If it wasn’t enough for Wally West to possibly be the most powerful Flash, there’s a good chance he could also be a phenomenal Green Lantern. A brief adventure ring-slinging proved the former Kid Flash had the willpower necessary to join the Corps.
Wally got his first dose of heroism as a sidekick to Barry Allen’s Flash. By recreating the scenario that gave his uncle his superspeed, Wally successfully tapped into the Speed Force and became Kid Flash. And when Barry seemingly perished after the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, Wally put on the yellow boots and became the Fastest Man Alive. Wally’s success as a hero is owed to his interminable spirit, can-do attitude, and his willingness to push himself to be the best speedster he can be. Barry may take the spotlight, but Wally has pulled off some insanely impressive feats of speed that has left his mentor in the dust.
Not content with just being the fastest Flash, it looks like Wally also had his eyes on being on the best Green Lantern. In Flash & Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold #2 by Mark Waid, Tom Peyer, and Barry Kitson. Black Hand and Mirror Master team up to dispatch their archenemies. Wally West assists Flash, but Black Hand’s energy-stealing weapon robs Kid Flash of his speed. To help the young hero compensate for his lack of power, Green Lantern temporary copies his abilities and gives them to Wally, turning him into Kid Lantern. The heroes chase after the villains and while West needs a moment to get his bearings, he takes amazingly well to his ring. He even shows a capability for quick thinking in an emergency by catching a falling helicopter after his ring nearly gives out due to its weakness against the color yellow.
There’s very little doubt Wally West mastered the Speed Force in ways Barry Allen never did. And while the future Flash didn’t have his ring long enough to prove what he could really do with it, Wally demonstrated an amazing command of it. Most Lanterns have to go through Kilowog’s brutal training on Oa before they’re able to operate a Power Ring, so West being ready from the get-go is a solid endorsement of his skills.
Green Lantern Corps’ members are recruited based off of the willpower they possess because takes great amounts of willpower to get the most out of their rings. Wally West conquered the Speed Force and pushed himself to become one of the fastest Flashes that’s ever existed. It makes a lot of sense for Wally to take so easily to a Power Ring because having an iron will is practically his secondary superpower. If Wally got the chance to try on a ring for real, he’d likely use the opportunity to become an even greater hero, and with his determination, he’d probably succeed. Wally West may be happy staying as the best Flash, but he also has the potential to be the greatest Green Lantern around.
