Green Lantern
Hal Jordan

While testing a flight simulator, test pilot Hal Jordan found himself transported to a crashed UFO where he was met by a dying alien. Before he died, the alien gave Hal a green ring and a uniform. Hal discovered that Abin Sur had been part of an intergalactic peacekeeping force known as Green Lanterns. Directed by a blue-skinned race known as the Guardians of the Universe, the Green Lanterns used special rings which allowed them to fly, survive in space, and do nearly anything the bearer can will. These rings were limited only by a 24-hour time limit (after which it needs to be recharged) and a weakness against anything yellow.

Hal Jordan was trained to become Abin Sur’s replacement as the Green Lantern of the sector including Earth, and quickly became one of the greatest of Earth’s heroes. He was a founding member of the Justice League of America, and close friends with Barry Allen, the second Flash, continuing the tradition established by Jay Garrick (Flash I) and Alan Scott (GL I). He also established a mentorly relationship with Kid Flash, which developed into a stronger friendship when Wally came into his own.

Parallax: Emerald Twilight

Tragically, this seemingly picture-perfect hero’s life began to spiral out of control after the destruction of Coast City. Hal went mad, killed most of the Green Lanterns and Guardians, and the last power ring fell into the hands of freelance artist Kyle Rayner. (Green Lantern v.3 #48–50, 1994)

Hal left Earth, and ultimately decided the ultimate solution was to take the leftover instabilities from the Crisis on Infinite Earths and use them to unmake the universe, then remake it the way he wanted. Calling himself Parallax, he nearly succeeded, until a group of other heroes managed to recreate the “Big Bang,” allowing the universe to re-form itself naturally. (Zero Hour, 1994)

Parallax finally sacrificed himself to save the Earth when a giant space-going creature was devouring the Sun. While some saw it as merely a continuation of his “God complex,” others saw it as an act of redemption, the final sacrifice of a hero. (The Final Night, 2006)

Afterlife: the Spectre

Jordan returned to Earth when the world and Heaven itself were threatened by the power of the Spectre—God’s Wrath incarnate. Seeking a new host for the Spectre (the previous one, Jim Corrigan, was no longer interested now that he had finally earned a place in heaven), Earth’s heroes settled on the only other soul who had the will: Hal Jordan. He agreed, seeking a chance to redeem himself, having no idea what he was getting into. As the Spectre, he could sense the guilt in mortals’ (and immortals’) minds. No longer recognizable as Hal Jordan, he roamed the Earth on his mission of vengeance...or redemption.

Rebirth

In deep space, Kyle Rayner discovered that Parallax was actually an ancient creature of pure fear, imprisoned in the main Oan power battery. Awakened when Sinestro was also imprisoned, it used Hal to escape, corrupting his mind, then possessing him, using his power to commit genocide and more.

On orders from the Guardian known as Ganthet, Kyle retrieved Hal’s body, which had been preserved by Parallax’s energy. The Spectre severed Parallax from Hal Jordan’s soul, then abandoned him to seek a new host. Ganthet redirected Jordan's soul from the afterlife back into his body, bringing him back to life (Green Lantern: Rebirth, 2004–2005).

Hal has rejoined both the Green Lantern Corps and the Air Force, rebuilding his life and his hometown of Coast City.

• Primary Sources
• Art Credits
• Origin Tales
• Profiles in Print
• Series Regular In...
• Silver-Age Flash Appearances
• Legacy-Era Flash Appearances
• One Year Later Flash Appearances
• Related Commentary

Primary Sources (Spectre)

• Day of Judgment (November 1999) - Geoff Johns
• JLA #35 (November 1999) - J.M. DeMatteis

Art

• Green Lantern: Green Lantern (fourth series) #1 (July 2005) - Carlos Pacheco and Jesús Marino
• Spectre: Day of Judgment #5 (November 1999) - Matt Smith and Steve Mitchell

Origin Tales

• Showcase #22 (September–October 1959): “SOS Green Lantern!,” John Broome
• Green Lantern #1 (July–August 1960): “The Planet of Doomed Men,” John Broome
• Secret Origins #36 (January 1989): “The Secret Origin of Green Lantern,” Jim Owsley
• Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn #1–6 (December 1989–May 1990), Keith Giffen and Gerard Jones
• Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn II #1–6 (April–September 1991), Keith Giffen and Gerard Jones

