Back when Kyle Rayner was Green Lantern, editorial edict had it that he never use his ring the same way twice. Because he was an artist, it was decided that his imagination be used to create all manner of light constructs. Ironically, Kyle Rayner became the least imaginative Green Lantern of all time because he used his ring for one purpose only: to make light constructs. Then I started reading Green Lantern Archives and discovered how powerful a tool a power ring could be in the hands of someone who knew how to use it. I resolved to one day read Green Lantern from the beginning, making a list of all the uses Hal Jordan put it to, plus a separate list for light constructs. I figured there'd be maybe one non-light construct use per issue, but there were nearly a dozen in Showcase #22 alone!
Compiling these lists was a lot more work than I thought it was going to be. For one thing, it's sometimes difficult to classify a use as a mere construct or something else. For example, if he creates a hose, that would be a light construct. But what if the hose shoots water? Is the water real, or is it, too, a light construct? On more than one occasion he has created a tidal wave, but he's used different methods. Once, he actually caused the water itself to swell; another time, the water was made of green light; another time still the wave he created was an illusion. But was the illusion "real" or did him plant it in observers' minds?
I kept a running tally of every time he used a light construct, but I tried to list other uses only once each. the further I got into this project, the more difficult it became to verify previous uses. I have eight pages of lists! And this is just from Green Lantern. I didn't even take his JLA missions into account. (I do plan to fold them in eventually.) After a while I started to forget. Has he put the ring to that use before or not? I've tried to avoid duplication, and some may quibble about why a use is on one list and not another. I'll tell you this: far and away his favorite light construct is giant hands. I counted 33 individual times he used them up to #75. (Once he created a boxing glove and once a hand with brass knuckles on it; I counted those separately. Other frequently used constructs include a net (of some sort), jail cell or cage, shield and pincers.
Up through the first 48 issues, Green Lantern used his ring far more inventively than simply making light constructs (however imaginative they might be). At that point, he began to use light constructs more frequently, but they never did catch up to the other uses. Some of the uses below were by other Green Lanterns (or someone else using the ring), but the majority of them are Hal Jordan's.
