The Green Lanter Corp. has been known to be the protectors of the universe since 1959 with its first appearance in Showcase #22. The first human Green Lantern was Hal Jordan; his predilection for basic constructs like boxing gloves, baseball bats, and even colossal fists became rather stale and uninspired after the first decade. Instead of reenvisioning the character of Hal Jordan, DC Comics opted to introduce an African American Green Lantern by the name of John Stewart. This reimagining immediately solidified him as a popular character in the pantheon of DC superheroes.
In an epic twist, DC introduced former marine and current architect John Stewart, the first African-American superhero to ever make it in a DC comic book. His resolute willpower, which manifested in his prodigious constructs, catapulted this Emerald Knight into an overnight sensation. Here are 10 of the coolest, out of the box constructs he ever conjured up:
10 Imprisoned Manhunter In An Unbreakable Cage
Martian Manhunter (J'onn J'onzz) is known for his psionic abilities like reading minds, phase shifting, and invisibility.
When he went berserk in one particular storyline, John Stewart stepped up to the plate to shield the other Justice League members from his mind control. He imprisoned the Martian in an indestructible cage made up of pure energy.
9 Manifested A Mask That Prevents Mind Control
If the Green Lantern was present with the Justice League during their battle against Manhunter, how come he wasn't under the martian's mind control?
Well, Stewart created a mask construct that would deny access to any outside interference with his mind making him completely immune to any form of mind manipulation. Neat isn't it?
8 Fighting Superman Is Not Easy, Creating A Giant Might Help Tilt The Scales
Superman and Green Lantern were sparring in a bid to test the Man of Steel and keep him in top physical condition.
John constructed a green mastodonic construct of himself to fight his Kryptonian ally, pushing his boundaries to the limit. Much to his chagrin, he was bested by Superman but not before taking some serious hits.
7 Earth Was Falling Apart So Stewart Decided To Hold It Together Using Constructs To Fill The Gaps
Saving the world is a daily mission for the intrepid Justice League. Can Superman's might alone save planet earth from impending peril?
Spoiler alert: It can't. In one such instance, it was the stalwart Green Lantern who saved the day. He used his ring to keep the earth from getting sucked into the sun by its gravity.
6 Possessing John Almost Wiped Out The Justice League When He Manifested A Monster And An Army Of Demons
After Sinestro brought the Umbrax to Earth, John Stewart became the first member of the Ultraviolet Corps which turned him against the Justice League.
In a mind-blowing battle, the former Green Lantern mustered up a giant monster and an army of demons to defeat the protectors of Earth without losing control over his constructs.
5 The World's Most Advanced And Precise Sniper Was A Construct He Made
Members of The Green Lantern Corps were being picked off by a sniper three space sectors away. The majority of the Lanterns fled for their lives, but only one stayed behind to fight off the long-ranged assailant and save his brothers-in-arms.
John Stewart decided to build a sniper rifle construct that was so precise and deadly that it only took one shot to thwart the threat from such a long distance. This is just one notable example of the effect of the unique use of his long-range constructs.
4 Creating An Entire Solar System Out Of Regret. Yikes!
For some reason (trying to stay spoiler-free here), John Stewart was partially guilty of wiping out an entire solar system by accident.
Fueled by his regret, he was able to temporarily manifest the entire system as a construct in the hopes of bringing it back again. He ultimately failed at doing so but still...
3 After Acquiring Blueprints From Zod He Was Able To Manifest A Fully-Functional Kryptonian Tele-Disruptor
To halt the proximate threat of the Darkstars, General Zod agreed to help the Green Lantern Corps by handing over the blueprints of a teleportation disruptor that would prevent the Darkstar Mantles from accessing their teleportation channels.
Zod claims it would take weeks to construct such a device since it was lost to the ages, but Stewart proved him otherwise by building it in mere minutes using his ring. Another example of how amazing his constructs are: building an ancient alien device in mere minutes by briefly studying its blueprint.
2 He Manifested Kryptonite From Scratch. Molecular Level Manipulation!
What is green, glowy, and is Superman's greatest weakness? That's right, John was able to create pure Kryptonite down to the last isotope using his sheer willpower.
When someone can manifest the only alien weakness a god-like superhero has at will, better not mess with him.
1 Being A Former Marine, John Stewart Controlled An Entire Army Of Marine Constructs.
Green Lantern was outnumbered on a foreign planet teeming with Black Lantern zombie-like enemies. Instead of fleeing, he decided to fight back against the odds and nearly lost his life until he was saved by his allies at the last second.
He relied on the power of his ring by creating a formidable armada of marines. The mind-blowing and somewhat baffling part is that he was controlling the troops, their weapons, and even the ammunition used. In other words, not only was he aiming the gun, but he was also controlling the trajectory of each bullet fired by the construct army.