Marvel’s Version of Green Lantern is Vastly More Powerful than DC’s

Warning: contains spoilers for Heroes Reborn #4

Though DC’s Green Lantern is already one of their most powerful heroes, Marvel’s version in Heroes Reborn is somehow even stronger. The Squadron Supreme’s Doctor Spectrum has always been one of the Justice League pastiche’s heaviest hitters, but in a universe where the Squadron has replaced the Avengers, he’s strong enough to kill literal gods.

The new Heroes Reborn event shows readers a world gone wrong. Mephisto is worshipped as God, the Avengers never formed, and the Squadron Supreme is Earth’s premiere superhero team. Though the world at large considers the Squadron heroes, their brutal sense of justice and untamed authority make it clear that they are far from the good guys. Worse yet, in Mephisto’s twisted new reality, the Squadron has seen a significant power boost, leading Doctor Spectrum to becoming an absolute nightmare. Much like his DC counterpart, Spectrum is his Earth’s guardian against intergalactic threats, a job he is brutally adept at.

In Heroes Reborn #4 by Jason Aaron and James Stokes, readers get a full glimpse of just how powerful Doctor Spectrum has become. After blowing the Infinity Rings off of Thanos’ hand, he places them in the familiar location of Knowhere. While in the main Marvel Universe and the MCU Knowhere is an ancient location with mysterious origins, here that isn’t the case. Finding the Celestials far too smug, Spectrum ripped one’s head off and then used it as a prison. During a fight with Rocket Racoon, Spectrum also reveals that he was able to ensnare Ego the Living Planet and dangle him over a black hole, torturing Ego. As if all that weren’t enough, the issue also sees Spectrum ripping a hole in space and time to riddle Rocket’s body with tumors before melting him in the flames of a supernova.

One of the things that makes Doctor Spectrum such a menace is that he seems virtually unstoppable. He decapitates gods without a second thought, dangles planets over black holes, and can unlock horrific dimensions on a whim. More than just having the power of one Green Lantern, it’s as though Spectrum is channeling the energy of every Green Lantern power ring at once. Using his powers he can make more power constructs than anyone ever has in the DC Universe. During his dual with Rocket, he summons an entire army of tanks and slices planets in half like it’s nothing.

More than his power though, what makes Doctor Spectrum such a threat is his zealotry. Certainly, the Green Lanterns believe in protecting the universe, but they generally attempt to do it as peacefully as possible, serving as diplomats as often as they are soldiers. Spectrum on the other hand has the mindset of a colonizer, using his near-limitless power as a weapon to crush all opposition. Doctor Spectrum in Heroes Reborn might be more powerful than Green Lantern, but he’ll never be half the hero of even the lowest Green Lantern.

About The Author

Evan Mullicane
(362 Articles Published)

Evan D. Mullicane is an editor, critic, and author based out of California’s Bay Area. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from San Francisco State University in 2016. In his free time, he enjoys reading graphic novels and writing fantasy.

More From Evan Mullicane