Green Lantern Question

[Scowling Dragon]

When they create guns out of the energy, and have those guns shoot. Are those guns just shooting more green energy, or are they shooting bullets and energy based off of the gun mechanisms?

If the first, then why ever make any guns? Or anything non-pragmatic?

And if the second why do they always prefer to just use laser blasts when they could create devastating mega weapons, and even copy the weapons of their enemies?

[Zevox]

More green energy. As for why, in reality, mostly to give variety to the fight scenes. In-universe, one reason would be because some Lanterns are former soldiers or the like who feel comfortable with such weapons - this would be the case for John Stewart, for example, or Isamot Kol and Vath Sarn.

[Prime32]

In the JLA/Avengers crossover, I seem to remember Iron Man designing weapons on the spot for Green Lantern to conjure, and both geeking out over how awesome a combination they made. So at least some writers treat "make weapon out of energy" as more effective than just shooting raw beams. I guess the reason they don't do it more often is that not many Lanterns are capable of holding together a mental image that complex in a combat situation.

[Devonix]

When they create guns out of the energy, and have those guns shoot. Are those guns just shooting more green energy, or are they shooting bullets and energy based off of the gun mechanisms?

If the first, then why ever make any guns? Or anything non-pragmatic?

And if the second why do they always prefer to just use laser blasts when they could create devastating mega weapons, and even copy the weapons of their enemies?

A little from of A and a bit of B.

It is a bit difficult to get across just how powerful the Green Lantern rings are.

When they create a construct what they are doing is through force of will making something out of the fabric of the universe. How powerful and what something can do is determined by how much will you as an individual possess.

The rings are powerful computers and trackers and a host of other ingraned powers. But if you build a tracking device with the ring out of green energy then you really do have that tracking device in front of you and it will work just like any other one.

If you make a Superman using your ring and you have a strong enough willpower then that construct will actually hit someone as hard as Superman would.

And if you make an Atomic bomb and your Willpower is strong enough... Well



As for why they don't always do that. It takes a lot more time and energy to craft a construct than it does to just use the raw unrefined energy. How long depends on how you were trained and what you do.

John Stewart for example is an architect and as show in his constructs he created damn near every inner working of what he does he doesn't just pop a gun or an bridge out of nowhere He crafts every fine inner working like an architect.

Kyle Rayner is an artist and doodles things all the time little random offshoots and such in his work.

[Traab]

Isnt a part of their power also their faith in their power? Meaning, they believe this shield will protect them from an incoming attack, so it does. If thats the case, then it makes sense that they would make weapons out of it instead of just raw energy blasts, because they "know" what a ray gun will do to a target, so when they fire off the green lantern ray gun it does exactly that much damage.

[Zevox]

Isnt a part of their power also their faith in their power? Meaning, they believe this shield will protect them from an incoming attack, so it does.
Um, no. They tap into an energy source created by sapient willpower. They control it with their own willpower. Faith doesn't enter into the equation.

The other Lantern types wield power created by various emotions, and one of those, the blue light of hope, you could sort of say is powered by faith, but it's less a faith in that power itself than faith in the abstract sense. Their moto sort of sums it up: "All will be well."

[Soras Teva Gee]

The real answer is because its more visually interesting. Essentially its just energy but you will occaisonaly find notes that each Lantern has a slightly different style. I remember in GL:Rebirth it was noted that Guy had rough constructs that were bursting with will while John Stewart as an architect had constructs that were built piece by piece, while Kyle "sketched" his. How much of a difference it makes I wouldn't expect to be clear.

For example in the DCAU John used bubbles and energy beams for awhile. Partly to save budget I'm sure, but there was an explanation there was that as a fomer marines he tended to think in purely utilitarian terms. So simple geometric shapes were all he needed per say.

[Aotrs Commander]

Comics John Stewart isn't an ex-marine?

I think I'm disappointed now. I always rather liked that about him...

(As John Steward of JL/JLU was the first time I was introduced to GL, he's "my" Lantern, for whatever that's worth...!)

