate a protective aura (which creates distinct feathered and organic shapes), and create violet light constructs. Violet rings have several unique abilities. They can create crystals which can be used to imprison members of other Lantern Corps on the Zamaron planet. Over time, the rings of the prisoners trapped in stasis within the crystals are infused with violet energy. After spending enough time inside, the prisoner will emerge as a Star Sapphire. The rings can also detect when a love is in jeopardy, locate it, and then create a connection to the embattled heart that can be used as a tether. Sapphires are also shown as being able to show others their greatest love. Unlike constructs created by Green Lanterns, Orange Lanterns cannot absorb those made by Star Sapphires. Star Sapphires are able to teleport in order to escape attackers, while their constructs release a disorienting dust when destroyed. These two abilities can be combined effectively to avoid being pursued. Violet power rings can restore the recently deceased to life by drawing power from the heart of one that loves them.
Although Violet Power Rings do not have a particular weakness to other colors, they are more susceptible to controlling their user by their own power. Love is one of the two emotions on the far ends of the emotional spectrum, and has a much stronger influence over its user. Unlike the Star Sapphire gem, which could force itself on a user, violet power rings must be accepted by the wearer."
hurls the Anti-Monitor
into space. His dying essence crashes onto the dead planet of Ryut and is encased in the Black Central Power Battery. Black Hand becomes the first Black Lantern after killing his family and committing suicide; Scar comes to him and regurgitates
the first black power ring. As noted by Ray Palmer
, the structure of black rings is similar to dark matter
. The symbol on black power rings (a triangle pointing down, with five lines radiating up) is the same symbol used by Green Lantern villain Black Hand
and his family.
Black power rings are wielded by the deceased. In addition to the abilities granted to them by the rings, Black Lanterns retain any superpowers they may have had in life. If the ring bearer's body is severely damaged or destroyed they can bring the body back to life, the black ring will partially reconstruct the body, restoring it to a working state. Black Lanterns rings are able to read the emotions of the living as colored auras that correlate to the emotional spectrum. Multiple emotions read as a multi-colored aura, while unreadable emotions come out as white or black. A state of suspended animation is also enough to fool a black ring's senses. Emotionless hearts, such as Scarecrow
's, render their bearers equally invisible to Black Lanterns. When facing beings with warped mental states or otherwise addled minds, the correlation between the emotion detected and the color seen is inverted.
A combination of green light with any other light of the emotional spectrum can neutralize black rings, rendering them vulnerable. Once a black ring is destroyed, the corpse it animates becomes inert. Black Lanterns are vulnerable to white light, described in Blackest Night #3 as the "white light of creation." Other methods exist for destroying Black Rings. Kimiyo Hoshi
and Halo
can destroy black power rings using their light-based powers. Conner Kent uses the Medusa Mask to force two Black Lanterns to experience the fullness of the Emotional Spectrum, irritating their black rings enough that they remove themselves and flee. Superboy-Prime takes control of a black power ring and is forced to experience all of the emotional spectrum except for hope, forcing the ring to shift abilities and uniforms as his emotions go out of control. The ring ultimately detonates. The "touch" of a Black Lantern, used to remove their victims' hearts and drain them of emotional energy, can sever the connection between other Black Lanterns and their black ring. Time travel
can deactivate a searching black ring.
Some characters have been shown as able to resist black rings for various reasons, including: having once been a zombie, being immortal, or being a Red Lantern. Wonder Woman and Conner Kent were also able to fight their ring's control.
Boston Brand, aka Deadman, was brought back to true life through the power of the white ring. Unable to control it or remove it, the ring rendered him invisible and teleported him across Earth and Mars so that he could observe events "The Entity" deemed important. His white ring allowed him to make constructs of other lanterns, similar to the orange light, but only when he was in danger and expressed a desire to keep living.
The white ring has recently shown a darker side. Having been charged up by Boston's embracing of his new life, the ring then commandeered him, forcing him to take it to see various resurrected individuals. When Hawkman and Hawkgirl refused to follow its orders, it acted independently to kill them, much to Boston's horror. It then teleported him to Aquaman's location and killed him as well, despite Boston's desperate attempts to gain control of it long enough for Arthur to get away.
employs a power ring duplicated from the ring of Green Lantern Hal Jordan that appears to have all of the capabilities and weaknesses of the original save the need to recharge every 24 hours.
and redistribute it to another object.
's Slam-Bang Comics #1 (March 1940) introduced Diamond Jack (Jack Lansing) who came into a ring with an enchanted black diamond that when worn, Jack could generate virtually anything he could imagine. Generally, this was to either augment matter already present (similar to Firestorm
, Doctor Alchemy's Philosopher's Stone
, or Matter Master
's Mentachem wand) or to simple physically generate an item from nothing.
that would take on Guy's middle name of Joe and the alter ego Enforcer was visited by the demon Neron
whom offered him power in exchange for his soul. The result was a yellow power gauntlet that seemed to be capable of all the abilities of Sinestro's yellow power ring.
, the entity today referred as Eclipso
was entombed in the large black Apokoliptian
gemstone known as the Heart of Darkness. The gem is later cut into a thousand smaller jewels and, under certain circumstances, when someone is in contact with one of these jewels, they will be possessed by Eclipso. While the possessed bares certain abilities such as superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and durability, manipulation of darkness, and flight, when the jewel is held to the eye, a black light emerges that can produce a force field or disintegration ray. Alex Montez was able to control Eclipso's powers without being possessed in a manner similar to a power ring wielder by covering his body in Diablo Island tribal tattoos and injecting 999 jewels from the Heart of Darkness that were ground into a sand-like consistency into his bloodstream while wielding the final jewel like those possessed.
(Ryand'r) offers the ability to control energy that acts like fire and is released in destructive force blasts. Lianna's Heartstone controls electromagnetism and can generate force blasts. Spider Emperor of the Spider Guild and Nebula (Felicity) demonstrated control over darkness and is able to manipulate it to generate constructs and force blasts. Silica
gained a cosmic awareness and intuition.
Power Gauntlet served as the prototype of the Green Lantern power rings. It is a metallic glove attached to a large disc on the users back. While the Gauntlet seems primitive to the power rings with the inability to make complex constructs, it can make very powerful energy beams and radial blasts.
). One such scarab was Khaji Da which was infused with magic during its time on Earth and when worn by Dan Garret
(without fusing) granted him superhuman strength, flight, electric energy blasts, and an armored costume that offered limited invulnerability. Thus far, blue and black scarabs have been seen with a red version suggested. It's unknown if there's any connection between the Reach scarabs and the Scarab of the Conglomerate
or the Scarabeus of the Seven Shadows' Scarab. The super-hero Silver Scarab has no connection to the Reach; his suit was made of Nth metal
.
to use the name Green Lantern in comic books, Alan Scott
, uses a power ring that draws energy from the Starheart. Before the creation of the Corps, the Guardians gathered all the magic they could find and imprisoned it in an orb called the Starheart. In its original appearance, a flashback sequence depicts how a fragment of the Starheart falls to Earth, is discovered by a Chinese occultist, and fashioned into the shape of a lamp. Superstitious villagers murder the occultist, after which, the lamp flashes green, killing them in return. After traveling the world for some time, the lamp eventually ends up at an insane asylum. It is here where a patient reshapes it into a train lantern, whereupon the power of the lantern restores his sanity. It comes into Scott's possession during a train wreck where it grants him the power to wield it. To channel its power, he removes a portion of it and molds it into a ring. The only weakness of the ring is that it cannot be used to affect things made of wood. Residual effects from wearing it were, however, passed down to Scott's children, the metahuman
s Jade
and Obsidian
.
