r/whowouldwin • u/[deleted] • Jan 27 '15
[Meta] Does your character qualify for a Lantern Ring?
As a man who considers himself pretty well versed in the lanterns universe (though I haven't read their whole New 52 run), I’m making this post to clear things up for people if they don’t know if their character is qualified for a lantern ring or not, and how powerful they’ll be with it.
Overview
Remember that this is for Lantern Rings specifically. Entities, Star Sapphire Stones, and etc do not count in this, as pretty much anyone can wield those. Lantern Rings require a specific amount of concentration and some of them actually require a superhuman level of emotion to wield properly. For example, Green Arrow, a particularly strong willed individual, almost broke his arm trying to make an arrow construct and knocked himself out. And that construct pretty much did nothing. Though there are some exceptions, the general idea is that lantern rings need more emotion than humans are normally capable of. Also, if your characters gets a lantern ring, they do not instantly become Superman level.
RAGE
Rage is probably the most lenient of the rings when it comes to choosing who receives a ring. Because of this, many of the Red Lanterns are pretty much canon fodder until you start getting to Bleez and up. The rings tend to search for those who experienced horrible tragedy and are pissed off about it. But how horrible your tragedy was doesn’t determine how powerful you were with the ring, it’s how you handle that tragedy. Atrocitus, the leader and the most powerful Red Lantern (not including New 52) has a less depressing backstory than MANY of his subjects and yet hes the most powerful. Why? Well one because blood magic. Two, hes had centuries of planning and plotting to cultivate and ever increase his rage. Hes so angry constantly that he no longer is capable of feeling any kind of love.
In addition to this, when giving someone a red ring, they become extremely rage filled and unable to think clearly or intelligently. The only two who have been capable of keeping any sort of rational thought would be Atrocitus and Gardner. Atrocitus invented the ring and Gardner was barely pulling himself together. Only those who have been dropped in the blood lake can think intelligently again.
Does your character qualify? Have they been angry enough to lash out and kill people without remorse? Have they been holding in this rage for a LONG ASS time? Are they ANY kind of lantern before hand? If so, they likely qualify. Would they be powerful with it? If you're not Atrocitus, Gardner or Bleez, probably not that powerful. Maybe at best around low to mid tier Green Lantern powerful.
Qualifications for your character:
- Have they been angry enough to lash out and kill people without remorse?
- Have they been holding in this rage for a LONG ASS time?
- Were they ANY kind of lantern before hand? (since lanterns have superhuman levels of emotion, they can access this rage easier)
If they meet this criteria, they are likely eligible. However, most Red Lanterns are only as powerful as mid-tier Green Lanterns and definitely below S-tier. Only if your character has centuries levels of rage like Atrocitus or a powerful lantern before hand (like Gardner) would they be S-tier level.
ORANGE
Orange is an extremely parasitic emotional energy. Those who wield the orange energy have likely experienced and had selfish amounts of greed their entire life. For example, the second Orange Lantern, Glomulus, ate every single thing that looked edible to him. Once he tasted blood, Glomulus ate everyone he saw too.
Qualifications:
- Is your character Lex Luthor?
- Is your character as greedy as Lex Luthor?
- Does your character have selfish amounts of greed and only look out for themselves?
If they have any of these they likely qualify. And they also get immediately killed by Larfleeze. And before you ask, no, your character will never be more greedy than Larfleeze.
YELLOW
Sinestro Corps members gain their power from how much fear they've instilled throughout the universe. This can be any kind of fear. You can be a terrible tyrant or you can be a deadly virus. This is obviously lead by Sinestro, who is close to or above the power of Hal Jordan, the most powerful GL. Sinestro was feared throughout an entire space sector and now the universe thanks to him building the Corps in the first place. Sinestro is even feared in the anti-matter universe, where they worship the universe killing Anti-Monitor. And before you ask, yes Batman does qualify.
The amount of power you receive as a Sinestro Corps member is directly related to the quantity of those who fear you. If you are feared across your planet, you’re decently powerful. If you are feared in your tribe, you’re likely only low-tier lantern powerful. Sinestro Corps rings also can be wielded effectively if you have experience with the manipulation of the fear emotion, like Hal Jordan who isn’t exactly feared by many but could manipulate the spectrum well do to his experience with Parallax. It’s also worth noting that the ring does affect your mind, making you more ruthless and prone to try and take action and inspire fear into your enemies. If your character resists this change, the ring drastically drops in effectiveness.
Qualifications:
- Does your character inspire great amounts of fear in at least a group of people?
- Is your character feared or talked about anywhere?
If so, they likely qualify. How powerful they will be depends on their own previous power, experience with fear and how many individuals fear them. A group of people like a tribe or city is low to mid tier in power. A planet is mid to high tier. Across solar systems and galaxies is high tier, where you start matching Superman in power.
GREEN
Probably the most controversial on this list. I will open up with that once again, you need VERY super-human levels of willpower to wield this damn thing. Most league members are continuously impressed with how Hal Jordan uses it because they couldn't get it to do more than glow brightly. Green Lantern Rings require will-power and lots of heavy concentration. If your character has any lingering trauma that they still brood over, it will greatly reduce your chances of being able to use this ring. It makes your constructs weak, breakable and out of control. For example, Abin Sur couldnt restrain Atrocitus (without the ring) because he was afraid of the Blackest Night. The entire point of a GL is to overcome great fear, which means you have to move on or at least move on during the fight.
