How the Rings Choose
There has been a bit of a furor over some of the ways that the various colors of rings make their choices over on the message boards and such. A LOT of people don't think that Guy should necessarily have gotten a Red Ring, and that he and Kyle weren't that close to make it all possible.
To which I say...phooey.
Guy and Kyle are friends. They've been friends for a very long time. Guy took Kyle under his wing practically from the start, when Kyle was a VERY green young rookie. Unlike his relationship with Hal, Guy has never felt intimidated or threatened by Kyle. And really, how can anyone dislike KYLE of all people. He's such a nice boy.
I think that they've grown even closer lately, at least since they've been partnered up on Oa. I still think that perhaps Kilowog is Guy's closest friend, but Kyle is right up there. He may also be in a slightly different category from Kilowog. Guy and Kyle's relationship seems to be on the brotherly side, which I've always considered to be a healthy relationship for the both of them. Lord knows Guy's REAL brother was a tool, and I imagine that as Kyle was an only child, he would have liked to have had a sibling.
So anyway, it makes sense for Guy to be a wee bit cranky that Kyle is dead. What I DO find rather fascinating about the Red Rings however, is that there seems to be an extra bit of emotion necessary. I would imagine that there were a heck of a lot of pissed-off Lanterns on Oa, but Vice's ring didn't chose any of them. In combination with his anger, Guy also seemed to be suffering from a vast amount of grief.
Grief seems to be a key ingredient in the formation of a Red Lantern. Laira was consumed by grief over the death of Ke'haan and his family as well as by anger. Even Atrocitus, in his back-story seems to have an enormous amount of grief in addition to his rage. When Hal was briefly transformed, he was shaken by Laira's death, so grief came into that equation as well.
Proximity also seems to be a key factor. Vice's ring was right there, when Guy was in the proper frame of mind, and latched right onto him. I'm not sure that he would have been transformed if there hadn't been a red ring quite so handy. Same thing for Mera. She's been having quite a trying time lately, and it finally all bubbled up to the surface, and a red ring was conveniently there.
Some people have also been expressing dismay that Superman wasn't chosen for a Blue ring. I'm sure that Superman would have been a fine and logical choice for a Hope ring, but he just happens to be a Black Lantern at the moment. Barry was right there, and an equally qualified candidate, and he's NOT a Black Lantern. Wonder Woman was also a Black Lantern, and I think that the only reason she was able to become a Star Sappire, was that her Black ring was malfunctioning, which was mentioned when Mera and the Atom were trying to find a way back. So, unlike Superman, Wonder Woman was able to overcome her programming.
Well...and because she's just apparently so darned loveable.
This is just my opinion, and probably a lot of other people have equally valid ones. But it does give me a chance to show this picture.
Cool, eh?
posted by SallyP @ 12:24 PM
9 Comments:
These people just need to read DuskDog's fan fiction. ;-)
Great picture. and great rebuttal.
my take on WW getting the ring is that she was the only candidate suitable - in that she was the one with the most love in her heart which overshadowed everyone else's love.
and supes can't be a blue lantern if he's been zombiefied - people will instantly lose hope in him.
fan fiction? pray tell where?
I suspect the violet light might have some specific power that can help fend off death in a way none of the others can. I mean, it's 2 for 2 with Kyle and Diana.
As for fanfic, http://duskdog717.livejournal.com/
EVERYONE should read Duskdog's fan fiction.
I'm afraid my cynical view of Diana getting a Sapphire ring is that Mera already had a ring and Diana was the only other woman around. I can't sort out how Johns distinguishes between love and compassion, but it seems pretty clear at this point we're not going to see any male Sapphires. Johns also seems intent on avoiding overexposed characters in Blackest Night; no Batman, no Superman, no Joker, but promoting the Atom, Mera, the Hawks and the Dibneys. DC seems to be trying to build up Diana's stock (and yay!), so giving her a more prominent role in Blackest Night seems consistent with editorial direction as well.
And Guy totally deserves the red ring. More than the green, IMO. I'd like to see him keep it permanently.
-- Jack of Spades
My reaction to Hal's red ring was one of annoyance. When I think, and thought, about these concepts, it seems like the ring should go to the person who embodies these emotions. At his core, Hal is full of willpower, Sinestro of Fear (in the sense that he can inflict and create and spread it, not in the sense that he's a coward, which is an interesting distinction that Blackest Night gets way overly wishy-washy with when Barry feels fear over J'onn attacking but Sinestro feels fear when Amon Sur attacks), but then you have someone like Guy, who has long been portrayed as having a duality of a furious temperament and will. Hal could not accept the Blue ring of Hope, because he is not consumed with the ability to feel and through empathy disseminate Hope, not like Superman and (I guess) Barry Allen (not to be confused with Barack "Barry" Obama, the hope guy from 2008). But that brings us back to my frustration over Hal getting a red ring, if only for a short time. He's not a man of rage. He can get angry, but its not a sustained, internal, anger like Guy or Attrocitus.
Everyone get's angry over death, violence, and things like that, and feels rage, but does it become them? I'd argue not in the way that it did Guy or Attrocitus, or even Laira in Johns' portrayal of her since she was brought back, angry with Hal (though second to a better candidate: Boodikka (prior to her Alpha-ization)). While, obviously, proximity to rings plays a role in it, dating back to the idea Guy could have gotten Abin's ring instead of Hal if Abin crashed somewhere else, does that mean if Saint Walker dies and I hope hard enough I can get a Blue Ring, or if Carol dies and I love enough I'll get a Violet ring (and spontaneously gain a vagina as well, as Jack pointed out)?
I want to know the rules.
Hot DANG that looks awesome.
It's true that everyone gets angry, fearful, or compassionate or hopeful and so on and so forth, but rings don't suddenly spring up and attach themselves. But dang it, it would be SO cool if they did.
Ahem.
But I agree, that Hal's going red was mostly an aberaation for me. He was there, Atrocitus was there, Sinestro was there, and Laira got killed just as he was trying to help her. For just those few moments, anger and grief were enough to seize Hal, add in proximity to the red rings, and it worked...briefly.
It's a good thing that St. Walker was there. I get the impression that eventually, most of the Red Lanterns burn themselves out and simply die.
Just wanted to say this was very insightful. Your enjoyment (and understanding) of these characters is evenhandedly pure.
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