Power Ring is the name of several supervillains appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The supervillains are alternate reality counterparts of Green Lanterns Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner, and John Stewart, respectively. Originally residing on Earth-Three, which was subsequently destroyed during the 12-issue Crisis on Infinite Earths limited series, Power Ring, along with the other Syndicate members, end up being re-created in the Anti-Matter Universe's Earth.

Biography

Crime Syndicate of Amerika
Little is known of Power Ring's history. From what little he has said on the matter, he had been given his magical power ring and power battery by a monk named Volthoom. With these weapons, he equaled the power of a Green Lantern.

When they first arrived on Earth-One, they attempted to destroy first the Justice League and later the Justice Society of America of Earth-Two. Though beaten on the native Earths, they were able to transport both teams to Earth-Three, where they defeated them. The JLA and CSA battled on Earth-Two after the JSA were imprisoned. 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 betray him they are sent to 1982, as he had made sure this would happen when they touched him.

The Syndicators rematerialized on the JLA satellite by the League's teleporter. They quickly overcame the surprised heroes who were waiting 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.


Crisis on Infinite Earths

The members of the Crime Syndicate were believed killed during the 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.


Crisis 2
Years afterwards, a strange disruption in reality (featured 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.


Crime Syndicate of Amerika

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. After invading the other universe, Power Ring is defeated by Aquaman, as the nature of the Earths gives native beings an advantage.


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 when trying to discover the origin of the Universe, 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.


Crime Society of America

In 52 Week 52, an alternate version of Earth-Three was shown as a part of the new Multiverse. In the depiction were characters that are altered versions of the original Justice League of America, including Green Lantern. The names of the characters and the team are not mentioned in the two panels in which they appear, but the altered Green Lantern is visually similar to Power Ring.

Based on comments by Grant Morrison, this alternate universe is not the pre-Crisis Earth-Three, making this a new character unrelated to previous versions. In Countdown #31 he is confirmed as being called Power Ring, a member of the Crime Society, alongside Ultraman, Superwoman and Owlman.


Justice League Omega
The antimatter Crime Syndicate has recently reappeared in writer James Robinson's Justice League of America series as part of the Justice League Omega storyline. Directly mirroring Hal Jordan's resurrection in Green Lantern: Rebirth, Power Ring has once again changed his appearance and now resembles Jordan. Ultraman mentions that Power Ring's transformation into a Hal Jordan analogue (as well as the Kyle Rayner analogue's transformation into John Stewart in the Syndicate Rules storyline) had happened suddenly and with no explanation, but notes that Power Ring is now once again in his "original" form (mirroring the mainstream DC continuity, where Hal was the first modern Green Lantern).

The Crime Syndicate attacks the Hall of Justice in order to steal Alexander Luthor's corpse from the Justice League's mausoleum, and Power Ring enters into a confrontation with Jade. Though Power Ring initially gains the upperhand, Jade ultimately defeats him after she absorbs the energy in his ring, rendering him powerless. When the Crime Syndicate members agree to work with the JLA to stop a new villain named Omega Man, Power Ring begs Jade to return his powers to him, but is ultimately killed when Omega Man ambushes the group and impales him through the back.


The New 52
In The New 52 (a reboot of the DC Comics universe), there are three different characters that use the name.


First Lantern
During the "Rise of the Third Army" storyline, the First Lantern is introduced as a mysterious entity trapped by the Guardians of the Universe in the place known as the Chamber of Shadows millennia ago. However, in the present, the Guardians, seeking to destroy all the universal emotions, reopen the Chamber to combine his powers with their own flesh, thus creating the Third Army. However, the combined efforts of all the other corps against the Guardians end up weakening the First Lantern's prison, thus setting him free.