USES FOR A POWER RING
1. Seek out individuals based on personality trait (fearlessness)
2. Telekinesis, move heavy objects through air, lift great weights
3. Telepathic communication
4. Language translation
5. Detect honesty/truth
6. Flight
7. Detect and trace radiation and other forms of energy
8. Allow wearer to phase through solid objects
9. Stop bullets
a. Cause then to explode
b. Melt them
c. Turn them into soap bubbles
d. Turn them into mist
e. Catch them in mid air with tiny hands
f. Elongate them into spears and divert them
g. Turn them into feathers
h. Split them with tiny daggers
i. Divert their course
10. Create force field / protective bubble
11. Transmutation
a. Change metal to water
b. Change ray to confetti
c.Change rock to balloon
12. Space travel
13. Force blast
14. Induce state of deep concentration in self or others
15. Brain / mind probe (to detect physical or mental damage)
16. Negate effects of Nuclear explosion
17. Create "anti-energy"
18. Memory probe (uncover lost or hidden memories in self or others)
19. Create multiple tiny "bugging" devices
20. Melt (dissolve) metal without heat
21 .Cosmic ray filter
22. Make itself or wearer or other things invisible
23. Produce and spry liquid oxygen
24. Make ice
25. Compass / direction finder
26. Generate heat
27.Turn wall into "closed circuit" television screen
28. Create sentient monster (as a distraction)
29. Stethescope
30. Affix mask to face
31. Subconsciously turn friend into GL replica including power ring
32. X-ray probe
33. Person tracker (vibrate and glow in vicinity)
34. Drain life from tree
35. Hose to shoot blast of compressed air
36. Paralysis beam
37. Truth ray (will people to tell the truth)
38. De-evolution ray
39. Destroy / create dam
40. Machine gun nest
41. Wipe memories
42. Communication device (holograms with other GLs)
43. Create duplicate of self (under certain conditions)
44. Disarm bomb
45. Affect gravity
46. Analyze alien machinery to discern function
47. Restore motion and vigor to person in suspended animation
48. Propel CO2 particles to affect operation of atomic clock
49. Transform friend into bird (while dreaming)
50. Project images of events witnessed or memories
51. Shrink self to sub-atomic size
52. Set up perpetual "alarm system" against invasion
53. Oxygen bubble for underwater action
54. Create chemicals (hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, silver iodide, etc.
55. Protect wearer from destruction (default setting)
56. Super magnetism
57. Communicate with wearer, relay infomation
58. Reflect energy bolts back at shooter
59. "Radar" beams
60. Make people / things phosphorescent
61. Earth tremor or shock detector
62. Induce temporary paralysis
63.Extract water vapor from breath & shoot hydrogen element at chlorine gas to create hydrgen chloride
64. Provide endless power source
65. Hose / water
66. Spectroscopic analysis
67. Animate statue
68. Scan for high frequency vibrations
69. Faster than light travel
70. Mirage; create / disperse illusions
71. Distort body proportions (really big head, for example)
72. Sincerity detector
73. Speed read text
74. Wipe mental conditioning from wearer's own mind
75. Change form to look like another kind of ring
76. Restore damage to buildings and vegetation
77. "Coat" items so that if stolen can be traced
78. Create food
79. Provide automate, timed reports across distances
80. Ink pen / create sketches
81. Create spare "energy packet"
82. Heal injuries
83. Tap phone lines
84. Alter course of stream
85. Cause explosions; blow things up
86. Magnet / control magnetism
87. Opaque black light shield
88. Infra red light
89. Fake rash
90. Giant vaccuum cleaner
91. Stop Moon from "wobbling"
92. Drain its own power
93. Cause mental regression
94. Extinguish fire
95. Heat up Sun
96. Dehumidifier / refrigerator
97. Protection from air / water pressure
98. Move moon into orbit of planet
99. Create fire
100. Create vaccuum
101. Send beam to future
102.Cause dormant volcano to erupt
103.Absorb beings into ring
104.Blow torch / flame thrower (fire)
105. Move or transfer between planes of existance
106. Garb wearer
107. Breathe under water
108. Prevent / cause earthquakes
109. Cut through stone / tunnel through solid rock
110. Depth charges
111. Track footprints / tire tracks
112. Turn on all lights in a building
113. Freeze mechanisms
114. Extract and animate an image from a mirror
115. Alter air temperature
116. Jet propulsion
117. Time travel
118. Planet-wide telepathic search
119. Emotion meter
120. Fireworks display
121. Take control of every mind on Earth
122. Prevent merging with self from other dimension
123. Rain mudballs, then freeze, trpping crooks
124. Seal barrier between alternate Earths
125. Wind tunnel
126. Proton-dissolving rain
127. Giant light bulb
128. Separate "gem" from "setting"
129. "Fake" doppler effect
130. Change wrist watch into TV camera
131. Inflate money bag until it pops
132. Tornado / whirlwind
133. Variety of electrical appliances to absorb convection currents
134. Electrostatic generator
135. Robot body for mind to occupy
136. Change body into letter (mail)
137. Enlarge and explode
138. Will constructs to become non-existant
139. Absorb noxious chamicals
140. Will away sickness
141. Search out a specific set of fingerprints
142. Manipulate water / lava to overcome yellow threat
143. "Ectoplasmic" duplication
144. Super speed
145. Atomic ovens to vaporize water
146. Absorn someone else's mind / will power
147. Mind transfer
148. Ionize air
149. "Burglar alarm" with tell-tale aura
150. Shrink / enlarge objects
151. Force confession (truth)
152. Cure virus
153. Transfer power reserve
154. Hold back thunderstorm; help plane land
155. Table, chair and feast
156. Carbon 14 test
157. Rehabilitate duplicate's subconscious
158. Repair optic nerve; rerstore sight
159. Create ham & rye (no mustard) and coffee
160. Implant false memories
161. Elongate limbs
162. Quick change of clothes
163. Trace counterfeit money
164. Create highly concentrated pain pill
165. Mixer & concrete
166. Dissolve oil
LIGHT CONSTRUCTS
1. Giant hands
2. Net (fishing or butterfly)
3. Trampoline (or fireman's net)
4. Pincers / coils / restraints
5. Buzz saw
6. Lasso
7. Ice picks
8. Giant hawk
9. Giant springs
10. Jail cell / cage
11. Parachute
12. Giant test tube
13. Giant ice tongs
14. Handcuffs / manacles / chains
15. Giant lock wrench
16. Football player (or other figure)
17. Sledge hammer
18. Umbrella (one big enough to cover a crowd)
19. Hook
20. Battering ram
21. Shield
22. Car
23. Javelin
24. Smoke screen
25. Giant broom
26. Knives / spikes / pins
27. Giant wave
28. Mattress
29. Fan blades or propeller
30. Sling (for transport)
31. Toy replica of power ring
32. Bubble (for confinement)
33. Boxing gloves
34. Giant sword
35. Mirror
36. Cylinder / scoop / funnel
37. Bed (in Earth orbit)
38. Treadmill
39. Ax
40. Wrecking ball
41. Bulldozer
42. Punching bag
43. Stone wall
44. Giant sachel
45. Giant bell jar
46. Giant mouth to blow wind
47. Steam shovel / scoop
48. Large chain
49. Pliers / forceps
50. Giant hat
51. Anchor
52. Slingshot
53. Scissors
54. Bellows
55. Hammer & anvil
56. Baseball
57. Gag
58. Tubular chute
59. Clam rake
60. Floating platform
61. Tuning fork
62. Wings
63. Escalator
64. Sack with tie
65. Scythe
66. Counterfeit money
67, Sky writing
68. Whistle
69. Air vent
70. Duplicate power battery
71. Paddy wagon
72. Giant tweezers
73. Shears
74. Two-man saw
75. Rocket or projectile casing
76. Giant bird
77.. Glass rod and silk
78. Staticly charged plane
79. Feather pillows
80. Tow truck
81. Cymbals
82. Cutlasses
83. Riveting machine
84. Hydra
85. Sponge
86. Atomizer (to dispense aqua regia)
87. Team of horses
88. Bells
89. Tiger
90. Cannon
91. Needle & thread (to make stitches)
92. Hydraulic grapple
93. Lightning rods
94. Skate boards
95. Bowling ball
96. snow skis and poles
97. Table, chair and "feast"
98. Santa claus
99. Hydraulic jack
100. Giant saucer
101. Slide
102. Beach towel
103. Chair
Replies
And the front-runner for the "'I Read This So You Don't Have To' Award" for 2020 is Jeff of Earth-J.
