Spoilers for Crime Syndicate 5 ahead!
Flash’s worst nightmare, and in the latest issue of Crime Syndicate readers see how; on the dark alternate world of Earth-3, their versions of Green Lantern and the Flash do battle, proving why the Scarlet Speedster is no match for a Green Lantern ring.
In DC’s Multiverse, the Crime Syndicate call Earth-3 home. On this world, history was turned on its ear and most of its metahuman population are criminals, with the Crime Syndicate being its premier team. Consisting of dark versions of the Justice League, such as Ultraman, Emerald Knight (Green Lantern), and Johnny Quick (the Flash), the Crime Syndicate recently came together to turn back an invasion by Starro. Not everyone is sure about this new team, Emerald Knight among them. He is recruited by Lex Luthor (perhaps the only truly good person on Earth-3) for his Legion of Justice; the team is sent to bring in Johnny Quick and Atomica (the Atom) and when the mission is compromised, readers see how a Green Lantern could defeat the Flash.
In Crime Syndicate #5 from Andy Schmidt, Kieran McKewon, Dexter Vines, Steve Oliff, and Rob Leigh, Legion member Power Tower’s freak-out Emerald Knight’s actions.
The Flash’s super-speed powers make him extremely hard to beat; he can react quicker than anyone and can dismantle defenses before the opponent is even aware of what happened. Assuming he had the time and proper resources, Batman could potentially stop the Flash, but otherwise, no hero can really stop the Flash—except Green Lantern. So much of the Flash’s power derives from movement, so anything that can stop him or hold him still will put him at a disadvantage—in this case, an energy barrier. It is the same principle Captain Cold uses when fighting the Flash—create a barrier, something he cannot get past. Unfortunately, Captain Cold’s technology has obvious weaknesses that a Green Lantern ring does not, making it the ideal anti-Flash weapon.
In the mainline DC Universe, Flash and Green Lantern are the best of friends, making the possibility of a fight between slim to none, but on Earth-3, the Crime Syndicate shows why the ring bearer is the Scarlet Speedster’s worst nightmare.
