Although Superman is known as DC’s greatest hero, he was originally destined to be the ultimate Green Lantern. In “The Greatest Green Lantern of Them All,” appearing as a backup story in 1972’s Superman #257, readers learn that the Guardians of the Universe intended for Kal-El to be the next step in the evolution of the Green Lantern Corps, but fate had other ideas.

The destruction of Krypton was one of the most monumental events in the history of the DC Universe, a tragic event that gave it its greatest hero. However, given the vast scope of the universe, which also consists of the Green Lantern Corps, some fans had trouble reconciling the fact that the Corps would allow Krypton to be destroyed in the first place. The obvious answer is that when Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were creating Superman’s back story, the Green Lanterns had not yet been created, but it did not stop writer Elliot Maggin (working with an idea from Neal Adams) and artists Dick Dillin and Dick Giordano from creating an in-universe reason for why the Corps did not intervene.

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The story opens with Green Lantern Tomar-Re reporting to the Guardians. Tomar-Re is on the eve of retiring, and readers learn that Krypton was in his Space Sector. Tomar winces at the name and readers learn Krypton was his greatest failure; the Guardians assigned him to save the planet, but he failed through no fault of his own. However, the Guardians tell him a secret: they intended for the offspring of Lara and Jor-El to be a Green Lantern. The Guardians felt that Lara and Jor-El’s child would make the ideal Green Lantern, thanks to their parents’ high moral codes and great intellects. In a truly mind-blowing revelation, the Guardians revealed they originally intended to make the Corps an independent entity, one they no longer led, and Jor-El and Lara’s child would be the first leader of this new, and totally autonomous, Green Lantern Corps. However, since Tomar-Re failed to save the planet, none of this came to pass. The Guardians did not foresee Kal-El gaining powers on Earth, and they came to realize in time that while they lost their ultimate Green Lantern, the universe gained an even greater hero: Superman.

The Guardians of the Universe talk about Superman

“The Greatest Green Lantern of Them All” was not presented as a “what-if” type story, but instead an actual part of the Green Lantern mythos. Universe-altering events, such as Crisis on Infinite Earths, have taken the story out of continuity, but its implications are fascinating to think about. First, is the idea of an independent Green Lantern Corps. The Guardians felt he would be the ideal candidate to lead the Corps, and given his moral development, their faith was well-placed. A common theme of Green Lantern comics is the Guardians of the Universe are not the best leaders, as their mismanagement of the Corps has led to several catastrophes over the years. With a truly ethical leader such as Superman at the helm, many of the tragedies caused by the Guardians’ mis-leadership would have been averted. Second is the idea of Superman leading this new version of the Corps. Superman is an immense force for good in the universe, but with an army of Green Lanterns at his disposal, he could do even more. His stints in the Justice League have shown that he is a natural leader, and the Green Lantern Corps could have benefited from this.

Recent Green Lantern creators have doubled down on making the Guardians of the Universe even more flawed, and with Infinite Frontier bringing many classic stories and characters back into continuity, the Guardians may revisit their decision to make Superman the ultimate Green Lantern.

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