Hal Jordan is a fictional superhero known as Green Lantern, who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Hal Jordan was created in 1959 by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane. He is a science fiction reinvention of a previous DC Comics character who was also called Green Lantern (Alan Scott).
Hal Jordan is a member of an interstellar law enforcement agency called the Green Lantern Corps. He fights evil across the Universe with a ring that grants him a variety of extraordinary powers.
Publication history
Recreated for the Silver Age
After achieving great success in 1956 in reviving the Golden Age character The Flash, DC editor Julius Schwartz looked toward recreating the Green Lantern from the Golden Age of Comic Books. Like The Flash, Schwartz wanted this new character to have a different secret identity, origin, and personality than his 1940s counterpart. A long time science-fiction fan and literary agent, Schwartz wanted a more sci-fi based Green Lantern, as opposed to the mystical powers of Alan Scott, the original 1940s Green Lantern. He enlisted writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane, who in 1959 would reintroduce Green Lantern to the world in Showcase #22 (Septemberâ€"October 1959) by creating Hal Jordan.
The character was a success, and it was quickly decided to follow-up his three issue run on Showcase with a self-titled series. Green Lantern #1 began in Julyâ€"August 1960 and would continue until #84 in Aprilâ€"May 1972.
This creative team was responsible for introducing many of the major characters in Hal Jordan's life. First and foremost was Carol Ferris, Jordan's love interest. She was in charge of Ferris Aircraft, and as such, Hal's boss. While she preferred Green Lantern to Hal Jordan, she took an active role in trying to win him over, even going so far as to propose to him in the old Leap Year tradition. Although she gave Jordan some attention, her job and company always came first.
Another unique addition to Green Lantern's supporting cast was his best friend, Tom Kalmaku, who was both Hal's mechanic and the chronicler of his super-hero adventures, after succeeding in working out his identity. An Inuit (Eskimo) from Alaska, Tom's nickname was "Pie" or "Pieface". Unlike "Chop Chop", Tom was a competent and intelligent character with a well-rounded personality, not a stereotypical buffoon. Despite the unfortunate nickname, Tom Kalmaku was among the first minority characters to be portrayed in this manner and broke new ground for mainstream comic books. Tom would later be followed by another trail-blazing minority character, John Stewart, the first African-American super-hero of the DC Universe.
Jordan's masters, the mysterious Guardians of the Universe, were physically based on David Ben-Gurion, the first Prime Minister of Israel, and were developed from an idea Schwartz and Broome had originally conceived years prior in a story featuring Captain Comet in Strange Adventures #22 (July 1952) entitled "Guardians of the Clockwork Universe".
Schwartz and company also allowed Jordan to have a family, which was another rare thing at this time in superhero comics. While he did not have a wife or children of his own, he had many interactions with his two older brothers, Jack, a district attorney, and Jim, a more comical figure. A reporter, Sue Williams, suspected Jim of being Green Lantern due to his appearance and his reputation of being scatterbrained.
Starting in issue #17, Gardner Fox joined the book to share writing duties with John Broome. The quartet of Schwartz, Broome, Fox, and Kane remained the core creative team until 1970.
"Relevant comics"
Starting with issue #76, Dennis O'Neil took over scripting and Neal Adams, who had drawn the cover of issue #63, became the series' artist. O'Neil and Adams had already begun preparation for the classic run in the form of their re-workings of another DC superhero, the archer Green Arrow.
In an introduction to the 1983 reprinting of this O'Neil/Adams run, O'Neil explains that he wondered if he could represent his own political beliefs in comics and take on social issues of the late sixties and early seventies. O'Neil devised the idea of pitting Hal Jordan, noted for being an intergalactic cop and a crypto-fascist standing for "The Establishment's" law and order, against Oliver Queen, (Green Arrow), who O’Neil had characterized as a lusty outspoken anarchist who would stand in for the counter-culture movement. The first issue of this now landmark collaboration had Green Lantern capturing a street "punk" who was pushing around a man. All around him, people start throwing things at the bewildered Jordan. As he steps in to attack, he is stopped by Green Arrow, who explains that the man he defended was a slum lord and goes even further to show Lantern the conditions of the slum. At the roof, in a now famous scene, an elderly African-American man grills Jordan as to why he allowed segregation against African-Americans to continue on Earth, when he saved "the orange skins" and "the purple skins" from exactly that.
Following Schwartz's approval of the story, Neal Adams was brought in to replace Kane, much to O'Neil's surprise. The pair had previously done a Batman (where Adams successfully reconstructed the character into a more dramatic "Dark Knight"), and Adams had redesigned Green Arrow's costume. The pair tackled a social issues including corruption, sexism, cults, consumerism, the environment, racism, poverty, and even (subtly) child molestation. In "Snowbirds Don't Fly" issues #85 and #86. Neal Adams drew the cover, which showed Green Arrow’s youthful side-kick, Speedy, shooting heroin. DC Comics approved Adams' cover and O'Neil wrote a two-part story involving drugs with Speedy being hooked. New York Mayor John V. Lindsay wrote a letter to DC Comics in response to the issue commending them, which was printed in issue #86.
