HEAT

 

Timeline of a Legend

"In Brightest Day..."
The Early Years (circa 1959-69)


*Hal Jordan, test pilot for Ferris Aircraft, is abducted by a dying alien (Abin Sur) and given a powerful weapon to fight evil. This green ring was to be powered by a green lantern every 24 hours but had no effect against any thing yellow. Hal Jordan becomes GREEN LANTERN! (Showcase #22, Sept-Oct 1959)

*Hal would encounter Hector Hammond (GL #5), Sinestro (GL #6), Sonar (GL #14), and many other villains repeatedly over his career.

*It is revealed to Hal that there were 3599 other Green Lanterns who patrolled their separate sectors of space. The Guardians were immortal beings who had lived for five billions years and were extremely evolved (Who's Who #87). They had located on the planet Oa, to establish the Green Lantern Corps (GL #67).

*Hal was one of the founding members of the Justice League of America, along with the Flash, Black Canary, the Martian Manhunter, and Aquaman (JLA #9). Hal would soon meet Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) through the JLA, who would later become one of his closest friends (JLA #4).

*Hal would also become good friends with the Flash (Barry Allen), on a mission in which they would discover each other's secret identities (GL #13).

*Hal discovers the truth about Guy Gardner (GL #59)

Who is Hal Jordan?

He's a thinking hero. Hal always had that yellow weakness to overcome, and he managed to overcome it in some very clever ways. In one GL/GA back in the 70's Hal's ring gets thrown out of an airplane - and Hal leaps out of the plane after it. This is a hero who knew he'd come up with a plan on his way down!

Not only that, but quite often people would attack him psychologically since the physical attacks were generally ineffective - so his character really solidified in the face of so many personal attacks.

Hal was a man of honor. A man of duty. A man who would not hesitate to sacrifice himself for the good of the human race or the good of the corps. And in Final Night he did just that when he perished re-igniting the sun.

Hal put up with a lot of crap from Carol, the Guardians, and certain fellow corpsmen (ie GG) but he always tried to do the honorable thing.

He was a fearless test pilot who was given a ring of cosmic power because he was found worthy of the responsibility.

-Silver Age Adam of the DC GL Board

"In Darkest Night..."
The Social Issue Years (circa 1970-79)


*ENTER: Green Arrow -Ollie Queen teams up with Hal (GL #76) in what's to be the best, (and most sought after issue) in it's history, thanks to the team of Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams.

*Guy Gardner is out of action due to injuries.

*John Stewart is new back up.(GL# 87)

*Green Lantern comic is cancelled (GL #89) (1972)

*After four years of cameos and an interesting back up tale in the Flash, Hal again returns to the comics! (GL #90) (1976)

*Guy Gardner is again injured and now in a coma. (GL #116)

*The Green Lantern/Green Arrow team breaks up (GL #122)

* Green Lantern again solo! (GL #123)

"No Evil Shall..."
The Science Fiction Years (circa 1980-83)


* Hal is exiled to space for one full year + (GL #150).

* Hal returns to Earth (GL #172).

*The Demolition Team nearly destroys the Solar Jet, were it not for the mysterious Predator (GL #178).

* An angry Carol confronts Hal. She asks him to choose between being a Green Lantern and being with her. After asking Ollie, Barry and Superman for advice, Hal convinced himself that he loved Carol more than he loved being a Green Lantern (a conclusion he would later discover to be false) (GL #180).

* Hal resigns as Green Lantern, guardian of space sector 2814. (GL #181).

"Escape My Site..."
The End of an Era Years (circa 1984-89)


* John Stewart becomes new Green Lantern (GL #182)

* The Predator & Star Sapphire are one and the same! (GL #191).

*Guy Gardner is revived by renegade Guardians and chosen to wield a ring with an alternate power source. This ring would work even though every other ring would not. The renegade Guardians had passed up the chance to reinstate Hal, and instead chose a morally bankrupt, brain damaged Guy Gardner (GL #195).

*Tomar Re is killed, who passes his ring onto John, who passes his ring onto Hal, the ring Hal had received from Abin Sur. Hal was Green Lantern, once more.

*Hal was reinstated into the Corps by the 22 (tip of the hat here to Showcase?) remaining Guardians (out of the 36 who were alive before the crisis).

* The space sector system was abolished by Appa Ali Apsa, and the Guardians and Zamerons then departed for their new plane of existence, surrounded by a swirl of green and purple light (GL #200).

*John, Hal, Katma and Arisia decided to all base themselves on Earth.

*Sinestro is killed by execution (GLC #221). Sinestro's death set into motion a series of events that would destroy the central power battery (the source of power for all GL rings). The Guardians had made a pact centuries ago that would prevent them from killing any man of Sinestro's race. This was because the Zamerons had courted Korugan men after they had left Oa. In order to prevent the cold-blooded murder of these men, the Guardians set the central power battery to self destruct if any Korugan man was killed by the Guardians or their agents (GLC #222).

* Yellow immunity of the battery is removed.

Who is Hal Jordan?
Hal is a test pilot, he lives for the thrill, he is fearless, he drives a convertable with the top down, he listens to good jazz, he is competitive but not obssesive, he is a risk taker but not a gambler, he is popular with women and a good buddy at the same time, he is polite but has a bit of an attitude at the same time. Most of all, he thinks on his feet and Hal understands what it means to be a hero. He is selfless above all else.

