‘Lanterns’ might have been subtly letting us know that John Stewart can do something even old-school Green Lanterns can’t. Much of Episode 2 focuses on how John is an inexperienced trainee under Hal Jordan. However, a single moment with a little green bird alters the way one should think of his potential.
Initially, John’s inability to fly makes him seem like the weaker Lantern. Hal has years of experience, confidence, and control in his ring, while John is still learning the basics. But when John accidentally creates a small green bird, Hal’s reaction immediately suggests that something unusual has happened.
John’s Bird Breaks The Rules
The bird isn’t impressive because of its size. It is impressive because John manages to make it behave like a living creature. The most interesting part of the scene is what happens when John returns Hal’s ring. The bird doesn’t disappear. It goes on flying around, following John, and even lives after he loses his focus.
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John is knocked out at one point, but the construct still exists. John can only make the bird go away if he chooses to do so. That detail completely changes the meaning of the scene. Normally, a Green Lantern construct relies on the will of the user and the power of the ring.
John’s creation seems to have taken on a life of its own, even when it is not being actively controlled by John. It’s easy to imagine how Hal feels uncomfortable. This isn’t simply a rookie showing off. It might just be that John’s imagination and willpower are on a whole other level.
Hal Jordan May Be Training His Own Replacement
The episode is even more interesting when Antaan tells the meaning of what John has done. Hal clearly knows that John’s ability is unusual, which raises an uncomfortable possibility: perhaps Hal has already realized that the trainee standing beside him could eventually surpass him.
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That would add another dimension to their relationship. Hal isn’t just teaching John how to become a Green Lantern. He may be secretly grooming the next in line to replace him. The DCU may also be developing a much more formidable version of John’s skills.
In the comic, John has eventually developed an independent entity that looks like his late sister Ellie. The bird in Lanterns seems to be a foreshadowing that this is something extraordinary about him that the series is adapting.
And if John’s abilities are already this unusual in 2016, it is hard not to wonder what he will be capable of by 2026. For the time being, Hal still might be the old timer. However, one thing ‘Lanterns‘ is beginning to make clearer: John Stewart may be the more powerful Green Lantern waiting to emerge.
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