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A power ring is an object featured in
American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publ ...
s published by
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
. The power ring first appeared in ''
All-American Comics ''All-American Comics'' is a comics anthology and the flagship title of comic book publisher All-American Publications, one of the forerunners of DC Comics. It ran for 102 issues from 1939 to 1948. Characters created for the title, including Gree ...
'' #16 on July 14, 1940.


Green Lantern Corps

The first appearance of a power ring was in ''All-American Comics'' #16 on July 14, 1940, the flagship title of comic book publisher
All-American Publications All-American Publications, Inc.The name is spelled with a hyphen per its logo (pictured) and sources includinat Don Markstein's ToonopediaArchivedfrom the original on April 15, 2012. was one of two American comic book companies that merged to fo ...
, which featured the first appearance of
Alan Scott Alan Ladd Wellington Scott is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, and the first character to bear the name Green Lantern. He fights evil with the aid of his mystical ring, which grants him a variety of powers. H ...
. Creator
Martin Nodell Martin Nodell (; November 15, 1915 – December 9, 2006) was an American cartoonist and commercial artist, best known as the creator of the Golden Age superhero Green Lantern. Some of his work appeared under the pen name Mart Dellon. Biography Ea ...
cited
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...
's opera cycle ''
The Ring of the Nibelung (''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the . The compos ...
'' and the sight of a trainman's green railway lantern as inspirations for the combination of a magical ring and lantern. Scott's ring is powered by the Green Flame, a magically empowered flame contained within a metallic alien orb that was found and forged into a lantern and ring by a lampmaker named Chang.''All-American Comics'' #16 (July 1940) Later writers revised this to be a fragment of the Starheart, a mystical object created by the
Guardians of the Universe The Guardians of the Universe are a race of extraterrestrial superhero characters appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Green Lantern. They first appeared in ''Green Lantern'' (vol. 2) #1 (July 19 ...
to contain magic. When the Green Lantern character was reinvented, beginning with the introduction of
Hal Jordan Harold "Hal" Jordan, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created in 1959 by writer John Broome (writer), John Broome and artist Gil Kane, and f ...
, the
magic ring A magic ring is a mythical, folkloric or fictional piece of jewelry, usually a Ring (jewellery), finger ring, that is purported to have Magic (supernatural), supernatural properties or powers. It appears frequently in fantasy and fairy tales. M ...
concept was replaced with a scientifically based one.'' Showcase'' #22 (October 1959) The new version of the ring is created by the Guardians of the Universe, who also create the
Green Lantern Corps The Green Lantern Corps is a intergalactic Peacekeeping, peace keeping agency appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the plan ...
.


Capabilities

No hard upper limit to the power ring's capabilities has yet been demonstrated; it is often referred to as the most powerful weapon in the DC universe. The ring can generate solid energy constructs that can be modeled into whatever shape the user desires. It also generates a protective force field that enables the user to fly and survive in space.''Green Lantern Corps'' (vol. 2) #19 (February 2008) Power rings are able to give off electromagnetic radiation of various frequencies. This radiation can be focused by the wearer into a beam, similar in appearance and effect to a powerful
laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word ''laser'' originated as an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radi ...
. They also allow real-time communication between the different alien species of the Corps, translating all languages in the universe.


