Green Lantern’s New Nemesis Is the 1 Villain Superman Officially Can Never Beat

Summary

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• The Radiant Dead are a dangerous force that even Superman cannot withstand, making them the most formidable opponent for Green Lantern John Stewart in the character’s history
• The Radiant Dead are a cosmic plague that feeds off light and can consume any form of life, including the energies of Green Lanterns and Superman.
• John Stewart is the best hope against the Radiant Dead, as Green Latern: War Journal #3 repeatedly emphasizes, proving there are times when other DC heroes need to step up in place of Superman to defeat massive threats.

Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Green Lantern: War Journal #3

With nothing but their own willpower limiting the capabilities of their power rings, there’s very little a Green Lantern can’t do, and few foes they can’t defeat. However, Green Lantern John Stewart’s latest opponent is set up to be the most dangerous force he’s ever encountered – one whose power not even Superman can withstand.

Green Lantern: War Journal #3 – by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Montos, Adriano Lucas, and Dave Sharpe – finds John Stewart confronting the forces of the Radiant Dead. Conferring with Caolán Shepherd – the last Lantern of a universe overtaken by the Radiant Dead and their Revenant Queen – John is pulled into a Space Between Moments, where he also encounters that same alternate universe’s Kyle Rayner.

During their ensuing conversation, Kyle even name-drops Superman and Wonder Woman as ineffective against the Revenant Queen, and tells John, “If you turn your back on this fight, not only will your mother pay the price…everything will.”

Related: DC’s 3 Most Important Green Lanterns Now Have Totally Different Powers

A Man Of Steel Still Needs Energy

Without a doubt, Superman is one of the most powerful forces in the DC Universe, and as such, there are very few enemies the Man of Steel can’t tackle. Unfortunately for Clark, the Radiant Dead are exactly the kind of enemy that could spell doom for the Last Son of Krypton, and it’s their same advantages against his Lantern allies that would put Superman on the back foot. After all, the Radiant Dead are a cosmic plague, one that can consume any form of life, and feeds off light, with the energies of Green Lanterns actually amplifying the Dead’s own corrupt power.

Superman is an undeniable powerhouse, but more than that, he’s a living solar battery. Fans have seen time and again that any sort of energy or light-draining foe can give the Man of Steel trouble – and with a force out there powerful enough to drain the Lanterns, then the Radiant Dead are almost certainly capable of absorbing solar-powered Kryptonian power as well. Against the Revenant Queen and her Radiant Dead, there’s no question that Superman would put up a hell of a fight. Ultimately, though, it’s clear that John Stewart has the best chance of success in this dire struggle.

Green Lantern Is The Man For The Job

Were John Stewart not a viable threat to the Radiant Dead, it’s highly unlikely the Queen would’ve chased the Green Lantern all the way from another universe. As Green Lantern: War Journal #3 repeatedly emphasizes, Stewart is perhaps the DC Universe’s last best hope against this latest major threat. Superman and Green Lantern are two of DC’s strongest heroes – but in the end, their differing skillsets mean that they won’t always be equally effective against the same types of enemies. In any case, when it comes to the Revenant Queen and her Radiant Dead, Superman is better off trusting DC Comics’ Green Lantern to get the job done.

Green Lantern: War Journal #3 is on sale now from DC Comics.