OA

Ganthet clasped his hands together in front of him, measuring his words carefully. He was the eldest of the Guardians, the last of the originals. Before him were the sons and daughters of his people, the new Guardians. It was an unspoken agreement that the females, known as Zamarons, were to be treated as equals in all ways -- explaining their presence here, at the council of Guardians. "This current crisis is just more evidence that Jordan is not ready to join us in this way. Rather than return to OA and allow a member of the Corps to investigate, he chose to handle this on his own. He still thinks as a Green Lantern would, not as a Guardian."

Nalhartin, the spiritual leader of the new Guardians, shrugged at his elder. "It will take time to tame the human passions that reign within him. But it shall be done. Besides, we must remember that this particular crisis is of great importance to him -- it revolves around not only his former love, Carol Ferris, but also around several of his greatest enemies."

"He must be made to understand, then, that his former friends and enemies are just that -- former. As Guardians, our responsibilities are to the infinite, not to any one world or any one set of people," Ganthet said. "More to the point, I think we are doing him a disservice. Jordan would be best suited with the Corps."

Nalhartin smiled. "Then we shall give him the opportunity to decide for himself, Ganthet. Upon his return, Hal Jordan shall be offered a ring once more!"

KORUGAR

Lord Malvolio, crackling with golden energy, smiled at Hal Jordan and took a few steps toward the former Green Lantern. "You played into my hands so easily, Hal. Taking my ring, falling prey to the little nudges I gave you... You could have ruled the galaxy with me. But you were too weak... You rebelled at the end, sacrificing both your own worthless life and my own to stop the Sun-Eater. You came close to ruining all of my plans... it was only through long months of waiting that I was able to redeem myself."

Hal tried to push away all the confusing thoughts running through his head, but it was exceedingly difficult. He had come to Korugar after battling Star Sapphire, intent on preventing Evil Star from reviving someone he thought was Sinestro. In the end, he had defeated Evil Star easily enough -- but not before the villain had resurrected his benefactor... and it turned out not to be Sinestro. Instead, Hal found himself face-to-face with a nightmare.

Malvolio, who had once slain his own father in order to gain power, had faked his own death and tricked Hal into using the villain's power ring. Over months, Malvolio was able to subtly bend Hal to his will -- and the destruction of Coast City had finally pushed the longtime hero over the edge. Parallax, a deranged variant of Hal Jordan's personality enfused with the power-mad dreams of Malvolio, had nearly destroyed all reality before the event known as the Final Night.

And now he was back.

Hal didn't even register the rage that suddenly overtook him, washing up from the pit of his stomach and exploding outwards in an emerald fireball. Malvolio had stolen his dignity, his will, his reputation... and Hal would not, could not, forgive that. "Malvolio! You're going to wish you never got a physical form again -- because I'm going to beat you down to a pulp!"

Malvolio staggered back, barely able to shield himself from the brunt of the blow. He could feel Jordan's power, augmented to almost Parallax levels, if not more. "Perhaps I underestimated you. I had no idea you could manipulate such energy!"

Hal levitated himself into the air, his red Guardian robes shimmering and changing. At the same moment, his blue skin lightened and he was once more caucasian. The proud colors of the Green Lantern Corps replaced those of the Guardians and, for one more time at least, Hal Jordan faced his enemy in his traditional garb.

"I've changed a lot over the years, Malvolio -- gone from being a test pilot to a superhero to a Guardian of the Universe. But it was in these clothes that I felt most at home and it was in these clothes that I first fell under your power. Seems fitting somehow to be wearing them when I finally atone for all those things you made me do!"

Both men fired energy blasts, emerald and gold, and the resulting explosion echoed for miles and miles on Korugar. The local milita had wisely chosen to pull back, sensing somehow that this was not a battle for normal sentients -- this was as close to a battle between Gods as any Korugarian would likely ever see.

NEW YORK CITY, EARTH

Jade ached from head to toe.

With a sidelong glance at her bare back in the mirror, she counted one, two, three large bruises and nearly a dozen small scratches. Her normally light green skin was dark and sickly in places. Wish Kyle were here to help wash me... I can barely lift my arms. What was I thinking, taking on the Fearsome Five all by myself? I should have called dad and the JSA. Or the JLA. Or the JSA and the JLA.

The daughter of Earth's original Green Lantern, Alan Scott, stepped into the shower and sighed audibly as the warm spray hit her skin. It hurt in places, but it was a good kind of pain. She had just started to feel like herself when a distant voice reached her ears. With a sinking heart, she poked her head past the shower curtain and stared at her power ring, perched on the counter.

"Jennie-Lynn of Earth... You are needed on the planet Korugar immediately."

Jade held out her right hand and mentally summoned the ring. It slid onto her finger as she turned off the shower spray. "I'm not sure where Kyle is... You want me to try and find him?"

