Green Lantern (vol.2) #191 (August, 1985)
"Macho!"
Writer - Steve Englehart
Pencils - Joe Staton
Inks - Bruce Patterson
Letters - L. Lois Buhalis
Colors - Anthony Tollin
Editor - Andy Helfer
Cover Price: $0.75
Well, we've tap-danced around it for a little while now. Every time we discuss an issue of Green Lantern from this era, that name comes up... The Predator.
Today, what say we get to the bottom of it, once and for all? Which is to say, howsabout we find out his identity, without any of the explanation and/or context?
Sound good? Let's go!
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We open with Hal searching a room trying to find evidence as to the identity of... the Predator. The Predator has been taunting he and Carol Ferris for a little while now, and he'd very much like for it to stop. Unfortunately, he doesn't currently have all of the powers and abilities his Green Lantern ring would've afforded him... that had been ceded to former GL-backup, John Stewart. He did manage to shoot the Predator (in the head, even!) but the bullet just bounced off of his helmet. In the room, he finds some perfume and a videotape. On the tape, Tawny Young is interviewing... him! And it's an interview he does not remember being a part of!
Hal wants answers... and so, he makes a call to Ms. Young. She's not available. He then decides to call Ollie and Dinah, who were also on the tape. They ain't answering either. Finally he tries contacting the current Green Lantern, John Stewart. Only problem there is, Stewart doesn't know that Hal was his predecessor and has no reason to take his call!
And so, Hal decides "screw it", and heads over to John's apartment for a "pop-in". Unfortunately for him... John ain't home. Heck, he ain't even on planet! Worth noting, in space, it looks like John and Katma are about to start a beautiful friendship.
Later, we rejoin Hal back at Carol's place. He tells her about his day... shooting the Predator in the head, and all that. After making out on the deck for awhile, he takes her inside to watch the video he'd found. Carol doesn't recall that ever happening either! She heads into her datebook archives and deduces that someone out there is most definitely messing with their memories! Gee, I wonder who that could be...?
Just then... the Predator bursts through the window! He backhands Carol, and Hal goes right for his pistol. After some smack talk, Pred grabs Carol and snatches her away. He tells Hal where he's taking her... and suggests he follow, whenever he's ready... to die!
After a brief chat with Ollie, during which he insists that "Hal Jordan still matters", and a peek back into space with John and Katma... Hal is ready to pursue his stolen girlfriend, and he does so dressed like the world's lamest G.I. Joe action figure... sorta like a baseball catcher. Anyhoo, he finds Carol, tied up to Captain America's shield.
The Predator... strikes! And the pair exchange blows (and barbs) for the next several pages. When Hal has the upper hand, the Predator flees toward his... organ? Like a literal musical organ... no euphemisms here. At this, Carol absolutely freaks out... whatever happens, Pred must not reach the organ!
Unfortunately, Hal's heavy padding has slowed him down severely... and he is unable to cut the Predator off at the pass. Pred hits the organ... and tells Carol Ferris that he loves her as himself. To which, Carol... now free of Cap's shield... replies that, yes... she loves him too!
Then, the Predator and Carol come together... and merge... into the Star Sapphire! Aw, sonuvagun. We wrap up with Sapphire laughing... a most macho laugh.
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So... the Predator was really Carol Ferris all along?! Well, yes and no... I don't want to go too deep into the how's and "what the's" in case we discuss the issue where that's all explained... just know that the Predator entity (there's that word...) embodies love, and is sort of a parasite. Somebody get Cosmic Chris Hansen up in here.
What sticks out most to me this issue, is Hal Jordan's sorta-kinda crisis-of-self. That's always my takeaway when we look at issues from this era. Hal has given up the ring... and in so doing, kinda gave up how he defined himself as a man... to others, and more importantly, to himself.
We've got a Hal Jordan plagued by regret... during a time before the name "Hal Jordan" was almost entirely defined by it! Hal doesn't have his Green Lantern powers... what's more, he no longer has his Green Lantern legitimacy. This is something he clearly regrets.