Due to low sales Green Lantern/Green Arrow was cancelled. Schwartz had a reprint of an older story published for issue #88 and saw the comic he began back in 1959 come to an end in 1972 with issue #89. However, he had O’Neil and Adams do one last story together, stretched out over Flash #217-219 as a backup story. Green Lantern continued to appear in backup stories of Flash from 1972 until the Green Lantern title was resumed in 1976.
1980s exile
From Green Lantern #151 (April 1982) until #172 (January 1984), Jordan was exiled into space for a year by the Guardians in order to prove his loyalty to the Green Lantern Corps, having been accused of paying too much attention to Earth when he had an entire "sector" of the cosmos to patrol. When he returned to Earth, he found himself embroiled in a dispute with Carol Ferris. Faced with a choice between love and the power ring, Jordan chose to resign from the Corps. The Guardians called upon Jordan's backup, John Stewart, to regular duty as his replacement.
In 1985, the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" storyline that rebooted much of DC Comics' character continuity saw Jordan again take up the mantle of Green Lantern. The new Corps, with seven members residing on Earth, included several aliens, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner. Jordan became romantically involved with an alien Lantern named Arisia, for which he came under fire; a difference in time between Earth and her planet meant that in Earth years, she was over 250 years old, while on her planet she was only 14 years old. The alien Lanterns took a more direct hand in human affairs, a fact not appreciated by human governments. (Kilowog helped create the Rocket Reds for the Soviet Union). Eventually, the Earth corps broke up, several members returning to their home sectors. The Guardians soon returned to this dimension, and Jordan worked with them to rebuild the fractured Corps.
1990s
During this time, the character's origin story is re-told and expanded in two limited series by Keith Giffen, Gerard Jones, and James Owsley, Emerald Dawn and Emerald Dawn II. The first series expanded the role of the Corps in his origin and also provided more details about his childhood and his relationship with his father and brothers, while the sequel detailed the role of Jordan in the downfall of Sinestro.
In the 1992 prestige format graphic novel Green Lantern: Ganthet's Tale (ISBN 1-56389-026-7) (story by Larry Niven, script & art by John Byrne), Hal Jordan first encounters Ganthet, one of the Guardians of the Universe. He asks Hal to help Ganthet battle a renegade Guardian, Dawlakispokpok (or Dawly, for short) who has attempted to use a time machine to change history.
In the 1993 Reign of the Supermen! storyline, the villainous Hank Henshaw disguised as a reborn Cyborg Superman enlists the alien tyrant Mongul and his forces and comes to Earth in a plot to take advantage of the death of Superman. In the process, Coast City (Jordan's former home) is destroyed and all of its seven million inhabitants murdered, bringing Jordan to take revenge on Mongul, who has replaced it with Engine City, with which he plans to turn Earth into a new Warworld. Jordan was off world at the time of the attack on his hometown, having returned well after its destruction. Angered, he flies into Engine City and makes short work of Mongul's guards. Jordan then bum-rushes Mongul, who at that moment was seconds away from killing a weakened Superman. Since Mongul's skin pigment was yellow and Engine City was powered by Kryptonite gas, Jordan had a somewhat difficult time fighting the hulking alien. After the fight results in Jordan's arm and knee being broken, he takes advantage of Mongul's arrogance and uses his ring to create power armor for himself with which he used to lift Steel's (John Henry Irons') hammer and strike Mongul with it. The blow was so powerful that the hammer was shattered into pieces and Mongul was knocked out and eventually incarcerated. It was later revealed that the Cyborg Superman's wife came from Coast City, and he destroyed it as he wanted to remove all traces of his past life. This leads into the Emerald Twilight three-part arc: Jordan uses his power ring to recreate Coast City as an instrument in the process of overcoming his grief, talking to ring created versions of his old girlfriend and parents. After his ring's power expires, a projection of a Guardian appears and admonishes him for using the ring for personal gain and summons him to Oa for disciplinary action. Angered at what he sees as the Guardians' ungrateful and callous behavior, Jordan absorbs the energy from the Guardian's projection, goes insane and attacks Oa to seize the full power of the Central Battery, defeating and severely injuring several members of the Green Lantern Corps in the process, taking their power rings as his own and leaving them to die in space. The arc ends when he arrives on Oa and kills Kilowog, Sinestro who has been resurrected to fight him but has his neck snapped, and all the Guardians except for Ganthet who was protected by the other Guardians and survived without Jordan's knowledge. He then renounces his life as Green Lantern, adopting the name Parallax after absorbing the Power Battery's vast powers. After he emerges from the Central Power Battery, he walks past and looks at the Guardians' corpses and steps on his former ring, crushing it in the process.
