The death of Hal Jordan: In retrospective

[thelazyreader]

Following Emerald Twilight, Hal Jordan became a recurring DC villain, gradually diminishing in the magnitute of threat, until he redeemed himself in the end by dying to reignite the Sun in The Final Night. Fans are still divided as to whether it was a fitting send-off for his character. Here are the scans:



When the JLA, the Titans, and the Legion's combined efforts to stop the Sun Eater seem doomed to failure, Kyle Rayner goes to the one person he believes can save them.

Hal, having finally dealt with Hank Henshaw, is left with no purpose and no future to return to. He contemplates sealing himself within the Source Wall when Kyle shows up.



Before he makes his decision, he meets some old friends and settles his affairs.

-Guy Gardner




-John Stewart




-Oliver Queen



-Tom Kalmaku



-Carol Ferris





-And Ganthet




And he makes his decision.



Meanwhile, Lex Luthor and Brainiac 5 from the Legion have devised a scheme that will stop the Sun Eater. However this will require someone to pilot a spacecraft into the sun, a suicide mission for anyone but Superman, who is currently powerless. Ferro Lad sneaks on board, knowing fully well he won't return.




And the crowning moment of this story,







And dawn arrives.



And the whole world celebrates. Afterwards Batman and Superman contemplate Hal's final deed.



Thus ended the saga of Hal Jordan(until Rebirth). This wasn't one of DC's best stories, but I loved Hal's final moments and the dialogue that led up to it. It's a pity writers never realised the full potential of his fall, death and redemption and ended up having to push the reset button and revert him to Green Lantern.

 

Comments

[freezer]

And Batman continues to be an ass. He could have said something to make Supes feel better, even if Bats hated Hal.

Funny - I was 100% with Bats. Even as Hal was preparing himself, he's all "You don't understaaaaand!" He sounded uncomfortably like Tony "Iron Dick" Stark there.

Then again, I always thought Hal was something of a narcissistic douche.

[icon_uk]

Agreed, I think he loses me with the bit

"Yes, what I did was wrong, how hard do you think it's been for me to accept that?"

Frankly Hal, I don't care how tough it was for you. I'd care more for the people whose deaths you caused.

And

"I thought I could fix everything when it was over, but no one understood that"

is just plain.... whiny.

[starwolf_oakley]

"Yes, going on a murderous rampage was very wrong of me. Boy is my face red."

It is still strange to me that everyone Parallax!Hal killed (either directly or by taking a GL ring and leaving the owner in the vacuum of space) were just Not Dead! after REBIRTH.

[thelazyreader]

Most ridiculous of all his how the Sinestro who was imprisoned in a disembodied state in the GL central battery and had his neck broken by Hal somehow happened to be a robot. Geoff left a great many plot holes in his eagerness to return to the status quo.