Seconded!!
ClarkKent_DC said:
But can it core a apple?
Thanks, guys.
Initial post now updated with light constructs.
Even though Green Lantern virtually stopped using his ring for anything but light constructs after issue #49, the other uses still far outnumber the light constructs.
I'll update this thread from time to time.
O'NEIL / ADAMS ERA: I expected the uses to be quite visual during this period, and that's pretty much what I got. These lists I'm keeping are by no means official; for one thing, I keep changing the rules on myself as I go along. Initially, I had no qualms about duplicating uses with the previous lists (or within this run of issues) as I wanted to examine this era independent of the rest. Eventually I discovered that Green Lantern used his ring as a method of transportation for other a lot, but every time he did, Neal Adams drew something different. for example, once he might use a flying sofa; the next time a flying platform; after that a little cart with handlebars, etc. I eventually just lumped those together under "conveyances" and listed them once.
If Green Lantern were to create an energy bubble to capture a villain, let's say, is that a different use than shaping it into a top with the crook inside and spinning it around? If he were to create a a giant horseshoe, I would count that as a light construct, but I would classify a horseshoe magnet as "other" because he also created magnetism. Similarly, a simply fan would be a light construct, but a fan which also served as a dryer would be be "other" because he also created heat. I found myself second-guessing myself when I was keeping this list, as well as typing it in.
In the first issue alone, Green Lantern used his ring to create light constructs eight times, but for another use (changing his own appearance) only once.
LIGHT CONSTRUCTS:
104. Giant fan
105. Spinning top (with crook inside)
106. Jail / cage
107. Umberella
108. Chute to redirect meteors
109. Flying couch (at least six other types of "conveyance" used throughout run)
110. Giant hand
111. Giant mousetrap
112. Yoke (or some type of circular restraint)
113. Giant roller (to set off mine field)
114. Giant snipper (to clip barbed wire)
115. Winged horse
116. Shield (hand-held)
117. Shield (force field)
118. Giant fist
119. Hand (finger plugging gun barrel)
120. Wall braces (to prevent collapse)
121. Battering ram (with ram's head)
122. Wall / barrier
123. Giant drill bit
124. Winged horse (again)
125. Giant scoop / shovel
126. Clamp (to seal a burst dam)
127. Giant fan (again)
128. Handcuffs
129. Funnel
130. Giant Green Arrow figure (to save Black Canary from falling)
131. Glider
132. Meat hooks (to hang crooks by jackets)
133. Pincer or clamp
134. Giant salad bowl with utensils (to "toss" crooks)
135. Bubble (to phase passengers through ceiling)
136. Restraints
137. Stretcher / gurney
OTHER USES:
167. Change appearance (disguise)
168. Melt gun
169. Bend gun barrel
170. Open trench (split in ground)
171. Melt robot
172. Energy blast
173. Fan with heat
174. Enlarge handgun
175. Lift building
176. Margnet (2X)
177. Melt ax (including wooden handle)
178. Plug gun barrels
Although "Other Uses" still outnumbers "Light Constructs," we are now well into the era when the usage flips.
My first Justice League was the first one, The Brave and The Bold #28 (on sale Dec 29 1959). It was the first time I saw Flash and Green Lantern, who were on the cover with three other characters I already recognized. I immediately bought Flash #111 (which was on sale Dec 22 1959, the week before). My first Green Lantern was #8 (on sale July 25 1961). I was immediately excited by the Flash, but it took me nineteen months to pick up Green Lantern, and I probably did it because of the wash cover.
This is my way of saying that, as written in early JLA, the character didn't grab me enough to buy his own book. Once I started reading the Green lantern title I was hooked. So don't expect to find innovative ways to use the ring in JLA, at least early on. If he formed a boxing glove it would have reminded me of Green Arrow's boxing glove arrows. If the ring usage was exciting in JLA I would have picked up his book a lot sooner.