Limitations

Green Lantern rings possess a limited amount of charge and must be periodically recharged. Various devices and abilities can drain the ring of its power against the will of its wearer, or absorb its energy for later use. Others may be able to track a ring's user by the energy trail it leaves behind. In the revised post-''
Infinite Crisis "Infinite Crisis" is a 2005–2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, ...
'' origin of Black Hand, his ring-draining device was originally constructed as a "cosmic divining rod" by
Atrocitus Atrocitus (Atros) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the leader of the Red Lantern Corps and an enemy of the Guardians of the Universe and Sinestro, their former Green Lantern. Publication history A ...
to track Green Lanterns on Earth. Originally, power rings were unable to affect objects colored yellow, though Lanterns have typically found ways around the limitation by indirect manipulation. The reason why the rings were unable to affect yellow objects has changed significantly from writer to writer. In early stories, it was because of a necessary design flaw.
Gerard Jones Gerard Jones (born July 10, 1957) is an American writer, known primarily for his non-fiction work about American entertainment media, and his comic book scripting, which includes co-creating the superhero Prime for Malibu Comics, and writing for ...
revised this, in a story that revealed that the Guardians could change the weakness randomly and at will. In '' Green Lantern: Rebirth'', the "yellow impurity" is revealed to be the result of the fear entity
Parallax Parallax is a displacement or difference in the apparent position of an object viewed along two different sightline, lines of sight and is measured by the angle or half-angle of inclination between those two lines. Due to perspective (graphica ...
being imprisoned in the Central Power Battery. This change also allowed characters to overcome the yellow weakness by recognizing and facing the fear behind it. By far, the most significant limitation of the power ring is the willpower of the wielder. The requirements needed to wield a power ring have changed sporadically during the history of ''Green Lantern'' titles, often creating continuity confusions. Allowing power rings to fall into the wrong hands has been a common plot device in many previous Green Lantern stories. However, only people with exceptional willpower can use a power ring, a restriction which makes use of the rings by average individuals difficult.''Green Lantern: Rebirth'' #1–6 (December 2004 – May 2005)''Green Lantern: Rebirth'' #4 (March 2005) Mind control, hallucinogens, psychic attacks, and other phenomena that disrupt thought processes will all indirectly impair a power ring's effectiveness. More abstractly, a weakening of resolve and will can impair the ring's effectiveness. There is also a limit to the amount of willpower the ring can take. In the current incarnation of the Corps, the ring originally possessed programming to prevent the wearer from killing sentient beings. Hal Jordan was thought to have used power rings to kill a number of Corps members during ''
Emerald Twilight "Emerald Twilight" is a 1994 comic book story told in ''Green Lantern'' (vol. 3) #48–50, written by Ron Marz, drawn by Darryl Banks and published by DC Comics. The story introduced a new Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner, who gained a significant fan f ...
'', though he did tell Kilowog that he "left them enough power to survive". During the ''Sinestro Corps War'' event, they were revealed to be alive, held prisoner by
Cyborg Superman Cyborg Superman is a persona that has been used by two supervillains who appear in comic books published by DC Comics. Fictional character biographies Hank Henshaw Hank Henshaw is an astronaut at NASA until a solar flare hits his space shuttle d ...
on the planet Biot. These Lanterns are referred to as the "Lost Lanterns". Any attempt to kill using a green power ring was automatically diverted and, in some cases, resulted in the ring locking out the user. This restriction was rescinded by the Guardians to combat the Sinestro Corps, then for the general execution of their duties.''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #28 (April 2008) The rings are, apparently, still unable to be used against a Guardian, although Hal Jordan was apparently able to overpower this restriction when he killed the renegade Guardian, Krona, in the final battle. It has been claimed in-universe that only a pure form of willpower can use the ring effectively. When
Green Arrow Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' No. 73 on September 19, 1941 (cover dated November 1941), th ...
tried to use Hal Jordan's power ring against Sinestro, it caused him great pain and difficulty because (according to Sinestro) Green Arrow's will was "cynical". It has also been shown that the user's stamina is drained with every construct. When Green Arrow fires a small arrow-like construct from the ring, he describes the experience as feeling like losing a week's worth of sleep. When he questions Kyle Rayner about this, Kyle affirms that the feeling is normal. It was believed for a long time that only the Guardians could create new rings, but Hal Jordan was able to prove this wrong when he reforged his ring after the disappearance of the rest of the Corps while using Krona's prototype gauntlet.


Oaths

All power rings need periodic recharging. When doing so, many Green Lanterns recite an oath while the ring charges. The oath is not required to charge the ring, but is recited to reaffirm the person's commitment to the Green Lantern Corps. While many Green Lanterns create their own oath, the majority use the Corps' official oath as a sign of respect. This practice has been abandoned with the reinstating of the Green Lantern Corps.''Green Lantern'' (vol. 3) #43 (July 1993) As additional Corps have been introduced into DC continuity, with their own power rings, corresponding oaths unique to each Corps have been formulated as well.


