Also: you have exactly one thing you have to do as Green Lantern. You have one job. Buy an alarm watch, you airhead. Or tell your RING to tell you when it's running low.
At least John Broome wasn't the huge Lensmen fan that later writers insisted that he must have been--because they couldn't imagine any other possible way of creating an interstellar peacekeeping force--since I think we can all agree that "Great Tellus!" would've been significantly worse.
But as easy as it is to bash Hal for this kind of stupidity, but this specific issue is on the Guardians, who designed an all-powerful device that leaves its users in the lurch if they ever fail to follow a fussy ritual requiring thousands of people in space to use an Earth clock...
I thought far too much about that 24 hour thing. Let's say you created an interstellar police force, and you didn't keep a real close watch on them, so if any of them died, you might not even know. A ring might easily fall into the hands of somebody completely unauthorized to use it. What safeguards might you put on the rings?
Well, you might put some sort of safety timing thing on them, so that, if you don't engage in some simple ritual (like touching it to an invisible battery for 12 seconds), your ring goes inert. That would be a negligible obligation for any authorized user not given to repeated head trauma, but would keep unauthorized users from achieving much mischief before the ring goes dead.
John C - that whole "Lensman" thing falls apart when you recall that there was a GL before Hal. The Silver Age revival involved certain predictable alterations, such as magic becomes science. If Hal's ring was created scientifically, it was probably created by aliens; and if they created a ring for Hal, why ONLY for Hal? A cosmic police force just sort of tumbles forth as the easiest, most likely explanation. No Lensmen required.
Arisia and Eddore were later additions and were deliberate "Lensman" homages, but that's like 1981.
Indeed, Sansan; it's one of Gil Kane's artistic peculiarities. I always assumed Hal has chafing issues. And I'm certain it's not the only reason Hal has to envy Clark!
Nice, Anonymous. That makes a TON of sense, kind of like a gun with a fingerprint lock. I'd further assume that the ring's AI would adjust its recharge period to something that's reasonable for the user's species.
Now, Hal's failure to wear a watch or tell the ring to manifest something akin to a fuel gauge is another story.
At least John Broome wasn't the huge Lensmen fan that later writers insisted that he must have been--because they couldn't imagine any other possible way of creating an interstellar peacekeeping force--since I think we can all agree that "Great Tellus!" would've been significantly worse.
ReplyDeleteBut as easy as it is to bash Hal for this kind of stupidity, but this specific issue is on the Guardians, who designed an all-powerful device that leaves its users in the lurch if they ever fail to follow a fussy ritual requiring thousands of people in space to use an Earth clock...
well, 24 hours is also 37 diordans.
ReplyDeleteI thought far too much about that 24 hour thing. Let's say you created an interstellar police force, and you didn't keep a real close watch on them, so if any of them died, you might not even know. A ring might easily fall into the hands of somebody completely unauthorized to use it. What safeguards might you put on the rings?
ReplyDeleteWell, you might put some sort of safety timing thing on them, so that, if you don't engage in some simple ritual (like touching it to an invisible battery for 12 seconds), your ring goes inert. That would be a negligible obligation for any authorized user not given to repeated head trauma, but would keep unauthorized users from achieving much mischief before the ring goes dead.
John C - that whole "Lensman" thing falls apart when you recall that there was a GL before Hal. The Silver Age revival involved certain predictable alterations, such as magic becomes science. If Hal's ring was created scientifically, it was probably created by aliens; and if they created a ring for Hal, why ONLY for Hal? A cosmic police force just sort of tumbles forth as the easiest, most likely explanation. No Lensmen required.
ReplyDeleteArisia and Eddore were later additions and were deliberate "Lensman" homages, but that's like 1981.
Ademàs que forma de volar tan anti estetica que tienes Hal...Con las piernas abiertas!Nada que ver con el amigo Kal
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Sansan; it's one of Gil Kane's artistic peculiarities. I always assumed Hal has chafing issues. And I'm certain it's not the only reason Hal has to envy Clark!
ReplyDeleteNice, Anonymous. That makes a TON of sense, kind of like a gun with a fingerprint lock. I'd further assume that the ring's AI would adjust its recharge period to something that's reasonable for the user's species.
ReplyDeleteNow, Hal's failure to wear a watch or tell the ring to manifest something akin to a fuel gauge is another story.
At least it rhymes with “Great Hera!”. It’s better than the super friends exclamation”Great Galaxies!”
ReplyDelete