Possibly a case of the grass always being (if you'll pardon the pun) greener on the other side. While he was a Lantern, he viewed himself as trapped under the thumb of the Guardians... and as missing out on parts of his "normal" life. Here, on the other side... he's got the girl (kinda), but that's really about it! Heck, he can't even get his replacement to take his phone calls!
The Predator reveal... in a vacuum, makes absolutely no sense. It's insanely silly, and makes for one heckuva cliffhanger, but... really, I gotta assume this was a pretty deflating reveal back in the long ago. After building up this mystery for several months... revealing the Predator as Carol Ferris feels kind of like a cop out. I'm pretty sure this wasn't the original intention when Len Wein introduced the concept. I could be mistaken... but, I have a sneaking suspicion this was meant to go another way.
Overall, a fun enough issue. Outside of the reveal, there isn't a whole lot of meat on the bone, but what we get is pretty enjoyable. This issue is available digitally.
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Green Lantern (vol.2) #188 (May, 1985)
"Decent Exposure"
"Mogo Doesn't Socialize"
Writers - Steve Englehart & Alan Moore
Pencils - Joe Staton & Dave Gibbons
Inks - Bruce Patterson
Letters - Helen Vesik
Colors - Tony Tollin
Edits - Andy Helfer & Len Wein
Cover Price: $0.75
Here's one I've wanted to talk about for a while now. It's an issue with a pretty important "back-up feature"... one that has grown in legend in the several decades since.
When a story is of a certain "status", I become a bit trepadacious about covering it here. First, I mean... what more can I say that hasn't already been said. Second, I feel like I put additional pressure on myself... like I'm "rising to the occasion" or something. It kinda takes me out of my comfort zone.
That said... let's try and look at this as a regular issue... and not a seminal episode in Green Lantern lore.
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We open with reporter, Tawny Young spilling the beans on John Stewart being the secret identity of the "new" Green Lantern! What follows are testimonies from folks in John's old neighborhood (including his mother), and even from members of the Justice League, Superman and Green Arrow! Well, very brief testimony from the Leaguers... almost like they might not be in the right context for the story.
Anyhoo, retired-Hal and Carol are watching this unfold from their Malibu beach house. Tawny makes a to-do about how it's only lately that this new-Green Lantern has bothered to wear a mask. Hal thinks that's kinda weird too. Just then, Ollie calls... and tells Hal that he and Superman had no idea that Young was going to let the cat out of the bag. After hanging up, Ollie blames everything on "that damned Carol Ferris".
Hal and Carol decide not to worry about the Green Lantern situation, and instead focus on the identity of... the Predator! Elsewhere, Tawny Young is getting chatted up by her old "out of style" boss, Mr. Linders. He tells her that, thanks to her big story, she's the new West Coast Correspondent.
We shift scenes to John and Katma heading to Marina Del Ray. It's here that we learn why John decided to start wearing the mask... he figured that since he's no longer a "fill-in" Green Lantern, he might as well wear the whole outfit.
They head into John's apartment... and he makes a halfhearted attempt at sounding like he's going to have a lotta ladies in and out of the joint. He eventually comes clean and cops to being a "square". At this point, Katma has decided to shade-shift her skin... shedding the red for a tone like John's. He's a bit bamboozled... and can't hide his attraction.
Meanwhile, in Encinal Canyon... the Universe's most dangerous Marching Band Leader, Sonar... the Master of Sound, vows to destroy this new Green Lantern.
We jump to the next day, and Tom Kalamaku is arriving for work at Ferris Aircraft. He and Hal have had a bit of a falling out since Jordan decided to "hang up the ring". Ya see, Tom and Carol were the only two civilians to know his secret. Tom gives Hal the silent treatment... and, Hal thinks to himself "he'll get over it".
