Hal Jordan

Background

Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds) in "Green Lantern"

A DC Comic superhero who has appeared in comics, television shows, and movies. Although Hal Jordan is widely considered to synonymous as his costumed alter ego of Green Lantern; he is actually the second comic book character to adopt the moniker.

His predecessor, Alan Scott was created during the Golden Age of Comics in the 1940s by Martin Nodell. Scott gained possession of a magical lantern that burned with green flames and crafted a small ring from this green lantern that gave him an astonishing powers and based his namesake after it. Scott later joined the Justice Society of America alongside such greats as Superman and Batman.

With the decline of superheroes post-World War II, Green Lantern like so many others simply disappeared. Hal Jordan was part of the next wave of superheroes to emerge in the Silver Age in Showcase #22 (October 1959) and due to the popularity of science fiction and the beginning of the space race, was given a more sci-fi origin by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane.

Hal Jordan was a test pilot for Ferris Aircraft. He is cocky and self assured that his action are the right way of doing things. He eventually comes across the remnants of a space ship with a dying Abin Sur who gives him his ring inducting him into the Green Lantern Corps; a intergalactic peace keeping organization which patrols 3,600 space sectors. Each Sector is protected by one Lantern who is given a Power Ring which can be charged by their personal lantern battery which is in turn, empowered by the Central Power Battery on Oa. Each Ring is programmed to only seek out those with enormous willpower and a high level of morality.

Considered to be the most powerful weapon in the universe, the Green Lantern Ring can effectively do anything that the wielder can imagine; providing that the wielder has the willpower to do so. It can shield the wielder from the vacuum of space, translate virtually all known languages in the galaxy, enable travel at beyond the speed of light, and create solid-plasma constructs. The one known vulnerability of the Green Lantern Ring is a vulnerability to the color yellow; a flaw that was deliberately created by its creators to prevent the Corps from becoming too powerful.

Hal Jordan has since become regarded as the greatest Green Lantern of them all; an honor that was once held by Sinestro who helped mentor and train Jordan. However Hal discovered that Sinestro had become corrupted by his power and had become a tyrant in his Sector, forcing his expulsion.

He continues to balance his responsibilities as a member of the Green Lantern Corps and his life as Hal Jordan. Green Lantern continues to remain a major figure in DC comics and media.

He is best known for his famous oath; "In Brightest Day, in Blackest Night; I Shall Let No Evil Escape My Sight; Let Those Who Worship Evil's Might; Beware My Power, Green Lantern's Light!"

Major Plots

Movies

Justice League: The New Frontier

New Frontier is Hal Jordan first appearance in DC's animated movies, voiced by David Boreanaz. Hal joins up with DC's other big three Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman; in an alternate history of the Justice League were the heroes must pull together to battle an alien menace during the Cold War, taking place from 1953-1961.

Hal Jordan was a former fighter pilot who flew during the Korean War. He loved to fly but hated killing; utilizing his superior piloting skills he was able to outfly the enemy fighters. When he was shot down at the end of the conflict, he was forced to kill a Korean soldier in self-defense; who Hal suspected had no idea that the war was even over. Guilt stricken, he suffered a nervous breakdown and had to be placed in a mental hospital for several months.

Hal later becomes a test pilot for a space ship intended to fly to Mars which suffers a critical malfunction on it's initial flight which explodes and also critically injures Abin Sur, the Green Lantern of Sector 2814 who had sensed the growing threat of the Centre. Hal is bestowed with a dying Abin's ring and charged with defeating the Centre. Due to the ring's weakness against yellow, Hal was forced to pilot a ship inside the Centre itself and attack it from the inside, playing a critical role in saving the world.

Green Lantern: First Flight

Hal Jordan in Green Lantern: First Flight

First Flight tells the story of test pilot Hal Jordan, who is voiced by Christopher Meloni. He is chosen by a dying member of the Green Lantern Corps, Abin Sur, to become Earth's own Green Lantern.

After Hal Jordan was summoned before the Guardians of the Universe for training; he is assigned to veteran Green Lantern Sinestro to be taught how to use the ring. Sinestro proclaims that he is impressed with Jordan's impetuous and contempt of the Guardians' authority.

Jordan finds that Sinestro has been tasked with completing Abin Sur's last assignment that led to his death; tracking down Kanjar Ro. Eons ago, after the construction of the Green Lantern Main Battery, the Guardians of the Universe had secreted the Yellow Element in an alternate universe for protection as the Yellow Element was the only energy that could negate the energy of the Green Element which is the power source of the Main Battery.

