Marvel Comics’ Man Without Fear Daredevil possesses an iron will and – as his superhero nickname asserts – the ability to overcome great fear. So, if Matt Murdock ever found himself crossing over into the DC Universe, could those qualities lead him to be approached by the Guardians of OaA and recruited into the Green Lantern Corps?
Although the idea of a street-level hero like Daredevil becoming a space-faring cop seems ludicrous, the idea does come with more than a few interesting prospects. Let’s examine what could happen if Matt Murdock gained a power ring by speculating on how he would use it.
Green Lantern rings are powered by a user’s will, which Daredevil clearly has a lot of. Most notably, however, Green Lanterns can create virtually any energy construct they can imagine just by willing it into existence. Daredevil’s radar sense allows him to perceive the shapes and positions of the objects around him, but most artists agree that Daredevil doesn’t “see” in the same detail that a sighted person would. True, Matt could see as a boy, but he’s since gotten used to “seeing” the world through his radar sense and his brain has likely rewired itself to better understand the world through basic shapes. So, he probably wouldn’t give his constructs the same level of visual detail that Kyle or John would. However, Matt could add details to his constructs that other Green Lanterns wouldn’t.
After all, when Matt perceives an object, he doesn’t just sense its basic shape – he identifies it by its unique smell, feel, and sound (as well as taste in some cases). Since Green Lantern energy constructs reflect the perceptions of the one manifesting them, Matt would likely imbue his creations with these greater tactile and auditory details. He would even be able to cause his constructs to give off unique smells as he never forgets a person or object’s scent -- making them more detailed and realistic than any of Earth's Lanterns.
But how would Daredevil use his ring constructs in battle? Having been trained as a ninja warrior, he could manifest weapons he’s already comfortable with – like a billy club or a bo staff. But he could also turn his heightened senses into an offensive, using his ring to replicate key sounds or smells. Daredevil could hit an opponent with an auditory attack, amplifying a sound or scent to cause his enemy the same pain he would feel if exposed to such intense sensory overload. After all, Daredevil's senses are too much for psychics to even stand.
But the greatest potential rests in how Daredevil could use the ring on himself. With its powers, he could finally cope with something he often has trouble with on the street: too much sensory input. As if his powers weren't enough, a Green Lantern ring would finally fine-tune his protective aura to filter out harmful sounds, smells, and sensations, increasing his focus so he could use his senses more effectively and not be overwhelmed by them.
The ring could even be able to amplify his super senses to even greater levels – giving him a level of cosmic awareness and allowing him to track a target through space... posing perhaps the biggest problem for a man like Murdock. After all, Daredevil has typically been a street-level fighter, battling crime lords like Wilson Fisk (aka Kingpin). and views himself as the local protector of his neighborhood Hell’s Kitchen. While Daredevil has gone on adventures in other dimensions and exotic locales, he usually stays in New York and feels responsible for looking after his neighbors and friends. As a Green Lantern, though, Daredevil would be required to patrol an entire sector of space – not just his neighborhood. Moreover, some Lanterns must spend extended periods of time away from Earth, which could be very damaging if Matt wanted to keep his career as a lawyer.
Ultimately, Matt Murdock has the potential to be an incredible Green Lantern. Thanks to his determination, strength, and trained senses, Daredevil is already a highly effective superhero despite not being as strong or fast as other street heroes like Spider-Man. Enhanced by a Green Lantern power ring, however, The Man Without Fear could become truly unstoppable. A Lantern’s power is limited only by his imagination and will, after all, and with Daredevil’s indomitable will, his feats could easily have him facing off against gods. The Corps would be lucky to have him.