Through two episodes of Lanterns, we have seen Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) utilize his ring to help him fly, to prevent a bomb’s explosion from impacting a large part of the town, and more, yet John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) hasn’t had much time with it. In the first episode, he only used the ring to save himself from a car crash, and in the second episode, John tried to use it to fly. Instead, he constructed a green bird that followed him around for the rest of the episode. At first glance, this didn’t seem like a big deal, but as the episode progressed, it became clearer that it wasn’t a common occurrence, and it spoke to something more interesting about John as a character. If you consider the ramifications of the construct, it’s actually something of a twist that changes the way the show and the entire DCU handle Green Lantern lore.
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John is able to travel across great distances with his bird and is told that it would go away if he breaks his concentration. However, even after getting knocked out, the bird remains, and it returns to Rushville with him. The alien leader Antaan (Paul Ben-Victor) is impressed by it, and even Hal has to admit that it’s a powerful display by John. That feels like an admission that what John did is a big deal.
John’s Bird Suggests The Ring Isn’t The Source Of His Power
When Antaan questions John about the bird, he believes that Hal is projecting it across several states. He’s impressed when he learns that John is doing it, despite not wearing the ring. This suggests that the ring itself isn’t the source of the power and that it comes from the person. It would make the ring more of a conduit for that power, which is different from what is commonly known about the Green Lantern Corps. Even in the failed 2011 Green Lantern film, it was the ring that granted the user the power and that person’s personal willpower helped them wield it.
The Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum is typically the power source for the Green Lantern Corps. Sentient beings created seven forms of energy based on their emotions, each represented by a color. Red is rage, yellow is fear, blue is hope, indigo is compassion, orange is greed, violet is love, and green is willpower. Having the source of power come from John himself means the DCU could be going a different route than sticking with traditional comic book lore.
The fact that John created something living and kept it alive without the ring is incredibly advanced. He notes that it should’ve earned him at least a “hoorah” from Hal, who eventually gave him a sarcastic one. The power coming from John could explain some of the tension between the two: Hal could be threatened by John’s immense power, especially since he’s technically there to replace him at some point. It could be why he’s taken so long to fully train John, and it adds drama to their relationship, making for a better and more interesting storyline overall.
The DCU Is Establishing A Key Piece of Green Lantern Lore
Another positive aspect of the DCU establishing a different bit of lore for the Green Lantern Corps is how it shapes the future of the franchise. Lanterns has made sure to mention several times that John is meant to replace Hal, and Hal says that John will only get the ring when he dies. However, the idea that John’s power doesn’t come directly from the ring opens the door for them to work together.
Hal explains in the first episode that he was told by a dying Abin Sur that the ring chose him as the next Green Lantern. Meanwhile, teasers for upcoming episodes seem to show John interacting with a member of the Guardians (played by Laura Linney) about them choosing him. It’s possible they chose him because of the power he possesses without needing the ring. Lanterns may also shed light on how Guy Gardner from Superman earned his place, since he’s set to appear in a future episode.
If John’s construct power truly isn’t coming from the ring, then this sets the stage for multiple Green Lanterns to work together on Earth. It would also explain why, in the first episode’s twist ending, John checks for Hal’s ring after his death, a decade down the line. John could be working as his own Green Lantern without needing the ring, allowing Hal to continue on as Green Lantern with the ring. If the Manhunters are plotting something against the Guardians of the Universe, like some believe, having multiple Green Lanterns fight them off would be ideal.
John’s power coming from within would help allow those Green Lanterns to come together without stepping on each other’s toes. That would help Lanterns stand out from the pack when it comes to DCU projects.
To check out Lanterns, you can stream the series on HBO Max!
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Image Courtesy of Marvel Television