Just then, John and Katma arrive on site. They are swarmed by Ferris employees who never realized their staff-architect was actually the Green Lantern. Who'da thunk that any Green Lantern worked for Ferris?! Anyhoo, Carol beelines over to John... and fires him! She's outta the GL business, ya see.
She does reveal that he was given the job initially because of a recommendation from Hal Jordan. Now, it's worth mentioning, John doesn't even know that Hal was his predecessor. In fact, they don't even really know each other all that well. Before Carol can get her foot any deeper in her mouth, Hal interjects... but, before he can "talk too much", Katma shoves her tongue down his throat. Alrighty then.
Carol... is ticked, as you might imagine. John introduces Katma as "Katarina", from Nigeria. That doesn't cool Ms. Ferris' jet though. When Hal explains who "Katarina" really is... well, that doesn't help much either. "That damned" Carol Ferris... she's a tough nut to crack.
We join John, as he is emptying his desk... just then, he's attacked... by Sonar! John suits up and heads into action... but gets "PLOWed" pretty quick.
They continue to fight, with John trying to figure out an "angle" he can use to take out the Marching Band Leader. Hal looks on from the ground... and tries to convince himself that this is no longer "his problem".
Then, John figures it out! It's all about the sound-waves. He and Katma sandwich Sonar between some construct-waves... which proves to be too much for the baddie to properly absorb!
We wrap up with Sonar "UMPing" to the ground... and Tawny Young showing up looking for another interview. She calls out to "John", but he corrects her... he's "Green Lantern".
That wraps up our "feature", but we're not done yet... what follows is one of the more famous Tales of the Green Lantern Corps. We open with Arisia flipping through the Green Lantern, uh, registry? She's shocked to find so many Lanterns she's never heard of... and one of the names that "sticks out", is... Mogo.
Tomar Re tells the story of Mogo... and how he "doesn't socialize". His story begins with Bolphunga the Unrelenting descending upon an uninhabited planet to search out the elusive Lantern known as Mogo.
He calls out for Mogo to show himself... and gets no reply. And so, Bolphunga spends the next several weeks stomping 'round the vacant planet seeking Mogo out. It gets to the point where he starts checking insects for Power Rings!
There seems to be no intelligent life on this planet... however, the foliage appears to be very well "tended to". Which, in Bolphunga's mind, lends to the idea that there must be at least one "intelligent being" here.
The weeks turn to months, and our man is still at a loss. He reflects on his findings, and goes back to the maps he'd created of the planet... when he finds something... meaningful... about that foliage.
Bolphunga drops everything... and gets outta dodge. As he flies off, we get a good look at the planet... whose foliage is cut into a Green Lantern Power Ring! Ya see, Mogo... is the planet! Tomar Re wraps up his story, claiming that Mogo's gravity field is so strong that if it were to come near Oa, it would pull it apart.
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Okay, where to begin?
Let's get Mogo out of the way. This is definitely a story you want to head into without already knowing the "twist". It's a neat story either way, but... man, I really feel like I missed out not "receiving" this one as it was intended. I mean, who doesn't know about Mogo these days? Though, if, uh... I spoiled the reveal for you, I am very sorry. The Tales of the Green Lantern Corps stories are usually hit-or-miss for me (more often than not, a miss), but... I enjoyed this one quite a bit.
Our lead-off story... another good one! John's secret identity being revealed is a pretty interesting wrinkle, and you'd almost think that this whole thing was going to lead to a romantic entanglement between John and Tawny. Since I find Tawny to be a tremendous pain in the butt, I'm glad they zigged instead of zagged.
I dig how we can feel that Hal might have a bit of regret about retiring the mantle. He sticks around for the Sonar battle... and has to convince himself that it's no longer his fight. As though, if he had to, he'd get involved even without a ring...
I feel like many of us have been there. Like, you quit or leave a job or something... and as the days wind down, you find yourself with a sort of dissonance. You kinda want to be involved... and you have so much experience in dealing with work-specific situations... yet, at the same time... those situations are no longer your concern.
