Warning: Contains spoilers forGreen Lantern #24!!
OneDC Comicshero just made the bold, confident claim that he’s more powerful than the strongest Kryptonian heroes the publisher has, as formerGreen LanternKyle Rayner has affirmed that his White Lantern powers would allow him to prevail in a 1-v-1 brawl with Superboy.This has immediately sparked fan debate, and has readers clamoring for the chance to actually witness such a fight.
In preview images forGreen Lantern#24,written by Jeremy Adams, with art Xermánico, Kyle reveals that he’s technically still a White Lantern, though his abilities are not functioning correctly, forcing him to tap into a unique form of control to keep them at bay.
Even with all the powerKyle has as a White Lantern, Superboy still declares he could take him down. The notion is firmly denied, and Kyle’s dismissal of the idea illustrates the idea that a White Lantern is more than a worthy opponent for a Kryptonian, but potentially superior.
White Lantern Kyle Rayner Is Confident He Could Beat Kryptonian Powerhouse Superboy In A Fight
Green Lantern#24; Written By Jeremy Adams; Art By Xermánico; Out This Week From DC Comics
Admittedly, the conversation betweenKyle and Superboycould be chalked up to bravado on Superboy’s part, and a refusal to admit that he might be defeated on Kyle’s. It isn’t as though any hero would readily concede that he’d get taken out by a friend or teammate. Still, given the wide range of powers a genuine White Lantern possesses, there’s a strong chance that Kyle is right.Superboy might not have what it takes to bring him down, especially if he were to regain full control and mastery over his White Lantern abilities, as White Lanterns are top-tier powerhouses on their own.
As far as the Lantern Corps are concerned, White Lanterns are the cream of the metaphorical crop. They can technically utilize the powers of every other color. They encompass the full spectrum of emotion, and consequently, have access to the full spectrum of power. Construct creation, unparalleled healing, white light manipulation, and energy absorption are just some entries on the long list of things that White Lanterns can do. Moreover, Kyle Rayner is aformer Green Lantern, and no stranger to a fight. He brings skill and experience of his own to the table and won’t be an easy target.
A Fight Between A Kryptonian And A White Lantern Is Guaranteed To Be An All-Time Great Throwdown
But Is The Outcome As Set In Stone As Kyle Rainer Thinks?
None of this is to claim that Superboy, or any Kryptonian wouldn’t put up an incredible fight. Even if Kyle is right and he’d end up victorious over Superboy, a small change in circumstances could alter that outcome. Kryptonians are hailed as powerhouses for a reason, and Conner Kent is hardly the only one on the playing field. Getting to the real truth would require more than a single match, much less a single conversation;Kyle presenting the idea that a White Lantern could and would beat a Kryptonian is believable, but it is not necessarily an inevitable fact.
Even though he’s not technically a pure Kryptonian, he’s a completely worthy opponent for a White Lantern, and if Kyle defeated him, it would be a major feat.
Although Superman himself is widely accepted as one of the strongest figures in DC, not every Kryptonian is made exactly the same way. Superboy, who issued the challenge to Kyle, is technically only half Kryptonian. He doesn’t have the precise powerset that Kal-El and Kara enjoy, for instance, although he’s still plenty strong in his own right. Superboy has Kryptonian durability, enhanced speed and strength, heat vision, and plenty of the familiar perks that Superman enjoys. Even though he’s not technically a pure Kryptonian, he’s a completely worthy opponent for a White Lantern, and if Kyle defeated him, it would be a major feat.
DC Just Proposed The Idea Of A White Lantern/Kryptonian Face-Off, And Fans Want It To Happen
Green Lantern#24 Teases An Idea Readers Didn’t Realize They Wanted
Likewise, Kyle Rayner admits in the preview that he isn’t at his best as a White Lantern currently. Still, DC Comics just raised a question many fans weren’t even considering before, about who would win in a fight between him and Superboy, or more generally, a White Lantern and a Kryptonian. Now, readers won’t settle for anything less than finding out the answer, at some point in a future story. Few beings can take out a Kryptonian, butKyle Rayner, former Green Lantern and current White Lantern, could pull it off.
Green Lantern #24will be available July 04, 2025 from DC Comics.