Kyle Rayner's ring

After the destruction of Coast City in "
Reign of the Supermen "The Death of Superman" is a crossover story event mostly featured in DC Comics' Superman-related publications. The crossover, which originated from editor Mike Carlin and writers Dan Jurgens, Roger Stern, Louise Simonson, Jerry Ordway, and ...
", Green Lantern Hal Jordan goes mad and betrays the Corps. He defeats most of the Corps on his way to Oa, enters the Central Power Battery and absorbs most of its energy, along with the yellow impurity, to become the villain Parallax. With the Central Power Battery destroyed, all the remaining power rings stop working. In desperation,
Ganthet Ganthet is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, who first appeared in 1992 in Larry Niven and John Byrne's graphic novel ''Green Lantern: Ganthet's Tale'' (). He is also Sayd's husband. Fictional character biography Ganthet is one o ...
, the only surviving Guardian, uses what little power remains to create a new power ring and gives it to Kyle Rayner.''Green Lantern'' (vol. 3) #50 (March 1994) Kyle's ring is unique throughout the history of the ''Green Lantern'' characters, and was, for a time, the only working power ring in the DC Universe. His ring is not dependent on the Central Power Battery and is free from the yellow impurity, but does not prevent mortal damage automatically. The ring no longer needs to be charged every 24 hours; instead, its use is based on how much power it absorbs when recharging and how much is expended when it is in use.''Green Lantern'' (vol. 3) #51 (April 1994) Unlike Hal Jordan's ring, it is unable to make copies of itself. After Kyle became settled into his role as the new Green Lantern, a past version of Hal Jordan visits Kyle's time after his own death as Parallax. He gives a copy of his ring to Kyle, which has the ability to replicate itself. Kyle attempts to use Hal's ring to restart the Green Lantern Corps, with limited results.''Green Lantern'' (vol. 3) #106 (October 1998) The apparently random induction in the Corps, more than once contested by Ganthet as simple chance during most of the ''Green Lantern'' (vol. 3) run, is later
retconned Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in fictional story telling whereby facts and events established through the narrative itself are adjusted, ignored, supplemented, or contradicted by a subsequently published work ...
into the first induction of a new breed of Lanterns. Since the Corps has become aware of the emotional spectrum, and the crippling effects the yellow light of Fear radiated by Parallax has over the green light of Will radiated by Ion, the Lantern rookies are not chosen anymore by merely people unable to feel fear, but from people able to feel, and overcome their fear. Since Kyle had always been able to do so, wrestling against his fears for his entire life, his ring gained immunity against the yellow impurity and his particularly fortified will was instrumental in bringing about the rebirth of the Corps and setting an example to follow for the newer recruits. Before giving up the power of the Central Battery, Kyle further modified his ring. He gave the ring a permanent back-up charge so that his ring could never be totally powerless. He also designed a recall feature that if his ring were ever removed from his hand, it could be summoned by him wherever he was. In the Marvel/DC crossover ''
JLA/Avengers ''JLA/Avengers'' (issues #2 and 4 are titled ''Avengers/JLA'') is a comic book limited series and crossover published in prestige format by DC Comics and Marvel Comics from September 2003 to March 2004. The series was written by Kurt Busiek, wi ...
'', after
Photon A photon () is an elementary particle that is a quantum of the electromagnetic field, including electromagnetic radiation such as light and radio waves, and the force carrier for the electromagnetic force. Photons are massless particles that can ...
drained and absorbed the energy from Kyle's power ring, Kyle was able to will his ring to recharge itself from the energies of a
Cosmic Cube The Cosmic Cube is a fictional object appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. There are multiple Cubes in the Marvel Universe, all of which are depicted as containment devices that can empower whoever wields them. Although th ...
, coating Kyle in a chrome-blue glow. He recited
Hal Jordan Harold "Hal" Jordan, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created in 1959 by writer John Broome (writer), John Broome and artist Gil Kane, and f ...
's Green Lantern oath during the task and implied he believed the oath would help his ring "hold together" under the strain of the Cube's "serious mojo".''
JLA/Avengers ''JLA/Avengers'' (issues #2 and 4 are titled ''Avengers/JLA'') is a comic book limited series and crossover published in prestige format by DC Comics and Marvel Comics from September 2003 to March 2004. The series was written by Kurt Busiek, wi ...
'' (the issue titled ''Avengers/JLA'' #2) (October 2003)
Kyle has shown an ability to use his ring to communicate with members of the other six Corps, despite them operating on a different 'wavelength' as his ring that would normally prevent such communication, convincing the ring to draw on the emotions of hope and fear that he himself was feeling and use that to communicate with them. After the start of the ''New Guardians'' storyline, Kyle has been able to tap any color of the emotional spectrum that he is feeling at the time, eventually progressing to the point where he can channel the power of all seven Corps, 'evolving' into a
White Lantern The White Lantern Corps is a fictional organization appearing in comics published by DC Comics, related to the emotional spectrum. Founded during the ''Blackest Night'' event, the members of the White Lantern Corps are powered by the white light ...
. The Guardians have stated that, unlike a normal Green Lantern's ring, his ring is too contaminated with different emotional energies for them to track his location. His White Lantern ring was essentially destroyed after he tried to use it to restore the Blue Lantern Corps, hinted to be the result of some external force, but after it broke into the seven different rings of the seven Corps, Kyle accepted a return to his original Green Lantern ring, while the other six rings flew off to find new wearers.


Phantom Ring

In the ''
DC Rebirth DC Rebirth is a 2016 relaunch by the American comic book publisher DC Comics of its entire Line (comics), line of ongoing monthly superhero comic book titles. Using the end of The New 52 (2011–2016) initiative in May 2016 as its launching point ...
'' era, Simon Baz and Jessica Cruz battle Frank Laminski, a man obsessed with becoming a Green Lantern himself, who acquired the Phantom Ring, an early prototype of the Green Lantern rings created by the Guardian of the Universe Rami, which could, theoretically, be worn by anyone as opposed to later rings choosing their wearers. The Phantom Ring is capable of channeling the entirety of the emotional spectrum, but unlike Kyle's ring after he 'evolved' into a White Lantern, which channeled the entire spectrum at will, the Phantom Ring shifts through the spectrum one color at a time depending on which emotion that the wearer is feeling most strongly at any moment, creating the risk of them becoming compromised by the ring's power. The ring does not have an external battery, but relies on the wearer's life energy, creating the risk that they would destroy themselves if they pushed themselves too far. Laminski almost kills Simon and Jessica when he confronts them after trying to act as a hero, his greed and anger causing him to tap into both the Red and Orange rings, but when he is forced to face the damage that he has done, he reverts to an Indigo ring long enough to remove the Phantom Ring himself.


