2024 Unleashed a Powerful Green Lantern DC Was Banned from Using Until Now

DC's Green Lantern Corps has recruited some bizarre members, but 2024 went further than ever as an iconic pop-culture figure got their own Power Ring. Superhero stories often include ambitious crossovers, but even in that context, the new GL was an impressive fusion of pop culture franchises.

King Kong Became a Green Lantern in 2024

The DC/Monsterverse Crossover Unleashed the Ultimate Fusion

2024 saw King Kong become an official Green Lantern, as the iconic Monsterverse Titan got his own superpowers. Coming from Brian Buccellato, Christian Duce, Luis Guerrero, Jimmy Betancourt and Richard Starking, Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong was an official crossover between DC Comics and the Monsterverse. While Godzilla had an official Marvel Comics series back in the '70s, DC fans have been waiting decades for this kind of crossover, which is unlikely to be the last time the Justice League encounter the King of the Monsters.

The official crossover allowed DC to use the Monsterverse's iconic movie monsters, with epic moments like Godzilla's nuclear breath almost killing Superman. Since no version of King Kong is yet in the public domain, this was a rare chance for fans to see the simian superstar in the DC Universe. But the crossover didn't just throw the characters together - it actually combined comic and kaiju lore.

King Kong vs The Skull Devil Gave Monsterverse Fans an Epic Rematch

King Kong's Power Ring Unleashed His Biggest Advantage Over Other Kaiju

Kong used his new Green Lantern powers to win an epic fight against the Skull Devil - enhanced by exposure to a rejuvenating Lazarus Pit (the same type used by Batman's recurring foe Ra's al Ghul.) King Kong almost fell to his old Skull Island enemy, until the ring of fallen hero Guy Gardner chose the kaiju ape as its next wielder.

Green Lantern rings seek out those who possess immense will power, which is necessary to create energy constructs. While imagination is often the secret weapon that makes for a powerful Green Lantern, King Kong kept things simple, covering himself in a force field and wielding a gigantic version of the ax he used in 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong. With help from Superman and Godzilla, both the Skull Devil and Lex Luthor's new Mechagodzilla were defeated, and Godzilla and King Kong were returned to their own reality.

The crossover was a unique chance for DC to combine its superhero lore with Monsterverse characters, and it didn't waste the opportunity. Fans got to see Lex Luthor upgrade Mechagodzilla, Batman pilot an anti-Kaiju mech, and Teen Titans' Beast Boy imprint on King Kong to become a towering green Great Ape.

King Kong's Green Lantern Transformation May Have Been Shocking, But It's Definitely Lore Accurate

The Green Lantern Corps Has Weirder Members Than Kong

While King Kong getting a Green Lantern ring is a huge moment that would have been impossible before now, it actually stands up to existing DC lore. The Green Lantern Corps draws its members from across space, with the only requirement being the ability to overcome great fear via willpower. There are animal, plant and even mineral Green Lanterns, each chosen to protect a given sector of space. When a Lantern falls, their ring goes out in search of a new wielder to take their place. While King Kong might not be the smartest hero, he has plenty of willpower, making him a surprisingly fitting Green Lantern.

In fact, Kong wouldn't even be the strangest hero to join the Green Lantern Corps. While Earth's Green Lanterns tend to be human, other sectors of space have unique guardians, including:

• Mogo - A sentient planet who helps guide fallen Power Rings to their new wielders.
• Driq - A zombie hero kept alive by his ring.
• The Dark Fortress - A haunted house that operates as a hostel for other Corps members.
• Olapet - A plant being who can exude her consciousness into her own seeds, achieving functional immortality.
• Ch'p - An alien from a species who coincidentally resemble Earth rodents.
• Dkrtzy RRR - A sentient equation.
• Leezle Pon - A sentient smallpox virus.
• Flodo Span - A sentient gas who uses its ring to create a physical body.
• Rot Lop Fan - An alien from a species that never developed sight, Rot Lop Fan could only unlock its Power Ring by conceptualizing the idea of a 'Green Lantern' as an 'F-Sharp Bell.'

Hopefully, King Kong actually gets to meet these other wild and wonderful Green Lanterns in a future crossover, since DC fans deserve to see the Monsterverse kaiju get the full Green Lantern treatment, now that he's earned the codename.

Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kongis available now from DC Comics.

Green Lantern

Alias

Alan Scott, Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, Sojourner Mullein

Created By

Martin Nodell, Bill Finger, John Broome, Gil Kane, Dennis O'Neil, Neal Adams

Franchise

D.C.

Movies

Green Lantern

Comic Books

Green Lantern #1

Cast

Ryan Reynolds

Green Lantern is the name given to multiple enforcers of intergalactic justice in the DC Universe. Green Lanterns can harness the cosmic energy of willpower, and create unique spectral objects to face off against their enemies. Though some Green Lanterns have assisted with the Justice League, they primarily belong to the Green Lantern Corps.

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Monsterverse

First Film

Godzilla

First TV Show

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

Cast

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, Sally Hawkins, Vera Farmiga, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, Corey Hawkins, Tom Hiddleston, Jason Mitchell, Toby Kebbell, Tian Jing, John C. Reilly, Millie Bobby Brown, Kyle Chandler, Zhang Ziyi, Charles Dance, Alexander Skarsgard, Brian Tyree Henry, Julian Dennison, Kaylee Hottle, Rebecca Hall, Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Anna Sawai, Mari Yamamoto, Ren Watabe, Kiersey Clemons

TV Show(s)

Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

Movie(s)

Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

The Monsterverse is a giant kaiju franchise that began in 2014 with Legendary's Godzilla starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Bryan Cranston, and Elizabeth Olsen. The film was followed up by Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla vs Kong, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

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King Kong

NAME

King Kong

Alias

Kong

Created By

Merian C. Cooper, Edgar Wallace

POWERS

Super strength, durability, climbing abilities

RELATIONSHIPS

Ann Darrow (1933, 1976, 2005), Dwan (1976), various human allies and adversaries across different adaptations

HISTORY

King Kong originates from Skull Island, a mysterious place inhabited by prehistoric creatures. Discovered by a film crew, he is captured and brought to New York City, where he escapes and wreaks havoc. Kong's story varies in different adaptations, often portraying him as both a fearsome beast and a tragic figure with a deep emotional connection to certain human characters.

King Kong is a colossal ape known for his incredible strength and tragic story. First appearing in the 1933 film, Kong's narrative has been retold and reimagined numerous times. He is often depicted as a misunderstood creature who forms a bond with a human woman, leading to his eventual downfall when he is brought to civilization. Kong's character explores themes of beauty and the beast, human exploitation of nature, and the clash between civilization and the wild.

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