Like all other Lantern Corps, Red Lanterns draw their power from the collective rage felt by every living being in the universe. That emotion is bottled up inside the Red Central Power Battery and turned into raw power through the rings. Whereas the Green Lantern rings choose those who can overcome great fear, the red rings choose those who can demonstrate incredible rage.
Atrocitus created the Red Lanterns to get revenge on the Guardians of the Universe for the death of his people. DC Comics characters like Guy Gardner have worn a red ring, but should those rings cross over into the Marvel Comics universe, a number of heroes and villains would make likely candidates for the Red Lanterns.
10 The Thing Often Resorts To "Clobberin' Time"
The cosmic storm that hit Ben Grimm and his crew may have given them superpowers, leading to them becoming the Fantastic Four, but it also turned Ben into a rock-like creature. The Thing is a powerful hero, standing up to characters like Doctor Doom and even the Hulk on occasion.
While Ben possesses incredible strength, his story is also very tragic. Ben is a kind-hearted person, but his anger sometimes gets the better of him. His catchphrase is "It's Clobberin' Time" after all. A Red Lantern ring could easily latch onto that anger, the anger of a man transformed into a "monster," and fuel his aggression even more.
9 Sabretooth Is Aggressive & Animalistic
Sabretooth and Wolverine were involved in the Weapon X program during the Cold War. It was there that Sabretooth developed a rivalry and hatred for Wolverine, a hatred that would lead to countless battles between the two.
Sabretooth is a hulking mutant who has sharp claws and teeth, as well as a healing factor similar to Wolverine's. Sabretooth is a hired killer who often kills for personal reasons, so a Red Lantern ring would easily be drawn to him. Due to his volatile nature, he was one of the few mutants not allowed in the mutant haven known as Krakoa during the events of House/Powers of X.
8 Elektra Is A Skilled Assassin
Elektra is one of the most skilled assassins in the Marvel universe, battling other assassins like Bullseye and Taskmaster and hunting villains like Shocker and Boomerang. Elektra first appeared in Daredevil #168 in 1981 and has since become an integral part of Matt Murdock's life. She even became the new Daredevil in Woman Without Fear. While Elektra would easily be a candidate for the Green Lantern Corps because of her ability to overcome fear, events in her life suggest she'd just as easily become a Red Lantern of rage.
7 The Juggernaut Is Unstoppable... Most Of The Time
Cain Marko, a.k.a. the Juggernaut, first appeared in The X-Men #12 in 1965. He is known as the "Unstoppable Juggernaut" thanks to the gem of Cyttorak, a magical stone hidden in Cain's helmet that grants him super strength and creates a mystical field around his body, making him virtually invulnerable.
One of the most famous Juggernaut stories, "Nothing Can Stop The Juggernaut," from Amazing Spider-Man #229-230, shows just how unstoppable the villain is, as Spider-Man drops buildings on the Juggernaut to no avail. Along with the X-Men and Spider-Man, Juggernaut has battled Doctor Strange, the Fantastic Four, and even the Hulk. With a Red Lantern ring, he could become truly unbeatable.
6 Rocket Raccoon Is A Loud And Fearless Tactician
Rocket Raccoon is an extremely skilled battlefield tactician who was recruited to the Guardians of the Galaxy, serving as their leader in Quill's absence. The character has, of course, gained a tremendous amount of popularity following his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Rocket is loud and prone to violence, always carrying two giant laser pistols. He has spent most of his life in fighting to survive, either with the Guardians or defending the Galacian Wall. Despite his anger, Rocket could probably control his red ring, just as Guy Gardner did in the Red Lanterns comic series.
5 Ghost Rider Is Bound To The Spirit Of Vengeance
Mephisto, the Marvel Comics version of the Devil, has meddled in the lives of many characters. He's infamously known for ending Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson's marriage during the events of "One More Day," but he's also known for making a deal with Johnny Blaze that would lead to the creation of Ghost Rider.
After the deal, Johnny became bound to Zarathos, the Spirit of Vengeance. As Ghost Rider, Johnny possessed godlike supernatural powers and a killer ride, letting hi find and destroy evil souls. Ghost Rider's quest can be destructive, and the anti-hero can often come across as unhinged. Like Atrocitus, leader of the Red Lanterns, a red ring would only fuel Ghost Rider's vengeance.
4 The Punisher Is A Killer With A Conscience
The Punisher was first introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #129 when the Jackal hired him to kill the Wall-Crawler. Frank Castle was misled to believe that Spider-Man deserved to die. After witnessing Spidey's heroics, Castle vowed to get revenge on the Jackal for tricking him. From his debut, fans knew that while Castle was a killer, he was a killer with a code.
After the loss of his family, Castle vowed to destroy crime by any means necessary. The Punisher has killed countless people, including Stilt-Man and Kingpin. His war on crime, no matter how righteous he claims it may be, would attract the attention of the Red Lantern Corps.
3 Killing Is What Wolverine Does Best
He's the best there is at what he does, but what he does isn't very nice. Wolverine's catchphrase means a lot of things, including the maiming and killing of his enemies. Logan was involved in Weapon X, a secret military program that experimented on and weaponized mutants. Wolverine himself was experimented on, gaining his adamantium skeleton and claws.
Wolverine has worked solo and on many a team, most notably with the X-Men. Wolverine has been the occasional voice of reason, but his rage often gets the better of him, sending him into frenzies, and this is what would make him a perfect candidate for a Red Lantern ring.
2 J. Jonah Jameson Takes His Anger Out On Spider-Man
Is there any doubt that J. Jonah Jameson would be selected as a Red Lantern? His default emotion is rage. He uses the Daily Bugle to print false stories of Spider-Man, painting him as the villain. On rare occasions, Jonah's anger and resentment have gotten the better of him.
JJJ was partially responsible for the creation of the Scorpion in Amazing Spider-Man #20, and even manned a robot to hunt Spidey in ASM #25. However, behind the yelling and tantrums, Jonah has a good heart. Still, his fits of anger would surely catch the interest of a red ring of rage.
1 No One Rages Like The Incredible Hulk
"Is he man or monster, or is he both?" were the words splashed across the first issue of The Incredible Hulk in 1962. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby crafted a comic book character unlike any other. Less like the usual superhero and more like a modern-day version of Jekyll and Hyde, Bruce often uncontrollably transforms into the Hulk when angered.
The titles of Hulk's comics speak volumes about the character; Indestructible Hulk, Rampaging Hulk, and Savage Hulk are all great titles for a character so consumed by rage. The Red Lantern rings would be drawn to Hulk quicker than he could yell "smash."