Jordan is replaced by Kyle Rayner by Ganthet as the Green Lantern of Earth when Rayner comes into possession of the last power ring, created from the shattered remains of Jordan's. Shortly afterward, Guy Gardner has visions of the Green Lantern Corps' destruction and his yellow power ring's energy (being powered by residual Green Lantern's energy) starts to fluctuate. Soon after, Gardner goes to Oa to investigate. He brings Martian Manhunter, Darkstar (Ferrin Colos), The Ray, Wonder Woman, Captain Atom, Alan Scott and Arisia with him for back up. Upon arrival they discover Kilowog's corpse. Jordan uses the element of surprise, attacks them, and quickly and easily defeats them. Although Guy tricks Hal into thinking that he's been killed by making a fake dead construct of himself. He engages in battle with Parallax, absorbing his energy as they fight. But ultimately Jordan is too powerful for Gardner and defeats him in minutes, destroying his yellow power ring and punching out his eye putting Guy in a coma. After the battle Hal sends them all back to Earth warning them to leave him alone in the future. Not long afterwards, Parallax attempts to rewrite history to his own liking with the help of Extant in Zero Hour: Crisis in Time. Parallax destroys the Time Trapper and attempts to remake the universe into a perfect, peaceful place. The process causes time disruptions throughout time. Superman, Kyle Rayner and Metron call upon Earth's heroes to stop this crisis. Parallax reveals himself as the enemy by knocking out Superman with a single blow. Parallax and Exant battle the wide array of heroes. They are eventually defeated, with Green Arrow shooting an arrow into Jordan's heart as Kyle Rayner holds him in a full-nelson. Later, in the 1996 Final Night miniseries/crossover storyline, Jordan returns when the Earth's sun is in danger of going out. He starts to reevaluate himself and the decisions he's made and attacks and kills the Cyborg Superman (although he is later revealed to be alive) and visits John Stewart in the hospital who was recently paralyzed in battle. Jordan talks to his old friend for a final time and uses his powers to heal his paralysis. He then uses what appears to be the last of his powers and sacrifices his life to reignite the Sun (which had been extinguished by the Sun-Eater).
During the Emerald Knights storyline, when Kyle Rayner goes on an accidental time-travelling trip, he ends up unintentionally drawing a past version of Hal into the present where Hal is shocked to learn of the crimes his future self had committed as Parallax. Although Hal briefly thought about remaining in the present to escape his actions as Parallax, the Parallax from the time when he was starting the Zero Hour event appears in the present while preparing to recreate the universe. He had been travelling back to his present from the future and became aware of his younger self existing where he should not. This Parallax from out of time tries to pass himself off as the young Hal, but after being discovered he defeats John Stewart, Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner before being confronted by his younger self. Parallax pulls himself, his younger self and Kyle into the past where Coast City is seconds away from being destroyed and freezes time to show his younger self the atrocities of his hometown's destruction while also trying to explain why he did what he did as Parallax and that his ability to play god was necessary. After a heated battle and debate between the two Hals, Kyle breaks up the fight and tells them both that they have to go back where they came from and erase their memories of recent events in order to ensure that the Sun-Eater is defeated and that time plays itself out naturally.
In the 1999 mini-series Day of Judgement, Jordan becomes the newest incarnation of the Spectre, released from Purgatory after a fallen angel attempted to take that power. Soon after assuming this mantle, Jordan chooses to bend his mission from a spirit of vengeance to one of redemption, also making other appearances through some of DC Comics' other story lines, such as advising Superman during the Emperor Joker storyline (Where the Joker steals the reality-warping power of Mister Mxyzptlk) and erases all public knowledge of Wally West's identity as the Flash after his terrible first battle with Zoom, which led to his wife miscarrying their twins. He also appeared in a 4-part story arc in the series Legends of the DC Universe (issues #33-36). A new series based on this premise, titled The Spectre (volume 4), ran for 27 issues from 2001 to 2003. In it, Hal loses his beloved brother, Jack Jordan, to a supernatural assassin.
During the Identity Crisis storyline, Hal is visited by Green Arrow asking to exact revenge that he had might knew Sue Dibny's killer is, although Hal refused as the Spectre to a higher purpose.
2000s
Due to a decline in the Green Lantern sales, DC Comics decided to introduce the Green Lantern: Rebirth miniseries which brought Hal Jordan back to life and made him a Green Lantern once again. DC Comics subsequently began a new Green Lantern (vol. 4) series starting with issue #1 (July 2005), making Hal Jordan once again a Green Lantern and his past homicidal actions retconned to be the result of Parallax, now revealed to be caused by Hal having been infected by an ancient fear entity that had possessed him and used him as a puppet. In the Green Lantern (vol.4) it shows how in an effort to try to rebuild his life, Jordan has moved to the nearly deserted Coast City, which is slowly being rebuilt. He has been reinstated as a Captain in the United States Air Force, and works in the Test Pilot Program at Edwards Air Force Base. The series introduces new supporting characters for Hal, a man from his past, Air Force's General Jonathan "Herc" Stone, who learns his secret identity during a battle with the Manhunters and acts as his ally. He also begins to develop a romantic attraction with his fellow pilot, the beautiful Captain Jillian "Cowgirl" Pearlman. Returning characters also include Carol Ferris, Tom Kalmaku, and Jordan's younger brother James Jordan with his sister-in-law Susan and their children, Howard and Jane.
The Green Lantern Corps also has been successfully rebuilt. Despite the revelation that Hal's past villainous activity was because of the influence of Parallax, many of his fellow Corps officers are unwilling to trust him. Despite being freed from Parallax, his experience also leads him occasionally to have a lack confidence and self-doubt. Jordan also becomes friends with Kyle Rayner after their first battle with Parallax.
In his new title, he faces revamped versions of his Silver Age foes such as Hector Hammond, The Shark and Black Hand.
Hal helps briefly with the attack of the OMACs and Brother Eye. He also fights alongside a group of heroes against the Society, defending Metropolis. Guy Gardner, leads the Green Lantern Corps attack against Superboy-Prime with Hal appearing in the group.