The Guardian's voice was firm. "No! Kyle Rayner has all ready been contacted -- he is unavailable to us, as he and his fellow Justice Leaguers are locked in battle with Amazo. You shall go directly to Korugar where you shall meet with other members of the Corps."

Jade willed her costume into place, drying her hair with a ring-projected blowdryer. Hmm. I don't mind seeing Doranchatok and Darthartheen again, but I hope they haven't called in Jack Chance or G'nort. "May I ask whom I'll be working with?"

"If you must know, Tomar-Tu and Kreon have been summoned. Guardian Hal Jordan is all ready on Korugar."

"Sounds serious. I'll be there." Jade desolidified herself and passed through the apartment wall. Her ring was more than capable of directing her to Korugar, but she couldn't help but spend the time en route wondering what was up. Tomar-Tu and Kreon were both amongst the "old guard" Green Lanterns that had been drafted back into service, so she knew they could be counted on. It's Hal I'm worried about, she mused. Has Parallax resurfaced? Probably unfair to keep doubting him, but I can't help it. Better just keep my fingers crossed.

KORUGAR

Evil Star stared about himself as the energy barrier that Hal Jordan had trapped him in faded from view. He could feel the delicious waves of power coming from the two combatants, but he didn't dare try to siphon any of it -- not that he could anyway, with his power band having been taken from him. He saw his little Starlings, each of them pleading with their master to flee.

"Don't worry, little babies... We won't get captured again." Evil Star began to scurry away, his Starlings flanking his every step. Before he got very far, though, he felt a tremendous force envelop him and lift him away from his screaming "babies."

Kreon, a former military commander drafted into the Corps by Jordan himself, smiled coldly. "Going somewhere?"

Evil Star cursed, striking out helplessly against his emerald prison. "Free me! You can't hold me like this... not again!"

Kreon shook his head, turning his attention back towards the battle below. The unleashed power of a Guardian was an awesome thing to behold, but Malvolio seemed to matching him blow for blow. I'm trusting you, Jordan, to prove yourself the man you used to be. Don't let me down again.

"I will focus on protecting the innocent people of Korugar."

Kreon turned to see Tomar-Tu floating nearby. Nodding, he said "I'll join you. One of the Green Lanterns from Earth is en route as well. Hopefully the three of us can slow down Malvolio if Jordan falls, though our rings' vulnerability to yellow might hurt us."

Tomar-Tu could only nod. "May the Guardians preserve us," whispered Tomar. "May the Guardians preserve us."

Hal Jordan, protected in a large emerald suit of armor that covered his Green Lantern uniform, slashed outwards with an energy sword. Malvolio, matching him tit for tat, blocked it with a golden shield.

"Stop this nonsense, Jordan! I've lived and fought for centuries -- no matter how powerful you think you are, you're not my equal!"

"I don't have to be, Malvolio -- I just have to be smarter. You see those Green Lanterns over there? There'll be more. I sent word back to OA about everything's that happened. The entire Corps will be here to take care of you if I fall."

"Then they'll join you in your grave!" Malvolio allowed himself to swell with power, abandoning the pretext of humanity. Composed of Qwardian energy now, he grew to massive size, dwarfing the tallest of Korugarian skyscrapers. He delivered a gigantic backhand to Hal, sending the neophyte Guardian hurtling through the air.

Jordan felt himself crash through a wall, coming to a stop in an office building of some kind. Red-skinned natives fearfully backed away from him. He felt the ground shake as Malvolio approached, eager to finish him off.

"Do you need help?"

Hal glanced over Jade, who was generating a protective shield around the office workers. "Jade? Is Kyle here too?"

"Not yet. I just got here myself, truth be told." The young Green Lantern helped Hal to his feet. "The Guardians haven't pulled out all the stops yet. I got the feeling they thought you could handle this. I'm assuming the guy in a bad version of my dad's outfit is the cause of all this?"

"You've got that right." Hal stepped away from her and gazed steadily at the rapidly approaching Malvolio. "I want you to gather Kreon and Tomar-Tu. I'm going to need all of you for this. Somehow Malvolio's absorbed the power of the Qwardian power ring... but the power ring itself disappeared when he did so. Since he was trapped for months in my ring, I'm betting that what we're seeing here isn't an actual body at all -- he's animated the ring itself and is generating the illusion that he's solid."

Jade nodded, not completely understanding. She did know one thing, though -- her dad had been right. There was something about Hal Jordan that made you stop and listen. Sure, he still had a cocky air about him, despite all that happened -- and he had certainly taken a second or two to examine Jade's female form -- but beneath it all, this guy was a hero and a leader. "I'll hop to it. Be careful."

