Summary
There is only one member of theJustice Leaguewho theGreen Lanternis afraid of:John Constantine. There are few things Green Lanterns ever need to fear (other than fear itself), but one of those things has to be their biggest weakness: magic. It may not make sense to some, but past stories have shown that Green Lantern ring constructs are less effective against magic.
With John Constantine being one of the most effective magic users in all of DC, Green Lantern is understandably afraid of him, as seen inJustice League#51 by Dan Abnett and Paul Pelletier.
In this issue, the Justice League are investigating what Batman refers to as a Fortean Phenomena. The Flash thinks this is more"spooky"than a crisis worth their time. He suggests that this case belongs to Zatanna or"the nutjob Brit.“A visibly petrified Hal Jordan shudders at the thought of invoking Constantine’s wrath.
Green Lantern Hal Jordan Is Afraid of John Constantine
Justice League#51 by Dan Abnett, Paul Pelletier, Sandra Hope, Adriano Lucas, and Carlos M. Mangual
It’s hard to remember the last time Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern and John Constantine ever shared a panel, if ever. What isn’t hard to imagine is a hypothetical fight whereConstantine completely demolishes the Green Lantern by using his magic. Even excluding the idea thatGreen Lantern is weaker in the presence of magic(which, admittedly, has been inconsistent as a plot device over the years, sinceGreen Lanterns have done magicand even received magic upgrades), John is one of DC’s most powerful magic users.
John Constantine
John Constantine is a dark, morally complex, supernatural detective from DC Comics. As a chain-smoking, trenchcoat-wearing master of the occult, he battles demons, angels, and magical forces while navigating his own haunted past. He has appeared in comics, live-action films, animated features, TV shows, and the Arrowverse. Known for his cynicism and reluctant heroism, Constantine often sacrifices personal happiness for the greater good.
Since debuting inSwamp Thing#37 in 1985,Constantine has committed unbelievablefeats of magic. In the distant future of the DC Universe, his grasp of magic is destined to turn him into a god. Even if magic isn’t written into the story as a weakness of Green Lantern, a creative team could apply a plausible means as to how Green Lantern could lose to John Constantine, especially considering how this moment fromJustice League#51 is a reminder thatGreen Lantern is defenseless against his worst and most overlooked weakness.
As said earlier,it’s rare to see Hal Jordan and Constantine team up together— if it’s ever happened before — which calls for even more of a reason as to why they need to share a panel sooner than later. The prospect of sci-fi meeting magic is already a polarizing collaboration, but one with plenty of potential to bring together men of different belief systems into the same room. The possibilities are endless as readers would be on the edge of their seat wondering if amagic user and a Green Lanterncould co-exist in a team-up.
Why Constantine and Green Lantern Need to Share a Comic Story
Panel fromGreen Lanterns#47 by Tim Seeley, V. Ken Marion, Sandu Florea, Dinei Ribeiro, and Dave Sharpe
Traditionally,unexpected team-ups with polarizing DC heroesare always fun to witness. They’re something to make audiences say: “what would happen if a jovial Man of Steel shared a space with a brooding Bat?“Green Lantern and Constantine are one such unexpected combination: strange bedfellows who could make an interesting pair. As much as a fight might be promising, there are some fascinating conflicts that could arise here. For example, inGreen Lanterns#47, John Constantine tries on Jessica Cruz’s ring, and nothing happens.
The marriage between science and magic is a strange one to meld together, but that’s what would make a dynamic like this so exciting.
This panel hints that there could be some weaknesses of Constantine’s related to the Green Lantern ring that have yet to be fully explroed. The marriage between science and magic is a strange one to meld together, but that’s what would make a dynamic like this so exciting, even and especially as it stems from Hal’s initial fear of Constantine. It’s easy to fear what one doesn’t understand, and a space cop surely doesn’t understand a magician and vice versa. SeeingConstantineandGreen Lanternlearn to understand each other and slowly bond could make for entertaining reading for anyJustice Leaguefan.
Justice League#51andGreen Lanterns#47are available now from DC Comics.
Green Lantern
Green Lantern is the name given to multiple enforcers of intergalactic justice in the DC Universe. Green Lanterns can harness the cosmic energy of willpower, and create unique spectral objects to face off against their enemies. Though some Green Lanterns have assisted with the Justice League, they primarily belong to the Green Lantern Corps.