As part of DC's retconning of the entire universe; as of Green Lantern vol. 4, #10, the book has skipped ahead one year, bringing drastic changes to Hal Jordan's life, as with every other hero in the DC Universe. It is revealed that Jordan spent time as a P.O.W. in an unnamed conflict and has feelings of guilt from his inability to free himself and his fellow Captives.
A new account of Green Lantern's origins was released in the (2008) Green Lantern series. In this new origin Hal Jordan is working as an assistant mechanic under Tom Kalmaku, barred from flying due to his insubordination while in the USAF and his employer's lingering guilt about his father's death in the line of duty. Then Abin Sur, while fighting Atrocitus of the Five Inversion, crashes near Coast City.
Hal and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps find themselves at war with Sinestro and his army, the Sinestro Corps during the events of the Sinestro Corps War As a Green Lantern native to Earth, Hal is featured in the Final Crisis mini-series by Grant Morrison.
In the Agent Orange story arc, Jordan is briefly in command of Agent Orange's power battery after he steals it from Agent Orange in a battle. The orange light of avarice converses with Jordan, his costume changes, and he becomes the new Agent Orange. However, Larfleeze quickly takes his power battery back from Jordan.
Jordan is also a character of focus in the new Justice League of America series as a charter member of the revamped JLA. He is also involved in the first plotline of the Brave and the Bold monthly series, teaming up first with Batman and later Supergirl. When teamed with the fledgling Supergirl, Hal is very impressed with her cleverness, although he finds her flirtatious behavior somewhat unnerving.
In the Justice League: Cry for Justice mini-series, Hal leads his own Justice League with Green Arrow, Shazam, Supergirl, Congorilla, Starman, Batwoman, and the Atom in order to avenge the deaths of Martian Manhunter and Batman. Jordan eventually recruits some of the former Titans members for the League's new lineup, including Batman's successor Dick Grayson, Donna Troy, and Starfire.
2010s
During the Blackest Night event, Hal allies himself with six other Lantern Corps during The War of Light. He finds himself facing many of his deceased allies, enemies, and people he failed to save reanimated as undead Black Lanterns under the control of the Green Lantern Corps' ancient enemy Nekron. Hal finds himself not only teaming up with Barry Allen (otherwise known as The Flash), who is also resurrected from his death, but also must work with his enemies Sinestro, Atrocitus, Larfleeze, and his former lover Carol Ferris.
After the events of Brightest Day: Green Lantern, the storyline continues into War of the Green Lanterns. DC Comics revealed the covers. that Hal will be joining the Sinestro Corps during "War of the Green Lanterns". Hal and Guy are captured by Krona. However, they escape from Krona's forces and reclaim their Green Lantern rings to fight him and his entity-possessed Guardians. During the final battle, Hal manages to free Carol, Sinestro and the others from the Book of the Black. During the process Sinestro becomes a Green Lantern once again. Jordan manages to defeat and kill Krona, releasing the entities from the Guardians. However, the Guardians believing Hal to be the most dangerous Green Lantern, discharge him from the Corps, strip him of his ring and return him to Earth. It is revealed that the Guardians are afraid of Jordan because they believe what happened to Krona would eventually happen to them if they allow him to continue being a Green Lantern.
During the relaunch of the Green Lantern series in The New 52, Jordan is back to his civilian life on Earth. He has been discharged from the United States Air Force. Jordan is arrested and Carol bails him out. She offers him a job, but not as a pilot. They go on a date but Carol is enraged when Jordan fails to propose marriage. He is then confronted by Sinestro who offers him a Green Lantern ring. A ring he created himself and has complete control over, telling Hal if he wants his real ring back he will help him destroy the Sinestro Corps who have enslaved Korugar during his absence. Before they leave for Korugar Green Lantern wants to say goodbye to Carol but Sinestro does not let him, stating that doing what needs to be done is more important than a failed romance. When the two arrive at Korugar,Green Lantern is tasked by Sinestro in deactivating the central yellow power battery, as he explains that only a Green Lantern can do it. However, when Green Lantern gets to the battery, it begins to disintegrate him. Before he is fully disintegrated, he expresses his belief that Sinestro set him up. The disintegration is revealed to be an opening portal to the Anti-Matter Universe, and when the battery realizes Green Lantern is not Sinestro, the transport is aborted, and an unconscious Green Lantern is deposited outside the battery, amidst a crowd of Yellow Lanterns. He is then imprisoned in a cell meant to foil escape attempts by draining power from his green ring. With his last power left in his ring Green Lantern creates an image of Carol. When Sinestro is caught and imprisoned in a nearby cell, Hal suggests using the last of Sinestro's power to split his ring into hundreds of copies to be used by the captive Korugarans. The plan works, but the Korugarans close in on Sinestro, preparing to take their revenge, before Hal convinces them to use their power against the Sinestro Corps instead. After they drain the Sinestro Corps power battery and defeat most of the Corps, Green Lantern is returned to Earth retaining the ring Sinestro gave him without any means of charging it. The next day he finds Carol and begs her to take him back, explaining that she was the last thing he wanted to see when he was absolutely certain that he was going to die. Carol accepts Hal's apology and the two reunite.