Jade was able to tap into the Starheart naturally and use its power without the necessity of a ring. For a time, Alan Scott absorbed the Starheart, and was able to use the power in a similar fashion. When Jade died, Kyle Rayner
absorbed her energy, and could tap into both the Starheart and the Central Power Battery as Ion. During the Sinestro Corps War story-arc, Rayner was separated from the Ion entity (a benevolent symbiote and living embodiment of willpower) and became a normal Green Lantern again after being given a standard Green power ring. It is unclear if Rayner's link to the Starheart remains, or if it was transferred with the Ion symbiote to its newest host, Sodam Yat
.
During the Brightest Day
event, it appears that the Starheart actually has its own sentient intelligence that controls its user, as it is revealed that the orb had been gradually taking control of people on Earth for quite some time, and now that it is on Earth, it is growing more powerful and driving metahumans all over the world insane. Jade states that the Starheart captured her in space and deliberately brought her to Earth to find Alan, and also states that it is her fault that her father is now in danger. Just then, Alan awakens and his costume transforms into his suit of armor from Kingdom Come, and he then tells the assembled heroes that he intends to destroy the world.
, the Sucker Stick was a staff that employed science and sorcery to be a device that rivaled the Green Lantern's power ring. Able to manipulate energy and fueled by willpower, it appears able to replicate the power ring's abilities without its weaknesses.
, the Green Lantern uses a magical verdant Chinese lantern that when placed atop a grave will resurrect the dead, giving them a "Second Chance" to complete what they left unfinished in life before returning to the afterlife. The artifact also offers communication with the dead and across dimensions, teleportation (including between universes), can mask the bearer's presence, and can detect energy in the vicinity.
monk and mystic Volthoom, this green power ring appears to have all of the powers and abilities of a Green Lantern ring (along with a power battery lantern), though can effect wood and yellow. However, Power Ring murdered Volthoom after obtaining the ring and the monk's spirit seems to inhabit the item, haunting whomever bears the ring. As the Crime Syndicate of America
are villainous counterparts to the Justice League of America, the identity of Power Ring seems directly connected to which Green Lantern is in the Justice League at the time. Further, with the introduction of Earth-3 and its Crime Society of America (a quasi-union of supervillains with analogies to the Justice League and Justice Society of America
similar to Alexander Luthor, Jr.
's Society), there is at least another Volthoom power ring if not several. Volthoom's Power Ring is magical in nature in a similar fashion to the Starheart.
is a Bizarro
character with an especially strange power ring. Once the charge of his Yellow power ring ran out, it was rendered effectively useless as he was unable to recharge it with any of the Green power batteries he encountered. The New Earth
version of Yellow Lantern, introduced in Action Comics, did not have the same problem recharging his own power ring. He was, however, depicted as incompetent, unaware of the extent of his abilities, and incapable of maintaining control over his disobedient power ring.
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al object featured in comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
titles published by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
. It first appeared in All-American Comics
All-American Comics
All-American Comics was the flagship title of comic book publisher All-American Publications, one of the forerunners of DC Comics. It ran for 102 issues from April 1939 to October 1948, at which time it was renamed All-American Western. In 1952, the title was changed again to All-American Men of...
#16 (July 1940).
Origin
The first appearance of a power ring was in All-American Comics #16 (July 1940), the flagship title of comic bookComic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
publisher All-American Publications
All-American Publications
All-American Publications is one of three American comic book companies that combined to form the modern-day DC Comics, one of the world's two largest comics publishers...
, which featured the first appearance of Alan Scott
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
. Green Lantern's original alter ego was Alan Ladd, a play on the name Aladdin
Aladdin
Aladdin is a Middle Eastern folk tale. It is one of the tales in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights , and one of the most famous, although it was actually added to the collection by Antoine Galland ....
, until a conflict arose regarding the actor Alan Ladd
Alan Ladd
-Early life:Ladd was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was the only child of Ina Raleigh Ladd and Alan Ladd, Sr. He was of English ancestry. His father died when he was four, and his mother relocated to Oklahoma City where she married Jim Beavers, a housepainter...
. Creator Marty Nodell has cited Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's opera cycle The Ring of the Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
and the sight of a trainman's green railway lantern as inspirations for the combination of a magical ring and lantern. It has been claimed that another original inspiration for the Silver Age interpretation of Green Lantern was the Lensman
Lensman
The Lensman series is a serial science fiction space opera by Edward Elmer "Doc" Smith. It was a runner-up for the Hugo award for best All-Time Series ....
series, a serial science fiction space opera, by E.E. "Doc" Smith, but the creators have vehemently denied this claim.
Alan Scott's ring is powered by the Green Flame (revised by later writers to be a mystical power called the Starheart), a magically empowered flame contained within an orb (The orb was actually a green, metal meteorite that fell to Earth which Alan Scott found. This was later explained as just a fragment that cracked off of the main Starheart that was still floating in space) which was fashioned into a lantern and ring by the character. Unlike the objects featured more prevalently in modern comics, "[s]cience in the original Green Lantern series was never a concern." This early version of the ring is shown as being powerless against wooden objects.
When the Green Lantern character was reinvented, beginning with the introduction of Hal Jordan
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
, the magical ring concept was replaced with a scientifically based one. The new version of the ring is created by the Guardians of the Universe
Guardians of the Universe
The Guardians of the Universe, alternatively known as the Guardians or Oans are a fictional extraterrestrial race in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #1 , and were created by John Broome and Gil Kane. Here they do not reveal their existence to Hal, bringing his...
, who also create the Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
. They divide the universe into 3600 sectors, each patrolled by two Green Lanterns equipped with power rings to assist them in their duties. The new concept for the ring also came with new limitations (though they would be removed or altered in later volumes). Specifically, the ring's charge would only last as long as one planetary rotation of the ringbearer's home planet, which for the Green Lanterns of Earth is twenty-four hours and "due to a flaw in the unique metal that powers the battery" was ineffective against anything yellow. The power ring is fueled by the willpower of its wearer.
Capabilities
No hard upper limit to the power ring's capabilities has yet been demonstrated; it is often referred to as "the most powerful weapon in the universe."The power ring's most distinctive effect is the generation of green, solid-light constructs, the precise physical nature of which has never been specified. The size, complexity, and strength of these constructs is limited only by the ring-bearer's willpower; whatever the wearer imagines, the ring will create.
When active, a power ring will encase its user in a protective, life-supporting force field. This force field allows the user to fly, travel through inhospitable environments (outer space
Outer space
Outer space is the void that exists between celestial bodies, including the Earth. It is not completely empty, but consists of a hard vacuum containing a low density of particles: predominantly a plasma of hydrogen and helium, as well as electromagnetic radiation, magnetic fields, and neutrinos....
, underwater, etc.), and enter hyperspace
Hyperspace (science fiction)
Hyperspace is a plot device sometimes used in science fiction. It is typically described as an alternative region of space co-existing with our own universe which may be entered using an energy field or other device...
in order to move vast distances quickly. The ring also generates its wearer's Green Lantern uniform: the uniform appears over their normal attire and vanishes at the user's will. The uniform varies from Lantern to Lantern, based on anatomy, personal preference, and the social norms of their race. The only rule in this regard seems to be that the uniform must openly display the symbol of the corps, though even this has been modified based on preference, (a vampire
Vampire
Vampires are mythological or folkloric beings who subsist by feeding on the life essence of living creatures, regardless of whether they are undead or a living person...
-hunting Lantern adapts the symbol into a cross, and a blind Lantern with no concept of light or color uses the image of a bell
Bell (instrument)
A bell is a simple sound-making device. The bell is a percussion instrument and an idiophone. Its form is usually a hollow, cup-shaped object, which resonates upon being struck...
) as in the case of Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol...
who wears a modified version of the symbol on his uniform.
Power rings also appear to be highly advanced computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
s; they are able to talk to and advise the wearer as to various courses of action, as well as act as a universal translator
Universal translator
A universal translator is a device common to many science fiction works, especially on television. First described in Murray Leinster's 1945 novella "First Contact", the translator's purpose is to offer an instant translation of any language...
