Summary
- The Green Lantern Power Ring’s safety protocols prevent wearers from killing themselves, but this can be a flaw and cause immense suffering for some.
- The ring’s AI is designed to keep wearers alive at all costs, but it fails to address the emotional and psychological struggles of certain Green Lanterns.
- While the ring’s safety features are important, more comprehensive assistance and support should be provided to Green Lanterns experiencing anguish or suicidal thoughts.
Warning. Mentions of attempted suicide ahead.
The Green Lantern Power Ring has a surprising feature that is harming certain wearers. One member of the Corps reveals how a particular safety protocol could be the ring’s greatest flaw.
To aid in the Green Lantern Corps’ peacekeeping in the DC Universe, its members are given one of the most powerful weapons around: the Power Ring. Those who are able to overcome great fear and who possess the right amount of willpower can use the ring and take advantage of its many features. In addition to flight, space travel and automatically translating thousands of alien languages, the Green Lantern Power Ring enables its wearers to create constructs of anything they can imagine. Whether they need a gun, a giant mech, or an entire army, nothing is off-limits for a Green Lantern. While not everyone qualifies for a Power Ring, those who earn one can do almost anything.
Power Rings Keep Green Lanterns Alive – Even if They Don’t Want That
In Adventures of Superman #31 by Jim Krueger and Neil Edwards, a suicidal Green Lantern in the far reaches of space reveals that he’s tried killing himself in almost every conceivable way. But due to the Power Ring’s safety protocols, it refuses to let him die. And because the ring can’t be given away, the Green Lantern is stuck wallowing in misery. However, the Lantern hears word of Superman, a man so powerful that he could potentially kill anyone. But it isn’t until the Lantern hears that Superman is the last Kryptonian in the universe that he hightails it to Earth, desperately in search of the Man of Steel. The Green Lantern finds Superman and begs to die at his hand, saying it’s only right because this particular Green Lantern was the one who failed to protect Krypton’s people from the planet’s destruction.
The Green Lantern Power Ring is made of advanced Maltusian technology, and its artificial intelligence is meant to process and react to things to keep its wearers alive at all costs. While this is a good feature in the battlefield, it’s kind of horrifying in this context. This Green Lantern is suffering due to the overwhelming guilt he feels, but he can’t do anything about it. That’s not to say he should act on his desire, just that his torment is exacerbated by the ring’s failsafes. What should be a life-saving feature for the Green Lanterns is amplifying certain Lanterns’ anguished feelings.
Green Lantern’s Can’t Do Anything Their Power Rings Feel is Unsafe
While it’s definitely a good thing the Power Ring’s safety protocols prevent the Green Lantern from acting rashly, it’s not doing anything to actually help him. Sure, it’s making sure he stays alive, but it’s completely ignoring his numerous suicide attmpts. Something as advanced as the Power Ring should detect instances of attempted self-harm and ensure they get the help they need. Shutting a construct down to prevent a Corps member from doing a permanent action is a start. But a better solution would be to make sure Green Lanterns get assistance from professionals and not just leave them suffering in silence.