Other power rings

While Green Lantern villain
Sinestro Thaal Sinestro () (or simply Sinestro) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, particularly those featuring Green Lantern. Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, Sinestro is a former Green Lantern Corps member w ...
had his own version of the power ring since 1961, a yellow one that exploited the one color Green Lanterns were ineffective against,''Green Lantern'' (vol. 2) #9 (December 1961) in the late 2000s writer
Geoff Johns Geoffrey Johns (born January 25, 1973) is an American comic book writer, screenwriter, and film and television producer. Johns's work on the DC Comics characters Green Lantern, Aquaman, Flash (comics), Flash, and Superman has drawn critical accl ...
and artist
Ethan Van Sciver Ethan Daniel Van Sciver (No date on article; date appears in the website') (; born September 3, 1974) is an American comics artist. He illustrated and drew covers for a number of superhero titles in the 2000s, primarily for DC Comics, including ' ...
worked the concept of a spectrum of power rings, revolving around the colors of the rainbow as well as a corresponding emotion from which they derive their abilities.THE LANTERN'S ARTISTS, I – ETHAN VAN SCIVER
/ref>HAPPY XMAS (WAR IS OVER) – GEOFF JOHNS ON GREEN LANTERN #25
/ref> The storylines "
Sinestro Corps War "Sinestro Corps War" is an American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover event published by DC Comics in its ''Green Lantern'' and ''Green Lantern Corps'' titles. Written by Geoff Johns and Dave Gibbons and drawn by Ivan Reis, Patrick Gleas ...
" and "
Blackest Night "Blackest Night" is a 2009–10 American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous central miniseries, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, along with a number of tie-in i ...
" introduce the rest of the spectrum, along with its emotions, corps and rings:
red Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a seconda ...
(rage),
orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...
(greed),
yellow Yellow is the color between green and orange on the spectrum of light. It is evoked by light with a dominant wavelength of roughly 575585 nm. It is a primary color in subtractive color systems, used in painting or color printing. In t ...
(fear),
green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...
(willpower),
blue Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB color model, RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB color model, RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between Violet (color), violet and cyan on the optical spe ...
(hope),
indigo InterGlobe Aviation Limited (d/b/a IndiGo), is an India, Indian airline headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. It is the largest List of airlines of India, airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size, with a 64.1% domestic market ...
(compassion),
violet Violet may refer to: Common meanings * Violet (color), a spectral color with wavelengths shorter than blue * One of a list of plants known as violet, particularly: ** ''Viola'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants Places United States * Vi ...
(love),
black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
(death), and
white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
(life).''
Final Crisis "Final Crisis" is a crossover storyline that appeared in comic books published by DC Comics in 2008, primarily the seven-issue miniseries of the same name written by Grant Morrison. Originally DC announced the project as being illustrated solely ...
:
Rage of the Red Lanterns The Red Lantern Corps is a supervillain and sometimes anti-heroic organization appearing in DC Comics. Their power is derived from the emotional spectrum relating to anger. Publication history The Red Lantern Corps debuted in ''Green Lantern'' ...
'' #1 (October 2008)
''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #34 (May 2009)''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #20 (July 2007)


Red / Rage

Atrocitus Atrocitus (Atros) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the leader of the Red Lantern Corps and an enemy of the Guardians of the Universe and Sinestro, their former Green Lantern. Publication history A ...
, a member of the Empire of Tears on the prison planet Ysmault, forged the first Red Power Battery from the innards of Qull, the being who tells
Abin Sur Abin Sur is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He was a member of the Green Lantern Corps and is best known as the predecessor of Green Lantern Hal Jordan, whom Abin Sur's power ring chose as his replacement. Af ...
the prophecy of "the Blackest Night". Red power rings are powered by rage and charged by the blood of those the user kills.''Blackest Night'' #6 (December 2009) Red rings replace the user's heart and transform their blood into corrosive plasma. They normally cannot be removed without killing the user.''Green Lantern Corps'' (vol. 2) #45 (February 2010)''Blackest Night'' #8


Orange / Avarice

An orange ring is powered by
avarice Greed (or avarice, ) is an insatiable desire for material gain (be it food, money, land, or animate/inanimate possessions) or social value, such as status or power. Nature of greed The initial motivation for (or purpose of) greed and a ...
(greed) and unlike the other Corps, only one living individual can wield the power of the orange light since orange ring-bearers are so consumed with greed that they cannot bear the thought of sharing power with others.
Larfleeze Larfleeze, also known as Agent Orange, is a supervillain appearing in comics published by DC Comics, usually as an antagonist in books featuring Green Lantern and the Green Lantern Corps. He is the primary wielder of the orange light of avarice, ...
is the user of the orange light, but
Lex Luthor Alexander "Lex" Joseph Luthor () is a supervillain in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the character first appeared in ''Action Comics'' #23 (published on February 22, 1940, with a cover d ...
briefly shared that power with him during the "
Blackest Night "Blackest Night" is a 2009–10 American comic book Fictional crossover, crossover storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous central miniseries, written by Geoff Johns and penciled by Ivan Reis, along with a number of tie-in i ...
" storyline. Both Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner have briefly become Orange Lanterns, the former by taking the Battery from him and the latter by mastering Avarice by getting past Larfleeze in a fight and recharging his ring from Larfleeze's battery, altering his appearance to match each, and elevating himself to White Lantern status once he mastered all the lights of the Emotional Spectrum. The orange ring allows Larfleeze the same abilities as other Corps: flight, aura projection and orange light constructs. As a side effect of wielding the orange light, Larfleeze is burdened with an insatiable hunger that is never quelled regardless of how much food he eats. The power of the orange light allows Larfleeze to steal the identities of those he kills, transforming them into an "Orange Lantern" construct.''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #39 (April 2009) These Orange Lanterns can steal the identities of others for Larfleeze in the same way. The orange light can absorb the energy of other power rings, but cannot absorb constructs produced by violet or blue power rings. By being in constant contact with his main power battery, Larfleeze has become one with his power source. This allows him to maintain a power level high enough to support an entire Corps of orange light constructs even when separated from it.''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #42 (July 2009) Larfleeze and his constructs are resistant to magic and the abilities of green power rings, but do not retain the same protection against blue or violet rings.''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #41 (June 2009)''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #40 (May 2009) The blue light of hope can also nullify his insatiable hunger when he is near a bearer of it.


