Green Lantern is a DC Comics character. He's got a whole line of toys, an animated series, a rollercoaster named after him, and last year - he scored his own big screen action movie!
The plot told the story of Hal Jordan, a test pilot who is selected to become a human member of the Green Lantern Corps. Hal is given a ring that can harness energy and create whatever he needs to confront evil. In the movie, he battles evil forces which threaten to destroy the balance of power in the universe.
Comic book purists complained that there was a little bit of a departure from the original story - okay a fairly large leap - but sometimes creative license is needed. There's only so much you can pack into a movie, after all, and Green Lantern has been around for a while!
The first Green Lantern appearance was in 1940.
Alan Scott was the first human to wear the Green Lantern ring. (He made a few headlines recently when DC added a little special flair to his character) Chosen by the alien members of the Green Lantern Corps, a ring was bestowed upon him.
Since Alan Scott, there have been other new recruits to this intergalactic police force, and they all have a similar ring, with energy harnessing power. Members of the Corps must have great discipline and control to wield the powers properly. The powers are almost limitless, and can be dangerous if used recklessly or without restraint.
One of the keys to mastering the power of the ring and becoming a Green Lantern is to face your fears. For the rather headstrong Hal Jordan, that was something inexorably twisted into his life, always close, but never confronted face to face.
As a young boy, Hal saw his pilot father die in a terrible and tragic plane crash. He was determined to follow in his dad's footsteps, so he tried to repress his memories. The result was an arrogant, reckless, and sometimes insubordinate test pilot destined to face an end similar to his father's.
Then, one day, a dying alien crashed to Earth, and changed Hal's life forever. Before the alien died, he chose the young pilot to be his replacement in the Green Lantern Corps. Hal agreed to do the bidding of the Guardians of the Universe.
As he learns to harness the power of the ring, the young man is forced to deal with his repressed fears, and sadness. This transforms him in ways nobody expects, not even Hal. It appears things could go terribly bad, but in the end, he does the right thing, and makes the ultimate sacrifice to save not only himself, but all of creation.
Lets just say, comic book Hal spent a little time contemplating his sins, before he was "born again". This what a modern day Green Lantern looks like post "rebirth":
My kids like the animated series.
There is also a member of the Corps in the Justice League. This is John Stewart's oath:
In brightest day,
In blackest night,
No evil shall escape my sight,
Let those who worship evil's might,
Beware my power,
Green Lantern's Light!
Every Thursday, Jenny, who blogs at ...off on my tangent... hosts the AlphabeThursday link up.