. The ring can also scan for energy signatures or particular objects. For more intricate problems or problems that require a back logged history (Of a planet, person, group, ETC.), the ring connects with the main power battery on Oa which is the "main" computer, of sorts.
Power rings are able to give off electromagnetic radiation of various frequencies. This radiation can be focused by the wearer into a beam, similar in appearance and effect to a powerful laser
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
. The ring is also capable of producing an electrical current. Less frequently used capabilities include splitting atomic nuclei and manipulating subatomic particles (thereby transmuting chemical elements). A power ring is also capable of creating fully functional duplicates of itself.
While power rings have to be worn to be effective, at several points Green Lanterns have shown the ability to summon the ring to them from a distance (even if someone else is wearing it) or order it to carry out commands automatically after being removed. Some power rings have been shown to be genetically keyed to the wearer, like Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol...
's, though villains have circumvented this through various means. For instance, Manhunters use tissue samples to make Kyle's ring think it is still on his hand. When a Green Lantern is slain, their ring will automatically seek out a suitable replacement after logging the death for record. While the Green Lantern ring is an extremely advanced computer and is highly intelligent, it cannot think for itself. The ring will only act if it is given instructions by its wearer. Also, when a wearer expires, it will seek out a new replacement, but at that point, Mogo, the planet sized Green lantern takes over telepathic "custody" of the ring and issues its commands helping it find a suitable new recruit. Without Mogo, the ring would just transport itself to Oa and fall to the ground inert until it is needed again.
Limitations
Originally Green Lantern power rings typically held a limited charge. In earlier appearances, they required recharging every twenty-four hours, but more recently they possess a fixed amount of regular charge: that is, the charge is good for twenty-four hours of 'typical' use, but extended or extensive use will drain the charge more quickly. Green Lantern rings typically reserve a small portion of their power for a passive force field that protects its wielder from mortal harm. In dire emergencies, that energy reserve can be tapped at the expense of said protection. Power rings are usually recharged by a Green Lantern's personal battery, which looks like an old fashioned lantern made of dark green metal. The user typically points the ring towards the lantern, and usually gives the Green Lantern oath (below) while recharging the ring. These batteries are directly linked to the Central Power Battery on OaOa
Oa is a fictional planet that lies at the center of the DC Comics universe. Since its inception, Oa has been the planetary citadel of the Guardians of the Universe and the headquarters of the Green Lantern Corps...
and do not themselves need recharging.
Originally, power rings were unable to affect objects colored yellow
Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
, though Lanterns have typically found ways around the limitation by indirect manipulation. The reason why the rings were unable to affect yellow objects has changed significantly from writer to writer. In early stories, it was because of a design flaw. Gerard Jones
Gerard Jones
For the entrepreneur see Gérard Jones.Gerard Jones is an award-winning American author and comic book writer.-Biography:Jones was born in Cut Bank, Montana, and raised in Los Gatos and Gilroy, California...
revised this, in a story that revealed that the Guardians could change the weakness randomly and at will. After the destruction of the central battery Ganthet revealed to Kyle Rayner that an "imperfection" in the central battery was responsible for the yellow weakness (which his ring didn't have as there was no Central Battery). In Green Lantern: Rebirth, writer Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
revealed that the "yellow impurity" was the result of Parallax
Parallax (comics)
Parallax is a fictional comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks for Green Lantern vol...
, a yellow energy being made of pure fear, which had been imprisoned in the Central Power Battery. This change to the fictional history also allowed characters to overcome the yellow weakness by recognizing the fear behind it and facing that fear.
By far, the most significant limitation of the power ring is the willpower of the wielder. The requirements needed to wield a power ring have changed sporadically during the history of Green Lantern titles, often creating continuity
Continuity (fiction)
In fiction, continuity is consistency of the characteristics of persons, plot, objects, places and events seen by the reader or viewer over some period of time...
confusions. Allowing power rings to fall into the wrong hands has been a favorite plot device in many previous Green Lantern stories. However, only people with exceptional willpower can use a power ring, a restriction which makes use of the rings by average individuals incredibly difficult (if not impossible). For instance, when Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
used a power ring to attack Sinestro, it pushed the hero's body to the point of exhaustion (and for all his effort he was only able to generate a single arrow, which did little to Sinestro other than annoy him). Mind control, hallucinogens, psychic attacks, "neural chaff" and other phenomena that disrupt thought processes will all indirectly impair a power ring's effectiveness. More abstractly, so can a weakening of resolve and will. For example, during the Millennium
Millennium (comics)
"Millennium" was a comic book crossover story line that ran through an eight-issue, self-titled, limited series and various other titles cover dated January and February 1988 by DC Comics. The limited series was published weekly, which was a departure for an American series...
crossover, Hal Jordan fights a Manhunter who psychologically attacks him, to make him doubt that the people he is protecting value the principles he is fighting for. Jordan's resolve begins to weaken and his ring loses effectiveness until one of his charges strikes the Manhunter, declaring that she does deeply value Jordan's principles as well. With this dramatic affirmation, Jordan's faith in his cause is restored and the ring instantly returns to full power. The ring, though, does have some psychic defenses: Guy Gardner's ring apparently is able to put up psi-shields around him and Blue Beetle in their battle against the Ultra-Humanite
Ultra-Humanite
The Ultra-Humanite is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Action Comics #13 , and was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster...
. There is also a limit to the amount of willpower the ring can take, as seen when John Stewart attempted to use his ring to re-build a destroyed planet, only to have his ring inform him, "Willpower exceeding power ring capabilities."
In the current incarnation of the Corps, the ring originally possessed programming to prevent the wearer from killing sentient beings. Hal Jordan was thought to have used power rings to kill a number of Corps members during Emerald Twilight
Emerald Twilight
"Emerald Twilight" is a 1994 comic book story told in Green Lantern #48-50, written by Ron Marz, and published by DC Comics. The story introduced a new Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner, who gained a significant fan following....
, though he did tell Kilowog that he "left them enough power to survive." During the Sinestro Corps War event, they were revealed to be alive, held prisoner by the Cyborg Superman
Hank Henshaw
Hank Henshaw is a fictional supervillain featured in the DC Comics universe. While originally featured primarily as an enemy of Superman, recent years have repositioned him as one of the main enemies of the Green Lantern Corps...
on the planet Biot. These Lanterns are referred to as the "Lost Lanterns". Any attempt to kill using a green power ring was automatically diverted, and in some cases resulted in the ring locking out the user. However, this restriction was rescinded by the Guardians to combat the Sinestro Corps, then for the general execution of their duties.
It has been claimed in-universe that only a pure form of willpower can use the ring effectively. When Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
tried to use Hal Jordan
Hal Jordan
Harold "Hal" Jordan is a DC Comics superhero known as Green Lantern, the first human shown to join the Green Lantern Corps and a founding member of the Justice League of America. Jordan is the second DC Comics character to adopt the Green Lantern moniker...
's power ring against Sinestro, it caused him great pain and difficulty because (according to Sinestro) Green Arrow's will was "cynical". It has also been shown that the user's stamina is drained with every construct. When Green Arrow fires a small arrow-like construct from the ring, he describes the experience as feeling like losing a week's worth of sleep. When he questions Kyle Rayner about this, Kyle affirms that the feeling is normal.
Oaths
All power rings need periodic recharging. When doing so, many Green Lanterns recite an oath while the ring charges. The oath is not required to charge the ring, but is recited to reaffirm the person's commitment to the Green Lantern Corps. While many Green Lanterns create their own oath, the majority use the Corps' official oath as a sign of respect. This practice has been abandoned with the reinstating of the Green Lantern Corps. As additional Corps have been introduced into DC continuity, with their own power rings (see below), corresponding oaths unique to each Corps have been formulated as well.Kyle Rayner's ring
After the destruction of Coast City during the "Reign of the Supermen!" story-arc, Green Lantern Hal Jordan goes mad and betrays the Corps. He defeats most of the Corps on his way to Oa, enters the Central Power Battery, and absorbs most of its energies along with the yellow impurity to become the villain ParallaxParallax (comics)
Parallax is a fictional comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks for Green Lantern vol...
