Green Lantern’s Powers Just Got the Perfect Permanent Upgrade
John Stewart went from a Green Lantern to an Emerald Knight, which unlocked new powers that look like they’re here to stay.
This article contains SPOILERS for John Stewart: The Emerald Knight #1The most powerful Green Lantern has been debated among fans for a long time, but it was recently confirmed to be John Stewart. As the strongest, he’s been given major upgrades in recent runs, but his most recent powerup takes him entirely out of the role of a Green Lantern. The comic series John Stewart: The Emerald Knight is a fresh new take on his character that gives him a unique identity and a new way to control his powers.
A Green Lantern’s powers come from their high willpower and the user of a Green Ring is chosen by the ring itself when its previous owner passes on or loses it. Among the most famous Lanterns are Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner, and John Stewart. They have had major upgrades in many ways throughout the years, but John hasn’t been given as many upgrades as Hal and Kyle… until now.
In the first issue of John Stewart: The Emerald Knight (by Geoffrey Thorne, Marco Santucci, Rob Leigh, and Michael Atiyah) the Green Lanterns are forced to fight the god Esak. In a battle to push Esak out and save a whole planet of people, John and the Green Lantern Corps were lured into a trap that ultimately ended in the destruction of an entire planet. John ended up becoming a Power Battery, giving the Emerald Guard juice to continue their fight. But their fight was becoming bleak, and they need to push through as much as they can, so after much debate, John changed their plan, and they went back on the offense.
John Stewart Creates Weapons for the Emerald Knights
John became a power battery for over 300 soldiers in his army, fueling their powers so they could create their usual constructs and fight Esak’s army. After ascending, his connection to OA and willpower became so intense that he absorbed a godstorm and became a living power battery. The full extent of what John can do is unknown, but apparently his powers rival that of a literal god. John Stewart: The Emerald Knight #1 was the first stepping stone to exploring his new powers and how they actually work.
Not only did John become a portable power battery, but the way he creates constructs has completely changed. Green Lantern constructs are created on willpower and attention. If someone brakes a Green Lantern’s attention, their constructs dissipate. John Stewart lived by the same rules until his ascension and is now able to create constructs and solidify them. While he was a power battery for 300 people, he was able to pour that energy into eight individual constructs — swords for his Emerald Guard that could kill gods. He doesn’t need to maintain his attention or base it off willpower anymore, and in fact, while they’re first testing out the swords, he’s completely drained and needs to recharge. This new ability is enough to rival a god though it has its limits, for now though it seems like it’s here to stay.
John Stewart became the universe’s most powerful Green Lantern overnight and has used his power for nothing but good. His Emerald Guard protects the galaxy with him at the center and his new powers are not to be trifled with. John Stewart became a shining star of a Green Lantern and has far surpassed the expectations originally given to him when he was first recruited.
