Hal Jordan

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Lore & Background

Hal Jordan's history is marked by profound tragedy and redemption. In the early 1980s, he was exiled to space by the Guardians for focusing too much on Earth, leading him to resign from the Corps upon his return. The defining moment of his career arrived in the 1993 'Reign of the Supermen!' storyline when Mongul destroyed Coast City, killing seven million inhabitants. Overcome with grief, Jordan attempted to recreate the city using his ring. When admonished by a Guardian projection for this misuse of power, he absorbed its energy, went insane, and attacked Oa. He defeated Kilowog and Sinestro, killed most of the Green Lantern Corps, and seized the Central Power Battery, becoming the villain Parallax. It was later revealed that an evil cosmic entity had corrupted him. Between his time as Parallax and his return to being a Green Lantern, he briefly served as the Spectre, an agent of God embodying divine wrath.

In Their Own Story

The destruction of Coast City shattered Hal Jordan's world. With seven million people dead and his hometown reduced to rubble, the former test pilot flew to Engine City, confronting Mongul and knocking him out with Steel's hammer. His grief drove him to attempt recreating Coast City as an instrument to overcome his loss, conversing with ring-created versions of his parents and old girlfriend. When his power expired, a Guardian projection appeared, accusing him of using the ring for personal gain. Angered by what he perceived as the Guardians' callousness, Jordan absorbed the energy from the projection, attacked Oa, and severely injured several Corps members. He took their rings, left them to die in space, killed Kilowog and Sinestro, and watched as the Guardians committed suicide to pool their life force into Ganthet. Renouncing his life as a hero, he adopted the name Parallax. Guy Gardner later investigated Oa with allies like Martian Manhunter and Wonder Woman but was easily defeated by Jordan and left in a coma.

Reader's Guide

To understand Hal Jordan, one must trace his evolution from Silver Age creation to modern icon. He debuted in Showcase #22 (October 1959), created by John Broome and Gil Kane, who drew visual inspiration for the character from actor Paul Newman. His early years featured a core creative team including Julius Schwartz, Gardner Fox, and Neal Adams. In issue #76 (April 1970), Dennis O'Neil took over scripting to create socially conscious stories with Green Arrow, tackling racism and sexism. Later, in issues #151–#172 (1982–1984), Jordan was exiled for a year before resigning. The 1990s saw his transformation into Parallax following the Emerald Twilight arc, followed by his brief tenure as the Spectre. In 2012, DC editors confirmed he is Jewish. His romantic life centers on Carol Ferris, who has also served as his enemy Star Sapphire. Other key villains include Hector Hammond and his former mentor Sinestro.

Did You Know?

• Hal Jordan was visually inspired by Hollywood actor Paul Newman.
• In 2012, DC editors revealed that Hal Jordan is Jewish.
• He briefly served as the Spectre, an agent of God and embodiment of divine wrath.
• His first live-action appearance was in the 1978 television special Legends of the Superheroes, played by Howard Murphy.
• The character's origin was re-told and expanded in two limited series titled Emerald Dawn and Emerald Dawn II.