Superman Admitted Green Lantern's Power Hurts Him - Here's How It Could Kill Him

Superman, one of the most powerful heroes in the DC Universe, has few weaknesses, with kryptonite and magic being the most significant. However, DC is confirming the Man of Steel is surprisingly vulnerable to Green Lantern's powers — so much so that it could kill him.

In "Green Lantern" #6 (by Jeremy Adams, Xermanico, Scott Godlewski, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Dave Sharpe), a fight between Hal Jordan's Green Lantern and Sinestro (powered by red light and rage) captures the attention of heroes across Earth. The Bat Family notices a huge surge of energy coming from Arizona while the brawl also alerts the U.S. Military, who prepare to intervene. But, the reactions of Superboy and Superman are the most surprising. The former reveals that the light emitting from the lanterns makes it hard for him to think. The latter shares that the emotional spectrum has been known to give off kryptonite radiation in the past, as the hero suggests they don't engage in the battle due to its dangers. It's quite an admission from Superman, who rarely backs out of any conflict, as he acknowledges his weakness and leaves Hal to take on Sinestro.

Seeing Superman fear the potential damage of the emotional spectrum is a surprise at first glance. However, DC Comics has established that the powers of Green Lantern can significantly weaken Superman and even kill him under the right circumstances.

In "DC Comics Presents" #26 (by Jim Starlin, Marv Wolfman, Steve Mitchell, Jerry Serpe, and Ben Oda), a cosmic creature named N'Gom tricks Hal Jordan into delivering him the Green Lantern power ring and steals the hero's identity. The villain visits Superman in Hal's form, and when the Man of Steel gains the upper hand on N'Gom, the foe uses the ring to create a giant kryptonite asteroid. A depowered Superman is on the verge of death but is ultimately saved by the real Hal.

In "Superman: The Man of Tomorrow" #13 (by Louise Simonson, Paul Ryan, Dennis Janke, John Costanza, and Glenn Whitmore), Superman becomes an enemy of Earth when he makes it his mission to destroy all nuclear bombs after having a nightmare driven by the villain Dominus. The hero sees his actions as making the world safer; however, the countries losing their nuclear arsenal see them as an act of war. The Justice League looks to stop Superman, leading Martian Manhunter to reach into Batman's mind and find his analysis of kryptonite, transferring the memories and formula to Green Lantern Kyle Rayner. He synthesizes a kryptonite construct, temporarily weakening Superman. 

If the Justice League or anyone else needs to stop Kal-El, they have an ace in the hole with Green Lantern's power ring capable of making kryptonite on the fly — even if it requires the Lantern to have deep knowledge of the material. An all-out battle emitting kryptonite radiation is enough to inadvertently keep Superman at bay.