Power Ring (character)
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Power Ring is the name of several DC Comics supervillains-- counterparts of Green Lanterns Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner and John Stewart. Originally residing on Earth-Three, which was subsequently destroyed during the 12-issue limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths, Power Ring along with the other Syndicators ended up being re-created in the Anti-Matter Universe's Earth.
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[edit] History
[edit] Silver Age Power Ring
Little is known of Power Ring's history. From what little he has said on the matter, he had been given his sorcerous ring and battery by a mystic named Volthoom. With these weapons, he equalled the power of a Green Lantern.
Power Ring was a member of the Crime Syndicate of America, the Earth-Three version of the Justice League of America. The Crime Syndicate included Johnny Quick, a superspeedster with a costume resembling the Flash, Owlman, a criminal mastermind similar to the Batman, Superwoman, with Amazon strength and a magic lasso, and Ultraman, with powers similar to Superman.
When they first arrived on Earth-1, they attempted to destroy both the JLA and the Justice Society of America. The Syndicate was defeated and imprisoned in an inter-dimensional limbo by Green Lantern Hal Jordan.
They remained there for years until an experimental dimensional transponder used by the Secret Society of Super Villains disrupted the stability of the Crime Syndicate's prison. Power Ring, Johnny Quick, and Superwoman used the opportunity to escape. The Syndicate assumed the Secret Society villains were heroes and battled them. In a second confrontation, the Society took Superwoman's magic lasso, the ring of Power Ring, and Johnny Quick's helmet. These objects of power were to be used by the Wizard to cast a spell.
The Crime Syndicate fought Captain Comet, believing he was part of the Secret Society. Focusing his will through his power battery, Power Ring was able to use it as a weapon, just as he had used his ring. Unknown to the villains, Power Ring's battery of power had been leaking energy, a result of its long confinement and disuse in limbo.
Victims left in its wake were stricken with nausea, severe pain and eventual loss of consciousness. Their inert forms would then glow an unearthly green before mutating into horrible rampaging creatures. Captain Comet discovered the source of the transformation, and after capturing the Syndicate, used the power battery to cure the victims and return the Crime Syndicate to their interdimensional prison. Comet destroyed the battery afterwards.
Years later, Ultraman did manage to escape on his own before being sent back by Superman. A few weeks after that, the Syndicate would get another taste of freedom. Travelling through time, Per Degaton stumbled upon the interdimensional prison. He offered the Crime Syndicate an escape if they would help him in 1962 to take Cuba's Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. After they accomplished this task, Degaton had little use for them. When the Syndicate attempted to overthrow Degaton, they were hurled into the future.
The Syndicators rematerialized on the JLA satellite by the League's teleporter. They quickly overcame the surprised heroes who were waitng for the JSA's annual meeting with the two groups. The JSA had been sent to the Crime Syndicate's interdimensional prison and were able to escape with the combined powers of Starman and Doctor Fate.
Power Ring returned with the Syndicate to assist Per Degaton's plan to rule the world. Though they had been double crossed by Degaton, they would help him until the moment came to strike. The villains once again fought the JLA, the JSA, and even members of the All-Star Squadron from 1942. When the villains were again defeated, the failure of Degaton's plan wiped the events from existence.
[edit] Crisis on Infinite Earths
The members of the Crime Syndicate were believed killed during the so-called Crisis on Infinite Earths. Power Ring and the Crime Syndicate were destroyed by waves of anti-matter, unleashed by the Anti-Monitor in his attempt to control all of existence.
[edit] Crisis 2
Years afterwards, a strange disruption in reality (features in Animal Man by Grant Morrison) brought back Syndicators Ultraman, Power Ring, Johnny Quick, and Owlman, as well as other variations of the Justice League. Power Ring and Ultraman thought they had come back from the dead, but later learned forces beyond their imaginations were responsible for their brief return. Power Ring wished to return to the way his life used to be, and with that thought, he vanished. The others went into the Medusa Mask of the Psycho Pirate, and they have not been seen since.
[edit] Earth 2
Eventually, the Crime Syndicate were re-imagined as being from the antimatter universe. This Power Ring, weak-willed and cowardly, had been tricked into accepting the ring from its previous owner. The team narrowly misses facing off against the JLA.
[edit] Syndicate Rules
On the antimatter Earth, not much is known of the first Power Ring except his last name, Harrolds (corresponding to Hal Jordan). On this Earth, the power ring is powered by an entity called Volthoom. A second Power Ring (corresponding to Kyle Rayner), a blond man whose name was not given, was given the ring by Harrolds and joined the Syndicate, however when the antimatter universe was reconstructed after Krona had initially wiped out that plane of existence, certain elements of the antimatter universe's history had been changed, and now the second Power Ring was a black man whose name was also not given (corresponding to John Stewart). He confirmed that Harrolds tricked him into assuming responsibility of the ring, which was cursed as Volthoom was also inside the ring.
[edit] Powers and abilities
All Power Rings wield a magical ring that can generate a variety of effects and energy constructs, sustained purely by the ring wearer's strength of will. The greater the user's willpower, the more effective the ring. The power ring has been referred to on several occasions as the "most powerful weapon in the universe" and it is important to note that the limits of its power are not clearly defined. With sufficient willpower, a Power Ring could conceivably wield nearly omnipotent power.
Power rings allow the user to fly and to cover themselves and others with a protective force field, suitable for travelling through outer space. They can also generate beams and solid structures of energy that can be moved simply by thinking about doing so, enabling the user to create cages, transportation platforms, walls, and battering rams. The ring can also be used to search for energy signatures or particular objects. It can serve as a universal translator. The ring can manipulate sub-atomic particles (effectively producing new elements) and split atoms, but those powers are rarely used by Power Ring.
The ring appears to have a fully-sentient entity named Volthoom, able to talk to and advise the user as to various courses of action. Volthoom is purpotedly the mad monk that offered the ring to the first Power Ring, at which point he kills Volthoom and takes the ring.
In addition, the effectiveness of a wielder's power ring can be adversely affected by a weakening of resolve and will. The ring typically reserves a small portion of their power for a passive force field that "protects the wielder from mortal harm". In dire emergency, that energy reserve can be tapped, at the expense of said protection, until it too is exhausted.
[edit] Bibliography
Most of this information was taken from Power Ring's profile found in The Book of OA
