Green Lantern #29

Retelling the origins of the Silver Age Green Lantern, Hal Jordan, Secret Origins takes you back to Hal's true origins, from his childhood through to him joining the Air Force, and his first encounter with Abin Sur.

This issue takes you through Hal's childhood, dealing with his fathers death and joining the Air Force against his mothers will.

Also in this issue is Hal's first meeting with John Stewart and how Hal dealt with his mothers death and his dishonorable discharge from the Air Force so that he could see her one last time.

The end of the issue deals with Abin Sur, and his obsession to find out everything he can about the "Blackest Night" prophecy that The Guardians are keeping from him.

• Hal is charging his ring. He's internalizing about how people always like to ask him what he's afraid of with a smile on their face knowing that he's going to say nothing. Hal feels like people think he was born without fear and that his power ring gives him his power. Hal knows this is not right. Hal thinks that before he was given the ring, his father gave him the power to do anything.

• In a flashback, a young Hal Jordan is shown watching his dad fly a plane from Ferris Aircraft. As Hal continues to watch his dad fly, he hears someone tell him the jacket he's holding is too big for him. Hal turns to see a girl looking at him. Hal tells the girl that his dad asked him to hold the jacket and that he's the one flying the plane. The girl retorts that her dad owns that plane and that in fact, they own all of them. Hal introduces himself to the girl who responds by telling him her name is Carol Ferris and that she wants to be a pilot when she grows up. When Hal says he does too, she responds by saying she's going to own her own plane.

• Hal is about to go into a restricted area and Carol tells him he shouldn't. Hal asks Carol if she wants to join him and she says "no" and that he is going to get into trouble. Hal replies that he's not afraid to get into trouble. As Carol tries to tell her father what Hal is up to, Mr. Ferris is having a conversation with Hal's father about problems with the plane. Mr. Ferris is telling Hal's dad to keep the plane up because the investors are watching; but Hal's dad relates that the plane is going down and manages to crash outside of Coast City where people could get hurt. Hal then watches as the plane explodes, killing his father.

• Fast forward and we see Hal, a bit older breaking into Ken Arden's airfield to watch the planes after he promised his mom that he wouldn't go back to Ferris Aircraft. Hal is caught jumping off Hangar three onto a flag poll to watch the planes take off. Ken calls Hal's mom to pick him up and when Hal's mom apologizes for his behavior, Ken says that it's alright and that Hal just has a lot of his father in him.

• Hal's mom yells at him and asks him how many times she has to tell him to stay away from airfields to which Hal responds she only told him to stay away from Ferris. Hal's mom gets very angry. She tells him he's never allowed near a plane. Hal says "ok," but he realizes that they just don't understand each other. When Hal gets into the car, his brother Jack punches him the stomach for making their mom worry. Youngest brother Jim tells his two brothers not to fight. Then Jim tells his brother Hal to buckle up and when Hal says that they weren't moving yet, Jack tells him again to buckle up before their mother has to tell him and Hal does.

• Flash forward a few more years. Jim is looking at his clock and at midnight, he takes a present out from underneath his bed and rushes to Hal's room to wish him a happy birthday only to discover that Hal wasn't there and that his window was open. Hal is asleep in front of the Air Force recruiting center. When the recruiter sees Hal and asks him if he can help him, Hal responds by saying that he's eighteen today to which the recruiter responds by wishing him a happy birthday.

• Fast forward a bit more and Hal is testing out a new plane for the Air Force. He's taking the plane past Mach 3 to the great annoyance of Major Jonathan "Herc" Stone, his superior officer and someone who had flown with Hal's dad, Carl Ferris and Ken Arden. Hal continues to take the plane faster and faster even though the testing that was supposed to be done was only to check the structural limitations at Mach 1. As Hal takes the plane to Mach 3.3, the plane breaks up. Hal walks away from the crash telling Major Stone that the plane can handle a hair past Mach 3.2.

• Later on, Hal is at a bar in Coast City. He's talking to another Air Force pilot about how Major Stone is going to tear into Jordan for what he did to his two-year program. Hal doesn't seem so concerned about it though. Hal is about to explain how the drinks are on him when he sees a Marine is manhandling a young woman. The Marine threatens the woman and an Air Force pilot tells him that the woman doesn't want to leave with the him before the Marine tells the Air Force pilot to mind his own business. Hal responds to punching out the Marine.

• Another Marine tells John Stewart if he saw what that jet-jockey did to one of their own men. John responds to the Marine by saying "Here we go," and a bunch of Marines back up John. Then Hal replies by similarly saying, "Here we go," and a bunch of Air Force pilots back up Hal and soon a big brawl breaks out between the Marines and the Air Force.

• After the brawl, Hal is walking to his car when he sees his brother Jim. Hal is surprised to see his him but knew Jim was aware Hal hung out at this bar. Jim tells Hal he needs to talk to him. Jim relates that their mom is dying from cancer. When Hal says that he needs to see her, Jim tells Hal that he can't. Jim said that their mother didn't want to see Hal as long as he was still in the Air Force and that Jack wouldn't let him see her as long as this was the case. Jim says he won't let him either.

• The next morning, Hal takes a plane out for a joyride knowing what's going to happen because of it and why he needed to do it. Major Stone digs in on Jordan about how he may be the best pilot on paper but in fact he was the most expensive and dangerous. Hal punches Major Stone out in order to get out of the Air Force so he could see his mother and keep his promise to her.

• When Hal gets to the hospital to see her though, Jim tells Hal that their mother has already passed on. Jack blamed their mother's death on Hal saying he never took responsibility for anything. Jack goes on saying he was the one who took care of mom when their dad died and how he left college and got a job when Hal ran away from home. Jack says that he gave his life for their family and wonders when Hal gave them anything. Later on, Hal gets a knock at his door and opens it to see Jim. Hal asks Jim to come in, but he can't. Jim gives the present that he had for Hal's eighteenth birthday to him: a picture of Hal and his father.

• Elsewhere, Green Lantern Abin Sur confronts Qull and Atorcitus about the prophecies of the Darkest Night.