-Can1 of the DC GL Board

"Let Those Who Worships Evils Might..."
The Beginning of the End Years (circa 1990-92)


*The end of the Green Lantern Corps as we know it and all GL rings are destroyed except for Hal's, Guy's, Ch'p's and Gnort's. (GL #223)

*Green Lantern comic is cancelled -AGAIN! (GL #224)

*Action Comics Weekly starts with Green Lantern as it's main star, unfortunately, the stories are lame...

*Interesting story involving a power mad, insane Green Lantern named Lord Malvolio, who fights with Hal and destroys his ring. Hal then takes Malvolio's ring to escape. Malvolio, thought dead, simply laughs and says his plan is underway... Think about it folks, Hal was wearing Mal's ring when he went mad and became Parallax. Malvolio was one step away from being a Parallax like character, perhaps this was indeed the evolution of Mal and simply used Hal's body as a sort of Avatar, thus creating Parallax. (ACW #632-635) [more here]

*Action Comics Weekly cancelled, again stranding our hero without a book.

*New Green Lantern series following disappointing Action Comics Weekly series (NOTE: I simply cut all the GL stories out of this worthless series and stapled them into 5 different books using the five GL covers from that series, discarding the rest.)

"Beware..."
The Graying Years (circa 1992-94)


* Hal returns with new look - a man in his 40's almost overnight, and with graying temples in his hair.

*Appa , the last Guardian goes insane and is killed by the Guardians, for which John Stewart is now assigned to watch over the Mosaic (what Oa had become when Appa put pieces of planets on Oa). Guardians decide a new Corps must be recreated. (Boy insanity is catchy in the GLC)

*Hal is to recruit new members for the new GLC (GL(2nd) #8).

* Hal would start his own airline company and get back together with Carol.

"My Power..."
The Parallax Years (circa 1994-99)


*Coast City is destroyed causing Hal to loose his sanity while attempting to revive the former metropolis with his own power ring.(GL(2nd) #46-48)

*Hal goes to Oa to get more power to hopefully revive Coast City. (GL(2nd) #49)

*Hal kills or maims most of the new Green Lanterns, stealing their rings in the process. He finally reaches Oa after dealing with most of them (GL(2nd) #49). 

* The Guardians, in a desperate last attempt to stop Hal Jordan, resurrect Sinestro (?) and the two duke it out.  Hal Jordan snaps his neck. Kilowog is also killed. These are the only two deaths caused by Jordan in his rampage.

*Hal Jordan becomes Parallax, an insane, twisted and extremely powerful villain hungry for more and more power to aid him in his quest to revive Coast City.

*The Guardians, instead of stopping Jordan by shutting off his power or transporting him away, commit mass suicide, and pour their remaining energies into Ganthet.

*Ganthet, the last guardian, takes a piece of Hal's ring (or should I say Lord Malvolio's ring) that Parallax crushed and no longer needed forms a new one from it. He then flew to Earth and literally picked a man off the street (Kyle Rayner) and gave the new ring to him (GL(2nd) #50) with no instructions or power battery.

*Parallax is killed saving the solar system, while re-igniting the sun and killing the sun-eater, a final blow to a great legend. (Final Night #4)

*Hal Jordan is given a hero's funeral (GL(2nd)#81).

*Time traveling Kyle helps Hal in 1961, in the classic issue #9 duel (GL(2nd)#99-100) with Sinestro.

*Hal, from the past  is again alive in 1998, but he must face people for something he hasn't even done yet! (This is only for a short period of time) (GL(2nd)#101 -106.)  Hal returns back to 1961, but leaves Kyle Rayner a duplicate ring in hopes he would try to restart the Corps!

*Kyle botches job on Corps restart and again, no GL Corps...

"Green Lanterns Light!"
The Spectre Years (circa 1999 - 2004?)


*When the fallen angel Asmodel stole the power of the Spectre, Hal Jordan was rescued from purgatory to help stop this new threat. Earth's Day of Judgment was stopped and the soul of Hal Jordan was bonded with the Spectre force to become the new Spectre. (See Day of Judgment #3 - 5) As the Spectre, Hal Jordan has begun to walk the path of redemption.

*Adjusting to his new role as Spectre, and joined by Abin Sur in ghost form, Hal Jordan encounters Caul, an ex-CIA mystic who desires to destroy the Spectre and the world itself.  Spectre learns new things and defeats Caul and restores the world. (LOTDCU #33-36)

* Hal returns, uncomfortable with his new role, and unsure of his responsibilities. He and Abin Sur travel to Hell to get some answers. The devil (or maybe God- it could all be lies), suggests that he should be redeeming souls rather than condemning them. Meanwhile, Carol and Jack realise that Hal has returned. (Spectre (4th)#1)

* Hal attempts to take this new path, trying to guide Mankind into a new age of spiritual enlightenment. The Wrath which he cast out in the LOTDCU story, has been captured by an entity known as Mistos. It escapes, seemingly destroying Hal on goes on the rampage. (Spectre (4th)#2)

* Mistos recaptures the Wrath, and frees Hal. She reveals that she plans to (effectively) destroy the world in order to save it. Superman, Batman, and Zuariel interfere, with Hal seemingly unsure of what to do. (Spectre (4th)#3)

* Hal takes on the Wrath, while Batman and Superman fight Mistos. Hal is able to transmute the Wrath (with willpower ?) into 'the Logoz' (?)- basically a part of God. They defeat Mystos, by showing her that she'd trapped herself on Earth by believing that she was stuck there. The implication was basically that your beliefs change the world around you. This is another way of looking at what Hal was doing as GL, and there's the threat that 'the Logoz' might revert back to the nasty ol' spirit of vengeance if Hal is weak.
(Spectre (4th)#4)

