10 Things Only DC Comic Fans Know About The Flash’s Friendly Rivalry With Green Lantern

The Flash and Green Lantern are famous friends who have worked alongside one another as founding members of the Justice League as well as accompanying each other on solo missions. However, underneath the surface of this bromance is a friendly rivalry that only comic book fans will be familiar with.

The DC heroes certainly have the best intentions at heart and their rivalry isn’t greatly damaging to their overall relationship. However, those who aren’t familiar with the comics may be interested to learn that their partnership has been tested over the years and there are certain factors that contribute to the disputes they have experienced.

The Murder Of Reverse-Flash

The Flash had been pushed to the limit by one of the most significant villains in The Flash comics, Reverse-Flash, forcing him towards drastic action. He snapped the neck of the Speedster, although whether this was really his intention is still unclear.

In Issue 332 of Flash Green Lantern actually confronts Barry Allen about the killing. Part of their friendship and indeed rivalry is to hold the other to account, yet Hal Jordan decides to trust in the Flash’s instincts and even offers to appear as a character witness for him in court. Despite the firm warning Hal will still stand by Barry’s side, even during the toughest of times.

Leadership Potential

While the two heroes are indeed crucial members of the Justice League, neither of them is often offered the chance to lead the immense group. Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are the most common heroes to front the team, despite the fact that both the Lantern and the Speedster have genuine leadership potential.

It’s a fact that sometimes doesn’t sit right with either of them, as both have larger responsibilities elsewhere. With Hal sometimes leading the Lantern Corps and Barry becoming a guardian for those interacting with the Speed Force, they both feel they have a place at the top of the hierarchy. This creates competition between the duo as they try to prove themselves. Ultimately Hal got to lead the team on more occasions than Barry.

Team-Up Books

A huge part of the bromance and rivalry between these two heroes is based on the titles that they have shared with one another. There’s been a few different comic book runs that actually give both Flash and Green Lantern starring roles, as they work together to beat some of their toughest rogues.

Brave And The Bold is perhaps one of the most famous titles that see the pair do battle together. Their competitive nature doesn’t stop them from having fun on missions, with each vigilante cracking plenty of jokes at the other’s expense. That humor is part of the reason they work well together.

The Flash Was A Lantern

There have been a number of events that significantly change the status quo for Green Lantern, but what really shakes him is when power rings become far more commonly used. The Flash in particular has been bonded with a ring on a few different occasions.

Notably, Flash has actually sported the Blue Lantern ring, known for representing hope, a powerful emotion that works well alongside Green Lantern’s willpower. Although the ring does suggest that Flash is morally worthy to wield such power, the rivalry between the duo becomes more intense because of the parallels between them.

Lanterns Easily Match Speedsters

In battle, when there are no other factors at play, Green Lanterns are actually perfectly matched for Speedsters. They can defend against some of their lightning attacks and are easily able to create constructs that disable their running abilities, grounding them efficiently.

On paper, therefore, Hal Jordan would be able to defeat Barry Allen in a flash and that idea has definitely permeated throughout their relationship. There’s very few comic book bromances that don’t end in some kind of clash; if the day was to come Allen likely wants to be far more prepared.

Wally West Maintains The Legacy

Just like any comic book hero, Flash has died in the comics. Although in the present narrative Barry Allen is very much alive, during his absence Hal Jordan tried to fill the gap that he left. Wally West was actually the hero that he continued to bond with during this time.

West maintained the legacy of the Flash both on the battlefield and in regards to the relationships he cultivated. A small rivalry began between the two much as it had with Barry before, but Hal also continued to mentor the young Speedster, in the hope he could live up to his competitor and partner.

Flash Possessed By Parallax

One of the worst things to ever happen to The Flash in the comics took place after an encounter with the alien Parallax. It possessed the Speedster, forcing him to attack his closest friends. He took Green Lantern right to the limit, almost killing him.

Although everyone survived the encounter, it certainly shook their friendship to the core and warned Hal of what Barry really could be capable of if he was to be fully unleashed. Their bromance persevered, but it must have continued to play in the back of Green Lantern’s mind considering he thought he would also come out unscathed.

Jealousy Of Green Arrow

Although Flash is one of Green Lantern’s closest friends, he has also nurtured a great relationship with Green Arrow as well. Oliver Queen and Hal Jordan have a few more similarities, and much like his relationship with Wally West, he continued this friendship with Roy Harper, Green Arrow’s mentee.

Flash and Green Arrow don’t always see eye to eye and there’s clearly friction between them, in part because of their respective bromances with Hal. While the heroes may compete with one another for glory, it’s clear that under the surface both want to impress the member of the Green Lantern Corps.

Green Lantern Possesses Flash’s Powers

Although the Flash might gain some of Hal’s abilities on the odd occasion, Green Lantern often sports a wide range of gifts, most of which easily rival that of Barry Allen. Indeed, there’s certainly the notion there that anything Allen can do, Jordan can do better, adding to that rivalry.

Green Lantern can fly faster than most and utilize his constructs to gain great velocity; almost to Speedster levels at times. The character also copies some of Barry’s other major powers, such as the use of time travel in a few essential Hal Jordan comic stories. Green Lantern uses this particular miracle far more sparingly and responsibly than the Flash might though and would have looked down upon the events of Flashpoint.

Green Lightning

Interestingly, the legacy of both Green Lantern and the Flash is continued far into the future in some realities, although not quite in the way fans might have expected. A descendent of other users of those famous titles, namely Wally West and Kyle Rayner, has managed to combine both powers.

No matter the friendship or rivalry between Barry and Hal therefore, their own future and the way history will remember them, is defined by a hero known as Green Lightning who possesses the gifts that both heroes have previously enjoyed. They would likely partner together as perfect mentors for the young vigilante.

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