So noted.
the last time I read the Fox/Sekowsky run straight through was 2003.
Yesterday I finished reading #90-106. Uses of the power ring were just as boring as the stories themselves. Mostly Green Lantern uses the same old standbys: giant hands, cages, fans, etc. Here's where I change the ground rules again. From here on out, I'm going to eliminate duplication (as best I can) and only point out uses that are unique or otherwise remarkable (and in the list below I'm being very loose with those terms).
LIGHT CONSTRUCTS:
138. Bellows
139. Telescope
140. Vice press
141. Bear (CB radio pun)
142. Scissors
143. Direction finder (to trace radio static)
144. Noose
145. Shovel (twice)
146. Two arms holding baseball bat
OTHER USES:
179. Create calcium
180. Open space warp
The "space warp" was like a window, between Oa and Earth orbit (where he left his truck and power battery floating in space) in this case, which he leaned through to charge his ring. In other issues he carried his battery with him invisibly through sub-space, thereby eliminating the risk of his ring's charge ever running low at a critical time. His ring itself has the new power to change itself into any shape, which he used once to transform it into a pair of sunglasses.
Moving into the Len Wein / Dave Gibbons era, Green Lantern is using even his light contructs in increasingly inventive ways. For example, whereas he still manifests giant hands quite a bit, he uses them in unique or unusual ways, such to hit meteors like pool balls with a cue, to "pinch" bullets mid-flight, or to plug handgun barrels with fingers, then come out the hammer side as gauntlettd fists. Of course, he also manifest old favorites such as shields, force fields, handcuffs, a parachute, wings, a hammer, a clamp, a brace, a trampoline and so on. Some of his light constructs, if not inventive, are at least clever. For example, he confines a drunk driver inside a whiskey bottle and a purse snatcher inside a purse. Here's another arbitrary list of light constructs that struck my fancy for one reason or another.
LIGHT CONSTRUCTS:
147. The classic "Neal Adams" man-sized mousetrap
148. Ramps (to divert drunk divers and getaway cars)
149. Giant pillow
150. Press
151. Giant tweezers
152. Giant can opener
153. Pliers (used to defeat yellow threat by holding something else)
154. Twin "stop signs" used as cymbals
155. Smelter/forge
156. Medical gurney
157. Dolphin (to attack the Shark)
158. Polyhedron
159. Life raft with motor
160. Needle and thread to "thread" bullets mid-flight
161. Chains of various sizes
162. Baseball glove
163. Hollow drill bit (to propel self though ground)
OTHER USES:
181. "Pointer" (used subconsciously)
182. Transport (i.e., dematerialize) hostages to safety
183. Stethoscope
184. Track "residue" of flying "bicycles"
185. Expand air molecules within yellow plastic polymer to affect escape
186. Fire extinguisher
187. Spectroscope*
*Not "spectroscopic analysis" as he has done in the past, but an actual spectroscope (not simply a light construct because it also does the analysis).
I have moved on to a new phase of reading Green Lantern: Sector 2814, so it's time to sit back and assess John Stewart's use of the ring early in his tenure. He got off to a shaky start, but this section shows an inventive use of the ring not seen since the early days and culminates with him (with Katma Tui's help) building a world for Replicon from scratch.
LIGHT CONSTRUCTS:
164. Dam (fails)
165. Viaduct (to divert flood water)
166. Platform, table and chairs for private dining
167. Bird to carry waiter away
168. Scissors to cut spagetti
169. Shield, badge-shaped
170. Giant plugs (stoppers)
171. Giant Hammers (one sledge, one claw)
172. Giant Sieve
173. Brush for dusting
174. Parachute
175. "Electric" fan (2x)
176. Cushion/pillow (2x)
177. Baseball bat
178. C-clamp
179. Rope/lasso (2x)
180. Protective goggles
181. I-beams
182. Roller coaster tracks (for derailed coaster car)
183. Cinder blocks
184. Piledriver
185. Baseball glove
186. Body armor (as confinement)
187. Formidable restraint (difficult to describe)
188. Braces (for damaged buildings)
189. Mask for self
OTHER:
188. Cause hallucinations
189. Giant flashlight
190. Trouble finder (arrow points to trouble spots)
191. Manifest screen on arrow (above) to show trouble
192. Fix damaged tiles on space shuttle
193. Television
194. Change own skin color (Katma Tui)
195. Create sound waves
196. Sound wave monitor
197. Super speed around-the-world flight
198. Probe own mind
199. See thtrough solid objects
200. Time-delayed memory restore (Katma Tui)
201. Create a world
202. Analyze motives
203. Truth detector
204. Plug volcano, redirect lava flow
205. Create energy twin
206. Remove air to incapacitate foe
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next