[Soras Teva Gee]

I believe he is now but seem to recall that being an import.

And DCAU Stewart was IIRC never noted as an architect like in comic, plus has a fairly different background since Hal does not exist.

[Zevox]

Comics John Stewart isn't an ex-marine?

I think I'm disappointed now. I always rather liked that about him...

(As John Steward of JL/JLU was the first time I was introduced to GL, he's "my" Lantern, for whatever that's worth...!)
He is, though I think I heard that part of his backstory wasn't added until after the cartoon created it. Could be wrong though, I'm quite murky on Lantern history from prior to the Sinestro Corps War, as the only comic I've read from before then is Rebirth.

There's actually a scene in Green Lantern: Secret Origin of Hal and John getting into a barroom brawl over trash-talking each others' parts of the military (Hal being in the Air Force) long before either became Lanterns. Nice little cameo.

[kpenguin]

Well, he is now. DCAU's take on him was popular enough for that to be retconned into his background. He's an ex-marine architectural engineer and brings both to the table when lanterning.

I remember fondly when he made a big green energy sniper rifle and had a sniper duel across space with a Sinestro Corps dude. (I have no idea what to call those guys. Yellow Lanterns? Sinestro Lanterns? Whatever)

[Scowling Dragon]

The real answer is because its more visually interesting. Essentially its just energy but you will occaisonaly find notes that each Lantern has a slightly different style. I remember in GL:Rebirth it was noted that Guy had rough constructs that were bursting with will while John Stewart as an architect had constructs that were built piece by piece, while Kyle "sketched" his. How much of a difference it makes I wouldn't expect to be clear.

For example in the DCAU John used bubbles and energy beams for awhile. Partly to save budget I'm sure, but there was an explanation there was that as a fomer marines he tended to think in purely utilitarian terms. So simple geometric shapes were all he needed per say.

Yeah. Bit of a shame though that its just visual.

[Jayngfet]

When they create guns out of the energy, and have those guns shoot. Are those guns just shooting more green energy, or are they shooting bullets and energy based off of the gun mechanisms?

If the first, then why ever make any guns? Or anything non-pragmatic?

And if the second why do they always prefer to just use laser blasts when they could create devastating mega weapons, and even copy the weapons of their enemies?

It varies from situation to situation I assume.

Lantern rings are incredibly versatile and can replicate most substances and devices the lantern knows about(one of Hal Jordan's older tricks used to be dissolving weapons in construct acid before they could hit him). It stands to reason then that they're easily capable of building functioning construct-guns with construct-bullets.

At the same time though, lanterns have also been seen just using their ring to make a lot of energy weapons to produce multiple beams. So really it can go either way depending on what the lantern needs at this specific moment.

As for "why", newer comics gloss over training but the training Hal Received in Emerald Dawn is shown to be intensive and physically exhausting so that he can make a wide variety of constructs with exacting specifications specifically in order to make sure he doesn't just default to clumsy shapes or vague constructs.

So they pretty much just make a construct of whatever they need for that specific fight. If it needs to shoot energy beams, it shoots energy beams. If he needs solid projectiles, he'll just make solid projectiles.

[Aotrs Commander]

So he is a marine, still/now. Cool. (I mean, I did wonder whether one precluded the other, but you never do know between iterations. And I'm unfamiliar enough with the lanterns that I couldn't pick out Hal Jordon from Kyle Raynor if you stood 'em both in front of me...!)

Actually, am I recalling right that one of the GL comics (along with one of the Batman comics) were the only title not to get affected by the reboot? I have a vague memory of reading that somewhere.

[Jayngfet]

So he is a marine, still/now. Cool. (I mean, I did wonder whether one precluded the other, but you never do know between iterations. And I'm unfamiliar enough with the lanterns that I couldn't pick out Hal Jordon from Kyle Raynor if you stood 'em both in front of me...!)

