After 67 Years, DC Just Gave Green Lantern a New Color & New Powers

March 12, 2026, 9:30am

After a year of waiting, the Absolute Universe’s Hal Jordan finally has proper superpowers, but no, he’s not a Green Lantern. Ever since Absolute Green Lantern began, fans have been treated to a cosmic mystery involving a small group of friends trying to make sense of a cosmic war they’ve gotten caught up in. Like the rest of the Absolute line’s titles, the Green Lanterns’ mythos is very different from the Prime DCU versions. There’s no core, there’s no Guardians of the Universe, and it doesn’t look like there’s an Emotional Spectrum, at least, not the one we’re familiar with.

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Absolute Green Lantern has, instead, introduced what’s been called the ‘Levels of Light’ with (so far) four distinct states: Qard, Rao, Sur, and Aur, respectively representing the Black, Red, Green, and Gold lights. Instead of emotions, these lights are attuned to action. For example, Qard is associated with chaotic action, or action without thinking. Hal found that out the hard way when he shot Abin Sur in haste and was cursed with the Black Hand. Hal’s been on the mend since, and now he’s discovering which level of light he actually belongs to.

Hal Jordan Discovers the Power of Love

In Absolute Green Lantern #12 by Al Ewing, Jahnoy Lindsay, Sid Kotian, Pressy, and Lucas Gattoni, Hector Hammond is out for blood. He wants to kill Jo Mullein and is using his greatest creation, the Absolute Obsidian, to do the job. Using powerful psychic technology, Hammond controls Obsidian, who pursues Jo, Hal, and Cameron Chase. Chase is able to temporarily stop Hammond by shooting at Obsidian, allowing the trio to head up to the safety of the roof. But just when the three think that they’re in the clear, Obsidian bursts through the roof, preparing to kill them all.

Before Obsidian can do anything, Jo summons her ring from the rubble below, giving the team a fighting chance. With the Green Lantern’s power now at her disposal, she does some serious damage to Obsidian. However, Hal warns his friend that someone’s inside Obsidian, not Hammond remotely piloting it, but a real human being. Jo is unfortunately too lost in the battle to properly assess what Hal means. Energy similar to the Black Hand begins to emit from Hal, but this time, it’s got a pinkish tinge to it.

Jo is knocked back temporarily, giving Hal the time he needs to step in. He’s bathed in light like Jo, only Hal shines a bright pink energy. Hal tells Jo that he can feel whoever is trapped in Obsidian and muses on what chaotic action really means. Hal notes that action without thought can be violent or hateful if one twists it. But at its root, Hal believes that action without thought embodies love. Using his newfound energy, Hal frees his old friend Todd Rice from the Obsidian shell while Jo remains mystified over what Hal just did.

Hal’s New Power Adds Onto Absolute Emotional Spectrum’s Lore

Though Absolute Green Lantern has been around for a year, fans everywhere are still trying to piece together all the clues the creative team has given us so far. We were just getting used to the idea that there were only four light levels before the last several issues teased a few more. But as far as I can tell, the energy Hal discovered isn’t so much another level of light, but rather, the true state of Qard. Initially, chaotic action was seen as the lowest tier, but it may be one of the most noble states of the spectrum.

When Hal was infected by the Black Hand, he noted that it felt like the black energy was trying to supersede the natural state. And as Hal states in this issue, action without thought can be manipulated into something more dark and cruel, like the Black Hand. But Hal realized that chaotic action can be an act of love. After all, do we ever really think about what we do for the people we love? That realization helped Hal discover the true power of the Qard level, finally giving him a proper set of powers in this epic, cosmic tale.

Now, is the true state of the Qard level exactly like the love-powered Star Sapphires from the Prime DCU? It’s hard to say. They both appear to possess healing powers and an incredible degree of empathy. But there are still so many unknowns when it comes to the levels of light and how they all fit together. Thankfully, Hal’s new power adds another piece of the puzzle that’ll hopefully lead us to a better understanding. Fans might miss Hal’s usual duds, but honestly, pink is a pretty good color on him for Absolute Green Lantern.

What do you think about Green Lantern’s new color and powers? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts on the ComicBook Forum!