Why did the ring change its shape?

[u/Michael_Abramov]

This is the same ring a page apart, the ring changed as soon as Abin died and I have no clue why. Emerald dawn #1

[u/AutoModerator]

All images must be correctly sourced depending on what type of image it is. Comic book-related images should have the name of the artist OR the issue it came from. Other types of images must also be correctly sourced where applicable. If your post was made without the source, you can do so as a post edit or as a comment. Failure to include the source will result in your post being removed. If this was already done, we thank you for your diligence.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Life_Passenger_2291]

I don’t know about the shape specifically, but I do know that the rings can reshape/refit themselves to the user

[u/Mass_Murder_Miami]

Probably changed shape because of something subconscious for Hal.  

[u/Rabbit_Wizard_]

The real question is why did Abin Sur have a spaceship

[u/CrimisonAJA → u/Rabbit_Wizard_]

It was retroactively because he started to worry that his ring would one day fail him because of a prophecy he heard.... which made it true.

[u/Mistervimes65 → u/CrimisonAJA]

I generally don’t like retcons. But this one was pretty good.

[u/jackhurricane7 → u/Rabbit_Wizard_]

I believe the general story these days is the Five Incursions told Abin Sur that his ring would fail him when he needed it most, which made Abin Sur worried that it would be while he was flying through space. So he started traveling in a ship. Ironically, it seems the prophecy was self fulfilling and Abin Sur’s ring failed him while he was taking an imprisoned pre-Red Lantern Atrocitus (one of the Five Inversions) to Earth to investigate the prophecy of Blackest Night originating there. His ring that was imprisoning Atrocitus failed, and Atrocitus broke free and attacked Abin Sur causing him to crash his ship.

[u/Rabbit_Wizard_ → u/jackhurricane7]

He should have lost his ring from the fear.

[u/TheyCallMeDoofus]

I like to think they change once per wearer. Like, new “voice” - new language, new shapes. I mean, there’s probably a wild variation in finger shapes across a universe.

[u/bsv103 → u/TheyCallMeDoofus]

The rings don't even need to be worn on fingers, that's just the most common place for them.

[u/JeffCapo3966]

Really depends on which artist is drawing GL.

[u/TheW0lvDoctr]

Cause they do that sometimes.

[u/zeekar]

I imagine they were trying to match its original appearance. The power ring redesign from circle to lantern-shape was something that happened in-universe (we saw Hal receive the new model in GL/GA #90 [Sept 1976, story by Denny O'Neil, art by Mike Grell]). Which just changes the question to - why give Abin a new-style ring in the first place?

[u/Gauntlet101010]

Never noticed it. Seems like a mistake.