Warning: Spoilers for Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #5!
84 years after being introduced into DC Comics, the original Green Lantern has finally met an archnemesis who is equal to him. The best Green Lanterns have a rival who is on par with them, enough to go toe-to-toe with them any day of the week. Sinestro is Hal Jordan’s worst enemy, and the Radiant Dead are quickly becoming such for John Stewart, but such a villain has evaded Alan Scott since his debut in 1940.
Refreshingly, Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #5 by Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey makes it clear that the title character finally has an archrival in the form of Vladimir Sokov’s Red Lantern. The two have been interlocked in a knock-down, drag-out brawl that started at the conclusion of the series’ third issue, but this issue establishes just how evenly matched the two star-crossed lovers are — as far as power levels are concerned.
Keeping in mind their personal history that further intensifies their rivalry, the Red Lantern is established as someone as powerful as the Green Lantern, even after Alan receives a power upgrade.
At the start of the series, Vladimir was merely Johnny Ladd, Alan Scott’s impassioned secret lover who was snatched away from the future Green Lantern by a mysterious burning flame. Years later, Johnny resurfaces as the Red Lantern, the dark opposite to the Green Lantern. Even worse, the so-called Johnny turned out to be a Soviet agent whose mission was to seduce Alan for information. This backstory sets the stage for an emotional feud between the two that has only continued to intensify, culminating in an early contender for DC’s best fight of the year.
The fight reaches a zenith when a furious Alan Scott charges his Green Lantern ring with Vladimir’s Red Lantern battery. This proves to be a mistake, since the Crimson Flame only burns for the Red Lantern, so the combination of powers proves overwhelming for Alan. However, the move proves to still be a deadly power boost for Scott, albeit an uncontrollable one. Interestingly enough, it only gives him a slight edge in the continuing fight, as Vlad still manages to hold his own against a dangerously powered-up Green Lantern.
Throughout the entirety of their fight, the Green Lantern and the Red Lantern remain evenly matched. Even when Alan gets an upgrade that he can’t fully control, Vlad survives. Even as Alan struggles to control his new sense of power — enough power that could overwhelm, if not destroy, the average villain. The Red Lantern is no average villain, and it appears that Vlad is no average Red Lantern, either. Alan Scott has never faced someone so powerful or so equal to his own power. The Green Lantern’s best fight in years also offers his best rival, proving just how powerful a Red Lantern can be.
Alan Scott: The Green Lantern #5 is available now from DC Comics.