However Sinestro reactivates Green Lantern's ring, telling him that they must work together again. Green Lantern initially refuses to work with him, until Sinestro reveals that the Guardians are planning to replace the Green Lantern Corps. Suddenly, the Indigo Tribe comes to Earth and kidnaps Sinestro, forcing Green Lantern to follow them into Nok, the Indigo homeworld. However, Green Lantern is captured and meets up with Black Hand, who has been turned into an Indigo Lantern. Escaping from Black Hand, Green Lantern tries to find Sinestro, but is shocked to discover that Sinestro has been forcibly inducted into the Indigo Tribe. Green Lantern flees into Nok's forbidden jungles and meets Natromo, the founder of the Indigo Tribe. Natromo tells Hal the origins of the Indigo Tribe, revealing that the Tribe was created to fight the Guardians in case they ever became mad with power. He also says that the Indigo Tribesmen used to be some of the most dangerous criminals in the universe; Iroque, before she became Indigo-1, killed Abin Sur's daughter. When Green Lantern reveals that Abin Sur is dead, Natromo sadly destroys the Indigo Central Battery. Although Sinestro is freed from the Indigo ring, the other Indigo Lanterns are released as well, reverting them back to bloodthirsty sadists. Green Lantern manages to convince Natromo to reconstruct the Indigo Battery, with the help of Iroque, who is still capable of feeling compassion even without her ring. Although the Indigo Tribe is restored to normal, Sinestro is forced back into the Tribe as well. Indigo-1 agrees to release Sinestro from his Indigo ring, but only if Green Lantern swears to help Sinestro become a hero again.
As the Indigo Tribe releases Sinestro, Natromo inverts the link between Green Lantern's and Sinestro's ring. Now, Green Lantern can control Sinestro's ring instead of the other way around. Unfortunately, Black Hand has escaped the Indigo Tribe's control. Indigo-1 teleports the two Lanterns to Korugar, where Sinestro has hidden the Book of the Black. As they read the Book to find out more about the Guardians's plans to replace the Green Lantern Corps, they are teleported right to Black Hand's old home. Green Lantern and Sinestro pass out after running out of power in their rings. Black Hand buries Sinestro and Green Lantern alive. Green Lantern breaks free and fights against Black Hand, and is saved by Sinestro. The two of them fight Black Hand until the Guardians arrive, who command Black Hand to kill them. As their life is draining away, Green Lantern and Sinestro fuse their rings together with an unknown message, before they seemingly die. However, they are later revealed to have survived, but they are trapped in a mysterious realm surrounded by darkness.
Hal and Sinestro begin traveling through the Dead Zone, wherein they encounter a mysterious figure lurking in the zone observing them. This mysterious stranger is revealed to be Tomar-Re, who asks Hal and Sinestro to stop Volthoom (The First Lantern) before he changes reality. Hal and Sinestro are confronted by the fallen Lantern members in the Dead Zone. When new Green Lantern Simon Baz enters the Dead Zone during a fight with Black Hand, he attempts to rescue them, but is only able to split his ring once. Sinestro claims the ring by forcing Hal to experience a moment of fear when he threatens Hal with the loss of Carol. Hal contemplates committing suicide so he could harness Black Hand's ring as it is the only way to leave the Dead Zone.
When Hal makes the ultimate sacrifice and transforms into a Black Lantern, he uses the telepathy of the Indigo Tribe to open the Dead Zone portal. Green Lantern finally manages to escape and attacks Volthoom with the hordes of undead, but Volthoom effortlessly destroys the army and nearly possesses Green Lantern. After a Parallax-empowered Sinestro fails to kill Volthoom as well, Green Lantern proceeds to summon Nekron and finally destroys him. After the battle is over, Green Lantern is released from being a Black Lantern and returns to life as Green Lantern again, finally reuniting with Carol. Before departing, Sinestro reminds Green Lantern of a question he was about to ask him during their near-death back on Ysmault. Green Lantern asks if they had ever been truly friends, to which Sinestro replies that the tragedy is they always will be.
Hal Jordan is featured as a part of Justice League series relaunch as well. The initial issues of the title take place five years prior as Jordan assists Batman against a mysterious threat. It is shown he is already friends with Barry Allen and each know the other's secret identity. Hal also believes with the ring he can overcome anything by himself by sheer force of will. This leads to reckless behavior that almost gets him killed. It is only when Batman reminds him of his mortality by revealing his own identity as Bruce Wayne does Hal reconsider his approach. Green Lantern resigns from the Justice League in an effort to keep the group functioning after his behavior put the team in peril during their fight with David Graves.
Powers and abilities
As a Green Lantern, Jordan is semi-invulnerable, capable of projecting hard light constructions, flight, and utilizing various other abilities through his power ring which are only limited by his imagination and willpower. Jordan, as a Green Lantern, has exceptional willpower.
As Parallax, Hal was one of the most powerful beings in all of the DC Universe. In addition to his normal Green Lantern powers, he was able to manipulate and reconfigure time-space to his will, manipulate reality at a large scale, had vast superhuman strength which he demonstrated by being able to knock out Superman with one punch, a higher sense of awareness and enhanced durability. As Parallax he still was able to be harmed nearly just as easily as a normal Green Lantern but seemed to be able to endure more physical punishment. While Hal Jordan was Parallax he was never defeated by physical force, all of his very few defeats were of a changed mental state during or after the battle, which was usually the result of dealing with his own conscience and he would just give up, leave the battle and hide himself.