. With the Central Power Battery destroyed, all the remaining power rings stop working. In desperation Ganthet
Ganthet
Ganthet is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in the 1992 graphic novel Green Lantern: Ganthet's Tale , by Larry Niven and John Byrne.- Background :Ganthet is one of the Guardians of the Universe...
, the only surviving Guardian, uses what little power remains to create a new power ring and gives it to Kyle Rayner.
Kyle's ring is unique throughout the history of the Green Lantern characters, and was for a time the only working power ring throughout the DC Universe. His ring is not dependent on the Central Power Battery, and is free from the yellow impurity
Parallax (comics)
Parallax is a fictional comic book supervillain in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks for Green Lantern vol...
. However, the ring does not prevent mortal damage automatically. The ring no longer needs to be charged every twenty-four hours; instead, its use is based on how much power it absorbs when recharging and how much is expended when it is in use. For example, after the destruction of Oa, Kyle's ring has more power than ever before and does not need to be recharged for an extended period of time. Unlike Hal Jordan's ring, it is unable to make copies of itself. After Kyle became settled into his role as the new Green Lantern, a Hal Jordan from the past visits Kyle's time after his own death as Parallax. He gives a copy of his ring to Kyle, which has the ability to replicate itself. Kyle attempts to use Hal's ring to restart the Green Lantern Corps with limited results.
The apparently random induction in the Corps, more than once contested by Ganthet as simple fatality during most of the Green Lantern v3 run, is later retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned into the very first induction of a new breed of Lanterns. Since the Corps become aware of the Emotional spectrum, and the crippling effects the yellow light of Fear radiated by Parallax has over the green light of Will radiated by Ion, the Lantern Rookies are not anymore chosen by merely People unable to feel fear, but from people able to feel, and overcome, their fears. Since Kyle had always been able to do so, wrestling against his fears for his entire life, his ring gained immunity against the Yellow Impurity and his particularly fortified will was instrumental in bringing upon the rebirth of the Corps and setting an example to follow for the newer recruits.
Before giving up the power of the Central Battery Kyle further modified his ring. He gave the ring a permanent back up charge (so his ring could never be totally powerless). He also designed a recall feature that if his ring were ever removed from his hand that it could be summoned by him where ever he was.
Other Lantern Corps
In the hidden section of the Book of Oa, there was a prophecy about the War of Light and the Blackest Night. It foretold of the rise of several other Lantern Corps after fear rises (The events of the Sinestro Corp War). Tapping into the emotional spectrum, each corp is connected to a particular colorRoy G. Biv
ROYGBIV is an acronym for the visible part of the electromagnetic light spectrum:* Red* Orange* Yellow* Green* Blue* Indigo* VioletA rainbow spans a continuous spectrum of colors; the distinct bands are an artifact of human color vision...
as well as a corresponding emotion from which they derive their abilities.
The corps that exists are as follows: red
Red Lantern Corps
The Red Lantern Corps is a fictional organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They debuted in Green Lantern vol. 4 #25 and were created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver...
(rage
Rage (emotion)
Rage is a feeling of intense anger. It is associated with the Fight-or-flight response and oftentimes activated in response to an external cue, such as the murder of a loved one. The phrase, 'thrown into a fit of rage,' expresses the immediate nature of rage that occurs before deliberation. If left...
), orange
Larfleeze
Agent Orange is a fictional character owned by DC Comics. He is the primary wielder of the Orange light of avarice...
(avarice), yellow
Sinestro Corps
The Sinestro Corps is a group of fictional characters, a villainous analogue to the Green Lantern Corps in the DC Universe. It is led by the supervillain Thaal Sinestro.-Before the Corps:...
(fear), green
Green Lantern Corps
The Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
(willpower
Will (philosophy)
Will, in philosophical discussions, consonant with a common English usage, refers to a property of the mind, and an attribute of acts intentionally performed. Actions made according to a person's will are called "willing" or "voluntary" and sometimes pejoratively "willful"...
), blue
Blue Lantern Corps
The Blue Lantern Corps is an organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They debuted in Green Lantern vol. 4 #25 and were created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver.-Fictional group history:...
(hope
Hope
Hope is the emotional state which promotes the belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. It is the "feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best" or the act of "look[ing] forward to with desire and reasonable confidence" or...
), indigo
Indigo Tribe
The Indigo Tribe is a fictional organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They debuted in Green Lantern vol. 4 #25 and were created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver.-Fictional group history:...
(compassion), violet (love), black
Black Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
(death), and white
White Lantern Corps
The White Lantern Corps is a fictional organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics.-History:The first White Lantern Corps member was created when Sinestro of Korugar bonded with The Entity, the embodiment of life itself...
(life).
According to Ganthet, the farther from the center of the spectrum the color is, the more control the ring's power has over its user. Therefore, green rings are the most stable, while red and violet rings exert the most influence over the behavior of their users. Artist Ethan Van Sciver
Ethan Van Sciver
Ethan Daniel Van Sciver is an American comic book artist, best known for illustrating a number of titles including Green Lantern, Superman/Batman, New X-Men, and The Flash: Rebirth...
, who worked with Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns
Geoff Johns is an American comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics, where he has been Chief Creative Officer since February 2010, in particular for characters such as Green Lantern, The Flash and Superman...
on the concept of a spectrum of power rings, described their development:
Van Sciver designed aspects of the other Corps. According to Johns: "Ethan redefined the way Green Lanterns' energy is used visually. He started the "siren" symbol and now it's everywhere. He also designed the various Corps' symbols and there's a rhyme and reason to them all."
In Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps comics, these additional Corps are introduced as part of a forbidden chapter on cosmic revelations in the Book of Oa. Included in this chapter are the prophecies about the Blackest Night. At the end of the Sinestro Corps War
Sinestro Corps War
"Sinestro Corps War" is an American comic book crossover event published by DC Comics in its Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps titles. Written by Geoff Johns and Dave Gibbons and drawn by Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, and Ethan Van Sciver, the 11-part saga was originally published between June...
, former Guardians
Guardians of the Universe
The Guardians of the Universe, alternatively known as the Guardians or Oans are a fictional extraterrestrial race in the DC Comics universe. They first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #1 , and were created by John Broome and Gil Kane. Here they do not reveal their existence to Hal, bringing his...
Ganthet
Ganthet
Ganthet is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in the 1992 graphic novel Green Lantern: Ganthet's Tale , by Larry Niven and John Byrne.- Background :Ganthet is one of the Guardians of the Universe...
and Sayd
Sayd
Sayd is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. She is now an exiled member of the Guardians of the Universe. Where most of the Guardians are void of emotion and rigid in their compliance to standard policy, Sayd's sensibilities are more in line with those of Ganthet, a Guardian known for...
reveal to the four Earth-based Green Lanterns the final verse of the prophecy. They explain to the Lanterns (and the reader) that the prophecy describes the formation of five more Corps in addition to the Green Lantern and Sinestro Corps; one for each of the remaining colors of the emotional spectrum. They go on to say that after these additional forces have come together, war will break out between the seven Corps until they destroy each other and the universe. These seven Corps described within the Blackest Night prophecy are joined by a final Corps not described in the text. Slowly revealed through the machinations of the Guardian Scar
Scar (comics)
Scar is a supervillain in the . She first appeared as an unnamed Guardian of the Universe in Green Lantern #25, and was first named in the February 2009 Origins and Omens backup stories.-Background:...
and the mysterious appearance of a black power battery within various issues (beginning with the Anti-Monitor
Anti-Monitor
The Anti-Monitor is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain and the antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths. He first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 , and was destroyed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, only to return after a long absence in Green...
