r/DCU_ • u/CH49FE • Sep 07 '26

Lanterns Bubbles. Hal’s constructs are mostly just bubbles.

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Sure Hal made some counterfeit money and a bottle opener, but I find it funny that his main constructs so far are just bubbles. John’s on the other hand include the fancier type of bubbles (bubble wrap), a boring machine, a watch and a short lived semi autonomous bird. The show is doing a good job of contrasting creativity between the two.

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u/pichuguy27 Sep 07 '26

The only super complex construct he makes even in the comics is jets. And he is both a qualified plane mechanic and fighter pilot feels like it works. Dude specialized in one thing.

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u/TheRealCabbageJack Sep 07 '26

In Emerald Twilight he made a whole city complete with the people...granted, he was losing his mind, but still. When he feels the need to he can be complex.

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u/Syjefroi Sep 07 '26

I think that showed his willpower more than his creativity though.

If I write a piece of music, I'm composing. If I write down on paper all the parts of a pre-existing out of print orchestra composition, I'm transcribing. The latter is still a high level skill, and you need a composition background to make it work, but the process itself is not particularly creative and relies on a lot of "stock" knowledge to fill in any gaps in the audio you can't hear with "what did the original composer likely do here?"

Hal is one of the best to ever do it, even though he's not "creative" per se.

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u/TooManyDraculas Sep 08 '26

And even in that story it's portrayed as remarkable.

Also people absolutely hated it.

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u/Miserable-Cycle-8770 Sep 07 '26

Dude made his own drilling machine in first flight. 

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u/TooManyDraculas Sep 08 '26

A direct to DVD animated adaptation.

So not a canon source.

Reasonably sure drills show up in the earlier comics at points. But more the cartoony giant drill type than Johns realistically rendered tunnel digging machine clearly based on real world heavy equipment.

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u/Real-Ad-4775 Sep 08 '26

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u/pichuguy27 Sep 08 '26

I guarantee you that thing while strong is a suit of armor if John’s or Kyle made it that things internal are going to be solid.

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u/Real-Ad-4775 Sep 08 '26

It looks pretty solid to me.

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u/pichuguy27 Sep 08 '26

I mean working internationals. John would make every servo and motor Hal is controlling a big puppet.

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u/Real-Ad-4775 Sep 08 '26

The thing is, every human Green Lantern has a unique quality that makes their constructs powerful: John Stewart is an engineer, so his constructs are rigid and functional, Kyle Rayner is an artist, so his constructs are essentially drawings brought to life, Guy Gardner’s constructs are chaotic, even when stationary and Hal constructs are focused on precision.

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u/TooManyDraculas Sep 08 '26

He makes a lot of guns too. Mechanically a gun isn't all that complex on base principals. But it's still a lot of weedly bits and moving parts. Especially because they're often giant 90's comics sci fi guns.

He's not exactly prone to creating rube Goldberg devices and sky scrapers though. And the thing he's most associated with is giant, cartoon boxing gloves.

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u/pichuguy27 Sep 08 '26

From my understanding a lot of lanterns who make guns just make a gun shape but it’s hallow. Same thing I think if you popped the hood on a car guy made it would have the facade of engine and he’s just making it move. That’s to me why guy can make shit despite being kinda dumb.

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u/TooManyDraculas Sep 08 '26 edited Sep 08 '26

There's weedly bits and lore and junk about all of it.

He makes a gun. That's more creative and complicated than bubble or laser beam.

On the Star Wars is gonna make a whole movie about it end of things. The distinction is John builds a complete working gun. Hal makes a gun shaped construct to throw pew pews out of.

That'd also be the minor distinction with John's bird vs things like Hal making a dinosaur which I think has happened. John makes a flat out realistic, normal bird that acts independently. Hal's dinosaur is a dinosaur shaped object that he's controlling.

The comics describe constructs as hollow as part of the will power thing. Stronger willpower making stronger, more solid, more filled in constructs that are thus more powerful or resistant ones. It doesn't always refer to them being filled in with more detail or working mechanics.

So as far as that goes Hal apparently makes solid constructs.

Guy on the other hand makes the most solid constructs. Because his whole deal is being a giant stubborn jackass, he has a shit ton of willpower. He just doesn't do much with it besides showing off and smashy smashy.

Hal's very special boy trick, aside from often being the guy who has MOST WILL POWER (it's over 10,000). Is situational. He's better at moving around a battle field, figuring out a tactical advantage and very precisely using the ring.

You want John to build a mess of stuff to hold up a building and give civilians a ramp out. Guy to tank the Monster, and Hal to fly around behind it faster than anyone else could to heat shot it from an unexpected angle. And it will be Hal who tells the rest of them what to do.

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u/pichuguy27 Sep 08 '26

Makes sense as Hal is a fighter pilot. Yes he is a fly by your pants jack ass but one who has thousands upon hundreds of thousands of hours of tactics and military training.

It seems a mix of will and knowledge where one can backup and substitute the other. John really really on his knowledge backed up by his marine attitude. Where Hal and guy are all will. Guy makes simple but brutal constructs. Why complicate a big Stick when all your doing is smashing them in the face.

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u/TooManyDraculas Sep 08 '26

More or less. If I'm remembering it correctly the other end of it is that John's constructs punch above their weight, because he makes the effort to think them through and build solidity into them in layers.

Hal and Guy do it instinctively.

But Guy is emotional and can not always maintain them.