Lanterns has renewed attention around the wider Green Lantern mythology, including the Black Lantern Corps and its central role in the Blackest Night storyline. DC is now placing that grim corner of the lore directly in Superman’s path.
DC’s latest comic solicitations reveal that the upcoming Superman arc will bring Clark Kent into conflict with Nekron, the leader of the Black Lanterns. The story is teased in the solicitation for Superman #44, written by Joshua Williamson with art by Xermanico.
Superman faces a corrupted Black Lantern ring
In the issue, Superman investigates the disappearance of an old friend along with several other people who have vanished across Metropolis. The missing-person case takes a darker turn when Clark discovers a death cult connected to a corrupted Black Lantern ring.
The ring is not merely an object at the centre of the mystery. It appears to be trying to claim Superman as its new master. If Clark cannot resist it, the solicitation suggests he could become the newest Black Lantern — with Nekron poised to return.
NIGHT SHIFT CONTINUES! MYSTERY IN METROPOLIS! An old friend of Superman has gone missing in Metropolis. And they are not alone. Superman must show how he is not only a great hero but a great detective to uncover the truth behind a secret cult in Metropolis. But his search takes a deadly turn when he finds the cult worships a corrupted Black Lantern ring! One that tries to claim Superman as its new master! If Superman succumbs…Nekron will rise again!
Why a Black Lantern Superman would be so dangerous
The Black Lantern Corps differs from the other groups within the Emotional Spectrum. While many Lantern factions draw strength from emotions such as fear, rage or hope, Black Lanterns are tied to death itself.
Superman has encountered Black Lantern-related events before, but having Clark directly claimed by a corrupted ring would be a far more serious threat. He is already among Earth’s most powerful heroes; a ring that enhances or manipulates him could turn one of the DC Universe’s greatest allies into an enemy.
The contrast is also central to the idea. Superman is closely associated with humanity, optimism and hope, making a sudden transformation into a death-powered Black Lantern a dramatic reversal of his usual role.
Will Superman actually join the Corps?
For now, DC has only teased the possibility. The solicitation does not confirm whether Superman will succumb to the ring, so his eventual fate remains unknown. What is clear is that the story is returning to one of Green Lantern’s darkest concepts, with the Man of Steel caught at its centre.
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