Back in 2009, Geoff Johns took the world of comics by storm when he wrote the Blackest Night storyline. Centering around an apocalyptic prophecy, Blackest Night chronicles the attempts of Hal Jordan, Barry Allen, and a slew of other heroes to repel the Black Lantern Corps - a zombie army that consists of deceased heroes and villains!
Similarly to the Green Lantern Corps, the Black Lanterns recruit beings from all across the universe into their ranks. Death is the only prerequisite to joining the BL Corps - allowing their numbers to balloon in size. But there are a few powerful BLs that stand head and shoulders above the rest. Off the cuff, we can think of at least ten noteworthy BLs.
10 Terra
In life, Terra Markov harassed the Teen Titans to no end; she infiltrated the team at Deathstroke's behest, manipulated Beast Boy's emotions, and repeatedly tried to turn the Titans against each other! To make matters worse, Terra engaged in a morally questionable relationship with Deathstroke - a black spot in DC's history that the company would rather leave dead and buried.
Terra continued her reign of terror when the Black Lanterns recruited her. Markov used her geokinetic powers to shake up the Titans, but she used her feminine wiles to once again seduce Beast Boy. You'd think that Garfield would be put off by Terra's decaying flesh and zombie breath. Oh well, we suppose love is blind.
9 Aquaman
Arthur Curry, aka Aquaman, gets tons of undue guff - primarily thanks to his depiction in the infamous Super Friends show. In truth, Arthur's a founding member of the Justice League, the descendant of a Demigod, and the Ruler of Atlantis! When Aquaman became the Dweller of the Depths, however, Narwhal killed him - making Arthur a prime candidate for Black Lantern membership.
As a Black Lantern, Aquaman retains all of the powers that he had in life; Arthur is still insanely strong and durable and possesses the ability to command the tides! BL Aquaman also resurrected Arthur and Mera's deceased child - adding an extra layer of tragedy and fear to the character.
8 Reverse-Flash
Barry Allen was one of the main reasons the heroes managed to hold out during Blackest Night; his superspeed was an invaluable asset to Hal Jordan and Sinestro, as well as Barry's forensic investigator skills. Thank goodness that the Black Lanterns didn't have a Flash on their side! What's that? Kid Flash and Reverse-Flash were members of the BL Corps?! Someone cue up the Walking Dead 'crying Rick' memes.
Reverse-Flash is already a massive threat to the Justice League regularly. Add in the Black Lanterns' abilities to heal from any wound and infect victims by biting them and Reverse-Flash becomes a literal speed demon
7 Deathstorm
Firestorm is a complex hero; the flame-haired being that aids the Justice League is a combination of two individuals joined together by fuzzy nuclear physics. By tapping into the Firestorm Matrix, this hotheaded hero can rearrange matter, absorb energy, and change the density of animate and inanimate objects! The guy's a grade-A powerhouse, as the Arrowverse has shown - making him an invaluable resource for the Black Lanterns.
When Firestorm joined the Black Lanterns, he brought all of his literal firepowers with him! Once reincarnated as Deathstorm, this pyromaniac proved nearly too hot for the heroes to handle! Deathstorm continued menacing Hal and company until the final issues of Blackest Night.
6 Martian Manhunter
Of all the Justice League's founding members, perhaps none are more soft-spoken and eloquent than the Martian Manhunter. Burdened by his tragic past, J'onn J'onzz nevertheless aided the people of Earth without hesitation. Sadly, his selflessness got him killed by a cadre of villains led by Libra and the Human Flame. Superman and the Justice League buried him on Mars, but it wasn't long before the Black Lanterns got to him.
Black Lantern Martian Manhunter is one of the first foes that Hal and Barry encounter. Much to their horror, J'onn reminds Hal and Barry that he's just as strong as Superman - prompting the two of them to hold out until the Indigo Tribe arrive.
5 Hal Jordan
No, Hal Jordan didn't succumb to the Black Lanterns at the end of Blackest Night - though he came very close on multiple occasions. In a relatively recent comic, Hal gets trapped in the Deadzone - the home of many deceased DC characters. With few options before him, Hal joins the BL Corps by killing himself!
Turns out that Hal's death was all apart of a risky gambit; Hal voluntarily joined the BL Corps so that the Indigo Tribe could find and properly resurrect him. Though his time as a Black Lantern was brief, Hal still wielded the power of the Black Light for a time.
4 Superman
That heading sends chills down your spine by simply reading it! Without question, Kal-L is one of the heaviest hitters among the Black Lanterns. Imagine Superman - one of the greatest and kindest heroes in the DC Universe - shacking up with an army of unfeeling, uncaring zombies. And this version of Superman is from Earth-Two, meaning that he's the Silver Age version of the Man of Steel!
Though Black Lantern Kal-L can't seemingly invent new powers on the fly, he's still freakin' Superman! Our version of Superman and Superboy nearly die trying to stop Kal-L's rampage - barely winning by using a tool called the Medusa Mask.
3 The Anti-Monitor
There aren't many characters in the DC Universe that we'd suggest are stronger than Silver Age Superman. However, the Anti-Monitor certainly tops that list - he's older than dirt under your bootheels and villain that caused the Crisis on Infinite Earths so long ago. That's why the thought of him joining the Black Lanterns is utterly terrifying!
For the majority of Blackest Night, the Anti-Monitor forcibly functions as the Black Lanterns' power source. Near the end of the event, the Anti-Monitor breaks free from his prison - making him the only independent Black Lantern at the time! There are only two members of the BL Corps that trumps the Anti-Monitor's power - but just barely so.
2 The Spectre
In most instances, The Spectre is the most powerful hero in the room. That's because he's not a hero in the traditional sense - he's the embodiment of God's vengeance, bringing down Biblical wrath on those who deserve it! The Spectre typically doesn't try to solve all of the DC Universe's problems, but he's swift to act when needed. Due to his divine origin, he's probably the last being anyone expected to become a Black Lantern.
Technically, The Spectre didn't join the Black Lanterns - his host Crispus Allen did! Borderline unstoppable, Hal had to call in Parallax for aid - "desperate times" and all that.
1 Nekron
When we first thought about the most powerful Black Lanterns in the DC Universe, we immediately knew Nekron was #1. He's the leader of the BL Corps and the personification of Death - as Parallax personifies fear. Nekron is the entity that shoved the Anti-Monitor into the BL's Central Power Battery. He also took on every hero and villain left standing near the end of Blackest Night - crushing them with ease!
The only thing that stopped Nekron dead in his tracks was the White Light of Life! All Black Lanterns are weak to White Lanterns and were powerless to stop Hal Jordan and his friends from reversing the destruction they wrought.