Warning: contains spoilers forZero Hour: Crisis in Time 30th Anniversary Special!Obsidian, the son ofGreen LanternAlan Scott, has revealed the full scope of his powers, and basically confirmed that he is a god. In DC’s newZero Hour: Crisis in Time 30th Anniversary Special, Kyle Rayner travels to a new world, where he meets a group of decidedly familiar heroes, including Obsidian. However,this Obsidian variant is very different—and very powerful.
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time 30th Anniversary Specialwas written by Dan Jurgens with art by a rotating team of superstar artists active during the 1990s. Kyle Rayner travels to a pocket Earth created by Parallax during theevents of the originalZero Hour.This Earth’s Justice League, including Donna Troy and Obsidian, arrive to help. Kyle Rayner notes something is different about Obsidian, that he is “spookier.” Obsidian reveals he “slipped between the shadows,” and into space and time. Obsidian’s cosmic senses allowed him to fully grasp the scope of the chaos.
Obsidian’s Heroic DC Legacy, Explained
Obsidian’s Powers Are Vastly Different From Alan Scott’s
Obsidian is the son of Alan Scott, the Golden Age Green Lantern. Unlike his father, or his sister Jade, Obsidian draws his powers from a different source. During his father’s time with the Justice Society, Green Lantern was exposed to energy from the shadow criminal Ian Karkull. As a result, Obsidian was born with the ability to manipulate and control shadows. Obsidian and Jade both once fought alongside Infinity Incorporated, a superteam composed of the children of the Justice Society. Fans knew for years that Obsidian was powerful, but the full scope of his abilities was not known.
Obsidian’s actions intheZero Hour: Crisis in Time 30th Anniversary Specialdo not exactly settle the matter, and instead reveal a whole new side of Obsidian. Fans never learn what happened to Obsidian that made him adopt the “spooky” demeanor Kyle noticed, but whatever it was apparently clued him in to just how deep his powers run. The ability to use the Shadowlands to travel through time and space is a god-like power, and Obsidian did it effortlessly. As seen in this issue, it gave the heroes a huge advantage over Parallax.
Obsidian first appeared in 1983’sAll-Star Squadron#25, and was created by Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway. According to legend, Obsidian’s name (Todd Rice) was inspired by a friend of Thomas'.
Does the “Real” Obsidian Have These God-Like Powers?
Earth-0’s Obsidian Has Dealt With Hardship and Tragedy
While the Obsidian in theZero Hourspecial is on a different Earth, it stands to reason the mainstream DC Universe version can do the same. Earth-0’s Obsidian has struggled with personal issues, including coming to terms with his sexuality, all of which could have undercut his confidence. Today, Obsidian has learned to love himself and accept who he is, and enjoys a good relationship with his father,Green Lantern. This could translate into Obsidian unlocking the full scope of his vast powers, which in turn elevates him to god-level status in the DC Universe.
Zero Hour: Crisis in Time 30th Anniversary Specialis on sale now from DC Comics.