's absorption into it at the conclusion of the Sinestro Corps War
Sinestro Corps War
"Sinestro Corps War" is an American comic book crossover event published by DC Comics in its Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps titles. Written by Geoff Johns and Dave Gibbons and drawn by Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleason, and Ethan Van Sciver, the 11-part saga was originally published between June...
), a Black Lantern Corps is also formed.
Red
AtrocitusAtrocitus
Atrocitus is a fictional character, an alien supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Created by Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver, Atrocitus is an enemy of the Guardians of the Universe and Sinestro, their former Green Lantern. He first appears in Green Lantern vol...
, a member of the Empire of Tears on the prison planet Ysmault, forges the first Red Power Battery from the innards of Qull, the being who tells Abin Sur
Abin Sur
Abin Sur is a fictional character and a superhero from the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in Showcase #22 : "SOS Green Lantern". He was a member of the Green Lantern Corps and is best known as the predecessor of Green Lantern Hal Jordan, whom Abin Sur's power ring chose as his replacement...
the prophecy of "the Blackest Night". Red power rings are powered by rage, feed on the rage of their users and anyone nearby, and are charged by the blood of those the user kills. Unlike Green Lantern rings, which provide a helpful commentary to their user, red rings are depicted as constantly emitting violent commands ("Kill," "Rage," "Pain," "Hatred," etc.), driving their wearers insane with rage and reducing them to little more than snarling beasts. The rings, however, seek out beings with great rage.
A user's red ring functionally replaces the user's heart, tainting their blood with red energy, and forces it out of their body through their mouth as a highly corrosive substance. The red ring's energy is also capable of corrupting the energies of other power rings, keeping them from functioning properly. The aura of a red ring is savage and rough in comparison to a green ring, but can be used similarly with sufficient focus, as Atrocitus demonstrates by creating a giant construct of Mera. Originally, a Blue Lanterns' energy was the only known power source capable of neutralizing the Red Lanterns' influences, and are also the only means of removing a red power ring from its user without killing them. Mogo managed to purify Guy Gardner during the Blackest Night but as Guy has not been cured by a Blue Lantern, traces of the Red Rage remain. Also a Star Sapphire, working with a Red Lantern's true love, is capable of restoring a Red Lantern.
Orange
An orange ring is powered by avarice (greed). Unlike the other Corps, LarfleezeLarfleeze
Agent Orange is a fictional character owned by DC Comics. He is the primary wielder of the Orange light of avarice...
(initially known as "Agent Orange") is the only living individual to wield the power of the orange light, although Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
briefly shared that power during the "Blackest Night" storyline.
Some of Larfleeze's abilities are shared with other Corps: flight, aura projection, and orange light constructs. As a side effect of wielding the orange light, Larfleeze is burdened with an insatiable hunger that is never quelled regardless of how much food he eats. The power of the orange light allows Larfleeze to steal the identities of those he kills, transforming them into an "Orange Lantern" construct. These Orange Lanterns are able to steal the identities of others for Larfleeze in the same way. The orange light also has the power to absorb the energies of other power rings. However, it cannot absorb constructs produced by violet or blue power rings. By being in constant contact with his main power battery, Larfleeze has become one with his power source. This allows him to maintain a power level high enough to support an entire Corps of orange light constructs even when separated from it. Larfleeze and his constructs are resistant to magic and the abilities of green power rings, but do not retain the same protection against blue or violet rings. The blue light of hope can also nullify his insatiable hunger when he is near a bearer of it.
Yellow
The first yellow ring is acquired by Thaal SinestroSinestro
Thaal Sinestro is a fictional character, an alien supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, Sinestro is the former mentor of Hal Jordan and the arch-nemesis of the entire Green Lantern Corps. Sinestro first appears in Green Lantern #7 . In 2009, Sinestro was...
following his banishment to the antimatter universe of Qward
Qward
Qward is a fictional world existing within an antimatter universe that is part of the . It was first mentioned in Green Lantern # 2 .-Fictional history:...
, and could only be recharged by fighting a Green Lantern. After his imprisonment in the power battery his ring was taken by Guy Gardner
Guy Gardner (comics)
Guy Gardner is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He is a core member of the Green Lantern family of characters, and for a time was also a significant member of the Justice League family of characters.He was created by John Broome and Gil Kane in Green Lantern...
who used it until it was destroyed by Parallax. Upon his return to life, Sinestro was seen wearing a new yellow power ring. Before he could be defeated Sinestro retreated to the anti-matter universe where he spent the year creating his Sinestro Corps.
Yellow Power rings are now fueled by fear instead of willpower, but function the same as their green counterparts. Members of the Sinestro Corps are chosen for their ability to instill great fear in others. In order to become a member of the Sinestro Corps, one must free themselves from a small prison. With their yellow power ring completely drained of its energy, they must provide it with the spark it needs to accomplish this feat by facing their own greatest fear. Originally Yellow rings could be charged by Manhunter androids that have yellow power batteries built into themselves, which in turn are connected to the Central Yellow Power Battery on Qward. There are also portable batteries similar to those used by Green Lanterns. Aside from the recharging limitations common among the various Corps, their only known weakness is that their power can be drained by a Blue power ring or disrupted by a Red Power Ring.
According to Ethan Van Sciver, the ring's symbol is based on ancient carvings made by beings who had looked into the gullet of Parallax and survived.
Blue
As the Sinestro Corps War ends, former Guardians of the Universe GanthetGanthet
Ganthet is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. He first appeared in the 1992 graphic novel Green Lantern: Ganthet's Tale , by Larry Niven and John Byrne.- Background :Ganthet is one of the Guardians of the Universe...
and Sayd
Sayd
Sayd is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. She is now an exiled member of the Guardians of the Universe. Where most of the Guardians are void of emotion and rigid in their compliance to standard policy, Sayd's sensibilities are more in line with those of Ganthet, a Guardian known for...
create the first blue power ring. The home planet of the Blue Lanterns and the Central Blue Power Battery is the planet Odym, an idyllic planet orbiting the star Polaris
Polaris
Polaris |Alpha]] Ursae Minoris, commonly North Star or Pole Star, also Lodestar) is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor. It is very close to the north celestial pole, making it the current northern pole star....
. Blue power rings are fueled by hope; they give their users the most power, but they must be near an active Green power ring to tap into their full potential. Otherwise, the blue rings are only capable of default abilities (flight and a protective aura). This is because hope requires willpower to enact it. Blue rings must be fueled by true hope in order to operate at their user's command.
While within the proximity of a Green Lantern's ring, a blue ring can heal wounds, neutralize the corrupting effects of a red power ring, block the energy-stealing properties of orange rings, can drain the power from yellow power rings, and recharge a green power ring to twice its maximum power level. This effect can also negatively impact a green ring, as close proximity to the blue central power battery will overcharge a green ring, causing it to implode (taking the user's hand with it). If a Blue Lantern wishes it, it can also dampen the hunger caused by the orange light. A noteworthy ability of blue rings is the power to scan a target's psyche and create illusions based on their hopes. A blue power ring is capable of feeding off the hope of other beings, eschewing constant recharging while still performing impressive feats, including reversing a dying sun's age. Blue rings can also grant precognitive visions to their wielders.
Indigo
The Indigo Tribe, wielders of the indigo light of compassion, make their first extended appearance in Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps #1 (July 2009). Unlike other Corps, the Indigo Tribe carry carved, lantern-like staves with them. In Blackest Night #5, it is established that Indigo Tribe members use their staffs instead of power batteries to charge their rings. In addition to being able to store indigo light energy, they are also capable of replicating the power of other emotional lights as well, providing indigo power rings access to the abilities of other Corps. To use the power of another Corps, Indigo Tribesmen must be in the vicinity of one of that Corps' members. Without that closeness, their access to the abilities of that emotional light fades.Like all power rings, indigo rings are capable of the default Corps abilities of flight and protective aura generation. Indigo power rings give their users the ability to perceive compassion in others and to force compassion onto those who feel none. Paradoxically, indigo light has the ability to heal individuals with great empathy and to expose people to pain they've inflicted on other people. Indigo Power Rings can teleport their users and others over intergalactic distances. This ability utilizes a great deal of power from an indigo power ring, and Indigo Tribe members try to use it sparingly.
