I don’t know that many Green Lantern readers, but the few I do know are fanatics about it. To me, he’s just some guy in a green mask who uses a ring to make green things, but apparently there’s a lot more to him. There’s also like 10-12 versions of GL now, and there’s a movie in development starring (!) Jack Black.
So why does the fringe dig him so much?
He’s more than a fringe character.
As comic books are already considered fringe, if you look at the fact that Green Lantern is in the current run of the Justice League cartoon, it is clear that the character is popular.
Hawkman and Hawkgirl/Hawkwoman has always been fringe and if the current run of the comic book makes it to or past issue 50 that will be a first since the initial run of Hawkman in the 1960s.
If you want a character that is TRULY fringe in the DCU you need to look at Metamorpho or the Phantom Stranger.
AICN thinks that the studio was floating the idea to see what kind of buzz it would get. And since it was so negative that’s probably the end of that, especially after Catwoman.
Just in case you were worried.
No.
Matter-Eater Lad.
Or maybe Proty. :smack:
Being in the Legion makes them pretty mainstream.
I’m not sure how “fringe” he is, but generally Green Lantern is one of the mainstays of the Justice League. No matter the incarnation, he’ll always be a formidable hero in the DCU.
Maybe you think of him as “fringe” because he typically doesn’t get the press that Superman / Batman / Wonder Woman / Aquaman get. I mean, Aquaman gets better press, and he talks to fish, for God’s sake. Somebody needs to get GL’s publicist on line one.
Still, while he’s not one of the Big Three, he’s still a fairly formidable hero. I think a lot of the cult following stuff is based around a “Hal or Kyle” argument that’s been going on since the mid 1990s.
BTW, for the non-fans, long-time GL Hal Jordan was suddenly turned evil by writer Ron Marz (IMHO) for shock-value and to revitalize the franchise. Enter new GL Kyle Rayner. Ever since, fans of the original GL have clamored for a return to grace for their fallen hero, and fans of the new GL have argued that Kyle is a better replacement. Now, a new twist to the story – Hal is finally being resurrected, and Kyle…? No one seems to know what will become of him.
I used to be a big fan of GL.
To me, what was so interesting was how he obtained superpowers. He is not born a hero like Superman, nor did he have some sort of accidental exposure to some ‘thing’ that gave him amazing powers. He did not set out to get abilities like Batman. He was basically ‘drafted’ or hired to be a superhero. His power can be taken away by the Gaurdians or he can quit. Superman can’t quit being Superman, The Fantastic 4 can’t quit. Nobody can take away Batman’s powers. To me GL is pretty unique in the Superhero world.
I don’t think you can really say Proty was in the legion. Being the pet of a member does’t quite qualify IMO. And since neither currently exists in the legion timeline, I think fringe definatly applies. although if you really want to get fringe, how about Chlorophyl Kid or Gypsy? (Yes Gypsy was in the JLA, but almost everyone in the JLA at the time was fringe- that was kinda the point.)
Proty was in the Legion Of Super Pets.
Yes, Zeus help us, there was a Legion Of Super Pets. :smack:
And you don’t get much more fringe than that.
What, they’ve gone and retconned him out entirely? He wasn’t much as a hero, but he was a cool chef.
Wanna bet?
Four words: The Space Canine Patrol Agency.
Super-Doggies who hung out with Krypto. As Mockingbird said, there’s too many Legion fanatics to consider anything associated with them fringe! 
Sorry to quibble, but pre-Crisis, he was in the Legion…as a matter of fact, he was a founding member.
Long (IMO, dumb) story short? Remember when Lightning Lad died and the Legion went to the Lighting World and realized that one of them could sacrifce themselves for him and Proty I died to revive Lighting Lad?
Turns out that in reality, Proty’s soul ended up in Lightning Lad’s body and so from Adventure #312 (about the Legion’s 20th appearance, give or take) onward, every time you saw Lighting Lad, he was really Proty. Somehow, the best telepath in the universe never actually picked up on this (or was pathologically deluding herself)
This is (IMO again) what happens when fans are allowed to put silly fan theories into practice.