Other versions
As with other characters published by DC Comics, many alternative universe versions and analogues of the character have appeared within both the Green Lantern series and other titles. In Action Comics #856, a Bizarro version of Hal, called Yellow Lantern, is featured. Yellow Lantern possessed a Sinestro Corps ring and used to inflict fear among Htrae's inhabitants.
The Green Lantern of Earth-5 is shown to be the Hal Jordan of Captain Marvel's world (Earth-5) in the new 52 multiverse. He is killed in Countdown: Arena #2 by Monarch. A Green Lantern named Hal Jordan III, grandson of the original Hal Jordan, from the world of Batman Beyond. He is labelled as Green Lantern of Earth-12. He loses his left arm in battle with Monarch.
The character has also appeared in and been the focus of many Elseworlds titles such including JLA: Age of Wonder, DC: The New Frontier, Superman: Red Son, JLA: The Nail (Where he was the leader of the JLA in a world where Superman was never found by the Kents), Green Lantern: Evil's Might and the John Byrne penned Superman & Batman: Generations 2 (This Jordan pursuing a career in politics before he was forced to use the ring against Sinestro) and a part of the Frank Miller Dark Knight universe, appearing in All Star Batman and Robin and Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again (Jordan having left Earth years ago when politics forced the heroes to 'retire', although he returned when Batman requested his help to destroy Lex Luthor's weapons satellites).
In the DC/Marvel Company crossover series Amalgam Comics, there appeared to be two amalgams of Hal. The Iron Lantern was the amalgam of Hal Jordan and Tony Stark. His identity was known as Hal Stark. Another unknown amalgam of Hal Jordan appeared in Speed Demon #1, in which the Speed Demon killed "Madman" Jordan, as apparently this Jordan had committed a horrible crime.
Hal Jordan is a character in JLA/Avengers, which featured a crossover between DC and Marvel Comics. Despite the fact that both teams travel to both of their respective universes, this is one of the few comics featuring multiple universes that remains in (DC) continuity. During this story, Hal gets a vision of his future as Parallax in the 'real' universe after a reality is created where the two universes have regularly interacted for years, but nevertheless resolves to restore reality as the heroes cannot choose their lives over the lives of those being affected by the current chronal disruption.
An alternate version of Hal Jordan also appeared in the Pocket Universe Earth created by the Time Trapper. He, along with various other heroes who had no superpowers in this reality, teamed up with a good version of Lex Luthor to stop three evil Kryptonians who had escaped from the Phantom Zone. Hal Jordan piloted an advanced jet craft that was easily destroyed by the Kryptonians.
Though Jordan was never one of the main characters in the award-winning mini-series Kingdom Come, a version of him from the Earth-22 (A post Infinite Crisis alternate universe) made a cameo on the end of the storyline" Thy Kingdom Come" story arc on the issue of Justice Society of America (vol. 3) #22, during Batman's funeral.
A new version of Power Ring, the villainous Green Lantern analogue of the Crime Syndicate of America, has recently appeared and is stated as being the "original" (though previously unseen) iteration of the character. He has mysteriously reappeared after having been presumed dead years earlier. It is implied that he was reborn in his reality as a direct result of Jordan's resurrection in Green Lantern: Rebirth.
In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Hal Jordan was reckless as a flying ace. He alongside with Carol Ferris was on a F-22 Raptor entering Western Europe territory before the Shark attacks. Hal forces the Shark to crash his jet into Carol's jet, and both of them barely got out of the ejection system. Upon their return to America, Hal was about to fly the jet. However, he witnesses the spaceship crash on Earth and was approached by the ship's survivor, Abin Sur, asking for help. However, Abin Sur is subsequently taken into custody by Cyborg and the government to be questioned about his reasons for being on Earth. Later, when Amazonian invisible planes invade over Coast City, Hal and Carol manage to shoot down the invisible planes and the Hydra that they dropped. Later, Hal is volunteered by the President of the United States for a mission to use a Green Arrow Industries nuclear weapon to bomb Western Europe. Later, Hal is ready to fly on the F-35 with the Green Arrow nuclear weapon attempting to destroy Western Europe at the end of the Atlantean/Amazon war. During the battles on New Themyscira, Hal possesses the remaining nuclear weapon, but his firing mechanism jams. Hal's only option is to fly through New Themyscira in a suicide attack, causing a process which destroys not only New Themyscira's invisible shield, but Hal with it. Afterwards, Thomas Kalmaku gives Carol a note saying that Hal was afraid to say that he had always loved her. Carol sees the engagement ring that he was going to propose to her.
In the distant future, the Book of Oa shows that Hal will eventually marry Carol and their son would be named Martin Jordan after Hal's father.
The comic book tie-in to the game Injustice: Gods Among Us sees Hal Jordan willingly joining Superman's group of heroes in obtaining peace on Earth through more forceful matters. While Hal plays a relatively small role in Year One, he is a more featured character in the Year Two series, where his loyalty to Superman causes conflicts with his loyalty to the Green Lantern Corps. Eventually putting the Regime above them, Hal is eventually stripped of his Green Lantern ring by the Guardian Ganthet, having been officially declared a renegade. Sinestro, having joined Superman's Regime and mended his relationship with Hal, offers him a Yellow Ring instead, which he accepts to save Carol Ferris' life.
