The Power Rings worn by the Green Lanterns is one of the most powerful weapons in the universe. Its ability to create any construct the wearer can imagine allows for almost infinite potential, with the only limits being those of the imagination. However, that's not all Green Lantern rings can do. The rings can also act as a universal translator, refract light to make the wearer invisible and can even be used for time travel. But there are some other features of the Green Lantern ring that are much more disturbing.
One of these more disturbing features is introduced in 2006's Green Lantern #13 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. After Guy Gardner covers for Hal Jordan, the Guardians of Oa decide to punish Gardner for not giving up Hal, citing dereliction of duty as the reason for the ruling. Guy is sentenced to the worst posting in the whole corps, "Prime Duty."
"Prime Duty" was a guard position held by Green Lanterns watching over the imprisoned Superboy Prime, who was being held in a sun-eater science cell in the heart of a red sun. When Gardner arrived at his posting he was told a long list of things that he couldn't do (most important of which being "no drinking") but then he was told the things his ring would do for him. One of these things was "dispose of any waste [he] may export."
There's something disturbing in how much control can be exerted over a Lantern without that Lantern's approval. Guy Gardner said he could "dispose" on his own, but he was told he wasn't allowed to. Not only that but all Lanterns on "Prime Duty" have to be alert and awake at all times. Guy's posting was for one month. The ring may provide everything its wearer needs to keep them performing their duty, but that doesn't being to cover the psychological effects that would have on the Lanterns.
This is just one of the many ways the Guardians show their more controlling nature, and the Alpha Lanterns are another. The Alpha Lanterns were an elite squad of the Green Lantern Corps who merged with their power batteries. It was considered the highest honor a Lantern could earn but required them to abandon all aspects of their previous life and commit themselves fully to the corps. They behaved more like the Guardian's previous peacekeeping force, the Manhunters, and the laws they enforced were so controversial that John Stewart rejected the role.
The Guardians' need for control didn't stop with the Alpha Laterns, as they sought to replace the entire Green Lantern Corps with the Third Army. Deeming the Green Lanterns to be a lost cause like their predecessors the Manhunters, the Guardians tried to create an army that they could more easily control. The Third Army was composed of creatures made up of Oan flesh and completely obedient to the Guardians' will. They could even assimilate other organic beings to forcibly join their ranks.
The Green Lantern ability to eliminate bathroom breaks then is just a small part of the Guardians' desire for omnipotent control of their intergalactic forces, and a warning about what would later happen with the Alpha Lanterns and the Third Army. Willpower may be one of the strongest forces in the DC Universe, but the question remains: how much control do the Gaurdians of Oa have over the Green Lanterns? Not as much as the Third Army, but apparently enough that normal bodily functions are a thing of the past.
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