It’s clear why Green Lantern has some attraction (although I haven’t really read them for about 30 years): it’s the mythic story of being given a magic wishing ring. And that’s an Every Man type of power.
The magic wishing ring doesn’t require that you be born and orphaned from a different world, like Superman (in mythic terms: you don’t have to be born a prince) or that you train yourself physically and mentally like Batman (in mythic terms: you don’t have to work hard). It’s sort of conditional (like Samson), since the Guardians determine whether you are worthy, but basically it’s dropped on you (literally) from the sky.
Almost every other super-hero character (whether DC or Marvel) is either born with their super-powers, or has to spend lots of time in the gym, training, practicing, working at it. But the arch-mythic magic wishing ring story is Aladdin: the poor lowly kid from the gutters who happens to find the magic ring and lamp that can command geniis. That’s the attraction of Green Lantern: it could have been me.
BTW, the original Captain Marvel of my childhood was similar. Billy Batson learned a magic word that transformed him into Captain Marvel. There was nothing special about Billy’s birth or training, he just happened to know a magic word. (I have no idea what they’ve done with later incarnations of Cap’n M.)
Mmmm… yeah, but it became pretty obvious that nobody BUT Billy Batson could use that particular magic word. Hell, Dr. Sivana knew Captain Marvel’s true identity AND the secret magic word, and you’ll notice he never managed to use it to any real gain.
(although being named Billy Batson seems to have implied some advantage – the three Lieutenant Marvels were all boys named Billy Batson, who – when in close proximity to each other, and shouting “Shazam” in unison, could gain Captain Marvel’s costume and powers).
Green Lantern, on the other hand, had a magic widget. That’s it. He was the modern Aladdin. Anyone obtaining his ring could use the thing, theoretically, which was a plot point more than once – more than one GL villain had “steal GL’s ring” as his life’s goal.
Doesn’t surprise ME that the guy was popular. Only surprises me that Hal lasted as long as he did in that incredibly fruity outfit.
[Hal Jordan] Yo, Kyle! C’mere, kiddo. No, it’s OK, I just want to see what you look like in this robe. Yeah, looks pretty good on you. Tell ya what, you can keep it, and all the cool wrathy powers that go with it if you’ll give me that ring…[/Hal Jordan]
Wouldn’t the sword in the stone be a better comparison? It still gives the ‘it could have been me’ vibe, even though it isn’t right. It is almost like a predestination to pull out the sword or get picked by the Guardians. And with all the GLs everywhere, how many mistakes did the Guardians make? Sinestro, but you’d think the name would have raised some flags, and maybe Hal? I think getting the ring is more than just being in the right place at the right time.
Say, you! Say, you!
Rats.
Kyle or Hal? No contest, Alan.
No Guardians. He was chosen by the very spirit of the lantern. (I refuse to accept any Yalan Gurr retcons.) “. . . and I shall shed my light over dark evil, for the dark things cannot stand the light . . . the light of the Green Lantern!”
I also think Scott has one of the alltime great costumes.
The sword in the stone is another example of being born to the power – you’ve got to be born the rightful king. Yeah, lots of people try, but only one is chosen. It’s another great myth of the King giving his favorite Son (or Daughter) a special magic do-dad.
In the original Hal Jordan, the ring selected him because he was without fear (IIRC). So it’s not quite like he just stumbled on it. But the point is that it’s the ring itself, it’s nothing to do with who he is, who his parents were, etc.
Quite so. As I recall, everyone and their dog tried to get that toadstabber out of the rock, but only Young Arthur was destined to actually DO it, and therefore be worthy of the power of Excalibur.
Oh, yeah, and be king, and all that.
True, Hal was selected because he was worthy… but theoretically, anyone could have used the ring’s power. In fact, I seem to recall more than one occasion where the unworthy DID successfully do just that… particularly in the case of Sinestro, a former Green Lantern from another planet who went rogue and used his ring to conquer his planet!