* Hal tries to help Two-Face by splitting off his darker side. It's a mistake, and he reintegrates them again. Yeah we create out own destiny, but in setting up that every soul decides how it's going to move forward be it by doing good or evil, it means that the Spectre really doesnt have anything to do. He can just sit on his ass and say it's all Gods will. Why *allow* them to do evil ? Why *allow* them to hurt the innocent ? He can prevent it, he can punish, he can teach- He *should* be doing something. It's so weak. At least (going by the last page) this seemed to be 'the Spectre/ Logoz's will rather than Hals, but it doesn't make for great superheroics. (Spectre (4th)#5)

* Hal tries to spend some time with his family. He sets up a new HQ, and there's some nice conflict with Abin about what he should be doing as the Spectre. A new bad guy (Monsieur Stigmonus) appears (with an interest in Hals' niece) and is seemingly the exact opposite of how Hal chooses to see his role as the Spectre. Hal is thrown and asks the Risen for guidence. He's taken to earth 1000 years in the future, and finds it in ruins. Apparantly mankind can't be redeemed. (Spectre (4th)#5)

Re: THE SPECTRE #6 - circuitous path
(special thanks to destinedforDC for the following:)

The thing that made Hal's reunion with his brother in SPECTRE #6 even more enjoyable than I thought it would be was the surprise role that Hal's niece, Helen, played in the story. Like most children in J.M.'s work, she was the absolute embodiment of innocence and, as such, was gifted with a perception that the adults around her did not share. She can "see" these otherworldly beings and she seems to know instinctively, as we saw in her meeting with Stigmonus at the end, which beings can be trusted and which are to be feared. Simply put, she has the faith of a child.
This entire issue, in fact, was about faith. No sooner does Hal establish a home for himself in the desert, when along comes Stigmonus, whispering all sorts of doubts and fears into Hal's ear, trying his best to shake Hal's faith in humanity. Pages 15 through 17 were loaded with very powerful arguments and images -- those both in favor of Man's ascendance out of his own ignorance and on to a higher being, and those against it. Although Hal eventually denounced Stigmonus for the self-interested hatemonger that he was, it was perhaps too late. The damage to Hal's faith had already been done.
It will be interesting to see how those in The Nameless Land help Hal to find his own "highest wisdom." Having read J.M.'s work for as long as I have, I know it won't be easy. Considering the often-circuitous path that we all put between ourselves and our own goals in life, I guess you could say that it never is.

Re: THE SPECTRE #7 - limited visions aside

If there is one absolute truth that I believe in and never tire of hearing J.M. DeMatteis espouse, it is that we all create our own reality, our own destiny, and that collectively we create the world. I wholeheartedly agreed with the way Augera, in issue #7, defined The Spectre's mission: "You must dream your highest dreams. You must manifest your highest future. But you must also help humankind to manifest theirs! Be their guide. Their friend."
These words and those that followed were, to me, more than just storytelling. They were encouragement of the highest order. Because of the terrible things he did in the past, Hal still clings to a limited vision of himself, but step by step he is learning to let go of that limitation, to feel deserving of the power and the redemption it can bring. The trick for Hal is to let the goodness inside of him come out. Stigmonus is a terrific foil in this regard because he represents Hal's inner demons personified. He speaks Hal's fears aloud and thus gives Hal an opportunity to combat them.
The expanding role of Hal's niece, Helen, is also intriguing because J.M. has fast-forwarded to show us just how important the adult Helen may or may not be to the future of all humanity. To me, what J.M. is really saying is that we are all Helen -- we all started out innocent and we all make choices everyday that define what sort of a world we want to live in. For good or bad, it's up to us.

Re: THE SPECTRE #8 - it doesn't have to be that way

It seems that every issue of THE SPECTRE contains at least one phrase that perfectly sums up the battle fought within its page. The words that stuck with me after reading issue #8? "To co-create with God."
The fact that Stigmonus could not perceive the paradise that Hal led him to made perfect sense. After all, if Stigmonus could see the goodness all around him, he could no longer serve as the embodiment of all humanity's pain and suffering.
Thus far, Hal's relationship with his niece, Helen, has been used to full effect. Now that her parents are gone, she will most likely take center stage in Hal's life, and no doubt become the embodiment of innocence in Hal's world -- the one who reminds him what all the struggle is about, why he's fighting everyday to become a better, stronger person. She's a terrific creation.
It seems that some of your other readers feel that Hal's battle is "going nowhere", or that he keeps fighting the same inner battle every issue with the same, inevitable, positive outcome. But isn't that what we ourselves do everyday? There are demons in our own thoughts and they can, if we let them, ruin even the most perfect of moments. The battle that Hal is fighting is of paramount importance because J.M. DeMatteis is seeking to show us, through Hal, that it doesn't have to be that way. We can all change the world, if only our vision is strong enough.

Re: THE SPECTRE #9 - which will it be?

In doing what he always does, in writing about the big subjects, J.M. DeMatteis has once again made his work relevant, current, and yet timeless as well, applicable to all human situations. Hal's suffering over the loss of his only remaining family, his rage, his desire to undo even death itself all made very real emotional sense. Yet it was only when Hal saw through his surface rationalizations that he realized the selfishness at the core of his actions, realized that he was focusing solely upon his own needs, his own loss. To my mind it seemed that he had temporarily lost faith in the greater sense of the universe. Only after he took "some time to think" did he then regain himself and begin to truly accept what had occurred. Abin Sur's subsequent decision to stay with Hal was a touching one. As was the final scene showing Hal watching over the blissfully-slumbering Helen.
J.M. has once again successfully put forth the proposition that everything happens for a reason -- and that only through an understanding of ourselves can we begin to grasp the big picture, how we fit in with the world around us, why we live, and why, eventually, we choose to die. It is imperative that we understand this creative power that we all wield. Like Helen's parents, like Abin Sur, we all have the ability to create heaven -- or hell -- here on Earth. It's up to us to choose which it will be.

Re: THE SPECTRE #10 - a wiser, nobler hero

Back in 1994 in LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT #65-68 J.M. DeMatteis told one of the most powerful Joker stories I have ever read. He scripted the Joker not merely as a force of ultimate madness and evil, but as a person -- someone with actual feelings behind his every malevolent act. In defining the characters in his stories J.M. never takes the easy way out. SPECTRE #10 showed us a version of Hal that was perhaps more frightening than Parallax had ever been. At least when he was Parallax, Hal had a method to his madness -- a desire, no matter how twisted, to do good, to set the universe right. But this Jokerized version of Parallax seemed to exist solely to torture Hal, to remind him of the dark side of his nature, his past crimes, and to instill in him the crippling fear that he could all-too-easily become such a hurtful person again. Thankfully, Hal has learned from his past arrogance. He is a wiser, nobler hero now.
Hal's brief journey into "All That Is" pushed him yet another step closer to true understanding, to a world, as Hal said, "where we can all realize that there are no mistakes." Through Hal's struggle J.M. showed us that even the Joker is not a mistake. He exists for a reason, and not just as the devil personified. As Hal did with Parallax, we all create exterior representations of our interior demons. And, as Hal learned, the real trick is in remembering that the evil we encounter is not truly within others, but within ourselves.

Re: THE SPECTRE #11 - mere human beings

The Phantom Stranger is one of my favorite characters in all of comics. J.M. DeMatteis is one of my favorite writers in all of comics. Put the two together and you get a brilliant story like "The Mission" in SPECTRE #11. I was not disappointed.
Through Hal's visits to Webber Morrisey, Arkham Asylum, and Abdulla Khan, we got to see the Spectre at work, making a real difference in people's lives. This is when this comic is at its strongest -- when it is doing nothing more than cataloguing the intricacies of human suffering and offering each of the sufferers the knowledge that they have within themselves the power to change. In today's world I much prefer stories of redemption to those of vengeance.
Power is something we hear a great deal about in the world of comics. Many heroes and villains use their power to try to change the world. But as Hal pointed out to Abdulla Khan, it is only by changing ourselves that we change the world. The very essence of the Spectre's mission is to affect people on an individual level, to help them one by one. That is his power. He can open people's eyes. He can persuade them. But in the end each of the characters had to make a choice, just as each of us has to make a choice everyday as to how we live our lives. We are all responsible for the world's problems, and, like Hal, we must all work toward knowing ourselves and becoming better human beings. Hal doesn't wait around for someone else to save the world. Neither should we.

Re: THE SPECTRE #12 - hope incarnate

Out of all the comics within which one might find a heartwarming Christmas tale, THE SPECTRE seemed the least likely choice. And perhaps that is why J.M.'s tale of childhood wonder rekindled resonated so deeply within me. By experiencing both the best and the worst the season had to offer, Hal was able to use one of Mankind's greatest gifts -- the power of laughter -- to melt the hearts of those frozen in misery and sorrow.
The flashback on page 16 to Hal's most miserable -- and most wonderful -- childhood Christmas offered each of us an opportunity to reflect upon our own joy, or lack thereof, during this most emotionally-magnified time of year.
Although this month's story seemed a great deal more lighthearted than any of J.M.'s previous work on this series, I believe this was just the point: to help us all to see that sometimes, if we can allow for it within ourselves, life can become so much easier, so much freer and rewarding. Sometimes we just need that little reminder, as Hal did this issue, that our own happiness should never be considered too simple a thing to really enjoy.

Re: THE SPECTRE #13 - metaphorical specificity

The title alone -- "Eternity in an Hour" -- sounded awesomely inspiring, pregnant with the sort of storytelling possibilities that a master of the metaphysical like J.M. DeMatteis can't help but explore and then illuminate for the rest of us.
How difficult it is to explain all the levels upon which J.M.'s work touches me -- the deeper truths he uncovers, the notion espoused once again this month that time and space are but representative concepts dreamed up as ways to help us comprehend the reality we've created around ourselves.
All of these mind-boggling truths are a part of J.M.'s work, but they would mean very little without that final, essential ingredient -- the heart and soul he pours into every line, every word. This story was as eloquent in exploring the ways and means of the human heart as any short story I have ever read.
In fact, I would say that a story of this magnitude, this scope, demanded to be told, as it was, on a metaphorical level. And while J.M. skillfully avoided the temptation of including any sort of mundane specificity, he was at the same time always crystal clear in describing the powerful emotions of the participants. The story took place everywhere -- and nowhere. Our imaginations did the work, creating individual interpretations from the framework provided. And that's the way it should be.
Superhero comics are by nature iconic and larger-than-life, but here J.M. doubled this concept back upon itself. He used the Forever Woman's journey as a means to represent all our journeys through life. Like James Cameron's "Titanic", he told an eternal, timeless love story that everyone could understand and relate to. His words spoke to the essence of every human heart -- our boundless capacity for joy, for giving, for evolution.
SPECTRE #13 was a masterpiece and an inspiration, and I thank J.M., Ryan, and all those involved in its creation. Here's to hoping that the worlds we all imagine for ourselves are as vivid and as enriching as those realized every month within these pages.

Re: THE SPECTRE #14 - a ways to go

Like the previous issue, THE SPECTRE #14 represented a real departure from all that had come before it. J.M. DeMatteis and artist Craig Hamilton used to full effect the storytelling tools that only comic books possess -- the haunting, ethereal quality of page 1, repeated again on page 17; the succession of images drawing us in on page 3, pushing us away on page 5; the tiny recap on page 16 -- a visual synopsis just prior to the story's climatic moment. All throughout "The Silver Room" the 9-panel grids were effective in making us feel the trapped, static, and repetitive nature of Jonah's existence, then widening into the liberation he experienced on pages 18-21. In this way, the art really brought to life the emotional arc of the story.
The Spectre, relegated to guest star status, did not, for once, act out of doubt, nor drown himself in endless questions of self, as he had in earlier issues. At first it seemed a glimpse into the future, to a time when Hal would conduct himself with more confidence, be more comfortable in his own skin. For a time he was truly and solely an instrument of redemption for Jonah.
Yet I can't help but feel that the return to the grid on page 22 and the expression on Hal's face in panel 4 were somehow meant to convey, in a very subtle way, his ongoing sadness. As is almost always the case in life, Hal was giving advice to Jonah that he himself would do well to heed. The way the ending was structured was as if to say that, yes, Jonah had been liberated from his self-made prison, but perhaps Hal feels, in this particular regard, that he himself still has a ways to go.
Then again, don't we all?

Re: THE SPECTRE #15 - the most real

Not unlike Mr. DeMatteis I believe that the next evolutionary step for Mankind will be a metaphysical one, and so I was thrilled with THE SPECTRE #15, particularly Hal's conversation with Helen on pages 7 and 8 wherein J.M. boils it down to a remarkably simple formula: "Each of us is a part of everything and, yet, at the same time, we are everything."
The "army of lunatic Spectres", as Abin called them, was yet another of J.M.'s clever storytelling turns. It just made so much sense who they were, how they'd been corrupted, and how very imperative it was for Hal to reclaim them as the undeniable part of himself they represent. The soul mirrors, the division of Hal's consciousness, all were used to maximum advantage, as was the appropriately moody art of Mr. Breyfogle, whose figures are always slanting and flowing, reaching off the page, just "solid" enough to be human, but not, as J.M. might say, "trapped in their forms."
As was the case with the crystalline beings, most everything in this comic is a manifestation, a collective memory, every language is musical, all is transmutation and transfiguration, energy and thought-emotion, higher planes and psychic battles. Every story explores far beneath the surface and encourages the reader to draw intimate connections between Hal's struggles and our own.
All of this reminds me once again of the true service that Mr. DeMatteis provides for his readers -- expanding our minds. Hardly any of Hal's reality is real, yet all of his illusions are. This forever twisting, turning, intermingling of dream and reality makes them nearly indistinguishable, and I believe this is one of J.M.'s main messages -- that everything we experience is only as real as a dream, and yet our dreams are, in fact, where we feel the most real.

Re: THE SPECTRE #16 - upon metaphysical organs draped

Hal's assertion in SPECTRE #16 -- "I have changed! I don't have to solve problems with my fists anymore! Not when I have other ways!" -- spelled out for me what this comic is all about: the examination of a super-hero, a noble soul, in transition from the standard old beat-up-the-bad-guys routine into something more evolved. Hal, as the Spectre, inspires me every bit as much as when he was Green Lantern, only now it is Hal's inner struggle that I respect and admire and relate to my own.
Hal's visit to the energy planet further defined what his life is currently all about -- expanding his consciousness, coming to understand that his soul is not just some metaphysical organ stuck inside his chest, but is instead his true self, his essence, and that his physical form is merely draped upon this essential being to give "the psychological and emotional reassurance that the illusion of form provides," as his guide told him on page 8.
It's interesting to note that from the heroic perspective we're used to, the energy beings' refusal to aid Hal could be seen as uncaring or self-involved or even cowardly, but perhaps it is merely the case that they are evolved so far beyond the need for struggle that it is Hal's behavior which is a disappointment to them, his need to still participate in such foolish conflict.
There is no doubt in my mind that this story is one of the most important that J.M. has ever told, because it speaks through Hal of the evolution of our entire species into a golden age of our own making, and more importantly assures us that unlike the course of human history to this very day, this new evolution need not involve suffering or violence or destruction. All it really takes is a change of heart.

Re: THE SPECTRE #17 - new age, new methods

"For a New Age -- there had to be new methods!"
These words, proclaimed by Hal in SPECTRE #17 meant a great deal to me. It seems that Hal is learning the most important lesson of peace -- that it cannot be achieved through war or violence of any kind, that it cannot be achieved at all until each individual is ready to accept it into themselves.
The way in which Hal on pages 12-16 shed his fear of reprisals from the Quoex and demonstrated his faith was truly inspirational. He was willing to be struck down, willing to sacrifice himself, although he knew that if his faith was strong enough this would not be necessary. For Hal it was prayer that opened the doorway, not just to a new galaxy, but to himself.
Here we had a wonderful example, beautifully illustrated, of what Hal wishes for our own world -- an inner transformation, the ushering in of a new Golden Age in which everyone would share the gift of that "latent, untapped energy" that Hal experienced by becoming one with his greater self.
Here's hoping that the day will soon come when we'll all have earned such a reward for our faith in life, in each other, and in ourselves.

Re: THE SPECTRE #18 - accumulated diversity

SPECTRE #18 gave us two narratives, equally interesting, carefully balanced, but essentially telling different aspects of the same story -- Abin Sur's journey back into the universe as we know it, and Helen's first supervised journey out of it.
Materna Minxx -- a cosmic Mary Poppins who's somehow gotten hold of Aladdin's flying carpet -- made an important point when she instructed Helen: "You're trying to understand this realm instead of becoming it." By traveling into the heart of the sun, or as Materna put it, the "far more subtle and elegant layers of being and seeing," Helen began to see the difference between the material universe, science as we understand it, and all that exists just beneath our notice. Although Materna joked about Helen becoming "one with the universe," that is essentially where the journey is taking her -- toward the perception of herself as both an individual and as part of a greater whole.
Abin Sur's journey brought him to exactly the same truth, only along a different path. His attempts to deny, on page 7 and again on page 16, the truth of his existence made perfect sense given the enormity of the concepts he was facing. Reincarnation, "descending into form," Karamm-Jeev -- do any of us really wish to consider the possibility that our lives here are only a small fraction of our true selves? Abin was afraid he would lose his identity, and it took the wisdom of all his accumulated lifetimes to convince him otherwise. It was only after he was confronted with the wonder and diverse joy of his many selves that Abin's fear vanished and he was able to finally surrender who he was today in order to become who he will be tomorrow.
The tear Helen shed in her sleep, the change in her blissful expression, provided Abin with a touching farewell to his current life, as did the final scene with Munni Jah and Ruch Ehr, giving Abin a new and beautiful way to forever bond with two of his closest friends. His rebirth on page 22 as Lagzia completed the cycle we saw on pages 10 and 18 -- one into many, many into one -- showing us that we, like Abin and Helen, are all very much alike, if we're willing to look beneath the surface.

Re: THE SPECTRE #19 - freedom and its horrors

I was a tremendous fan of John Ostrander's work on the previous Spectre series, so I was glad to welcome him back, particularly with a story as morally complex and psychologically interesting as "The Equations of Light and Darkness."
The idea that Darkseid is a necessary evil, a balancing force in the cosmos has been suggested many times before, but rarely has Darkseid's position been so well elucidated. That he cannot allow hope to exist in any form on Apokolips makes sense, of course, but the part I found truly fascinating was the way in which he twisted what would otherwise be considered an act of mercy and forgiveness toward the girl, Anomalie, into what seemed through his eyes a fate worse than death. The phrase "freedom and all its horrors" was a chilling exclamation point in regard to Darkseid's views about our "squalid planet."
It was also a nice reversal to have Anomalie's ability to create such extraordinary beauty be the reason she felt so useless in Darkseid's ugly world. I thought it a bit depressing, however, showing only the "dark side" of her life on Earth -- a life where we humans appear no more accepting of her gift than those on Apokolips. I hope that this was merely Darkseid's version of her future -- all struggle and no reward -- but I would've preferred a more positive statement by Hal to refute those images on page 21, something to tip the scales on the side of personal achievement, rather than leaving us with the notion that the universe makes us all feel small and powerless and thereby equal.

Re: THE SPECTRE #20 - heaven in front of us

As someone who has, these past few months, watched nearly every episode of Rod Serling's "Twilight Zone", I have to tell you that "My Perfect Life" in SPECTRE #20 was every bit as brilliant and compelling as any of those black-and-white masterpieces.
Robert Carol's plight -- trapped in circumstances he can't control or comprehend, trying to decipher the shifting realities only to discover in the end that it was he himself who had created the situation for a very specific purpose -- is one that many Serling protagonists have faced. In this case J.M. DeMatteis gave us a man whose self-imposed inability to recognize his own death represented his unwillingness to move on, his fear that this life was the only one he would ever have. I found it very comforting the way Hal explained to him that "all the universe is a dream... it's just that most of us don't realize it."
Even though, to those left behind, it may seem as if Robert's life ended in tragedy, he himself is shown the deeper truths of his existence, thus proving that no one's life is irredeemable (just ask Hal). It didn't matter that Robert was born poor, that his mother died and his father was abusive, that he himself gave in to alcoholism and lost his family. Hal showed him that these were mere obstacles and that he did in fact overcome them, that all his struggles were not in vain.
"We think we're limited... we think we're lonely" -- I could quote nearly every line on the last few pages, but the real message, I think, is that we should all enjoy the time we have and not worry about what comes after -- that, like Hal, our work right now is here on Earth, and our heaven is always right there in front of us, just waiting for us to find it.

Re: THE SPECTRE #21 - an unnatural happiness

When a man wants to feel despair, as Hal so obviously did at the beginning of THE SPECTRE #21, it is easy for him to callously and bitterly disregard the joy of those around him. Trapped in his present form, Hal seems to be concentrating only upon what he has lost, feeling sorry for himself, and denying the opportunity which exists for joy within each moment.
Playing the role of the jealous ex-boyfriend rendered Hal entirely susceptible to "the perfect life" he was then offered with Carol. Too many times when our heroes are shown in these situations, their reasons for denying themselves this better life make little sense. They struggle against what seems to them an unnatural happiness, and they are always all too relieved to be thrown out of paradise as a result. The idea that Hal gave himself over so willingly and so completely, praying that nothing would ever change, felt to me like a much more human response, seeking, as it were, a mind-numbing bliss, and never realizing, as Hal no doubt eventually will, that such bliss can never be attained from an outside source, but only through one's own internal manifestation of it.

Re: THE SPECTRE #22 - collapsing hatred, unfolding joy

By showing us, in the beginning of THE SPECTRE #22, Hal's life as it might have been, and then having Stigmonus remind us that all our lives are merely dreams unraveling, J.M. DeMatteis set the stage for what would be, as the cover implied, a dizzying descent through layer after layer of the dream, each reality shifting yet maintaining just enough inner truth to explain and to justify both its existence and Hal's participation in it.
I was pleased to see Hal clinging so steadfastly, for yet another entire issue, to the love he once shared/could still share with Carol. With Hal so distantly removed from "real" events, this story is really more Stigmonus's, providing us with disturbing insight into his nihilistic perspective, although I do believe that even this will, as Stigmonus himself said of Hal's fantasy, "collapse on its own soon enough." As we've witnessed in the past with both Hal and Sinestro, hatred burns out its receptacle at an amazing speed. Only joy is self-sustaining.

Re: THE SPECTRE #23 - a true transformation

The rather mind-blowing events witnessed in THE SPECTRE #23 both suggested and reinforced concepts that J.M. DeMatteis has spoken of many times in the past in his work, yet took them in new ever-expanding directions, most notably Stigmonus's insistence that the "dream Hal" was living in a holographic universe, which, by story's end, was shown to be quite indistinguishable from our own.
It's one thing for comic book and science fiction authors to write about holograms being used as entertainment or as a new type of menace gone out of control, but when one begins to consider, as J.M. obviously has, the bigger picture, as it were, holograms take on a whole new significance. They are, in essence, thought and energy given form. Who is to say that we ourselves are any different?
On one level it is easy to claim that Stigmonus was doing nothing more than playing games with Hal and with Materna and with the readers, too, through his monologues, but there was far too much truth in some of his statements -- "Longing is the key to creation" -- for them to be dismissed so out of hand.
In much the same way that Stigmonus was venting his seesawing emotions upon Materna, Hal's battle with Sinestro allowed him the opportunity to at last shout out loud some of his own pain and confusion to someone who was actually there in the old days, the anti-GL, the man who went wrong long before Hal's own fall from grace. If Sinestro was indeed "cosmic spite" wrapped up in a "convenient container", then Hal must in turn be thought of as "cosmic compassion". In the end Sinestro was not beaten with force of will or even with kindness. In fact, he was not beaten at all, but instead forced to confront something that was for him infinitely more painful than losing in battle -- that is, the inevitability of his own redemption.
After Hal said to Stigmonus in their final scene together, "I can feel how much your heart breaks for this world" it has now become for me clearer than ever what J.M.'s true purpose has been for Hal's character -- not merely redemption for all of his horrible crimes against others and against himself, but rather a true transformation into a man of understanding and almost-unfathomable kindness -- a man representative of Humanity's future.

Re: THE SPECTRE #24 - imagining heaven

What THE SPECTRE #24 lacked in seriousness, it made up for in character development, particularly in the way the story was told from Helen's perspective. Although the old I-forgot-your-birthday-SURPRISE! trick was employed, it was done so sincerely, and Helen's reaction to the Justice League, and to Ollie in particular, was priceless.
It was quite startling to see Materna call Diana's beliefs "separative, sexist nonsense". This was a good reminder for all of us that life is not about taking sides, but rather about embracing your individuality, even as you live among others.
The scene that followed, where Superman gave Helen the wooden dolls he made, was without a doubt one of the most powerful to appear in this comic, maybe because it was so personal for so many of us who played with (or still play with) these "action figures", and through them live out the adventures in our own heads.
If heaven is, as Zauriel said, "Not a place... but a state of being", then I'd say that books like this, which open the imagination and free the spirit, will be the ones that help get us there.

Re: THE SPECTRE #25 - a more humane perspective

Sometimes the hardest stories to tell are those which would invoke from us sympathy for those who are entirely unsympathetic. But that is exactly what J.M. DeMatteis set out to do with "Crime & Punishment" in THE SPECTRE #26.
Miklos Karis could, by another man's definition, be considered a victim. However, our protagonist in this story, Agent Franco, made it very clear right from the start where she stood on that subject -- "Maybe a thousand other people could have had that treatment and come out docile as puppies. Maybe there was something in Karis's own psyche that made him a monster."
It is only after Karis is cured and transformed into "the world's most adorable mass murderer" -- and after the question of his responsibility for his actions is raised and then defeated by Karis himself -- that Agent Franco is at last moved to doubt her position on his monstrosity.
It was clear that, for her, the truth -- that Karis's soul chose this path "lifetimes ago" -- was crippling to behold. But the point, I think, is that it set her upon her own path to personal enlightenment and a broader, more human(e) perspective.

Re: THE SPECTRE #26 - enabling belief

It was quite fitting that for the penultimate issue of this magazine J.M. DeMatteis presented us with a tale of personal redemption that was among the most powerful he has told in these pages.
"The Path" gave us Abdulla Khan -- a man who had committed reprehensible acts, then paid for them, then moved beyond all of that to a place where he understood a truer existence and the value of embracing life, the inner rewards achieved when one can "Let the god within guide your actions", as Hal told him.
Awaiting every man of peace are those moments which try his soul, and Khan's fate was no different. It was a powerful scene that unfolded at that school, not because of the terrorists or the threat of death that hung over it all, but because of the humanity present, the simple truths spoken by those in the audience who found the courage to enable their beliefs. It was immensely satisfying to see The Spectre's gift to them -- revealing himself in all his celestial glory -- achieve its intended effect: to inspire all those who witnessed it and to provide them with the means to inspire others.

