Marvel's Thanos might have more in common with a DC villain than initial appearances suggest. A central tenet of the Green Lantern mythos is the Emotional Spectrum, where different emotional drives are given a color and have their own Lantern Corps. Orange is associated with greed, or avarice and has perhaps the most unique structure of any other Lantern Corps—there is only one at a time. Larfleeze is the sole Orange Lantern in the DC Universe, but if this fantastic power were to find its way to the Marvel Universe, it might find an owner in Thanos!
Geoff Johns took over the struggling Green Lantern title in 2004, returning Hal Jordan to the role of Green Lantern and reinstating the Corps. Johns also introduced the concept of the Emotional Spectrum, using it to lay the foundation for some of DC’s biggest events, such as The Blackest Night. As mentioned earlier, orange is associated with greed and in 2009’s Green Lantern #39, readers finally meet the only Orange Lantern—Larfleeze. As greed is Larfleeze’s motivation, he does not share his power with anyone, hence the reason he is the only “true” Orange Lantern. Larfleeze possesses the power to create orange, hard-light constructs of his victims, those foolish enough to challenge him for his power. Thankfully, Larfleeze and the Orange light are confined to the DC Universe, because if it existed in the Marvel Universe, Thanos would not only wield its power but improve on it as well. Thanks to his unique Eternals/Deviant DNA, Thanos was born already powerful, but he wanted more—the drive of greed and avarice was already inherent in him.
Larfleeze is the first, and so far, only holder of the Orange Light, but over the years, many have tried to take it from him only to be met with failure and “forced” to serve as a hard-light construct. Thanos has used various weapons in his plans, such as the Cosmic Cube and the Infinity Stones, and there is no doubt the Orange light of greed would appeal to him as well. If Thanos decided to challenge Larfleeze for the power, it more than likely would not end well for Larfleeze—he is quite powerful, but simply no match for Thanos. Also, Thanos may forsake a demonstration of might and attempt to trick Larfleeze out of his power—much like he did with the Elders of the Universe in Thanos Quest.
With Larfleeze now a hard-light construct in his army, Thanos would use the Orange power on a scale unlike anything Larfleeze could have conceived. For all his intelligence and power, Larfleeze started life as a common criminal and that is where his mentality has remained; his schemes are mostly related to stealing objects and powers. Thanos thinks much larger, using tools such as the Infinity Stones to kill half the universe’s population, as well as merge with Eternity. Thanos would no doubt use the power to summon constructs of the countless individuals he has killed, giving him an unbeatable army.
As the Green Lanterns are motivated by willpower, and the desire to help others, the Orange Lanterns are driven by greed. This also drives Thanos, making him the ideal Orange Lantern.