In "Wrath of The First Lantern", the First Lantern's origins are revealed as of being a mysterious explorer named Volthoom from a parallel world (implied to be Earth-Three), brought to Oa by Krona's first attempt to uncover the origins of the universe. When the Guardians later imprisoned their own emotions and created the original Lantern and Ring, Volthoom took its powers, becoming the First Lantern. The Guardians considered sharing the power of the lights with the rest of the universe, but Volthoom disagreed and wreaked havoc across the universe, killing millions. The Manhunters are then created to stop the rampage, but he could not be destroyed. Instead, the Guardians imprisoned the First Lantern.

Freed, Volthoom began siphoning energy from multiple bearers of power rings, in the hopes of gaining enough power to rewrite the entire universe. However, using the Black Ring, Hal Jordan summoned Nekron and drained the villain from the Emotional Spectrum, rendering the Lantern powerless against The Dark Guardian, who kills him . Though it is possible that Volthoom may have narrowly escaped death from his encounter with Nekron, dialogue from the entity of the ring that the Earth-Three villain Power Ring wield who is named "Volthoom" claiming to have been imprisoned within the ring, it is implied that this Ring of Volthoom possibly has the first lantern trapped within it.


Abin Sur (Earth 3)
Though he was never dubbed Power Ring, Abin Sur was the unwilling bearer of the Ring of Volthoom. He is weak willed and cowardly more so than Harold Jordan and is counterpart to Abin Sur of Earth-One who is brave and strong willed. and is shown to Abin Sur's ship has landed on Earth and he passes the ring onto Harold Jordan in an attempt to break his curse. However, he dies shortly after this from the injuries sustained from his crash finally being freed only to meet his bitter end. Abin Sur has shown to have suffered adverse physical effects from the ring far worse than any other user ever displayed. His entire body has been destroyed due to bearing the ring for a long period of time.


Crime Syndicate
Power Ring is one of the members of the Crime Syndicate to arrive from Earth-3 at the conclusion of the "Trinity War" event. Power Ring is the villainous counterpart to Hal Jordan's Green Lantern, known as Harold Jordan on Earth-3. Harold works as a janitor at Ferris Air, where he spies on Carol Ferris' operations to sell them out. When being confronted by Carl Ferris, Abin Sur's ring of Volthoom chooses Harold, bringing him to Abin's crashed ship. Abin begs Harold to take the ring, which he does, freeing Abin Sur. Harold quickly realizes his mistake, as the ring opens a pocket dimensional portal to charge itself, unleashing a creature that attacks Harold. Harold dubs himself Power Ring going on to form the Crime Syndicate along with Ultraman, Superwoman, Owlman, and Johnny Quick

He is first seen at the end of Trinity War emerging with the rest of the Crime Syndicate from the portal from Earth-Three. He immediately attacks the Justice League upon arrival knocking them all down with an energy blast and nervously questioning whether the area is safe. During the "Forever Evil" storyline, Power Ring accompanies Deathstorm in his raid on Belle Reve and destroys the roof to free its inmates. Later, again accompanying Deathstorm, Power Ring attacks the Rogues, who have refused to cause mass deaths in their own city, against the Crime Syndicate's orders. When Deathstorm leaves to head back to the Syndicate's lab, Power Ring, with Secret Society members, attack Batman, Catwoman, and Lex Luthor's Injustice Society at Wayne Enterprises. Batman attempts to stop Power Ring with a Sinestro Corps ring, but Power Ring's constructs are able to remove the ring and destroy it. However, Batman's use of the ring summons Sinestro. Power Ring battles Sinestro, but Sinestro cuts off his right arm, releasing him from the ring's control. Power Ring thanks Sinestro for freeing him from his curse. Sinestro welcomes his thanks and incinerates him. The ownerless ring then flies off to find a new host.