Profiles

• Who’s Who in the DC Universe #9 (November 1985)
• The Official Justice League Index #1 (April 1986)
• Who’s Who Update ’88 #1 (August 1988)
• Who’s Who (loose-leaf edition) #3 (October 1990)
• Green Lantern Secret Files #1 (July? 1998)
• Day of Judgment Secret Files #1 as Spectre (November 1999)
• Silver Age Secret Files #1 (July 2000)
• JLA–Z #2 as Green Lantern (December 2003)
• JLA–Z #3 as Parallax (January 2004)
• JLA–Z #3 as Spectre (January 2004)
• The DC Comics Encyclopedia as Green Lantern, Parallax, and the Spectre (2004)
• Green Lantern Secret Files 2005 as Hal Jordan (June 2005)
• 52 Week 22 (October 4, 2006)
• DC Comics Super-Heroes and Villains Fandex (2010)

Series Regular In...

• Green Lantern v.2/Green Lantern Corps (1960–1988)
• Green Lantern v.3 (1990–1993)
• Justice League of America (1960–1984?)*
• Backup stories in The Flash #217–246 (1972–1977)
• Justice League International #40–61 (1992–1994)
• The Spectre (2001–2003)
• Green Lantern v.4 (2005—)
• Other series not listed here.

* The series lasted until 1987, but I think Green Lantern had left the team before Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Significant Silver-Age Flash Appearances

(Not including solo stories printed in The Flash during the 1970s)

• Green Lantern #13 (June 1962): “The Duel of the Super-Heroes!” John Broome
• Flash #131 (September 1962): “Captives of the Cosmic Ray,” John Broome
• Flash #143 (March 1964): “Trail of the False Green Lanterns,” Gardner Fox
• Flash #168 (March 1967): “One of Our Green Lanterns Is Missing!” John Broome
• Flash #191 (September 1969): “How To Invade Earth—Without Really Trying!” John Broome
• Flash #222 (August 1973): “The Heart That Attacked the World!” Cary Bates
• Flash #225 (February 1974): “Green Lantern, Master Criminal of the 25th Century!” Cary Bates
• Flash #235 (August 1975): “Vandal Savage—Wanted Dead and Alive!” Cary Bates
• Flash #258 (February 1978): “The Day the Flash Ran His Last Mile!” Cary Bates
• Flash #275 (July 1979): “The Last Dance!” Cary Bates
• Flash #276 (August 1979): “Freakout!” Cary Bates
• Flash #277 (September 1979): “The Self-Destruct Flash,” Cary Bates
• Flash #282 (February 1980): “Mishmash!” Cary Bates
• Flash #300 (August 1981): “1981—A Flash Odyssey,” Cary Bates (cameo)
• Flash #332 (April 1984): “Defend the Flash... and Die?,” Cary Bates

Significant Legacy-Era Flash Appearances

• Flash #69–70, Green Lantern #30–31 (October–November 1992): “Gorilla Warfare,” Mark Waid and Gerard Jones
• Flash #74 (March 1993): “Trust” (The Return of Barry Allen Part 1), Mark Waid
• Green Lantern #40 (Late May 1993): “A Flash of Evil” (Return of Barry Allen tie-in), Gerard Jones
• Flash #79 (August 1993): “The Once and Future Flash” (Return of Barry Allen conclusion), Mark Waid
• Flash Annual 8 (1995): “Growing Up Fast,” Mark Waid
• Flash/Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold (6-issue miniseries, October 1999–March 2000), Mark Waid and Tom Peyer
• (as Spectre) Flash #200 (September 2003): “Blitz Conclusion: The Final Race,” Geoff Johns
• (as Spectre) Flash #207 (April 2004): “Rush Hour,” Geoff Johns

Significant One-Year-Later Flash Appearances

• The Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #9 (April 2007): “Full Throttle Prologue: Split Decision,” Marc Guggenheim
• All-Flash #1 (September 2007): “Justice, Like Lightning,” Mark Waid (cameo)

Related Commentary

• Green Lantern Madness! (re: Emerald Twilight)
• Clearly he’s changed his mind (re: Emerald Twilight)
• Speaking of Green Lantern... (re: Rebirth)

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