It's like you enter this weird "eye of the storm" or something. There's a calm about you, and everything that stressed you out about your job, no longer does... it would almost be... I dunno, fun, to get back into the thick of it. Ehh, maybe I'm projecting.
Gotta wonder how much of Hal's regret has to do with him being stuck with "That damned" Carol Ferris. I mean, eesh... she's not
someone I'd care to be stuck in an elevator with.
Overall, excellent issue... it's a must-read for the Mogo story alone. It's a good thing the feature story ain't no slouch either! Both stories have been collected, and this issue is available digitally.
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Green Lantern Corps #223 (April, 1988)
"The Last Testament of the Green Lantern Corps!"
Story - Steve Englehart
Special Guest Artist - Gil Kane
Letters - Carrie Spiegle
Colors - Tony Tollin
Editor - Andy Helfer
Special Thanks - Todd Klein, Archivist
Cover Price: $0.75
Hey, don't look now... but today is our 950th Daily Discussion! Our last major "milestone" on our way to one-thousand.
Also today... we're going to find out exactly what Sinestro was babbling about yesterday before buyin' the farm! I've mentioned it a couple times already, but this little excursion into Green Lantern past will be part of an upcoming episode of the Cosmic Treadmill... wherein we will cover Hal Jordan's time as the "leading man" in Action Comics Weekly. Figured it would behoove us to get everybody "up to speed" on the Corps before jumping on in! The episode is shaping up to be a goodie and a biggie... might even become a series. Expect it in the next couple of weeks!
With the plugging out of the way... let's get some answers from the Battery!
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We open on the... strange scene of Ch'p preparing to hang himself! He's still hung up (pardon the pun) on betraying the Lanterns to seek out more of his own with the B'rkrs. Salaak stops him before he can take that final step... to deliver some more dire news: The Green Lantern Corps is dead! This sends us into flashback land, more specifically, the closing panels of last issue... just moments after the Corps executed Sinestro.
The Corps has no idea what Salaak was talking about... so, he goes on to explain. Worth noting here, that Kane drew John wearing his mask... which might be an indication of how well he was "following along" at home. He's only wearing his mask on this page though. Anyhoo, in the far-flung future, where Salaak had been residing, he asked his wife Iona if she'd ever heard of the Green Lanterns. She hadn't.
And so, Salaak decided to visit the Oa of 5716. He finds it barren and ruined... even the Central Power Battery is gone. He cries out, asking what could have happened... and is shocked to receive an answer from the very sands of the planet itself. The message he receives blames the fact that the Green Lanterns Killed Sinestro in 1988 for it's current state... and the fact that there are no more Green Lanterns this far into the future.
Back in the present, the Lanterns are still befuddled. Finally, Appa Ali Apsa pipes up... something Salaak said triggered a long dormant memory. Before he can elaborate, however... the Central Power Battery fires off a terrific blast of light!
Hal decides to quit lollygagging with Salaak's half-explanations, and go directly to the source. He asks the Central Power Battery itself just what's going on. Before he can get an answer... stuff happens! First, Driq the zombie Lantern (about twenty years before that became cool!) falls to pieces. It's explained that he was only being kept together by the power of his ring... and since he fell apart, that's surely a sign that something's up with the works. As if the great big explosion wasn't enough of an indicator.
Then... the Green Power wanes so low that the Sciencells are no longer effective! Before we know it, the Lanterns are faced by a whole lotta baddies.
Amid the fight, several Lanterns' power rings explode... and it looks like those remaining will not be able to count on their rings to win this one. Hal orders the Corps to move the battle into the Museum Spoke... a place full of tchotchkes and doo-dads of Green Lantern lore... though, most importantly at this juncture... impregnable walls. The Lanterns manage to lock the escapees inside and return to the Battery for some information.
Since the Battery is still mum, K'ryssma risks it all and enters a psychic trance in order to convey a little knowledge... it's history lesson time! You remember the Guardians, right? Well, at some point ten billion years ago... they stopped dying! And so, they left their home planet of Maltus... and flew to the center of the universe... to what is now called Oa.