Actually, am I recalling right that one of the GL comics (along with one of the Batman comics) were the only title not to get affected by the reboot? I have a vague memory of reading that somewhere.

It's all up in the air now. Even within a specific comic under a specific author's run things are drastically inconsistent canon-wise even without stuff said outside the comic itself.

The only reason John isn't the same mess Kyle and Guy are right now is because he doesn't have a book to himself for Johns and co. to mess up.

[kitep]

In Green Lantern: Emerald Knights they imply that building constructs helps focus the willpower, making the ring more powerful. So a beam shot out of a construct gun is more powerful than a beam shot straight out of the ring. A giant construct dragon clamping its jaws on a ship is more powerful than just green energy grabbing a ship, etc.

And it even says that the Guardians themselves didn't plan for constructs.

At least that's my take from watching this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXDGWHI4ofM

(I know this starts with part 2, but that's where they explain the constructs)

[Foeofthelance]

So he is a marine, still/now. Cool. (I mean, I did wonder whether one precluded the other, but you never do know between iterations. And I'm unfamiliar enough with the lanterns that I couldn't pick out Hal Jordon from Kyle Raynor if you stood 'em both in front of me...!)

Actually, am I recalling right that one of the GL comics (along with one of the Batman comics) were the only title not to get affected by the reboot? I have a vague memory of reading that somewhere.

The Green Lantern books continued the story lines right through the reboot, and just started renumbering the issues like the rest of DC. Where that actually leaves them in relation to everything else is just ignored, though the recent issues have been focusing more on events in space, while events on Earth (outside of Justice League) have been solely involving the new fifth Lantern and a 24 hour retirement for Guy Gardner.

[Devonix]

The Green Lantern books continued the story lines right through the reboot, and just started renumbering the issues like the rest of DC. Where that actually leaves them in relation to everything else is just ignored, though the recent issues have been focusing more on events in space, while events on Earth (outside of Justice League) have been solely involving the new fifth Lantern and a 24 hour retirement for Guy Gardner.

oh no Green Lantern is in just the same mess. just took them longer to get there. Kyle for a while in new 52 had two completely contradictary origin stories running at the same time. We still don't know just what's up with him.

[Zevox]

And I'm unfamiliar enough with the lanterns that I couldn't pick out Hal Jordon from Kyle Raynor if you stood 'em both in front of me...!)
To be fair, Hal and Kyle are the most similar of the Lanterns, both in appearance and personality. They have enough differences for regular readers to tell them apart with no trouble, but it doesn't surprise me in the slightest that anyone who isn't familiar with both could confuse them.


Actually, am I recalling right that one of the GL comics (along with one of the Batman comics) were the only title not to get affected by the reboot? I have a vague memory of reading that somewhere.
The GL comics were not directly affected by the reboot, no, and their storylines have continued from where they were prior to Flashpoint. However, as with much of the DCU after the reboot, what past continuity is considered cannon and what isn't is now a mess, and the fact that the rebooted universe is supposed to have had superheroes active for only about five years makes it especially hard for all past GL stories to be considered still valid. Makes it best not to think too hard about continuity at this point, really.

[Soras Teva Gee]

Makes it best not to think too hard about continuity at this point, really.

Continuity is kinda like a drug habit, sure it may feel good at the time but in the end its just a bad idea.

[Jayngfet]

Continuity is kinda like a drug habit, sure it may feel good at the time but in the end its just a bad idea.

I think you're missing the point.

It's not even continuity anymore. It's the writers not even being able to keep their own story of what happened straight.

[Soras Teva Gee]

I think you're missing the point.

It's not even continuity anymore. It's the writers not even being able to keep their own story of what happened straight.

That was kinda what I'm getting at, the whole genre/medium seems to be choking to death under the weight of itself.

We're wiping the slate clean! ... oh but not the GL books (or Bats) they've got too many running plot threads to just abandon them it will just confuse everyone or loose their popularity. Okay to they'll stay immune then. But now how far back does that history go? Because now people are confused with this five years thing. Oops didn't think about that.

