A major DC superhero was added to the DC Animated Universe at the right time by 2019’s Superman: The Animated Series, which brought the Superman comic lore to life along with other corners of the vast DC Universe. This included characters and lore from the Green Lantern comics.
The Green Lantern Corps was introduced to the DCAU with the debut of Kyle Rayner in season 3 of Superman, though the show’s iteration of Rayner is an amalgamation of his comic iteration and the iconic Silver Age Green Lantern Hal Jordan. Despite Rayner being the DCAU’s first Lantern, John Stewart would become the franchise’s most prominent Green Lantern Corpsman, with Stewart having a starring role in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited. The decision to skip over Hal Jordan, while perplexing by today’s standards, made sense at the time, considering the character’s baggage in the 1990s.
Hal Jordan Became A Controversial Character In The 1990s
While Hal Jordan was not the first superhero to use the Green Lantern moniker, he arguably ties with John Stewart as the most famous one. Hal Jordan was one of DC’s most beloved heroes for decades, but the 1990s saw several controversial storylines alter the public perception of him, both in-universe and among readers. 1994’s Emerald Twilight saw Hal become the murderous supervillain known as Parallax, though Hal would redeem himself – and die – at the end of 1996’s The Final Night crossover arc.
Superman: The Animated Series debuted in 1996, so Hal Jordan had become a controversial character well before the series decided to introduce Green Lantern lore. The show’s creative team most likely did not want to introduce such a contentious character, so they opted to adapt Kyle Rayner but imbue him with some of Hal Jordan’s traits, like having Abin Sur his Green Lantern ring to Kyle and making Sinestro Kyle’s nemesis. Hal Jordan’s name appears as an easter egg in Kyle’s debut, however, and Hal has a cameo in Justice League Unlimited as a Green Lantern from another timeline.
The DCAU Included Hal Jordan At The Right Time
Geoff Johns’s 2004-2005 miniseries Green Lantern: Rebirth not only resurrected Hal Jordan but also retconned his 90s stories, revealing that Hal was possessed by Parallax – a cosmic entity that embodies fear – rather than genuinely turning evil. Since Rebirth, Hal Jordan has regained his status as one of DC’s most beloved heroes, so naturally, he was properly added to the DCAU. Justice League vs. the Fatal Five introduces Jessica Cruz as a new Green Lantern but also confirms that sometime after the events of Justice League Unlimited, Hal Jordan (and Guy Gardner) ed the Green Lantern Corps.
Justice League vs The Fatal Five
- Release Date
- March 30, 2019
- Runtime
- 77 Minutes
- Director
- Sam Liu
- Writers
- Alan Burnett, Eric Carrasco, James Krieg, Jim Shooter
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