Violet
At the conclusion of the Mystery of the Star Sapphire story-arc, the Zamarons realize that the power of the Star SapphireStar Sapphire (comics)
Star Sapphire is the name of several supervillains in DC Comics, all connected in origin. Within DC continuity, an immortal race of warrior women were depicted as having the ancient tradition of choosing physically identical mortals from across the cosmos to serve as the host body for their queen....
gem is too great for them to control and forge a Violet Power Battery and power ring out of the Star Sapphire gem, using the bodies that sparked the Star Sapphire as a mediator. This allows them to distribute its powers throughout an entire Corps of Star Sapphires.
Violet power rings are fueled by the emotion of love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
. They allow their wearer to fly, generate a protective aura (which creates distinct feathered and organic shapes), and create violet light constructs. Violet rings have several unique abilities. They can create crystals which can be used to imprison members of other Lantern Corps on the Zamaron planet. Over time, the rings of the prisoners trapped in stasis within the crystals are infused with violet energy. After spending enough time inside, the prisoner will emerge as a Star Sapphire. The rings can also detect when a love is in jeopardy, locate it, and then create a connection to the embattled heart that can be used as a tether. Sapphires are also shown as being able to show others their greatest love. Unlike constructs created by Green Lanterns, Orange Lanterns cannot absorb those made by Star Sapphires. Star Sapphires are able to teleport in order to escape attackers, while their constructs release a disorienting dust when destroyed. These two abilities can be combined effectively to avoid being pursued. Violet power rings can restore the recently deceased to life by drawing power from the heart of one that loves them.
Although Violet Power Rings do not have a particular weakness to other colors, they are more susceptible to controlling their user by their own power. Love is one of the two emotions on the far ends of the emotional spectrum, and has a much stronger influence over its user. Unlike the Star Sapphire gem, which could force itself on a user, violet power rings must be accepted by the wearer."
Black
Black Power Rings are fueled by death, instead of a light from the emotional spectrum. In the concluding issues of the Sinestro Corps War, Superboy-PrimeSuperboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime, also known as Superman-Prime, or simply Prime, is a DC Comics superhero turned supervillain, and one of several alternate Supermen. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #87 , and was created by Elliot S...
hurls the Anti-Monitor
Anti-Monitor
The Anti-Monitor is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain and the antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries Crisis on Infinite Earths. He first appeared in Crisis on Infinite Earths #2 , and was destroyed in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12, only to return after a long absence in Green...
into space. His dying essence crashes onto the dead planet of Ryut and is encased in the Black Central Power Battery. Black Hand becomes the first Black Lantern after killing his family and committing suicide; Scar comes to him and regurgitates
Vomiting
Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose...
the first black power ring. As noted by Ray Palmer
Ray Palmer (comics)
The Atom is a fictional character, a DC Comics superhero introduced during the Silver Age of comic books in Showcase # 34 . He was named after Raymond A...
, the structure of black rings is similar to dark matter
Dark matter
In astronomy and cosmology, dark matter is matter that neither emits nor scatters light or other electromagnetic radiation, and so cannot be directly detected via optical or radio astronomy...
. The symbol on black power rings (a triangle pointing down, with five lines radiating up) is the same symbol used by Green Lantern villain Black Hand
Black Hand (comics)
Black Hand is a DC Comics supervillain and a recurring foe to Green Lantern. He first appeared in Green Lantern #29 and was created by John Broome and Gil Kane...
and his family.
Black power rings are wielded by the deceased. In addition to the abilities granted to them by the rings, Black Lanterns retain any superpowers they may have had in life. If the ring bearer's body is severely damaged or destroyed they can bring the body back to life, the black ring will partially reconstruct the body, restoring it to a working state. Black Lanterns rings are able to read the emotions of the living as colored auras that correlate to the emotional spectrum. Multiple emotions read as a multi-colored aura, while unreadable emotions come out as white or black. A state of suspended animation is also enough to fool a black ring's senses. Emotionless hearts, such as Scarecrow
Scarecrow (comics)
The Scarecrow is a fictional character, a supervillain, that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in World's Finest Comics #3 and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
's, render their bearers equally invisible to Black Lanterns. When facing beings with warped mental states or otherwise addled minds, the correlation between the emotion detected and the color seen is inverted.
A combination of green light with any other light of the emotional spectrum can neutralize black rings, rendering them vulnerable. Once a black ring is destroyed, the corpse it animates becomes inert. Black Lanterns are vulnerable to white light, described in Blackest Night #3 as the "white light of creation." Other methods exist for destroying Black Rings. Kimiyo Hoshi
Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi)
Doctor Light is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC Comics universe.Kimiyo Hoshi is a distinct character from the DC villain of the same name...
and Halo
Halo (comics)
Halo is a fictional superheroine that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in a special insert in The Brave and the Bold #200 , and was created by Mike W...
can destroy black power rings using their light-based powers. Conner Kent uses the Medusa Mask to force two Black Lanterns to experience the fullness of the Emotional Spectrum, irritating their black rings enough that they remove themselves and flee. Superboy-Prime takes control of a black power ring and is forced to experience all of the emotional spectrum except for hope, forcing the ring to shift abilities and uniforms as his emotions go out of control. The ring ultimately detonates. The "touch" of a Black Lantern, used to remove their victims' hearts and drain them of emotional energy, can sever the connection between other Black Lanterns and their black ring. Time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
can deactivate a searching black ring.
Some characters have been shown as able to resist black rings for various reasons, including: having once been a zombie, being immortal, or being a Red Lantern. Wonder Woman and Conner Kent were also able to fight their ring's control.
White
The first white power ring is depicted during the Blackest Night event. It is worn by Sinestro after he bonds himself to a creature embodying life itself, known as "the Entity." The exact capabilities and limitations of white power rings are still unknown, but they have been shown as capable of providing their bearers with the default Corps abilities of flight, protective aura generation, and light construct creation. Their most notable and unique ability to date is the power to restore the dead to life. The first instances of this ability were shown not by the intention of any individual, but by the ring itself. They are also shown "overriding" power rings of other colors, turning them white for a period of time.Boston Brand, aka Deadman, was brought back to true life through the power of the white ring. Unable to control it or remove it, the ring rendered him invisible and teleported him across Earth and Mars so that he could observe events "The Entity" deemed important. His white ring allowed him to make constructs of other lanterns, similar to the orange light, but only when he was in danger and expressed a desire to keep living.
The white ring has recently shown a darker side. Having been charged up by Boston's embracing of his new life, the ring then commandeered him, forcing him to take it to see various resurrected individuals. When Hawkman and Hawkgirl refused to follow its orders, it acted independently to kill them, much to Boston's horror. It then teleported him to Aquaman's location and killed him as well, despite Boston's desperate attempts to gain control of it long enough for Arthur to get away.
Amazo's Power Ring
Justice League of America villain AmazoAmazo
Amazo is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in The Brave and the Bold #30 and was created by Gardner Fox and Murphy Anderson. An android, Amazo's special ability is to replicate the special abilities of various superheroes and...
employs a power ring duplicated from the ring of Green Lantern Hal Jordan that appears to have all of the capabilities and weaknesses of the original save the need to recharge every 24 hours.