In the possible future of Futures End, Hal Jordan had left his role as Corps Leader behind, promising to never again leave Earth unprotected after a gruesome war killed thousands of people, including Hal's mother. Living what looks like a bachelor's life in Coast City, Hal learns from his deceased father that Krona has become the new leader of the Black Lantern Corps, which forces Hal to renege on his vow and to take them head on with only the help of a new ally, Relic. The ensuing battle occurs near the Source Wall, which is a miniature Blackest Night version, with Relic giving Hal access to the rest of the emotional spectrum needed to handle his foes. As Hal is quickly overrun, he sacrifices himself to end the Black Lantern threat once and for all. Critically wounded and barely alive, Hal is placed inside the Source Wall, just like Relic was.
In other media
Animated television
The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure
Hal Jordan made his first cartoon appearance in 1967 in an eponymously titled segment of The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure cartoon by Filmation. In it, he fought evil with the aid of a blue-skinned, pointed-eared sidekick Kairo, Hal's Venusian Helper. It is revealed that Hal is a member of the JLA. In these cartoons, Hal Jordan was voiced by Gerald Mohr.
Super Friends
- Green Lantern was featured as a 'guest hero' in The All-New Super Friends Hour. His powers were consistently misrepresented, such creating vehicles for transportation with his ring such as a "Lantern Jet," ignoring the fact that the power ring traditionally allows him to simply will himself to fly. Also, whenever Green Lantern would use his ring to create something, such as a life raft or a double-bladed transport helicopter, the final product would often be shown with its appropriate colors, instead of the same green shade as the power beam.
- Hal Jordan and his nemesis Sinestro were also regulars in Challenge of the SuperFriends which aired 1978â€"1979. One notable episode featured a re-telling of Hal's origin in which the dying Abin Sur passes on his ring. The character would continue to be brought back in sporadic appearances for the subsequent Super Friends, Super Friends: The Legendary Super Powers Show and The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians shows. Michael Rye voiced the character for all three shows.
Duck Dodgers
Hal Jordan also appeared in a 2003 episode of the Duck Dodgers animated series entitled "The Green Loontern", in which Duck Dodgers is mistakenly given a Green Lantern uniform by his dry cleaners. Donning it, he meets the Corps and fights Sinestro before meeting Hal (voiced by Kevin Smith), who is wearing Dodgers' too-small uniform.
DC animated universe
In the DC Animated Universe, it is unknown if Hal Jordan is or ever was a Green Lantern.
- The Superman: The Animated Series episode "In Brightest Day", uses Jordan's origin as a Green Lantern for Kyle Rayner, as Rayner was the Green Lantern at the time of the episode's production. During a fight with Sinestro, Rayner crashes into Jordan's plane.
- Hal Jordan as a Green Lantern makes a physical appearance in the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Once and Future Thing Part II: Time Warped" voiced by Adam Baldwin. When time becomes fluid, John Stewart is unexpectedly replaced by Hal. He quickly introduces himself to his bewildered teammates and continues on as if nothing happened, explaining that the ring has brought him "up to speed". Later, as the assembled heroes close in on the time-warping villain responsible, Hal reverts to John, causing Static to say "Make up your mind!".
The Batman
In the fourth season finale of The Batman, "The Joining", the Justice League was introduced. Hal Jordan was included among its members, in a non-speaking cameo. He and the other members of the League play a role in the show's fifth season. He appears in the episode "Ring Toss" where he helps Batman take on Sinestro and a ring-powered Penguin, and in the finale "Lost Heroes", both times voiced by Dermot Mulroney.
Batman: The Brave and the Bold
Hal Jordan appears in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "The Eyes of Despero!", voiced by Loren Lester. He is first seen leading many other Green Lanterns into battle against Despero, only to have them be turned against him by Despero's mind control. Releasing a discharge of power from his ring, he seemingly perished in the blast alongside his fellow Lanterns, with his ring going across the universe in search of another wielder. It makes its way to Batman, sending him to space. Hal, the missing in action Lanterns, and the Guardians of the Universe were revealed to be alive and in the ring near the end. Hal later makes a cameo appearance as a member of the Justice League of America in a flashback sequence shown at the beginning of "Sidekicks Assemble!" He is also mentioned in "Darkseid Descending!", where Guy Gardner and Booster Gold get into a fight over who gets to have Hal's former room on the Justice League Satellite. Additionally, Hal appears in a non-speaking cameo in the two parts of the episode "The Siege of Starro!", first, among the heroes possessed by Starro, and later, as one of the heroes that have already broken free of Starro's mind control, and battle against him.
Young Justice
Hal Jordan appears as a member of the Justice League in the Young Justice animated series, voiced by an uncredited Dee Bradley Baker. Hal makes a non-speaking appearance at the end of the pilot episode, "Independence Day", where he and John Stewart use their rings to contain Blockbuster after he is defeated by Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad and Superboy. He then appears helping to bring Mount Justice back online. In the second episode "Welcome to Happy Harbor", Kid Flash mentions that Superman and Green Lantern hollowed out Mount Justice, but it is unclear to which Green Lantern Kid Flash was referring. In the episode "Failsafe", during a mind-training exercise conducted by Martian Manhunter, an illusory Hal and John are apparently vaporized by invading aliens. In "Agendas", Hal and John were convenes recruitment for the new Justice League members; he and John immediately dismiss the idea of adding Guy Gardner to the League.
