Going further into the series When Writing Superheroes Goes Too Far, we look into versions of already really powerful superheroes being driven to the extreme.
Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely.
This quote becomes real in certain stages where versions of Superheroes are separated from their known weaknesses which built their characters, instincts and decisions across years of comics history.
Follow the Series from Part 1 HERE
Green Lantern, God of light
Green Lantern is so powerful he stops using a ring because he becomes the source of the light itself. Normally Green Lanterns rely on willpower to create constructs. The ring channels that will into physical form. But in rare moment a lantern is pushed beyond what a ring can handle and that's when the emotional spectrum chooses a host instead of lending power. That's where ion and the white lantern forms come from.
The reason this upgrade happens is simple. The universe reaches a crisis point where normal lantern power isn't enough. In Green Lantern number 148, Kyle Rainer takes in the ion entity after it's released from the central power battery because the corpse needs someone who can hold the full force of willpower without limits. And in Blackest Night, the White Lantern power appears because the entire emotional spectrum has to be unified to stop Necron and reverse mass death.
The process is straightforward. Instead of channeling the light, the lantern becomes its living container. Kyo Ion's transformation removes his need for speed, food, or a charged ring, and the white lantern form gives him access to the full emotional spectrum and even life itself. As Ion, he restores the central battery and stabilizes reality level energy surges. As a white lantern in Brightest Day, he resurrects dead hero, reignites life forces.
He operates on creation level energy, not just willpower. Instead of focusing on will alone, he starts thinking in broader terms, life, balance, and cosmic responsibility. He becomes less of a soldier and more of a guardian of existence.
King Shazam.
This Billy Batson doesn't just borrow magic from the gods, he rules it. Normally, Billy transforms by saying Shazam, calling on six gods for strength, speed, and lightning. But in Justice League: The Dark Side War, and later in Year of the Villain, King Shazam, the balance of power is disrupted. The old gods either fall or are replaced, and Billy is pushed into situations where normal Shazam power isn't enough.
That shift opens the door to something far more dangerous, becoming King Shazam. The reason he transforms is usually tied to magical instability. During Dark Side War, the death of the old gods forces Billy to accept power from a completely new pantheon. And in Year of the Villain, when Lex Luthther empowers villains with Apex energy, Billy taps into that corruption and becomes a darker, more destructive version of himself. Wanu doesn't answer the wizard anymore. The transformation is straightforward. Instead of sharing magic or depending on the wizard's blessing, he becomes the ruling source of it. His lightning changes to a molten corrupted red, his strength climbs far past normal Shazan limits, and his attitude grows aggressive and territorial, almost like a magical dictator instead of a champion.
The comics show his power clearly. In Shazam number 11, King Shazam defeats Wonder Woman and overwhelms her in direct combat, something normal Billy rarely proves. He tears through mythic monsters and magical armies without hesitation. His lightning becomes strong enough to break enchanted barriers and destabilize divine level spells. Billy stops thinking like a kid thrown into heroism and starts acting like someone who believes magic belongs to him alone. His decisions become harsher, quicker, and more final.
Batman god of knowledge
Normally, Bruce Wayne wins with preparation, analysis, and fear. He's human, but his mind is what makes him dangerous. That changes during Justice League: The Dark Side War when Batman takes control of the Mobius chair, a new god device created by Metron. The chair is designed to contain every piece of knowledge in existence. Bruce sits on it once and instantly becomes something far beyond human intelligence. Batman needs information he can't obtain by normal means. During the chaos of dark side war, he seizes the Mobius chair to track down criminals instantly, understand cosmic threats, and operate on a level no mortal detective could reach.
The transformation happens the moment he sits. The chair bonds to him, floods his mind with cosmic databases, and frees him from human limits like sleep or doubt. He stays linked to every crime, every secret, and every truth happening across the universe in real time. In Justice League number 42, he instantly identifies every criminal in Gotham with a thought. In Justice League number 43, he knows hidden origins of gods and villains that even his teammates don't know. The upgrade becomes clearer when he asks the chair a personal question. Who killed my parents? And it answers instantly and accurately. Then he asks a second question. Who is the Joker? The chair gives a result Bruce refuses to accept, proving how deep the knowledge runs.
Bruce becomes colder and more detached because the more he knows, the less human his choices feel. He starts policing Gotham like an allseeing machine, reacting faster than the criminals can think. The practical implication is terrifying. Batman already wins through planning. But as the god of knowledge, he doesn't plan, he predicts. He stops reacting and starts controlling the entire board. And with that, we see how even a mortal like Bruce Wayne can step into godhood.
You can refer back the Part 1 of this series HERE