Yellow / Fear

The first yellow ring is acquired by
Sinestro Thaal Sinestro () (or simply Sinestro) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, particularly those featuring Green Lantern. Created by John Broome and Gil Kane, Sinestro is a former Green Lantern Corps member w ...
following his banishment to the antimatter universe of
Qward This page lists the locations in the DC Universe, the shared universe setting of DC Comics. Sites Arrowcave The Arrowcave is the former base of operations of the Green Arrow and Speedy. Avernus Cemetery Avernus Cemetery is a hidden burial gro ...
, and could only be recharged by fighting a Green Lantern. After Sinestro was imprisoned in the power battery, his ring was left in the Crypts of the Green Lanterns on Oa, where it was eventually taken by
Guy Gardner Guy Gardner may refer to: * Guy Gardner (astronaut) (born 1948), United States Air Force officer and former astronaut * Guy Gardner (character) Guy Darrin Gardner, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American ...
, who used it until it was destroyed by Parallax. The Qwardian Weaponers later forged two more rings to be used against the Green Lantern Corps, wielded by Fatality – which self-destructed as she tried to remove the ring, exploding her left arm – and Nero. Upon his return to life in the '' Green Lantern: Rebirth'' storyline, Sinestro was seen wearing a new yellow power ring. Before he could be defeated Sinestro retreated to the anti-matter universe where he spent a year creating his Sinestro Corps. Yellow Power rings are now fueled by fear instead of willpower, but function the same as their green counterparts. Members of the Sinestro Corps are chosen for their ability to instill great fear in others.''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #18 (May 2007) To become a member of the Sinestro Corps, one must free themselves from a small prison. With their yellow power ring completely drained of its energy, they must provide it with the spark it needs to accomplish this feat by facing their greatest fear. Originally Yellow rings could be charged by Manhunter androids that have yellow power batteries built into themselves, which in turn are connected to the Central Yellow Power Battery on Qward. There are also portable batteries similar to those used by Green Lanterns. Aside from the recharging limitations common among the various Corps, their only known weakness is that their power can be drained by a Blue power ring or disrupted by a Red Power Ring.Green Lantern (vol. 4) #38 (March 2009) According to Ethan Van Sciver, the ring's symbol is based on ancient carvings made by beings who looked into the gullet of Parallax and survived.


Blue / Hope

As the Sinestro Corps War ends, former Guardian of the Universe
Ganthet Ganthet is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, who first appeared in 1992 in Larry Niven and John Byrne's graphic novel ''Green Lantern: Ganthet's Tale'' (). He is also Sayd's husband. Fictional character biography Ganthet is one o ...
creates the first blue power ring. The home planet of the Blue Lanterns and the Central Blue Power Battery is the planet Odym, an idyllic planet orbiting the star
Polaris Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris (Latinisation of names, Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an ...
. Blue power rings are fueled by hope; they give their users the most power, but they must be near an active Green power ring to tap into their full potential. Otherwise, the blue rings are only capable of the abilities of ordinary Green Lantern rings. This is because hope requires willpower to enact it. While within the proximity of a Green Lantern's ring, a blue ring can heal wounds, neutralize the corrupting effects of a red power ring, block the energy-stealing properties of orange rings, drain power from yellow power rings, and recharge a green power ring to twice its maximum power level.''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) No. 36 (January 2009) This effect can also negatively impact a green ring, as close proximity to the blue central power battery will overcharge a green ring, causing it to implode. If a Blue Lantern wishes it, it can also dampen the hunger caused by the orange light. A noteworthy ability of blue rings is the power to scan a target's psyche and create illusions based on their hopes. A blue power ring is capable of feeding off the hope of other beings, eschewing constant recharging while still performing impressive feats, including reversing a dying sun's age. Blue rings can also grant precognitive visions to their wielders.


Indigo / Compassion

The Indigo Tribe, wielders of the indigo light of compassion, make their first extended appearance in ''Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps'' #1 (July 2009). Unlike other Corps, the Indigo Tribe carry carved, lantern-like staves with them. In ''Blackest Night'' #5, it is established that Indigo Tribe members use their staffs instead of power batteries to charge their rings. In addition to being able to store indigo light energy, they can replicate the power of nearby Lanterns.''Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps'' #1 (July 2009)''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #48 (January 2010) While channeling another Emotional energy, an Indigo Tribesman can be used as a Battery to charge the ring of that Corp. However, this is "simulated energy" and thus does not provide the full range of abilities. For example, a Green Lantern charged thusly can create constructs and a uniform, but cannot fly. Like all power rings, indigo rings are capable of the default Corps abilities of flight and protective aura generation.''Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps'' #3 (July 2009) Indigo power rings give their users the ability to perceive compassion in others and to force compassion onto those who feel none.''Blackest Night'' #3 (September 2009) Paradoxically, indigo light has the ability to heal individuals with great empathy and to expose people to pain they have inflicted on other people. Indigo Power Rings can teleport their users and others over intergalactic distances. This ability utilizes a great deal of power from an indigo power ring, and Indigo Tribe members try to use it sparingly.''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #46 (September 2009)