"You, too." Hal rose into the air, still clad in the garb of a Green Lantern. He wondered now why he hadn't just returned to OA and let the Corps handle this. Because that's not me, he mused. I can't stand back and let others carry my fight for me. How can I ask a member of the Corps to risk their existence while I sit back and do nothing but watch?

"Come to meet your doom, Hal?" Malvolio smiled with a hint of malice. He gazed at Hal as if he were nothing more than a disgusting insect about to be crushed beneath Malvolio's boot. "Or is this the point where you try and make a pretty speech, causing me to doubt myself?"

"No speeches, Malvolio. Only action." Hal spread his arms wide, concentrating on creating an emerald wedge of sorts, a beam that shot forth towards Malvolio. The villain was caught fast and Hal began the delicate work of separating Malvolio from the yellow power ring. "Give it back, Malvolio. It's not yours -- and I'm tired of you stealing things that belong to others."

Malvolio roared as he realized Hal's plan. He resisted with all the willpower he could muster, driving Jordan's beam back towards its source. "Never! I... am... lord... of all... I survey! It is... my destiny to... rule!"

Hal felt his will begin to buckle as the villain tried to turn the assault against him. Using his powers to transmit his thoughts to the Green Lanterns present, Hal detailed his plans to them. Acting as one, they moved into position behind him and channelled their will into his, bolstering it.

The plan itself was nothing new -- Hal had done something similiar in defeating both the Old Timer* and Entropy**. It was symbolic of the Corps' greatest strength: that the whole was always greater than the sum of its parts.

(*In the classic Green Lantern volume 3 # 8. **In Green Lantern volume 3 # 35.)

Bolstered by the power of his allies, Hal forced the attack once more. Malvolio staggered, beginning to lose some of his solidity. He screamed, an awful sound full of shock, anger and dismay. In the center of the ghostly form began to appear the yellow gleam of the Qwardian power ring.

"Jade! Do it now!"

The green-skinned beauty didn't need to be told twice. Following Jordan's lead, she broke off from the attack and instead generated a small bubble around the yellow ring. Malvolio's form dissipated, though his screams seemed to echo for seconds afterward.

Tomar-Tu let out a gasp. "He is gone forever?"

Hal, feeling incredibly drained, shook his head. "No... his spirit still lives, but without a body or power ring to house it, he's harmless for now. But he's watching us, just like before. Learning our secrets and biding his time."

"So what now?" Jade asked, cradling the ring before her in its emerald prison.

With a sigh, Hal examined the carnage around him. "We repair the damage here... and then we go home. I expect I'll have to answer a few questions when I get there."

Ganthet stood. "So be it. Hal Jordan of Earth... You are hereby restored to active status with the Green Lantern Corps, with the duties of Recruiting and Training foremost on your agenda." With a soft smile, Ganthet extended a hand. A power ring rested on his palm. "Welcome back."

Hal took the ring and slid it on his finger.

There were still so many things he had to do -- cure Carol, rebuild the Corps, restore his good name.

And I'll do all those things, in time. But for now... For now, I'm going to enjoy this.

My name's Hal Jordan.

I'm Green Lantern.

Next Issue: Another DCL author takes the stage, presenting another classic Green Lantern adventure! I'll be back in the future with more Hal Jordan stories though -- count on it!

AUTHOR'S NOTES

There you have it. The end to the first storyline to grace DCL's newest anthology series. I had a lot of fun writing this one and I hope some of that enthusiasm came through on the printed page. Big thanks go out to Derrick Ferguson and Tim Hartin, both of whom were very supportive of my ideas. Be sure to check out Derrick's excellent work elsewhere on the DCL site.

The Hal-as-Guardian thing didn't last very long, did it? Counting his Legend of Hawkman appearances, he was a Guardian for a total of six whole issues. ;-)

The more I thought about the situation, the more I realized that Hal is a man of action. I can't see him, at this point, standing by while Kyle Rayner handles all the galaxy's problems for him. But his return to GL status doesn't mean that he hasn't been changed by all this -- for one thing, he was a Guardian, briefly. He has a different perspective now on what that means so he's less likely to accuse the Guardians of not caring about their Green Lanterns.

As for Hal becoming GL of Sector 2814 again... that's not particularly likely, since we have both Kyle and Jade zipping around on Earth these days. DCL head honcho Tim Hartin has a definite preference towards Jade as Earth's GL but for now the official stance is that Kyle is Earth's resident GL and that Jade has special permission from the Guardians to patrol the same sector.

I have a lot of stories left to tell, not only with Hal, but with other Green Lanterns. I'd love to tell some Kreon, Tomar or Jack T. Chance stories down the road. But Hal's my favorite and he's probably the one I'll return to before long -- besides, I need to pick up on the Star Sapphire plotline, don't I?

Keep in touch,

Barry Reese