Summary
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Hal Jordan’s transformation into Parallax was not his fault, as he was possessed by an alien entity.
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The Justice League judged Hal harshly for his villainous acts, treating him as a traitor.
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Hal’s attendance at his funeral contradicts his claim to not be remembered as a hero; Batman and Green Arrow played important roles in these events.
It’s not uncommon for heroes to sometimes fall into villainy – like when Green Lantern Hal Jordan became the monster Parallax. This heel turn was originally a tragic fall that Hal really had no control over as he was possessed by Parallax. This fact becomes even more tragic when Hal points out that his old friends in Justice League desecrated his tomb.
Hal Jordan’s heartbreaking treatment was shown in Blackest night #0 by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis. In this moment, as Hal Jordan stands before Batman’s grave, he reflects on his history with Batman and how the Justice League viewed their deaths differently. He even talks about how after Flash’s death, everyone came to pay their respects.
The same does not happen with Hal Jordan. After Hal Jordan’s death at the end of The last nighthe was not remembered as a hero. Despite sacrificing himself to save Earth, the Justice League only remembered him for his cruel and unhinged actions during the Zero Hour crisis. No one defended Hal, and it appears that members of the Justice League even desecrated his grave afterwards, although the comics don’t show what this entails.
The Justice League Never Forgave Hal Jordan’s Turn to Villainy
Blackest night #0 by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, Oclair Albert, Rob Hunter, Alex Sinclair and Nick J. Napolitano
The cruelest part of Hal Jordan’s treatment at the hands of the Justice League is that his Parallax turn wasn’t really his fault. Although Hal originally decided to take on the name Parallax and become a villain, DC later reconsidered this, stating that Hal was not making sound decisions. Instead of, he was possessed by a being known as Parallax and forced to do horrible things. The Justice League, unaware that this was the case, believed that Hal had simply turned into a villain and treated him accordingly. Batman was especially vocal about his dislike of Jordan, and Hal was long remembered as a traitor and villain.
One of Hal Jordan’s biggest critics after the events of Emerald Twilight It was Batman. Batman apparently believed that Hal was always prone to villainy because of his personality. Other characters, like Green Arrow, were heartbroken by Hal’s downfall. Green Arrow and Hal Jordan were longtime friends, and Green Arrow was one of the characters who confronted Hal during the end of Zero Hour. With Members of the Justice League like Batman openly warning of Hal’s legacy, and other characters like Ollie preferring not to think about him, it’s no surprise that Hal’s funeral wasn’t well received.
Green Lantern Hal Jordan is not the villain people remember him as
The Justice League took a long time to forgive him
Comics rarely look at the consequences of a hero becoming a villain and then returning as a hero. Hal Jordan attempted to redefine time itself and remake the universe in his image. That’s not something his co-workers and friends would just walk away from – not to mention he killed the entire Green Lantern Corps. The other heroes had every right to reject Hal Jordan as a friend and teammate, but the Justice League went so far as to desecrate his grave is especially painful when he wasn’t even Green Lantern lack.
Blackest night #0 is now available from DC Comics!