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In conversations about the superhero with the worst romantic track record, Spider-Man often comes up as a strong contender, but Green Lantern gives him a run for his money. Kyle Rayner, one of DC’s Green Lanterns, boasts a complex love life that’s even messier than Peter Parker’s. For all his strengths as a fearless hero fighting to protect the universe, romance is one battle that this Green Lantern has no hope of winning.
Kyle Rayner was created by Ron Marz and Bill Willingham in 1993 as the newest member of the Green Lantern Corps. His bright-eyed demeanor and good looks suggest that he should be a heartthrob who has no problem with dating, but in actuality, his relationships have a tendency of falling apart before they’ve fully blossomed. He’s dated his fair share of women, yet they all leave him for one reason for another in due time.
Try as he might, Kyle Rayner can’t seem to hold down a girlfriend, granting him the lowest romantic success rate of any superhero out there.
Green Lantern’s First Romance Ends On a Worse Note Than Spider-Man’s
Gwen Stacy’s Death Is Tragic, But Alexandra DeWitt’s Makes It Look Tame
Spider-Man’s romantic history is discussed by many for good reason, as his infamous “Parker luck” prevents any recent attempts at love from lasting too long. Peter Parker has been dealt a bad hand when it comes to his dating life, from numerous failed relationships to the erasure of his marriage in J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada’s controversial One More Day story. Gwen Stacy’s relationship with Peter is particularly devastating in that her connection to Spider-Man leads to her death. One of Green Lantern’s love interests, Alexandra DeWitt, dies for similar reasons – except her death is far worse than Gwen’s.
The death of Alexandra DeWitt inspired the term “fridging”, coined by writer Gail Simone in 1999, which is used to describe female characters who are killed off to fuel a man’s pain within a narrative.
Alex debuted in Green Lantern #48 by Ron Marz and Bill Willingham alongside Kyle Rayner, with the two having broken up due to his immaturity. Then, once he obtained his Green Lantern ring and began to don the heroic mantle, they started spending more time together. Their closeness had horrific consequences, though, as Kyle came home one day to find Alex’s dead body stuffed inside a refrigerator. Her death is one of the most needlessly gruesome in DC Comics history, and the ending of this initial romance sets a bleak precedent for all Kyle’s subsequent relationships.
Green Lantern Kyle Rayner’s Relationships Never Last Long
Kyle’s First Romance Isn’t the First To Fall Apart in the Worst Way
Green Lantern’s doomed relationship with Alexandra has turned out to be the first of many failed flings he’s left in his wake. Kyle’s romance with Donna Troy picked up not long after, while he was still grieving the loss of his former girlfriend. Donna had her own demons as a single mother who’d been through a divorce, so they found comfort in one another. Then, the deaths of Donna’s son and ex-husband caused her to distance herself from Kyle. To this day, Kyle continues to pine for Donna, yet his history of misfortune suggests that their love story won’t have a happy ending.
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After his relationship with Donna Troy fizzled out, Kyle pursued another romance with Jade, the daughter of the Golden Age Green Lantern. They worked well together as a pair – in fact, Kyle even intended to marry her, only to come home one day and discover that she’d cheated on him with another man. He also dated a fellow Green Lantern named Soranik, who ultimately dumped him after he hid the truth about their future son from her. Evidently, Kyle Rayner has terrible luck with love, and he isn’t the only Green Lantern to deal with this shortcoming.
Every Green Lantern Struggles With Romance, Not Just Kyle
Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and More Share Kyle Rayner’s Misfortune
The inability to secure a long-term relationship appears to be a common trait shared by all Sector 2814 Green Lanterns. Hal Jordan is perhaps the most notorious among the other Lanterns, as he has ruined his chances with love interest Carol Ferris more times than anyone can count. He has a habit of leaving Earth to prioritize the Corps over her, just as Kyle does, which prevents their romance from flourishing. Moreover, Carol’s Star Sapphire alter ego transforms her into one of Green Lantern’s enemies, further complicating their dynamic and souring any romantic spark between them.
Kyle Rayner also dated Carol Ferris in Green Lantern: New Guardians, though that relationship is long over.
Aside from Hal, various Lanterns have endured losses in the love department. John Stewart was once married to Katma Tui, another Green Lantern, until Star Sapphire brutally murdered her. Jessica Cruz, on the other hand, found out that she and Barry Allen’s Flash have children together in one version of the DC Universe’s future. Unfortunately, the Flash ended up choosing Iris West over her, and she has yet to find a lasting partner since. Guy Gardner’s relationship with Ice has similarly come to a screeching halt, proving that Green Lanterns simply can’t win in matters of the heart.
1 Green Lantern Has Finally Found Love, But Will the Others?
Hal Jordan Could Be Breaking the Green Lanterns’ Curse
Despite the Green Lantern Corps‘ history of rocky relationships, one of them has finally managed to lock down a solid romance. In Green Lantern #12 by Jeremy Adams and Xermánico, Hal Jordan and Carol Ferris reaffirm their endgame status by getting back together. While they’ve been unable to maintain their relationship in the past, Carol’s newfound role as a superhero on Green Lantern’s level gives them an advantage they’ve previously lacked. The two are officially an item and more in love than they’ve ever been before, which begs the question of whether the remaining Lanterns will follow suit.
Hal Jordan is setting an example for Earth’s batch of perpetually single Green Lanterns, signaling to them that “happily ever after” is indeed possible if they work for it.
Hal Jordan is setting an example for Earth’s batch of perpetually single Green Lanterns, signaling to them that “happily ever after” is indeed possible if they work for it. Still, Kyle Rayner’s love life doesn’t inspire confidence in his future prospects. After all, beyond external factors, prioritizing his Green Lantern duties over his girlfriends played a major role in driving many of them away. If Kyle Rayner wants to break the Green Lanterns‘ curse and find love, he’ll need to take a page out of Hal’s book and make serious changes to his behavior moving forward.
“}]] Green Lantern’s luck is worse than Spider-Man’s. Read More