See also: Green Lantern

During a routine test flight simulator, Hal Jordan was captured by a green energy field and delivered to a dying alien.(Showcase #22) This alien passed onto Hal the power battery and ring of a Green Lantern. Hal would travel to the planet of Oa where the best Green Lantern (at the time) Sinestro would train him. (Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn #1-6)

Over the years, Hal would become the greatest Green Lantern the Guardians of the Universe had ever known. Sinestro, on the other hand, would arm himself with a yellow power-ring and would become the greatest enemy of the Green Lanterns. Although Hal was given the job of protecting an entire sector of space, he is best known for confronting racism with his friend Oliver Queen (Green Arrow). (Green Lantern #76) Hal also had many battles with Sinestro, but after an attempt to destroy the main Power Battery (the source of all the Green Lanterns' energy), Sinestro was finally executed by the Green Lantern Corps. (Green Lantern Corps #222-224)With the destruction of the main power battery, the Green Lantern Corps was reduced to three members: Hal Jordan, Guy Gardner, and John Stewart. Over time however, Guy would join the new Justice League International (Justice League #1), John would watch over an entire "mosaic" planet (Mosaic #1), and Hal would help rebuild the Corps. Hal and Guy had always fought in the past, but in a "decisive" fist-fight, Hal took Guy's place as the Justice League's Green Lantern. (Green Lantern (2) #25) (Guy would later recover Sinestro's yellow ring from the planet Qward and become "Guy Gardner: Warrior".) Hal travelled to space, and the rest of the new Green Lantern Corp, teamed with the Darkstars and LEGION to battle an intergalactic threat. (DC Universe Trinity #1-3).

In his absense, however, Hal's home town of Coast City was destroyed by the evil dictator, Mongul. (Superman (2) #80). Hal joined forced with Steel, Superboy, Supergirl, and Superman to defeat Mongul.(Green Lantern (2) #46), (Superman (2) #82)
Distraught over the loss of over 6 million lives, Hal tried to recreate Coast City with his power-ring, but lacked the necessary power. When the Guardians of the Universe refused Hal's request for more power, he decided to take the energy from the main Power Battery itself. (Green Lantern (2) #48) Hal destroyed and killed the remaining Green Lantern Corps (including his mentor, Kilowog) in his quest to gain the power he needed. In a final attempt to stop him, the Guardians resurrected Sinestro. Unfortunately, Hal killed Sinestro as well. With nothing left to lose, Hal entered the main Power Battery and emerged with all of its energy- as Parallax. (Green Lantern (2) #50)

After realizing he had more than enough energy to recreate Coast City, Hal decided on a grander plan: recreate the entire universe! Working his way from both the past and the future, Hal "un-made" reality until he reached "Zero Hour"- the beginning of the universe itself. It would take the combined skill of the world's heroes to stop Hal and fix the timestream. (Zero Hour #4-0)

Defeated, Hal still sought a way to bring back his home of Coast City. His quest came to an end when the last Green Lantern, Kyle Raynor, pleaded for him to help the Earth during its "Final Night". (Parallax: Final Night) The heroes of the Earth still considered him a villain, but Hal was the only one with the energy necessary to do the job: re-ignite the Earth's sun! Hal managed to do it, but at the cost of his own life. (Final Night #4)

Funeral services were held for Hal in the once-Coast City. A statue in his honor burns with a green flame provided by Green Lantern. (Green Lantern (2) #82)

During his trip back from the 83rd century, Kyle Raynor was flung into the past and met up with an earlier version of Hal, back when he was still a Green Lantern. (Green Lantern (2) #100) Kyle helped Hal against Sinestro, but when the battle was over, they were both sent back to the present... Hal's future! For a time, Hal became a member of the new JLA.
Since this Hal jumped from the past to the future, he never experienced the destruction of Coast City, the death of the Green Lantern Corp... and becoming Parallax. And, conversely, since there was no Parallax, there was no one to give his life during the Final Night. However, becuase of this "hiccup" in the time-stream, Parallax did return... and resumed his quest for power... starting with Hal's own power-ring! After a speech about heroism, Kyle convinced Hal and Parallax to combine their power to return each other to their proper place in time... despite their knowlegde of what would happen in the future. (Green Lantern (2) #107). As a final gift, Hal gave his power-ring to Kyle, which was given to Jade (the daughter of the original Green Lantern) to help start the newest Green Lantern Corp.

The story of Hal Jordan didn't end there. After giving his life during the Final Night, he remained in a "limbo" state, still haunted by his earlier actions. When the demon Neron lead an attack on the Earth's heroes, Hal was brought out of his limbo state. Unable to help the heroes, he fought against Neron and the demon Asmodus as they attempted to take control of the power of the Spectre. (Day of Judgment #1-4) In the end, however, the power of the Spectre was given not to Asmodus nor to its original host, Jim Corrigan... but to Hal Jordan! (Day of Judgment #5) The Spectre would become a force for redemption, rather than a force for vengeance... and Hal Jordan would once again return to the DC Universe... not quite a hero, not but quite a villain

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