The Emotion Suit, and how Green Lantern Helped Me Understand

[HYRUL3]

Here's a somewhat long, half essay regarding a slight "Eureka!" moment I had about Samus' suit portrayal in Other M. Below is some background info on Green Lantern, so if you want to skip to the important part, there'll be a big, giant font title for where that begins.

So after reading about a decade's worth of Green Lantern stories, the Emotion Suit suddenly feels like it has so much more potential; and the execution was, like so many other things in Other M, less than spectacular.

For those that don't know, in the DC Universe, the Green Lantern Corps is like an intergalactic police force that each have a power ring. The power ring is fueled by willpower, and gives the wearer a uniform that shields them from the vacuum of space, as well as lets them generate constructs only limited by their imagination to use as tools and weapons. When a Green Lantern is selected, they are chosen because they have the ability to overcome great fear.

In this universe, there is a power associated with all 7 colors of the "emotional spectrum", matching up to the colors of the rainbow: Red- Rage, Orange- Avarice (Greed), Yellow- Fear, Green- Will, Blue- Hope, Indigo- Compassion, Violet- Love. Eventually there is a Corps matching up with all 7 of those powers.

There is a weakness to each Corps. For example, many rookie Green Lanterns are ineffective against constructs made of yellow, because they have not yet been able to overcome great fear. Even veteran Green Lanterns can be susceptible to terror.

To put it in simpler terms, you won't have the willpower to do something if you are overwhelmed with fear. You won't be fearful if you have hope, etc.

Here's the Metroid Stuff.

So it hit me. Samus has this suit that is powered by emotions. It seemed ridiculous at first, but when I put it into perspective of "It's powered by will, not emotions, like a Green Lantern's suit", and it seemed better. Then other things started to make sense. In Green Lantern lore, when Hal Jordan, the human Green Lantern, watches his city destroyed, the trauma effects him and leaves him compromised. He allows fear to creep into his heart, and the embodiment of fear, Parallax, infects his mind and makes him do things he wouldn't normally do.

So let's assume the death of the Super Metroid, the destruction of Zebes, etc, has a similar effect, and leaves her emotionally compromised. As I said before, you won't have the willpower to do something if you are overwhelmed with fear. Including keeping your suit activated when a long term nemesis that you thought was dead returns, keeping yourself shielded when you see a clone of the "Baby", etc.

So, sorry for the super long post, but it kind of makes more sense now. The execution still fell flat. It still felt ridiculous at parts.

But... yeah. I found it interesting that reading these stories I could only think of Other M and how certain parts now made more sense... from a completely different IP. So. Take from this what you will, but feel free to discuss.

[okey]

So after reading about a decade's worth of Green Lantern stories, the Emotion Suit suddenly feels like it has so much more potential; and the execution was, like so many other things in Other M, less than spectacular.

Are there any upsides to an emotion powered suit?

[Remnants]

What reason could the Chozo have for crafting such technology? Wouldn't it be simpler to just make the Power Suit a person-specific weapon like what we already see?

[okey]

I guess you wouldn't be able to steal it, or reverse engineer it if you managed to take her out.

So it'd be useful in situations that never come up in a Metroid game.

[HYRUL3]

Well. The only real upside in GL is, it's tailored to the user, responding and bending to their will.

So I suppose the Chozo could've had a similar concept, however, as you said, it's not something that I can ever see being brought up in game.

(this is why a series of comics telling side lore/backstories would be awesome)

[Zeroº]

So after reading about a decade's worth of Green Lantern stories, the Emotion Suit suddenly feels like it has so much more potential; and the execution was, like so many other things in Other M, less than spectacular.

Are there any upsides to an emotion powered suit?

Get mad = Power boost?

[HYRUL3]

Hey now. This ain't Dragon Ball Z.

[okey]

Get mad = Power boost?

That's so cliche

Not really having a berserk button is something that makes Samus cool.

[HYRUL3]

Agreed.

That and no QTEs.

[Zeroº]

Hey, I was just putting it out there. Especially since the Green Lantern universe in one in which people wear a ring that lobotomizes the user, removing any sense of fear from them. Then there's the fact that the ring made The Goddamn Batman so scary powerful that they took it away from him, like, 15 minutes after they gave it to him. And when you start taking into account all the other colored Lanterns, shit just gets weird. What about the Red Lantern guys? Those guys rely on anger and vomit corrosive blood.

And yet, when we add in a clause of "Anger = More Power!!!!," we hit unacceptable terms. "Dragon Ball shit"-level of unacceptableness would be a matter of "You've almost killed me- n fact, I think I actually died twice- but now I will show you my true form! For the third time!"

[HYRUL3]

Eh, the rings don't lobotomize or remove all fear. Lanterns are still susceptible to fear, and have to overcome it on their own terms.

And I loved your last sentence about DBZ. That was great. "I will stare at you for the full episode while my friends look on... last one to blink gets to throw the first punch!"

[Zeroº]

Can't remember the finer details, so I might be wrong on some aspects here, but there was an old storyline about the Green Lantern (and I mean really old) that had Hal Jordan learning about the so-called "lobotomy" and actually wanted his ability to feel fear back. The result was him freaking the fuck out about flying and everything. He had to learn how to overcome that fear. It was a matter of the ring actually turning off the part of his brain that made him susceptible to fear, and he didn't like that. I'm pretty sure that part of the reason was because it was screwing with his other emotions, or he at least thought it was. Again, I don't entirely remember the details.

[HYRUL3]

Hmm. Not entirely sure, the oldest I've gone back was when he becomes Parallax and kills everyone, because it ushers in the Geoff Johns era. Once I get caught up I'll go back further, but yeah, not sure what you're talking about. Sorry

[okey]

And yet, when we add in a clause of "Anger = More Power!!!!," we hit unacceptable terms.

We hit unacceptable terms when they took a cool suit of armor and turned it into a bad metaphor.

[HYRUL3]

And yet, when we add in a clause of "Anger = More Power!!!!," we hit unacceptable terms.

We hit unacceptable terms when they took a cool suit of armor and turned it into a bad metaphor.

As I said, I agree the execution was awful but it had slight potential.

And there are many other "unacceptable terms" in Other M, haha.