Green Lantern: The Animated Series
Hal Jordan is the main protagonist in Green Lantern: The Animated Series, voiced by Josh Keaton.
Mad
Hal Jordan appears in Mad where he tries to appeal to Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman about being called "Super Friends."
Live-action television
Legends of the Superheroes
In 1979, a two-part mini-series of live-action films featuring the Justice League and their villains the Legion of Doom was produced under the title Legends of the Superheroes. It featured Howard Murphy as Hal Jordan.
Films
- Hal Jordan is one of the main characters featured in Justice League: The New Frontier. He is voiced by David Boreanaz.
- Christopher Meloni voices Hal Jordan in the Warner Premiere animated feature Green Lantern: First Flight.
- Nolan North voices Hal Jordan in the Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths animated feature film.
- Nathan Fillion voices Hal Jordan in the anthology feature Green Lantern: Emerald Knights.
- Ryan Reynolds portrayed Hal Jordan in the live-action Green Lantern film directed by Martin Campbell.
- Nathan Fillion also voices Hal Jordan in Justice League: Doom and Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox.
- Hal Jordan appears in Lego Batman: The Movie â€" DC Super Heroes Unite, based on the video game of the same name, with Cam Clarke reprising his role.
- Hal Jordan appears in the animated film Justice League: War, voiced by Justin Kirk.
- Hal Jordan appears in The Lego Movie, voiced by Jonah Hill. He is depicted as a Master Builder who Superman is often annoyed at.
- Hal Jordan will appear in the animated film Justice League: Throne of Atlantis, with Nathan Fillion reprising his role.
Video games
- Hal Jordan is an unlockable character in Justice League Heroes.
- Hal Jordan is a playable character in the video game, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe voiced by Josh Phillips. His counterpart is Liu Kang. Following his fight with Lex Luthor on Oa, Hal is informed by Ganthet and two other members of the Guardians of the Universe about the World Merge crisis. His game ending has him and the other Green Lanterns becoming aware of a giant pyramid (from Mortal Kombat: Armageddon) emerging. Realizing Sinestro could try and take the pyramid's secret, he and the Green Lantern Corps try to stop him.
- Hal Jordan can be summoned to clear the screen of all enemies in the Wii version of Batman: The Brave and the Bold â€" The Videogame. He is also playable in the DS version.
- Hal Jordan appears as a hero in a cinematic trailer for the video game DC Universe Online MMORPG. In the cinematic, "Who Do You Trust", the trailer depicts a dark future where he and the rest of the Justice League are engaged in a final battle against Lex Luthor and other villains. He is primarily engaged in battle with Giganta but afterwards is attacked by Black Adam. Black Adam uses his strength to crack Hal's ring. When Barry Allen arrives to help, Black Adam calls down his magic lightning bolt. The bolt strikes Hal's damaged ring resulting in a massive explosion that kills Barry and Hal. After the cutscene however, Luthor travels back in time to warn the Justice League of an even greater threat, Braniac, who will take control after the battle. Hal then assists the League by training new Green Lanterns. To become one, the player must download the "Fight For The Light" DLC pack which gives them the option to pick Light as their superpower.
- Hal Jordan is the main protagonist in Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters (which is set in the same continuity as the live-action film) voiced by Ryan Reynolds.
- Hal Jordan appears as a playable character in Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes, voiced by Cam Clarke.
- Hal Jordan appears as a playable character in Injustice: Gods Among Us, with Adam Baldwin reprising his role from Justice League: Unlimited. During the game's story mode, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and Wonder Woman are pulled into an alternate reality where Superman's Regime rules Earth. After saving the alternate Deathstroke from Cyborg and Raven and saving his teammates from Sinestro, he is confronted by a Sinestro Corps version of himself called Yellow Lantern. At the game's conclusion, Yellow Lantern is forced to stand down and surrender by the 'prime' Superman, willingly removing his ring. He and Sinestro are shown to be taken to Oa by the 'prime' Hal to stand trial for their crimes. In Hal Jordan's ending, Hal witnesses the crash of an alien spaceship. The pilot claimed to be Abin Sur, although he did not wear a power ring. He also referred to Hal as the "Almighty One". Hal tries to convince him of their past of how he replaced Abin Sur as defender of sector 2814, but the alien died shortly afterwards. Hoping to solve the mystery, Hal heads for Oa to ask the Guardians of the Universe what they know about this.
- Hal Jordan appears as a playable character in The Lego Movie Videogame.
- Hal Jordan appears as a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, with Josh Keaton reprising his role.
- Hal Jordan will appear as a playable character in the multiplayer battle arena game Infinite Crisis.
Audio play
- Hal Jordan appears in Green Lantern: The Emerald Protector created by Eric L. Busby for Darker Projects. He is voiced by Darren Marlar.
Miscellaneous
- Hal Jordan is a member of the Super Friends in the direct-to-video original animation DC Super Friends: The Joker's Playhouse (2010) voiced by Grant Moninger.
Collected editions
Hal Jordan's stories have been collected into a number of volumes:
