Warning: contains spoilers for Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #3!
The world may wish to forget that Green Lantern Hal Jordan was once a mass murderer, but now even DC Comics is reminding fans of this very fact.
As the Great Darkness lays siege to the DC Universe in the pages of the ongoing Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Green Lantern Corps led by Hal Jordan is mounting a massive offensive. But military strength aside, Hal is shaken from his mission when Pariah reminds him (and readers) of the infamous rise of Parallax... the cosmic-level villain Hal Jordan became shortly before wiping out the Corps and nearly destroying the universe.
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Inspired by 1992’s The Death of Superman, DC Comics began shaking up the status quo of their iconic characters, including Green Lantern. In 1994’s Emerald Twilight, Hal Jordan, consumed by his grief over the destruction of Coast City, destroyed both the Green Lantern Corps and the Guardians. A few months later, Jordan, now calling himself “Parallax,†stood revealed as the ultimate villain in Zero Hour: Crisis in Time. Two years later Jordan would redeem himself by sacrificing his life to save Earth in The Final Night (finally becoming the Spectre’s host before returning to his former glory in 2004’s Green Lantern: Rebirth).
That mini-series revealed Hal had been under the influence of an evil entity known as Parallax. While this may have absolved Hal of his misdeeds, the fact remains he was once an instrument of murder and chaos–and DC reminds fans of that fact in Dark Crisis #3, written by Joshua Williamson, illustrated by Daniel Sampere, inked by Sampere, Daniel Henriques and Danny Miki, colored by Alejandro Sanchez and lettered by Tom Napolitano.
Although Pariah does not call out the “lengths†Jordan went to specifically when facing off in the issue, long-time Green Lantern fans know exactly the events he is referring to: Jordan’s actions in both Emerald Twilight and Zero Hour. Both of these events led to many deaths, and in the case of Zero Hour, certain histories to be rewritten. While Jordan’s actions have not been forgotten, and still haunt him, they are not brought up as much, and it can be tempting to forget they ever happened. The Green Lantern Corps would eventually return, thanks in part to the efforts of Hal Jordan, bringing his redemption full circle.
Despite this, Green Lantern Hal Jordan’s time as the mass murdering Parallax is still very much a part of who he is, and DC reminds fans of this fact, proving that he will continue to be haunted by it for years to come.
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