7 Powers You Didn’t Know Green Lantern Had

Green Lantern is consistently one of the Justice League’s strongest heroes, regardless of which version of the character you’re looking at. The Green Lantern Corps is DC’s largest and most effective peacekeeping organization in space, with each Lantern responsible for protecting vast areas. Their Power Rings give them the amazing ability to create solid-light objects – anything they can imagine, from simple weapons to incredibly detailed and realistic machines. Green Lanterns are exceptionally powerful, and while they’re best known for these creations, their rings have many other surprising abilities.

During the early days of Green Lantern comics, the power rings seemed capable of almost anything the storytellers imagined, and they still retain a lot of that versatility today. We’re going to explore some of the strangest, most unusual, and lesser-known abilities Green Lanterns have demonstrated over the years. You might be surprised – this list will show you they’re far more than just a one-trick wonder!

7) Pocket Dimension Storage

As a huge movie and comic book fan, I’ve always been fascinated by the Power Rings in the Green Lantern universe. They’re not just gadgets – they’re almost alive, made from the very stuff the universe is built from. Think of them as physical forms of pure willpower and imagination, and that means each one can potentially hold an entire world inside! Apparently, each ring has its own tiny dimension, a whole planet shrunk down to an unbelievably small size. I recently learned that Abin Sur, the Green Lantern before Hal Jordan, actually imprisoned a really nasty sorcerer named Myrwhydden inside his ring! It was revealed in an old Green Lantern comic – issue #26 from 1960 – and described as a desolate, empty world. It’s pretty wild to think about, and I’m still trying to figure out if whoever wields the ring can actually change that world inside.

6) Time Travel

Although time travel is usually associated with characters like the Flash and Booster Gold, Green Lantern has demonstrated the ability to travel through time. In a 1960 comic book issue, Hal Jordan responded to a distress signal from the far future by using his Power Ring to fly into the 58th Century. This power wasn’t frequently used, even during that era of comics, so it’s likely that current Green Lanterns can’t replicate it. Given their already immense powers, this time travel ability is best considered a part of Green Lantern’s past.

5) Fusion

Green Lantern rings are designed for a single user, but require a powerful willpower to operate effectively. In issue #4 of Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, Hal Jordan’s willpower was compromised when he was mind-controlled by Nezha. Batman and Superman saw this as an opportunity to remove the ring before they were defeated. By combining their own willpower, they managed to pull the ring from Hal’s finger. As the ring’s energy surged, it unexpectedly merged Batman and Superman into a single being.

This combination brought together the powers, skills, and strengths of both Batman and Superman, plus the usual abilities of the Power Ring. However, it was short-lived, lasting only a few minutes because it quickly drained the ring’s energy. Once the battery was depleted, they separated. Despite being unintentional and temporary, the fact that the ring can merge individuals with such strong willpower is remarkable and worth investigating further. The current “Merger” storyline in World’s Finest appears to be doing just that.

4) Biologly Control

Although constructs created by Green Lanterns don’t last forever, their effects can be lasting. A prime example is the ability of Green Lantern rings to cause changes at a chemical level, even affecting brain chemistry. In The Green Lantern Corps #211, Guy Gardner used his ring to instantly sober up the entire Green Lantern Corps after a party, allowing them to help him fight off an invasion. This demonstrates the Power Ring’s ability to alter living beings biologically.

3) Healing

Power Rings are known for their offensive capabilities – like knocking someone down or holding them captive – but they also have healing properties. They can mend injuries for both the user and others, though it requires significant mental strength. While they can’t fix life-threatening wounds or allow for regeneration of lost limbs, they can treat things like broken bones and serious burns. Kyle Rayner once used a Power Ring to heal extensive burns on his back and kept fighting, though it left him very tired. This healing ability isn’t as powerful as someone like Lobo’s, but it’s still a valuable asset.

2) Phasing

Green Lantern and the Flash are a classic DC team, and it seems they sometimes share powers. On one occasion, Green Lantern was able to pass through solid objects, just like the Flash. This first happened in The Brave and the Bold #59, where Hal Jordan went right through a ceiling. While this power isn’t used much, it’s probably one of those abilities that faded over time. However, since it wasn’t common even back then, it likely depended on how dense the object was and how strong Green Lantern’s willpower was.

1) Resurrection

Although White Lanterns create life and Black Lanterns control the dead, Green Lantern rings have surprisingly shown the ability to cheat death to a certain extent. In Green Lantern (1960) #217, the ring saved Lantern Driq after he was killed by Sinestro. It captured his strong will and kept him existing as a kind of zombie. Driq continued to function normally, but now couldn’t be permanently killed unless his ring or the central power source was destroyed. This wasn’t full resurrection, but it was a remarkably close imitation achieved by pushing the rings to their maximum potential.

We discovered that Green Lanterns have a lot more abilities and strength than most people realize. What’s your favorite power they have?

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2025-12-12 21:12