We’ve all had one of those moments in our lives where we just want to snap and go on a rampage. Something has angered us so much that we’d love to deal out some of the pain we’ve felt back to the world. Hal Jordan of the Green Lantern Corps has just had that moment. Only he isn’t going to take a breath and calm down. He’s truly snapped beyond repair. Witness the fall of a hero as I recount the events of “Green Lantern” #49…..

Hal used his stolen energy to propel himself through outer space. His ultimate destination was the planet Oa, home of the Green Lantern Corps central battery! As he approached, the Guardians sent Green Lantern after Green Lantern to attempt to stop him. But Hal wasn’t regarded as the best for nothing. One after another, they would fall like bowling pins, and Hal would add to his growing power by taking the fallen hero’s ring! A Green Lantern’s ring was powered by the wearer’s will after all, and right now, Hal’s will was at the strongest it had ever been! (Damn! Somebody needs to tell Hal that if all he wanted was bling, all he needed to do was stop at any rapper’s mansion and he’d have more rings than he could ever need! Flavor Flav!)

The Lanterns would all try to reason with him while they gave the fight their all, but their pleas would always fall upon deaf ears and Hal would continue onward after he defeated them. He would be the Guardians’ puppet no longer. He would take all of the power that they had and bring back all that he had lost. Meanwhile on Oa, the Guardians looked down upon all of the cosmos. In particular, they watched as their once greatest champion advanced upon them with hate-filled eyes. They commented that even he was no threat. They were unconcerned. One of their number however, Ganthet, remained unconvinced. The next to fall was a close friend of Hal’s in the Corps. It seemed as though no-one meant anything more to him now than another obstacle to overcome in his mission! (And I though Guardians were ancient and therefore intelligent beings! You don’t mess with an angry human! We’ll nearly kill each other on Black Fridays! And that’s just over the newest video game console!)

Next, he was blindsided by a newer and somewhat unorthodox Green Lantern by the name of Jack T. Chance. Jack followed up his sneak attack by pulling out a large gun and aiming at the once-hero! But, within mere moments, Jack also floated, beaten and ringless, in the cold emptiness of space! (Wow! Even Lobo didn’t stand a chance! Wait. What? Jack T. Chance? You mean DC ripped off their own character? Weird. That’s like Marvel having more than one Spider-Man. Lol! They did what and how many times?!) More and more heroes of the Corps fell as Hal Jordan gained more and more power! That is until he was struck from behind by the warrior woman, Boodikka! Hal had inducted her into the mighty Green Lantern Corps himself. Boodikka did her best. Failure wasn’t an option for her. She even stated that her ring was as one with her as her own hand. That’s why Hal created a blade construct and lopped it off before he took her ring as well!

The Guardians were growing uneasy. Anyone could tell that fear was creeping into their proud yet arrogant demeanor. They were confident that their failsafe plan would save them. Ganthet once again spoke out against this plan, but even in the end, even he had to admit that there was no other way. (Those poor little Smurfs. First the constant threat of Gargamel trying to eat them all of the time, and now this!) The next to stand in Hal’s way was the mighty Kilowog, a close friend of his and a trainer for the Corps. He would definitely be no pushover. Hal and Kilowog had their words but instead of surrender, Hal chose to fight. The two titans clashed with furious power and experienced accuracy. But in the end, even a legendary fighter like Kilowog stood no chance. He fell like all of the rest.

Hal Jordan approached the enormous Central Batterey upon Oa at last. The Guardians materialized in energy form, pleading that he surrender himself. Hal laughed maniacally. He’d come too far to be stopped now. It was all or nothing. The Guardians said that he had given them no choice then. That’s when a cloaked figure emerged from green energy of the Central Batterey itself. Hal looked on in utter shock as the being pulled back his hood. Sinestro, the “fallen one” of the Green Lantern Corps stood revealed and ready to defend the cosmos that he had so often threatened himself!

To be concluded…..

Dedicated to my daughter, Jade Leigh Miller, who’s turning 21 and to my son, James Christian Miller, who will be turning 20. I love you both.