Add a couple decades of retconning not quite as complete as it probably needs to be to be a total reboot for everyone (Barry existed but Kara didn't for two decades anyone?) mix with authors with "selective" memories on what history actually matters and stir with a status quo that won't change all that much and is it any wonder the whole thing is a mess?

Or such is the impression I'm increasingly getting.

I tried picking up a few comics recently and felt completely locked out of what was going on, but actually learning all the missing details I need I'd bet money is just plain more trouble then its worth. Yet the stories were banking on me somehow knowing all they wanted me to know, I think. Something not helped by the seeming universal rule someone has to have a fight/action every three pages.

[Scowling Dragon]

Yeah! Continuity sucks! Who needs it?

Oh right it allows for growth.

This is the age of wikapedia and google. Any old fact can be found online if you really need it.

Halfway reboots are a bad thing. But so are reboots in general. The industry is straining under its own weight because it won't allow heroes to retire.

Instead they end up dying, retconned and then brought back in a few years.

For petes sake, just let Peter Parker retire in peace and content!

[MLai]

So if the green rings are willpower, what are the yellow rings?
The movie says feeeear. So how do you make a yellow cannon? By fearing a cannon? By desiring for ppl to feeear your big cannon?

[Zevox]

So if the green rings are willpower, what are the yellow rings?
The movie says feeeear. So how do you make a yellow cannon? By fearing a cannon? By desiring for ppl to feeear your big cannon?
The yellow rings are powered by fear, yes. Sinestro Corps members are to master their own fear by discovering their greatest fear upon initial recruitment, and are expected to spread fear among the universe. Fear to them is a tool, to be used to control others. The corps is essentially a combination would-be fascist government and terrorist force.

[Jayngfet]

So if the green rings are willpower, what are the yellow rings?
The movie says feeeear. So how do you make a yellow cannon? By fearing a cannon? By desiring for ppl to feeear your big cannon?

Depends. Currently they all ran off fear, but the original yellow ring ran off Green Energy from a green ring. It could only be powered up by fighting a green lantern and had no battery of it's own to charge off. Presumably other, similar light based heroes such as Jade Scott or The Ray, who use similar, explicitly related on a fundamental level, brands of power, might be able to charge up the original yellow ring, but I don't believe this was ever explored.





For petes sake, just let Peter Parker retire in peace and content!

Peter Parker is probably one of the bigger ones now.

I mean Doc Ock was literally dying of old age, Rhino was trying to settle down with a nice girl, Sandman wanted to just raise his daughter, and Spiderman himself is helping way more people day to day with scientific and medical breakthroughs than punching criminals. Jameson was more or less forced to stop hounding Spidey so Agressivley and most of his surviving supporting cast have long since finished whatever they were doing at introduction and moved onto other things.

But they just keep getting roped back in. Even in universe there's no real justification for these people running around the way they are anymore. Even in universe everything's long since started to feel forced. There's no real reason Spider-Man doesn't pick any random current teen hero Marvel isn't slaughtering for publicity and trains them to replace him in the field.

[Soras Teva Gee]

But they just keep getting roped back in. Even in universe there's no real justification for these people running around the way they are anymore. Even in universe everything's long since started to feel forced. There's no real reason Spider-Man doesn't pick any random current teen hero Marvel isn't slaughtering for publicity and trains them to replace him in the field.

Sure there is: money.

None of the new heroes around pull the kinda numbers the established ones do. The whole industry is doubtless morbidly afraid to truly change anything for fear the inevitable bottom dropping out will occur.

[Jayngfet]

Sure there is: money.

None of the new heroes around pull the kinda numbers the established ones do. The whole industry is doubtless morbidly afraid to truly change anything for fear the inevitable bottom dropping out will occur.

I said in universe. As in, why does Peter justify to himself doing what he does the way he does.

Out of universe, there's obviously this crippling fear that the already emancipated industry will fall apart completely if people don't get the exact same thing they've always gotten.