There, they would create... the Manhunters. Who, lemme tell ya, look an awful lot like Doctor Manhattan here. While one group was creating the Manhunters, another was focusing their mental energies growing and shaping a green crystal... which would ultimately grow to become the Green Lantern Central Power Battery.
By this point, the Manhunters had proven to be a pretty bad idea... hell, we could've told 'em that. And so, they were depowered... or made dormant... or turned "sleeper", or however they explained it during Millennium.
From here, the Guardians' heads grew larger... and their bodies smaller. While they, the males of the species, turned their sights on creating the Green Lantern Corps, they became estranged from their wives and children. And so, the women decided to leave! This takes us up to just two-and-a-half billion years ago... so, we're chuggin' along at a pretty good pace!
The women would find themselves on Korugar... which, we know as the home planet to folks like Sinestro and Katma-Tui. The immortal ladies would take the mortal Korugarians as lovers... and proceed to reproduce.
The Oan women would soon begin to hate their former lives... and former mates on Oa. They would undergo "augmentations" in order to change their appearance... looking to have a redder hue like their new countryfolk. This didn't quite work, but did (somehow) result in the creation of the Star Sapphire. The Oan women would travel to and conquer another planet... and become the warriors of Zamoran we now know.
Somewhere along the line, the Guardians of the Universe caught wind of this... and were pretty ticked off to have been replaced in bed by the Korugarians. The Guardians held council to discuss what their next move would be, and it was ultimately decided that they are just feeling the stings of rejection... and it's effecting their male egos. And so, they decided to be diplomatic about the thing. They made a vow that, regardless of provocation, they would never do anything worse than "confine" a Zamoran or Korugarian. Ya follow? To keep themselves "honest", they ordered the Power Battery to "return to nothingness" if they ever crossed that line. Wouldn'tcha know it, in killing Sinestro... they did break their own vow!
After that almighty info-dump, we arrive at our conclusion... the Old Timer finally remembers everything. Soon, all that will be left of the Battery is... the yellow impurity... and then, all bets are off!
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We jump from the death penalty straight into attempted ch'pmunk suicide. Who sez comics are just for kids?
Sometimes I forget just how intensive Green Lantern lore can be. I mean, you could almost make a college course out of it... and I'm not talking a 101 class... I feel like we're at least at the 300 level here. There's just so much to it... so much of it is repetitive... but, then they surprise ya with a new nugget of information!
So, what we have here is... the Guardians made a vow never to kill a Korugarian or Zamoran. In order to keep them to their word, they built a "failsafe" into the Central Power Battery, wherein the Green energy would dissipate to nothing should they cross that line. In killing Sinestro, that line was crossed... and so, the Central Power Battery (just following orders) will winnow down to only the Yellow Impurity. I think that's it, in the shell of a nut.
I suppose that's as good an excuse to wrap up the Corps as any, right? Worth noting, that while this isn't the final issue of the volume... it is the final story written by Steve Englehart. Wonder if that explains why this issue felt so packed with exposition and information. Steve's just tryin' to "get his stuff in" before walking away.
As far as "story" is concerned... I mean, outside of the revelation there isn't all that much to talk about. I guess, Ch'p trying to hang himself is a thing. I'm unsure whether or not this entire issue was just Salaak relaying the events to him, or if that was just a way to bring us back into the action. I suppose that might become a bit clearer in the next issue.
Gil Kane's art here is pretty good. I kinda run hot and cold with his later work, but for the most part, I dug this. There was that little gaff of John wearing his mask... but, whattayagonnado?
Overall... an important issue for Green Lantern lore... how much of it is still in continuity, I couldn't hazard a guess. If you're into the lore, you're going to really dig this. Heck, even if you're lore-curious (lorious?), there's plenty here to wrap your noggin around. Worth grabbing!
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