Lights Out For Green Lantern

The Green Lantern Corps is an interstellar army of enforcers who use their light-shaping Power Rings and the emotion of willpower to stop crime across the universe. Arguably, one of the greatest Green Lanterns is Hal Jordan, former pilot of planet Earth. With an army of strong willed space-cops patrolling the cosmos, who could possibly pose a threat? Oh, Hal Jordan. Wait, what?

It was in 1994 DC Comics wanted a new Green Lantern to take the lime light of this new era of comic books. So, writer Ron Marz came up with a story to not only decommission current Lantern Hal Jordan, but to also give the new Lantern Kyle Rayner a fresh start. "Emerald Twilight" began with the alien villain Mongul, lord of the gladiatorial planet Warworld. Mongul wanted to turn Earth into his new Warworld, but to do so he needed to make room for an engine. With the help of Cyborg Superman-Superman's cybernetic duplicate who's backstory is too complicated to go over-Mongul successfully destroys Hal Jordan's home of Coast City, killing everyone Hal had loved and cared about. In his furious rage, Hal defeats Mongul as the voices of Coast City's residents haunt Hal's mind. Hal stands in the center of what used to be his home and, using his Power Ring, recreates Coast City and all it's residents out of solid light. This imitation came crashing down as the leaders of the Green Lanterns-The Guardians-cut off power to the ring. They stated it was against the rules to use the Power Rings for personal gain. Hal finally cracks, flying to the Lantern's planet Oa, killing every Green Lantern, draining the Central Power Battery, destroying Oa and leaving only one Guardian alive. Unknown to him, Hal had previously become possessed by the entity of fear Parallax after Mongul drove Hal into insanity. Taking on the name of his possessor, Hal became the last Green Lantern and one of the DC universe's greatest villains. The surviving Guardian would seek out an artist named Kyle Rayner and make him the true remaining Green Lantern. Some time later after various crimes against the universe, Hal Jordan/Parallax would sacrifice himself to keep the Sun from exploding. He was buried a hero. As comics tend to do, Hal and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps were resurrected.

I feel this story was defiantly a bold move on DC's part. Not only did they turn one of their oldest heroes into a villain, but they also killed off an entire supporting cast of interesting characters. Obviously, this move was rectified, but remaining was a tale of how easily a hero could break. Of how but one man would attempt to avenge an entire planet of heroes. Of how redemption is not given, it is earned. Thanks for reading.