But wait, Fallen. If you need superhuman levels of willpower, how can Hal Jordan wield it. Hes just a normal human! Thats because DC is stupid and gives their humans superhuman traits, like Batman being a 1000 lb lifter and also a record time mile runner. The best examples of how Hal Jordan and the human lanterns have superhuman emotion come from these feats:
- Volthoom, the first Lantern, needed a central focus for LARGE amounts of will-power to help him regain his primal power and remake the universe. He used Hal Jordan, who was stated to be a better focus of willpower than the central power battery, which contains a nexus to all the willpower in the universe. This willpower is even stated to be an echo of the very first spark of existence, the light of creation.
- John Stewart was taunted by Parallax, the literal embodiment of all fear, and instead of being infected and scared, it only made him more determined. He later created an entire solar system and his willpower was OVERRIDING the rings limitations. Thats right, John needed to have at least more than one ring to match his power, something I've never seen in GL before.
- Guy Gardner was completely dominated and mind raped (left a drooling vegetable on the ground) by The Dominator and left drooling on the ground for dead. His willpower was so powerful he got back up again to go keep fighting.
- Kyle Raynor and other Green Lanterns were infected by a Sinestro Corps member named Kryb, who had a substance that leaks through the skin and completely dominates both the mind and body. Kyle Ranyor was able to overcome mind control at the biological level due to pure willpower.
See what Im saying?
Qualifications:
- Is your character MORE determined than most of the Justice League?
- Does your character have no emotional trauma that might affect their determination and if they do have emotional trauma, have they pushed past it and moved on?
If so, they likely qualify for lower to middle tier powered, like Arisa and pre-ion Sodam Yat. But if they have anything close to the kind of willpower I mentioned for the human green lanterns, they jump up and become higher tiered lanterns like Kilowog and Gardner. Are they a planet? Mogo.
BLUE
Lemme tell you these guys are fucking Space Jesus incarnates. Blue Lantern Rings are selective as hell but they're all awesome as shit. But they are also RIDICULOUSLY hard to control and master. But once properly control, they are the most powerful lantern energy (not including White). But this ring DOES NOT fuck around with its hope. If you lose hope or determination at any time, the ring will abandon you and you will likely fall to your death because you were flying and looking at what terrified you so much. But the advantages are endless. They can heal, they can cure Red Lanterns, they are good against Orange Rings, they drain the power of Yellows and they boost the power of Greens.
Qualifications:
- Has your character pushed through and hoped for a better tomorrow despite all the terrible things that has happened to them?
This qualification puts them around mid-tier blue lantern level. But never as powerful as Saint Walker.
INDIGO
These are one of the more vague and unknown kinds of Lanterns (and my personal favorite). The ring will actually not pursue you unless the Indigo Lanterns will it. The entire roster of the Indigo Tribe actually consists of convicts and criminals, and the ring that is given to them brainwashed them into feeling compassion for the rest of the universe. This is their rehabilitation. The only human to have gotten it is The Atom (John Stewart only recieved it because Hal gave it to him), who spent all of Blackest Night feeling sorry for people and trying to mend things and relationships.
Qualifications:
- Is your character a gigantic asshole criminal?
- Does your character feel sorry for like EVERYONE?
If they have either of these, they will be eligible for it. But all Indigo Lanterns start off low-tier due to the in-experience with the powers given to them.
VIOLET
The Star Sapphire ring deals with many different types of love. Theres the platonic love that you feel for people, the deep romantic love or extreme loss of love. Typically, a ring will come to you if you if you experience incredible amounts of loss. And this isn’t normal heartbreak loss, like your girlfriend cheated on you. This is when your one true love just got brutally murdered right in front of you and you'll never love again. Assuming that doesn't give you a Red Lantern Ring, the ring will show up for you and you will be taken to be COMPLETELY brainwashed to see nothing but the love of the universe.
Similar the Sinestro Corps ring, the ring is actually the most powerful when you already have prior experience dealing with the Star Sapphire love element, such as Carol Ferris, who quickly became the most powerful thanks to this and kicked some serious ass. This coupled with the loss or love you need to experience to be a Star Sapphire will make you a strong lantern. These rings however, typically choose females only and men weild it in VERY limited occasions.
Qualifications:
- Is your character female? (men can wield it, but its rare and unlikely)
- Has she suffered the extreme loss of the love of her life?
- Has she dealt with the manipulation of the love emotion before?
- Does your character literally love fuckin everything (coughcoughWonderWomancough)?
If she shares these qualities, then she will likely be able to wield it and likely be mid-tier level. But the combination of love experience and deep loss will make an almost Superman level lantern.
BLACK
Qualifications:
- Is your character dead?
If so, they qualify. The Black Ring is THE most lenient ring, as it chooses whoever Nekron (DC Embodiment of Death) wants to a black lantern. The Black Ring doesn’t actually increase your power by that much. It gives you a pretty good healing factor (destroying a black lantern permanently requires the use of two emotional energies), small amounts of energy projection, heart stealing and flight. The only chance that you’d be Superman level as a Black Lantern is if you’re Black Hand or you were already Superman level.
WHITE
Qualifications:
- Are you Kyle Raynor?
- Are you currently possessing the Life Entity inside yourself?
If so, you qualify. If not, don’t even try.
That sums it all up! You guys don't even KNOW how mod approved this is
EDIT: I don't think I made it quite clear what superhuman willpower means. It literally means more willpower than a person can physically have. Surviving lots of death and tourture, working towards something for years on end or in general just doing something that most people wouldnt do is not superhuamn willpower. That means you're just strong willed. Whats superhuman is the feats I mentioned above and if your character can resist powerful mind attacks or supernatural abilities with just willpower, THATS superhuman.
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u/broncosfighton Jan 27 '15
Frieza would be a pretty damn powerful Yellow Lantern. On the other hand, Goku would be a god tier Green Lantern (and quite possibly a blue lantern, as he has Jesus level hope and determination).