Violet / Love

At the conclusion of the ''Mystery of the Star Sapphire'' story-arc, the Zamarons realize that the power of the Star Sapphire gem is too great for them to control so they forge a Violet Power Battery and power ring out of the Star Sapphire gem, using the bodies that sparked the Star Sapphire as a mediator. This allows them to distribute its powers throughout an entire Corps of Star Sapphires.''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #19 (June 2007) Violet power rings are fueled by the emotion of love. They allow their wearer to fly, generate a protective aura (which creates distinct feathered and organic shapes), and create violet light constructs.''Green Lantern Corps'' (vol. 2) #29 (December 2008) Violet rings have several unique abilities. They can create crystals which can be used to imprison members of other Lantern Corps on the Zamaron planet.''Green Lantern Corps'' (vol. 2) #31 (February 2009) Over time, the rings of the prisoners trapped in stasis within the crystals are infused with violet energy. After spending enough time inside, the prisoner will emerge as a Star Sapphire. The rings can also detect when a love is in jeopardy, locate it, and then create a connection to the embattled heart that can be used as a tether. Sapphires are also shown as being able to show others their greatest love.''Green Lantern Corps'' (vol. 2) #32 (March 2009) Star Sapphires are able to teleport to escape attackers, while their constructs release a disorienting dust when destroyed. These two abilities can be combined effectively to avoid being pursued. Violet power rings can restore the recently deceased to life by drawing power from the heart of one that loves them. Although Violet Power Rings do not have a particular weakness to other colors, they are more susceptible to controlling their user by their own power. Love is one of the two emotions on the far ends of the emotional spectrum, and has a much stronger influence over its user.''Blackest Night'' #0 (June 2009) Unlike the Star Sapphire gem, which could force itself on a user, violet power rings must be accepted by the wearer.''Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps'' #2 (July 2009)


Black / Death

Black power rings are fueled by death, instead of light from the emotional spectrum. In the concluding issues of the ''Sinestro Corps War'',
Superboy-Prime Superboy-Prime (Clark Kent; colloquial: "Prime") is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. A boy from the Reality, real world Isekai, transported to the DC Universe, as an Alternative vers ...
hurls the
Anti-Monitor The Anti-Monitor is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He served as the main antagonist of the 1985 DC Comics miniseries ''Crisis on Infinite Earths'' and later appears as an enemy to the Green Lantern Corps ...
into space. His dying essence crashes onto the dead planet of Ryut and is encased in the Black Central Power Battery.''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #25 (January 2008) Black Hand becomes the first Black Lantern after killing his family and committing suicide. As noted by
Ray Palmer Raymond or Ray Palmer may refer to: * Raymond A. Palmer, science-fiction writer and editor * Raymond F. Palmer, medical professor * Raymond Palmer, 3rd Baron Palmer (1916–1990), British peer and businessman * Ray Palmer (pastor), American pastor ...
, the structure of black rings is similar to
dark matter In astronomy, dark matter is an invisible and hypothetical form of matter that does not interact with light or other electromagnetic radiation. Dark matter is implied by gravity, gravitational effects that cannot be explained by general relat ...
.''Blackest Night'' #2 (October 2009) The symbol on black power rings (a triangle pointing down, with five lines radiating up) is the same symbol used by ''Green Lantern'' villain
Black Hand Black Hand or The Black Hand may refer to: Extortionists and underground groups * Black Hand (), 1919–1924 Mexican-American raiders of the Tierra Amarilla Land Grant * Black Hand (anarchism) (), a presumed secret, anarchist organization based ...
and his family.''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #43 (July 2009) Black power rings are wielded by the deceased. In addition to the abilities granted to them by the rings, Black Lanterns retain any superpowers they may have had in life.''Blackest Night'' #1 (July 2009) If the ring bearer's body is severely damaged or destroyed, the black ring will partially reconstruct the body, restoring it to a working state.Montgomery, Lauren (Director). Johns, Geoff (Commentator) (2009). '' Green Lantern: First Flight'' (''Behind the Scenes of Blackest Night''). nimated film/DVD Warner Home Video. Warner Bros Animation. DC Comics. However, this is seen less as a limitation of the ring and more as emotional warfare, as the haunting, zombie-like appearance of Black Lanterns leaves those who were close to them in life emotionally vulnerable. Black Lanterns' rings are able to read the emotions of the living as colored auras that correlate to the emotional spectrum. Multiple emotions read as a multicolored aura, while unreadable emotions come out as white or black.''Blackest Night: Titans'' #2 (November 2009) A state of suspended animation is also enough to fool a black ring's senses.''Blackest Night: Batman'' #3 (October 2009) Emotionless hearts, such as the
Scarecrow A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin that is often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops. ...
's, render their bearers equally invisible to Black Lanterns.''Blackest Night'' #4 (November 2009) When facing beings with warped mental states or otherwise addled minds, the correlation between the emotion detected and the color seen is inverted. A combination of two different lights of the emotional spectrum can neutralize black rings, rendering them vulnerable. Once a black ring is destroyed, the corpse it animates becomes inert. Black Lanterns are vulnerable to white light, described in ''Blackest Night'' #3 as the "white light of creation". Other methods exist for destroying Black Rings.
Kimiyo Hoshi Doctor Light (Dr. Kimiyo Tazu Hoshi) is a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Kimiyo Hoshi is a distinct character from the villain of the same name. She has, however, crossed paths with the villainous Doctor Light on sever ...
and
Halo HALO, halo, halos or haloes may refer to: Most common meanings * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head * ''Halo'' (franchise), a sci-fi video game series (2001–2021) Arts and en ...
can destroy black power rings using their light-based powers. Conner Kent used the Medusa Mask to force two Black Lanterns to experience the fullness of the Emotional Spectrum, irritating their black rings enough that they removed themselves and fled.''Blackest Night: Superman'' #3 (December 2009) Superboy-Prime took control of a black power ring and was forced to experience all of the emotional spectrum except for hope, forcing the ring to shift abilities and uniforms as his emotions went out of control. The ring ultimately detonated. The "touch" of a Black Lantern, used to remove their victims' hearts and drain them of emotional energy, can sever the connection between other Black Lanterns and their black ring. Time travel can deactivate a searching black ring. Some characters have been shown as able to resist black rings for various reasons, including being immortal, being at complete peace after death, or being a Red Lantern.