Harold is shown to wield the Ring of Volthoom quite proficiently despite its ill effects on him. However the Ring of Volthoom refers to him as its slave and is a curse. He is as powerful as any Green Lantern and even is able to destroy constructs from a Sinestro Corp ring, remove it from the user's hand and impressively destroy the Sinestro Corps ring itself. The Outsider refers to Power Ring as his master and mentions to Pandora that Power Ring has killed many immortal beings during the crime syndicates time on Earth-Three


Jessica Cruz
Jessica Cruz is a young Latino American woman who was forced to become the unwilling host to the Ring of Volthoom after Power Ring's death. Though technically she is not a "Power Ring" as she is not a member of the Crime Syndicate and has no association with the organization, for namesake purposes she is dubbed "Power Ring" while the ring uses her as a host. Jessica's family always thought she was paranoid and disregarded her fears, her sister later feels great remorse for this when they turned out to be true. In her first appearance Jessica is seen hiding in a storage room while her sister attempts to get her to come out. Prior to this Jessica and her friends were out hunting when they accidentally came across two men burying a body, the men brutally murder her friends to ensure there are no witnesses but Jessica manages to escape becoming the sole survivor of the incident, however she is left traumatized, guilt stricken and broken to the point where she developed agorophobia mostly because she feared the men who killed her friends were looking for her. The ring of volthoom was able to locate her due to this great fear, which it feeds off. Jessica in the midst of tears tried to make it go away, but the ring did not. She pulled out a gun and shot it. This only angered the ring. Jessica unlike her predecessor did not willing accept the ring, it forced itself on her. Jessica was not in control of the ring and it began attacking some rescue workers with monstrous constructs. The Justice League went after her, looking for the ring, but Doom Patrol got to her first she informs them that she attempted to remove the ring to no avail.

Being the new owner of the weapon, the Ring of Volthoom tortures Jessica with immense physical and psychological pain. It shown that like Harold Jordan that she has visible harmful vein formations of her ring hand. Jessica cannot control the ring as long as Volthoom is able to dominate the ring through her fear; however when she overcomes her fears she is able to quiet Volthoom and use the ring. The costume the ring makes her bear includes a headband and a single eye patch shaped like the ring's insignia rather than a full eye mask. The Ring of Volthoom explains that it is using Jessica to attract the being that destroyed Earth-Three to this Earth because he is now dying (for reasons not explained) and wants to take the planet with him. Batman was able to depower the ring after convincing her to be brave. Jessica is later seen with Flash in the watchtower; though Batman had taken away the ring's influence he did not remove it from her hand; Jessica in a moment of fear causes the ring to restart and it attempts to attack her but the Flash reminds her that she has control over her fear. Her resolve returned she successfully wins the battle of wills over Volthoom who is put into dormancy once again but not before vowing to return. She then tells the Flash that she wants to learn how to use the ring's power to which the Flash agrees. Jessica is later seen rescuing some civilians who were nearly killed by an earthquake apparently using the ring to no ill effect on herself. Flash then asks her what her favorite flavour of Ice Cream is to which she replies pistachio. Flash then appears with a cone in his hand surprising Jessica as she wonders how calm Flash could remain in such a situation. Later she is seen at the unveiling of the partnership between Wayne Enterprises and Lexcorp though she becomes nervous since she does not like being in crowds which allows Volthoom to murmur to her but this is revealed part of Batman's plan to help Jessica fully overcome her fear.

Jessica later becomes very sick and is last seen in the watchtower infirmary She succumbs to effects of the AMAZO virus but is soon cured and voices that she is tired of being controlled. Flash agrees and reveals that he has called in someone who can teach Jessica about rings and willpower. When a skeptical Jessica asks Flash who could possible help her, Hal Jordan reveals himself and states that he has returned to Earth to teach Jessica how to stay in control. Jessica masters the ring under Hal's tutelage though she does mention that the ring "whispers awful things to her", somehow Volthoom has been severely weakened without affecting the power of the ring. When Darkseid's daughter Grail arrives on prime earth she attacks Jessica and says that the Ring of Volthoom is a tether to Earth-Three and that its evil power would serve her well. Grail then uses the ring to open a portal to Earth-Three allowing the Anti-Monitor to cross over to the Prime Earth. Jessica is quickly transported away along with the rest of the Justice League by Metron and watches as Batman takes his place on Metron's chair.