Black Hand
Black Hand is a comic book character that first appeared in Green Lantern Vol. 2 #29
One of Hal Jordan's oldest foes, Black Hand has evolved from a gimmicky criminal into a sadistic madman capable of siphoning lifeforce from his victims. Reanimated after his suicide, he is now the incarnation of the Black power, and Herald of the Black Lantern Corps.
EARLY HISTORY
Black Hand is one of Green Lantern's oldest foes, originally portrayed as a villain who spouted clichés while committing his crimes. William Hand was said to have been born of a wealthy family of high society. His "black" moniker was a testament to his having been the "black sheep" of the family. Black Hand's major offensive threat to the Green Lantern was his use of a device that has come to be known as a Cosmic Divining Rod. This flashlight sized device could locate and collect Green Lantern energy, draining a Lantern's power ring. This energy could then be used by Black Hand to augment his strength, fly, create force-fields, or fired in destructive blasts. Black Hand plagued Hal repeatedly during his early adventures. He even stood toe-to-toe with Kilowog on one occasion in which he matched the powerful Lantern with equal energy until Kilowog used his brawn, rather than his ring, to knock out Black Hand.His criminal career was largely unsuccessful, prompting Black Hand at one point to try and make an "honest: living" by running an adult movie theater. As chance would have it, Guy Gardner brought Ice to this theater during one of their dates. Enraged by her reaction to his poor taste, Guy spotted William Hand and delivered a vicious, all be it, unprovoked beating on the "reformed" villain. Black Hand's descent into insanity only intensified from this point on.
REBIRTH
Once again, Black Hand used his divining rod in an attempt to steal Hal 's ring, which was being kept safe by Green Arrow. Blasting his way into Arrow's home, Black Hand located and retrieved Hal's ring but failed to notice Green Arrow. Green Arrow got the best of him by shooting him in the hand, pinning him to the wall, causing Hand to drop the ring. Although he was disarmed and posed no threat, the Spectre arrived and turned Black Hand's hand into coal stating "(now) he can live up to his name". The hand maintained its structure long enough for Black Hand to realize what had happened. Soon after, his hand crumbled into dust and Black Hand collapsed in excruciating pain.Black Hand was not seen again until after Hal had been reborn as the Green Lantern. Hand was traveling cross country, clearly insane from his ordeal, when his flight was hijacked by Krolotean Gremlins, an alien race who abducts and genetically engineers other beings for sale as weapons on the intergalactic black market. Something was awakened within Black Hand by their genetic modifications. His missing hand could now be reformed and used to siphon life force from living beings. Black Hand was returned to earth, where he quickly used his power to suck the life out of an entire floor of people at a nearby hospital. He could do this by either direct touch or through the use of a blast of life stealing energy he could now emit from his hand.
His murder spree was interrupted by Hal Jordan, who battled his new and improved enemy, ultimately burying the villain alive before taking him into custody. Black Hand was last seen in police custody when an unexpected surge of power killed his guards and transported Black Hand to Ryuut. There he appeared entranced by a mysterious voice which he heard calling out to him from deep space.
BLACKEST NIGHT - THE ORIGIN OF WILLIAM HAND
Black Hand's origin is one subject addressed in the " Green Lantern: Secret Origin" story arc. William Hand is a disturbed young man working at his family's business, Hand Mortuary. He appears to hold a morbid fascination with the dead bodies within the mortuary and was twice seen secretly gazing at a corpse with an intent fascination. His morbid behavior is portrayed as an ongoing problem in his family with William's mother asking him at one point "why can't he be a good Christian like his brothers?" As if acknowledging his diseased mind, William responds "I don't know".At this point, William is unaware that he is being stalked by the alien necromancer Atrocitus. Atrocitus has foreseen that "William Hand" contains "the power of the black", an as yet unspecified power which Atrocitus believes will provide him with the means for revenge against the Guardians of the Universe. Crafting a cosmic divining rod, Atrocitus follows the device to Hand intent on eviscerating the young man and claim the power within him. Hand is saved by the intervention of Hal Jordan and Sinestro, who was then still a Green Lantern. This flashback story serves to foreshadow Black Hand’s importance to the “Blackest Night” story arc. The symbol he wears on his chest, that of the “Hand Mortuary”, has been seen reflected in the eye of “ Scar”, the Guardian seemingly corrupted by her encounter with the Anti-Monitor during the Sinestro Corps War. The Anti-Monitor was last seen having been entrapped within the Black Battery, the apparent source of power for the rumored undead army of Black Lanterns.
Blackest Night
Now hearing the voices of the dead calling to him, William takes one final set of actions as a living being. He returns to his home, and uses his rod to kill his entire family. Then he turns the rod on himself, blasting himself through his skull at point-blank range.As his dead body lies on the floor of his home, amidst the corpses of his family, Scar, the corrupted Guardian of the Black, appears. Declaring William to be ready, she vomits out a black ring. The ring flies to William's finger, and commands him to rise. As his corpse is reanimated by the energy of the Black, he is declared to be the embodiment of their corps, the Black Incarnate, similar to Ion and Parallax and the Predator.
Fully risen, William vows to use this new power to finally extinguish the light.
#3353 in
Power Rank
Rank Game
| Super Name: | Black Hand |
| Real Name: | William Hand |
| Aliases: |
William Hand The Black Hand Black Hand Black Lantern The Black Lantern |
| Publisher: | DC Comics |
| Gender: | Male |
| Character Type: | Human |
| 1st Appearance: | Green Lantern Vol. 2 #29 |
| Appears in: | 39 issues |
| Birthday: | |
| Died: |
Add a power to this list?
Genetic Manipulation
You propose to remove this. Changed mind?
You propose to add this. Changed mind?
My Top 100 Villains.
a list of 71 items by BMBmustdie
a list of 71 items by BMBmustdie
Ring bearer files
a list of 14 items by Ryonslaught
a list of 14 items by Ryonslaught
Green Lantern Rogues
a list of 24 items by ASKwhy
a list of 24 items by ASKwhy