Anti-Green Lantern Power Ring
An early predecessor to the Black Lantern Corps is the Anti-Green Lantern Corps, where the Weaponers of Qward tapped into the Black Light and produced their own black power ring-empowered force that rivaled the Green Lantern Corps. Unfortunately, the will power necessary to use the rings required its bearers' to have augmented brains that when the rings lose their charge after 24 hours, the bearer loses their life.Black Hand's Power Rod
While built by Atrocitus, a rod-like energy device was primarily employed by the Black Hand before he was modified by Evil Star. This device would consume Green Lantern's energy and allow Black Hand to employ the abilities of a power ring dependent on the amount of energy it stored. This device was also shown to absorb the Speed ForceSpeed Force
The Speed Force is a concept presented in various comic books published by DC Comics, primarily in relation to the various speedsters in the DC Universe.-Empowered:...
and redistribute it to another object.
Black Light's Power Ring
In the Batman Beyond comic, a villain is introduced named Black Light with a black power ring but it was discovered this ring merely manipulated energy from the Green Lantern's ring.Corpse Disks
In Green Lantern Corps, an additional division of the Green Lanterns is introduced: "the Corpse". This elite, top secret, black ops division of the Green Lantern Corps does not incorporate the use of standard power rings into their work. Instead, they swallow a small disk that gives them all the powers of a standard ring for the equivalent of five Earth days. Rather than generating a typical Green Lantern uniform, Corpse disks create a completely black uniform with a mask that totally covers the user's head. Their energy aura is also purple instead of green. The disks are meant to encourage discretion, as a Green Lantern ring is a distinct and recognizable weapon. Not only are Corpse abilities less conspicuous, but (in the event of a failed mission) no connections will be made between them and the Guardians of Oa.Diamond Jack
FawcettFawcett Comics
Fawcett Comics, a division of Fawcett Publications, was one of several successful comic book publishers during the Golden Age of Comic Books in the 1940s...
's Slam-Bang Comics #1 (March 1940) introduced Diamond Jack (Jack Lansing) who came into a ring with an enchanted black diamond that when worn, Jack could generate virtually anything he could imagine. Generally, this was to either augment matter already present (similar to Firestorm
Firestorm (comics)
Firestorm is the name of several comic book superheroes published by DC Comics. Ronnie Raymond and Martin Stein, the first Firestorm, debuted in Firestorm, the Nuclear Man #1 , and was created by Gerry Conway and Al Milgrom. Martin Stein, by himself as Firestorm, debuted in Firestorm the Nuclear...
, Doctor Alchemy's Philosopher's Stone
Philosopher's stone
The philosopher's stone is a legendary alchemical substance said to be capable of turning base metals into gold or silver. It was also sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality. For many centuries, it was the most sought-after goal...
, or Matter Master
Matter Master
The Matter Master is a DC Comics supervillain and a recurring Hawkman foe. Created by Gardner Fox and Joe Kubert, he first appeared in The Brave and the Bold # 35 .-Fictional character history:...
's Mentachem wand) or to simple physically generate an item from nothing.
Enforcer's Power Gauntlet
The clone of Guy GardnerGuy Gardner (comics)
Guy Gardner is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. He is a core member of the Green Lantern family of characters, and for a time was also a significant member of the Justice League family of characters.He was created by John Broome and Gil Kane in Green Lantern...
that would take on Guy's middle name of Joe and the alter ego Enforcer was visited by the demon Neron
Neron
Neron is a fictional demon, a comic book character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in the DC Comics cross-over event Underworld Unleashed #1, , and was created by Mark Waid and Howard Porter.- Publication history :...
whom offered him power in exchange for his soul. The result was a yellow power gauntlet that seemed to be capable of all the abilities of Sinestro's yellow power ring.
Heart of Darkness
Formerly the Spirit of VengeanceSpectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...
, the entity today referred as Eclipso
Eclipso
Eclipso is a fictional supervillain in the DC Comics Universe. The character is the incarnation of the Wrath of God and the Angel of Vengeance that turned evil and was replaced by the Spectre...
was entombed in the large black Apokoliptian
Apokolips
In the DC Comics fictional shared Universe, Apokolips is the planet ruled by Darkseid, established in Jack Kirby's Fourth World series. It is also integral to many DC Comics stories. The planet is considered the opposite of New Genesis....
gemstone known as the Heart of Darkness. The gem is later cut into a thousand smaller jewels and, under certain circumstances, when someone is in contact with one of these jewels, they will be possessed by Eclipso. While the possessed bares certain abilities such as superhuman strength, speed, stamina, and durability, manipulation of darkness, and flight, when the jewel is held to the eye, a black light emerges that can produce a force field or disintegration ray. Alex Montez was able to control Eclipso's powers without being possessed in a manner similar to a power ring wielder by covering his body in Diablo Island tribal tattoos and injecting 999 jewels from the Heart of Darkness that were ground into a sand-like consistency into his bloodstream while wielding the final jewel like those possessed.
Heartstone
Said to have been created at the dawn of creation, made of the same substance as the universe, and of immense power, it's claimed that possession of the four Heartstones grants a level of all-powerful godhood. Individually, a Heartstone bearer has the ability of flight and capability to survive in space. Different Heartstones denote different control over elements. The one possessed by DarkfireOmega Men
The Omega Men are a fictional team of extraterrestrial superheroes who have appeared in various comic book series published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Green Lantern #141 , and were created by Marv Wolfman and Joe Staton....
(Ryand'r) offers the ability to control energy that acts like fire and is released in destructive force blasts. Lianna's Heartstone controls electromagnetism and can generate force blasts. Spider Emperor of the Spider Guild and Nebula (Felicity) demonstrated control over darkness and is able to manipulate it to generate constructs and force blasts. Silica
L.E.G.I.O.N.
L.E.G.I.O.N., is a team of fictional extraterrestrial superheroes, a science fiction comic book published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Invasion! #1, and were created by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo and Todd McFarlane...
gained a cosmic awareness and intuition.
Krona's Power Gauntlet
Krona'sKrona (comics)
Krona is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Green Lantern #40 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane.-Fictional character biography:...
Power Gauntlet served as the prototype of the Green Lantern power rings. It is a metallic glove attached to a large disc on the users back. While the Gauntlet seems primitive to the power rings with the inability to make complex constructs, it can make very powerful energy beams and radial blasts.
Manhunter Pistols
Before the development of the power rings, two groups are depicted as preceding the Green Lantern Corps within DC continuity. The first, the Manhunters, are armed with energy pistols that are specially attuned to the hand-held battery from which it draws power. The battery itself holds a connection to the Central Power Battery on Oa; operating as its own source of energy. This mode of energy transference is not unlike the kind used by power rings. After the Guardians lost control of the Manhunters, the Hallas, a race of green-skinned aliens from Sector 2814, are shown as pre-Corps Oan enforcers in Green Lantern (vol. 2) #90 (August 1976). Like the Manhunters, they are also shown wielding stun guns attached to Lantern batteries.Ninurta's Power Ring
A Controller named Istar that lived on Earth around the time of the rise of Mesopotamia employed science and magic to develop a power ring akin to that of the Green Lantern. This ring was employed by Ninurta, the leader of the army of Terrans against Istar's enemy Nergal.The Reach Scarab
An alien race and enemy of the Guardians of the Universe known as the Reach developed sentient devices that appeared like scarabs that affix themselves to a host, turn the host into a drone, and outfit the host with a suit of armor composed of advanced weaponry (similar to the VirmiruAlpha Centurion
Alpha Centurion is the name of two fictional superheroes published by DC Comics. Created by Karl Kesel, the character first appeared in Zero Hour: Crisis in Time #3...
). One such scarab was Khaji Da which was infused with magic during its time on Earth and when worn by Dan Garret
Blue Beetle
Blue Beetle is the name of three fictional superheroes that appear in American comic books published by a variety of companies since 1939.-Publication history:...
