The DCU has just begun to establish its own superhero hierarchy, and ‘Lanterns’ might have already thrown one assumption out the window: Superman doesn’t have to be the unbeatable powerhouse of this universe.
David Corenswet’s Superman has already demonstrated ridiculous levels of power. He survived an antiproton river, resisted the pull of a black hole, and defeated Ultraman in ‘Superman’. It’s hard to believe that an earthling hero could ever be as physically capable as him. However, Hal Jordan isn’t a threat because he is more powerful than Superman. He’s dangerous because his power is different.
Hal Jordan Doesn’t Need To Outmuscle Superman
In ‘Lanterns’, Kyle Chandler’s Hal Jordan is not a newbie, but a seasoned Green Lantern. The first episode sets up the fact that he’s been around for decades and has a lot more experience than Superman in handling threats that don’t require him to punch harder.
In the 2016 storyline, an older Hal can still save John Stewart and others from being destroyed by an alien explosion. With his ring, he can manufacture shields, weapons, and constructs, much as he pleases and can imagine. This makes it much more difficult to fight Superman than it is to fight him.
If Hal was caught without his ring, Superman could probably overpower him physically. But that’s precisely the point. Hal would never want to fight that way. A Green Lantern can attack from a distance, set up restrictions, control the environment, and take advantage of the weaknesses. After 40 years as a ‘Lantern’, Hal would know how to think ahead. And that’s a different sort of danger.
Experience Could Be Hal’s Biggest Weapon
A great thing about the DCU’s Superman is that Clark is still relatively young. He may be as strong as he can be, but he has only been Superman for a couple of years. Hal Jordan has years of experience. That difference could matter enormously if the two heroes ever come to blows.
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Superman’s greatest advantage is overwhelming physical ability, while Hal’s ring gives him versatility and tactical options. And if Hal knows about something that can weaken Superman, the fight becomes even more dangerous. It’s here that ‘Lanterns’ might be quietly building an important thing about the DCU.
Superman might be the mightiest hero yet, but that does not mean that he is the hardest to beat. Imagination can become a weapon with a Green Lantern ring. And Hal Jordan has been given forty years to think of ways to win.
So, no, ‘Lanterns’ hasn’t proven that Hal is physically stronger than Superman. What it has demonstrated is far more interesting, however: if these two heroes ever fight seriously, Superman may finally meet someone who doesn’t have to beat him at his own game.
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