However, Sinestro isn't all he seems to be and wants to overthrow the Guardians and use the Yellow Element that the Guardians had previously locked away for his own evil purposes and frames Jordan for murdering Kanjar Ro, causing the Guardians to relieve him of his duties and his Green Lantern Power Ring.

While Sinestro outfits himself with a Yellow Power Ring powered by the Yellow Element, Jordan is able to prove his innocence only to find Oa under assault by Sinestro and after a long and protracted struggle, is able to vanquish the corrupt Sinestro and saving the Guardians of the Universe.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Worlds

Hal Jordan as a member of the Justice League must liberate an alternate-dimension Earth which has been overtaken by evil versions of themselves.

Green Lantern: Emerald Knights

Unlike First Flight which focused mainly on the origin of Hal Jordan, Green Lantern: Emerald Knights is an anthology film weaving six interlocking stories of the Green Lantern Corps' mythology around preparations for an attack by an ancient enemy.

Green Lantern

Teaser Banner

Hal Jordan will make his first live action debut in Warner Bros. 2011 summer blockbuster Green Lantern. This Green lantern movie is based on the DC Comics character created by John Broome and Gil Kane back in the Silver Age of Comic Books. The film follows Hal Jordan ( Ryan Reynolds ), Carol Ferris ( Blake Lively ), Sinestro ( Mark Strong ) and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps as they struggle to fight against a new enemy called Parallax that threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe.

Television

Green Lantern: The Animated Series

Green Lantern: The Animated Series Poster

Set to air in November 2011, with a mostly new voice cast; Michael Clarke Duncan is set to reprise his role as Kilowog and Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett) will reprise his role as Abin Sur (presumably for just one episode. This new animated series is prof that Warner Bros investment in the Green Lantern franchise is growing at a rapid pace over this past year.

Justice League

In the only appearance by Hal Jordan in the DCAU, In The Once and Future Things: Part II, when time becomes fluid John Stewart turns into Hal Jordan. When this happens Hal Jordan introduces himself as if nothing has happened much to the shock of the other members, later he reverts back to John Stewart. Hal Jordan was voiced by Adam Baldwin.

The Batman

Hal Jordan appears in the fourth season finale entitled "The Joining." His appearance is only a non-speaking cameo. He does make a speaking appearance as a member of the Justice League in the 5th season including the series finale. He is voiced by Dermot Mulroney.

Duck Dodgers

Hal Jordan appe rs in the episode Green Loontern. When Duck Dodgers and the cadet travel to Earth to pick up their dry cleaning but while there Dodgers picks up the wrong set of clothes and is mistaken for a Green Lantern. After that he finds out that the entire Green Lantern Corps has been kidnapped by their archenemy Sinestro. Dodgers is then recruited to the Green Lantern Corps and is officially made a member and he is then sent on his first mission- to free the GL Corps from Sisnestro's base.

The Super Friends Shows

Hal Jordan was a founding member of the Justice League of America. He was featured in three incarnations of the Super Friends.

Batman: The Brave and The Bold

Hal has been featured in three episodes of the show, appearing twice with the Gl Corps and once by himself. Hal Jordan and his fellow Lanterns are fighting Despero . Hal Jordan seemingly perishes in the aftermath of an assault on Despero, along with the Guardians, but it is later revealed that they survived the blast. He is voiced by Loren Lester.

Personality and Traits

Hal Jordan is a righteous hero with a strong moral code and a fierce strength of will. These defining characteristics were caused him to be chosen as a member of the Green Lantern Corps. His personality has for the most part, stayed the same through his comic, television, and movie iterations.

He is on the surface, cocky and arrogant with a tendency for recklessness and independent action coupled with a flagrant disdain for disobeying orders or breaking rules that he does not agree with. These traits have often caused him to be reprimanded by numerous authority figures from his parents, his employers, and even the Guardians of the Universe. Hal Jordan would rather trust his own gut instincts and follow his own conscience than listen to someone else, but it also bestows upon him the virtues of never backing down even when all hope seems lost and refusing to admit defeat even against the most impossible odds. Even his harshest of critics admit that he is one of the greatest Green Lanterns, perhaps of all time and one of Earth's noblest of heroes. It also apparently makes him one hell of a pilot, but also tends to be rather hard on his equipment as well as Hal would prefer to push them to the absolute limit rather than playing it safe.

For the 2011 Green Lantern movie, Reynolds talked about Hal's personality when addressing the tone of the movie. Reynolds talk about the balance of comedy with the more serious elements of the film and said that; “In terms of the overall film, I would say that Hal is far more aggressive in the movie than he is funny. Once we get into the middle of that second act, everything is pretty serious."