Re: THE SPECTRE #27 - one soul at a time

"To question the need for suffering -- no matter how lofty its purpose."
Out of all the beautiful words written in THE SPECTRE #27, these were the ones that echoed most deeply within me. I've been amazed and humbled by J.M. DeMatteis's stories, his perspectives and realizations, so many of which mirror my own, and it is only fitting that here, at "the beginning of the beginning", he should present to us the core idea of what this title has been all about.
As Hal reviewed his journey through life and death and the afterlife, he kept coming back around to the same troubling notion of his own unworthiness, not to be The Spectre, but simply to be. His struggles to view himself as a true parent for Helen were no different than his struggles to believe he was worthy of the gifts he had been given, either as GL or as The Spirit of Redemption. In order to help others, Hal has had to first find the faith within to help himself.
It was very clear that, although J.M. was speaking through Hal, his message was intended directly for us -- "Make the choice. Shape the dream." And so we shall.
Here's hoping that we all call forth the best universes we could ever imagine....

For a complete list of Hal Jordan appearances,
click [here]
and for Parallax appearances [here]

Also, vist this page on the history of the Jordan family

 


The Future of Hal? (circa 2004 - ?)


What lies in store for one of the most tragic characters in history. One so beloved, a group of fans formed an Internet fanclub known as H.E.A.T. (Hal's Emerald Advancement Team) and voiced their opinions and desires (not to mention do charitable things as well) and hang on to a dream for ten long years, not ever giving up on their hero. Rumors are spreading Hal's return is inevitable and may actually happen in 2004 under the watchful eye of new Green Lantern editor, Peter Tomasi and an overhaul on Green Lantern is in the works for 2004. Several trade paperbacks, toys, statues and props have been coming fast an furious on all things Hal Jordan, not to mention the New Frontiers coming this year by Darwyn Cooke, painting Hal as a true hero, not tarnished by Emerald Twilight. Stick around all you Hal fans, as 2004 may finally be our year!


^^^ Refresh your page for a cool animation! ^^^

UPDATE!!

Well, most of us now know the news of Green Lantern: Rebirth coming this October and Hal's new series after that starting in May, 2005. Hal is back! All new adventures by the very talented Geoff Johns plans on taking Hal to new and exciting missions! So sit back and enjoy the new era of Green Lantern that promises to make GL the third best selling franchise at DC!

Rebirth
In 2005, DC finally brought back Hal Jordan as the "star" Green Lantern of Earth, and redeemed his image with the miniseries Green Lantern: Rebirth, written by Geoff Johns, and pencilled by Ethan Van Sciver, in which it was revealed that Parallax was actually an ancient demonic parasitic entity dating back to the dawn of time, that actually was the sentient embodiment of fear, and which traveled from world to world, feeding off the fear of sentient beings, and causing entire civilizations to destroy themselves out of paranoia.

It was this creature, yellow in color, which the Guardians of the Universe imprisoned within the central Power Battery on Oa using fear's opposite energy, willpower. Parallax had lain dormant for billions of years, his true nature covered up by the Guardians to prevent anyone from trying to free it, and thus, it had eventually come to be referred to as simply "the yellow impurity." This was the reason why the rings were useless against the color yellow: Parallax weakened its power over the corresponding spectrum, and hence only someone capable of overcoming great fear could master the power ring. When the renegade Sinestro was later imprisoned in the Power Battery himself, his Qwardian yellow power ring tapped into Parallax's power and awakened it, allowing it to reach out to Hal Jordan through Jordan's own ring when Jordan was at his weakest, spending years influencing him, causing him increasing self-doubt, and even causing his hair to turn white at the temples. Parallax's control over Jordan exploded with Jordan's grief over the destruction of Coast City, and it was Parallax who was responsible for Jordan's subsequent murderous activity, his apparent killing of Sinestro (which was later revealed to be an illusion on Sinestro's part, created as the final stage of Jordan's susceptibility to the impurity in order to break his will), and Jordan's destruction of the Central Battery, which allowed Parallax to graft itself onto Jordan's soul.

It was because Parallax was now free that Kyle Rayner's own ring did not have any weakness against yellow, and the Spectre explained to Jordan that it drew in Jordan's soul in hopes of eradicating the parasitic Parallax from it. The Spirit of Vengeance eventually removed Parallax from Jordan's soul, and itself from Jordan, departing in order to move onto the next recipient of the Spirit, while Ganthet guided Jordan's soul back to his own body, which Ganthet had preserved after Jordan reignited the Sun during Final Night.

His soul and thoughts finally clear for the first time in a long time, Jordan was resurrected as a mortal human again, once again taking his place as a Green Lantern, the white portions of his hair even restored to their original brown. He fought Sinestro, who revealed himself as alive for the first time since his faked death, forcing the renegade to retreat back into the antimatter universe. Together, Jordan, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, Guy Gardner and Kilowog freed Ganthet, whom Parallax had possessed after his expulsion from Jordan's soul, and imprisoned the parasite back in the Central Power Battery on Oa. Despite this re-introduction of the "yellow impurity", however, it is important to note that the power rings' weakness against yellow no longer applies, as experienced wielders are now able to consciously recognize its source, and overcome the fear associated.

DC Comics subsequently began a new Green Lantern starting with issue #1 (July 2005), with Hal Jordan once again the focal Green Lantern of the book. Trying to rebuild his life, Hal Jordan has moved to the almost deserted Coast City, which is slowly being reconstructed. 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.

In his new title, he has faced revamped versions of his Silver Age foes Hector Hammond, The Shark and Black Hand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Jordan

Parallax, Green Lantern, Spectre and other references to that are copyrighted © 2006 to DC Comics and are used without permission.
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