White / Life

The first white power ring is depicted during the ''Blackest Night'' event.''Blackest Night'' #7 (April 2010) The exact capabilities and limitations of white power rings are still unknown, but they have been shown as capable of providing their bearers with the default Corps abilities of flight, protective aura generation, and light construct creation.''Green Lantern'' (vol. 4) #52 (May 2010) Their most notable and unique ability to date is the power to resurrect the dead.''Blackest Night'' #8 (May 2010) The first instances of this ability were shown not by the intention of any individual, but by the ring itself. They are also shown "overriding" power rings of other colors, turning them white for a period of time.


Ultraviolet

Introduced as a brand new piece of the Emotional Spectrum following the fall of the Source Wall, the Ultraviolet Corps tap into the Invisible Emotional Spectrum and unlike most Lantern Corps which use physical rings, brand its members with Power Ring tattoos. Its members are capable of using Ultraviolet energy which takes the form of purple/violet light, supplied by Umbrax (a living Phantom Galaxy) and the ambient negative emotional energy from the user and their surroundings to provide the default Corps abilities of flight, protective aura generation, and light construct creation. They can infect others with the most hateful, self-destructive, and primeval elements held deep within their hearts and mind. Ultraviolet Power Rings feed off the bloodlust and self-hatred of anyone they come in contact with, assimilating them into the Ultraviolet Lantern cause. Powerful wielders of the ring can infuse their targets with the UV power and bind them to their rings on a cellular level.


Gold

In the 2020-21 ''
Legion of Super-Heroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st centuries of t ...
'' comic series, Gold Lantern wears one of the newest power rings introduced to the DC universe. The power of his ring is such that he has become one of the strongest heroes in the Legion of Super-Heroes. The Elders of Oa chose Kala Lour in the 31st century to wield the power of the Gold Lantern ring, thanks to his ability to feel great happiness and joy. The Gold Lantern ring allegedly contains the power of the combined energies of the emotional spectrum and their various abilities. This makes Gold Lantern one of the most powerful ring-bearers in the universe. While the ring's power cannot be denied, there is some doubt about the origins of Gold Lantern's ring as the Elders of Oa are not truly the Guardians of the Universe, but other beings who seem to have sinister motives.


Gray / Sorrow

Introduced during '' Absolute Power'', the Sorrow Lantern is the first Fractal Lantern to appear, and is the physical manifestation of the misery the Emotional Spectrum experienced during Thaaros' attacks. The first Sorrow Lantern is Nathan Broome, Carol Ferris' ex-fiancée, who infused his engagement ring with all of his sadness, after Carol abandons him to save Hal Jordan and turned him into the Sorrow Lantern. As the Sorrow Lantern, Nathan's body constantly emits a grey mist that he can solidify and generate constructs that force sorrow onto others. Currently Nathan is searching for a way to build a Power Central Battery and appears to have infected the Librarian of the Library of Forever.