(without fusing) granted him superhuman strength, flight, electric energy blasts, and an armored costume that offered limited invulnerability. Thus far, blue and black scarabs have been seen with a red version suggested. It's unknown if there's any connection between the Reach scarabs and the Scarab of the Conglomerate
The Conglomerate (comics)
The Conglomerate is a fictional DC Comics superhero team. They first appeared in Justice League Quarterly #1 .-Fictional background:...
or the Scarabeus of the Seven Shadows' Scarab. The super-hero Silver Scarab has no connection to the Reach; his suit was made of Nth metal
Nth metal
Nth metal is a fictional metal in the .-Fictional history:It is native to Thanagar, the home planet of Katar Hol and Shayera Thal, the Silver Age Hawkman and Hawkwoman. Among the unusual properties of Nth metal is the ability to negate gravity, allowing a person wearing an object made of Nth...
.
Starband
Created and employed by Evil Star, the Starband draws energy from stars to permit flight, the ability to survive in space, produce energy blasts and constructs, and create miniature simple-minded versions of Evil Star called Starlings.Starheart
The first superheroSuperhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
to use the name Green Lantern in comic books, Alan Scott
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
, uses a power ring that draws energy from the Starheart. Before the creation of the Corps, the Guardians gathered all the magic they could find and imprisoned it in an orb called the Starheart. In its original appearance, a flashback sequence depicts how a fragment of the Starheart falls to Earth, is discovered by a Chinese occultist, and fashioned into the shape of a lamp. Superstitious villagers murder the occultist, after which, the lamp flashes green, killing them in return. After traveling the world for some time, the lamp eventually ends up at an insane asylum. It is here where a patient reshapes it into a train lantern, whereupon the power of the lantern restores his sanity. It comes into Scott's possession during a train wreck where it grants him the power to wield it. To channel its power, he removes a portion of it and molds it into a ring. The only weakness of the ring is that it cannot be used to affect things made of wood. Residual effects from wearing it were, however, passed down to Scott's children, the metahuman
Metahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
s Jade
Jade (comics)
Jade is a fictional character, a superheroine in the . Known affectionately as "Jennie" or "Jen", she is the daughter of Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern. Her mother is Rose Canton, the Golden Age villain known as Thorn...
and Obsidian
Obsidian (comics)
Obsidian is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in All-Star Squadron #25 , and was created by Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway. According to an Infinity, Inc...
.
Jade was able to tap into the Starheart naturally and use its power without the necessity of a ring. For a time, Alan Scott absorbed the Starheart, and was able to use the power in a similar fashion. When Jade died, Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol...
absorbed her energy, and could tap into both the Starheart and the Central Power Battery as Ion. During the Sinestro Corps War story-arc, Rayner was separated from the Ion entity (a benevolent symbiote and living embodiment of willpower) and became a normal Green Lantern again after being given a standard Green power ring. It is unclear if Rayner's link to the Starheart remains, or if it was transferred with the Ion symbiote to its newest host, Sodam Yat
Sodam Yat
Sodam Yat is a fictional character, an extraterrestrial superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Tales of the Green Lantern Corps Annual #2 , and was created by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill...
.
During the Brightest Day
Brightest Day
Brightest Day is a year-long comic book maxi-series that began in April 2010. The story follows the ending of the series Blackest Night and how the aftermath of these events affect the entire DC Universe.-Plot:...
event, it appears that the Starheart actually has its own sentient intelligence that controls its user, as it is revealed that the orb had been gradually taking control of people on Earth for quite some time, and now that it is on Earth, it is growing more powerful and driving metahumans all over the world insane. Jade states that the Starheart captured her in space and deliberately brought her to Earth to find Alan, and also states that it is her fault that her father is now in danger. Just then, Alan awakens and his costume transforms into his suit of armor from Kingdom Come, and he then tells the assembled heroes that he intends to destroy the world.
Sucker Stick
Designed and employed by Doctor Ub'xDoctor Ub'x
Doctor Ub'x is a fictional character in the DC Universe. He first appeared disguised as the villain Polestar in Green Lantern Corps #201 , then disguised as the villains Truk, Malignon, and his true form in Green Lantern Corps #202...
, the Sucker Stick was a staff that employed science and sorcery to be a device that rivaled the Green Lantern's power ring. Able to manipulate energy and fueled by willpower, it appears able to replicate the power ring's abilities without its weaknesses.
Tangent Green Lantern
On Earth-9Tangent Comics
Tangent Comics was a DC Comics imprint created in 1997–1998, developed from ideas created by Dan Jurgens. The line, formed from various one-shots, focused on creating all-new characters using established DC names, such as the Joker, Superman, and the Flash...
, the Green Lantern uses a magical verdant Chinese lantern that when placed atop a grave will resurrect the dead, giving them a "Second Chance" to complete what they left unfinished in life before returning to the afterlife. The artifact also offers communication with the dead and across dimensions, teleportation (including between universes), can mask the bearer's presence, and can detect energy in the vicinity.
Volthoom's Power Ring
Given to who would become the first in a line of supervillains named Power Ring by the mad BuddhistBuddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
monk and mystic Volthoom, this green power ring appears to have all of the powers and abilities of a Green Lantern ring (along with a power battery lantern), though can effect wood and yellow. However, Power Ring murdered Volthoom after obtaining the ring and the monk's spirit seems to inhabit the item, haunting whomever bears the ring. As the Crime Syndicate of America
Crime Syndicate of America
For the concept of crime syndicates in general, see Organized crime.The Crime Syndicate are teams of fictional supervillains, from one of DC Comics' parallel universes, who are the evil counterparts of the Justice League of America. The original team was specifically known as Crime Syndicate of...
are villainous counterparts to the Justice League of America, the identity of Power Ring seems directly connected to which Green Lantern is in the Justice League at the time. Further, with the introduction of Earth-3 and its Crime Society of America (a quasi-union of supervillains with analogies to the Justice League and Justice Society of America
Justice Society of America
The Justice Society of America, or JSA, is a DC Comics superhero group, the first team of superheroes in comic book history. Conceived by editor Sheldon Mayer and writer Gardner Fox, the JSA first appeared in All Star Comics #3 ....
similar to Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor Jr. is a DC Comics character who turned from a hero to a villain. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Alexander has a prominent role in the DC Universe storylines Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis....
's Society), there is at least another Volthoom power ring if not several. Volthoom's Power Ring is magical in nature in a similar fashion to the Starheart.
Yellow Lantern's Ring
The Yellow LanternYellow Lantern
Yellow Lantern is a fictional DC Comics supervillain. He is the Bizarro version of Green Lantern, created by Bizarro, the imperfect clone of Superman...
is a Bizarro
Bizarro
Bizarro is a fictional character that appears in publications published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Otto Binder and artist George Papp as a "mirror image" of Superman and first appeared in Superboy #68...
character with an especially strange power ring. Once the charge of his Yellow power ring ran out, it was rendered effectively useless as he was unable to recharge it with any of the Green power batteries he encountered. The New Earth
Multiverse
The multiverse is the hypothetical set of multiple possible universes that together comprise all of reality.Multiverse may also refer to:-In fiction:* Multiverse , the fictional multiverse used by DC Comics...
version of Yellow Lantern, introduced in Action Comics, did not have the same problem recharging his own power ring. He was, however, depicted as incompetent, unaware of the extent of his abilities, and incapable of maintaining control over his disobedient power ring.
See Also
- Lensman
- Quantum Bands
- Power PrismDoctor SpectrumDoctor Spectrum is the name of several fictional characters that appear in publications published by Marvel Comics. There have been five versions of the character to date - three supervillains from the mainstream Marvel Universe belonging to the team Squadron Sinister and two heroes from different...
- OsiraOsiraOsira is a fictional character in the DC Comics book Wonder Woman. She first appeared in Wonder Woman, vol. 1, #231.-Pre-Crisis history:...
- Legion Flight Ring
- Magic ringMagic ringA magic ring is a ring, usually a finger ring, that has magical properties. It appears frequently in fantasy and fairy tales. Magic rings are found in the folklore of every country where rings are worn, and they endow the wearer with a variety of abilities, including invisibility, the granting of...
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