Alternate versions

In the alternate universe of '' Superman & Batman: Generations'', it was stated that the rings' weakness is actually only based on what the users believe the rings are vulnerable to;
Alan Scott Alan Ladd Wellington Scott is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, and the first character to bear the name Green Lantern. He fights evil with the aid of his mystical ring, which grants him a variety of powers. H ...
—whose ring here is a lost Green Lantern ring rather than the Starheart—believed that his ring was vulnerable to wood because he was caught off-guard by someone wielding a wooden block the first time that he used the ring. After Scott's retirement, the ring was passed to Kyle Rayner, who uses it with the belief that it is vulnerable to yellow, until Hal Jordan—here the President of the United States, previously approached to become the new Green Lantern before he decided to go into politics—dons the ring to fight off Sinestro, correctly deducing that it has no true vulnerabilities, with the Guardians explaining the truth to the heroes. In the
Elseworlds Elseworlds is the publication imprint (trade name), imprint for American comic books produced by DC Comics for stories that take place outside the DC Universe Canon (fictional), canon. Elseworlds publications are set in alternate realities that ...
storyline '' JLA: Another Nail'', a power ring essentially merges with a
Mother Box Mother Boxes are fictional devices in Jack Kirby's Fourth World setting in the DC Universe. The Mother Boxes appeared in the feature films ''Justice League'' and ''Zack Snyder's Justice League'' of the DC Extended Universe. History Created b ...
when
Big Barda Big Barda is a superheroine appearing in American comic book An American comic book is a thin periodical literature originating in the United States, commonly between 24 and 64 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, ...
is chosen as a Green Lantern when the war between New Genesis and Apokolips becomes so intense that even the Green Lantern Corps have to step in. Through its link to the Mother Box, the ring thus also 'hosts' the consciousness of Mister Miracle, who escaped being tortured to death by transferring his conscious mind into Barda's Mother Box before she was chosen by the ring. In the crossover miniseries ''Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War'', various members of the seven Corps are transferred into the new ''Star Trek'' timeline when Nekron's latest attack causes Ganthet to initiate the 'Last Light' protocol, transferring the last power rings and living wielders to another universe. After Hal Jordan, Carol Ferris and Saint Walker make contact with the USS ''Enterprise'', along with Doctor
Leonard McCoy Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, known as "Bones", is a character in the American science-fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. McCoy was played by actor DeForest Kelley in the original ''Star Trek'' series from 1966 to 1969, and he also appears in the anima ...
,
Nyota Uhura Nyota Uhura (), or simply Uhura, is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. In the original television series, the character was portrayed by Nichelle Nichols, who reprised the role for the first six ''Star Trek'' feature films. A ...
and
Pavel Chekov Pavel Andreievich Chekov () is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' fictional universe, universe. Walter Koenig portrayed Chekov in the second and third seasons of the original ''Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek'' series and the ...
being chosen by reserve rings of the Indigo Tribe, Star Sapphires and Blue Lantern Corps respectively,
Montgomery Scott Montgomery "Scotty" Scott is a fictional character in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. First portrayed by James Doohan in the original ''Star Trek'' series, Scotty also appears in the animated ''Star Trek'' series, 10 ''Star Trek'' ...
's analysis of the rings allows him to create his own version. He gives this ring to
Hikaru Sulu Hikaru Kato Sulu is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. A member of the crew in the original ''Star Trek'' series, Sulu also appears in the animated ''Star Trek'' series, in the first six ''Star Trek'' movies, in one epi ...
. Although he freely admits that the rings are so complex he feels like a caveman trying to understand a warp core, Scotty's rings can generate personal force-fields and fire energy blasts at the user's will, Scotty comparing it to a phaser worn on the finger. At the conclusion of the series, Kirk's log notes that Scotty has received permission to put the rings into mass production. In the sequel ''Star Trek/Green Lantern: Strange Worlds'', the ''Enterprise'' discovers the version of Oa that exists in their universe, with Sinestro's attack forcing the Guardians to release their prototype Green Lantern ring, which chooses James T. Kirk as a wielder as he confronts Sinestro and Khan simultaneously. The Universal Ring is found in the crossover with ''
Planet of the Apes ''Planet of the Apes'' is a science fiction media franchise consisting of films, books, television series, comics, and other media about a Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, post-apocalyptic world in which humans and intelligent apes c ...
''; this ring was created by the Guardians of the Universe by using sorcery and science in conjunction. The user of this ring can tap directly into the energies of the emotional spectrum and harness any color of it, despite whatever emotion is being felt and regardless of intentions. This ring can also drain the other rings of the energies that power them, rendering them useless. However, the Guardians of the Universe would eventually discover that users of the ring will eventually succumb to its corrupted power and be forced to create more rings. As they were unable to destroy it, they sent it away to a version of Earth permanently locked in a time loop, therefore isolating it from the rest of Hypertime, with them hoping that it could never be found. In ''Batman: The Dawnbreaker''—part of a series of one-shots looking at darker alternate versions of Batman—when Bruce Wayne was chosen as the Green Lantern immediately after the deaths of his parents, his rage and emotional trauma were so great that he was able to overcome the ring's limitations against using lethal force by nothing more than strength of will. This dark attitude results in him drawing on an unspecified 'void' through his ring, which allows him to overwhelm even a large number of other Green Lanterns and Guardians when they come to confront him over his violation of the rules of Oa.''Batman: The Dawnbreaker'' #1 In '' Green Lantern: Earth One'', the power rings are seen merely as powerful weapons. They do not choose their users, can be used by anyone and do not require the wielder to be capable of great willpower or overcoming fear and do not appear to possess any degree of artificial intelligence or capacity for independent action. No oath is required to charge them. Following the apparent destruction of the Central Power Battery by the Manhunters, the power of the rings was limited, but their full power was unlocked following the recovery of the battery from Oa.


See also

*
Infinity Gems The Infinity Gems (originally referred to as Soul Gems and later as Infinity Stones) are six fictional gems appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics, named after and embodying various aspects of existence. The gems can grant ...
*
The Infinity Gauntlet ''The Infinity Gauntlet'' is an American comic book storyline published by Marvel Comics. In addition to an eponymous, six-issue limited series (comics), limited series written by Jim Starlin and Penciller, pencilled by George Pérez and Ron ...
*
Magic ring A magic ring is a mythical, folkloric or fictional piece of jewelry, usually a Ring (jewellery), finger ring, that is purported to have Magic (supernatural), supernatural properties or powers. It appears frequently in fantasy and fairy tales. M ...
* Power Prism * Quantum bands


Notes


References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Power Ring (DC Comics) DC Comics objects Fictional elements introduced in 1940 Fictional gemstones and jewelry Fictional weapons Green Lantern