The Justice League's Cold Shoulder: Hal Jordan's Tragic Fate and the DC Retcon That Made It Worse
Hal Jordan's Fall from Grace: A Villain's Story
Superheroes turning villain? It happens. But Hal Jordan's (Green Lantern) descent into becoming the monstrous Parallax? That's some serious heartbreak, especially given how his formerJustice Leaguebuddies reacted to the whole situation. It was initially depicted asHal'stragic fall – he was totally possessed! The details, the entire story arc concerning the aftermath; reveals some major flaws concerning these major players, showing just how ruthless some can get, despite outward appearances.
Blackest Night #0 (written byGeoff Johns, art byIvan Reis)shows this ruthlessness through thevery painful lens of the fallenHal. His reflections onBatman'sdeath – versus how theLeaguetreatedHal'sown demise – are especially striking.Even the death ofFlashbrought theLeaguetogether in mourning. That's a contrast which highlights how badlyHal'send actually was – nobody really mournedHal'ssacrifice – a horrific, shocking contrast with other characters and their individual treatment at these moments. It is entirely devoid of emotional weight. His own grave might even be desecrated, which demonstrates the callous cruelty in which certain Justice League characters behaved during this terrible moment! That very particular aspect adds further fuel into the flames and generates significant shock; a moment which was only really fully explored within this text which also makes some minor retcons; adding more meaning to those very particular events concerning what had transpired for that key DC character.
The Justice League's Unforgiving Nature
The most messed up thing aboutHal'streatment is how he’s completely innocent of this initial shift to villainous activity! WhileHalinitially adoptedParallaxand played the bad guy in the storyline – aDCretcon later confirms Halwas controlled – not really in charge at all – totally possessed. His team? They think he just went bad. Batmanwas super harsh, callingHala traitor, permanently tainting his legacy. EvenGreen Arrow, a close pal, seemed better off just not thinking about him!
That’s one massive lie that impacts the emotional element concerning his death! Green Lantern #81shows a decent turn-out for his funeral– a stark contrast toHal'sclaims of having had none! So the emotional disconnect was completely intentional!
The Forgotten Aftermath: Villains and the Rebuilding of Their Legacies
Comics rarely showcase that awkward transition of villains returning as heroes; the initial failure creates that gap within this storytelling element and demonstrates what is largely missing: exploring how these difficult moments and plot twists can only succeed if those elements regarding how society (and those people involved with that fallen hero’s world) treats their reemergence into their roles in this universe; which must consider and encompass what might've initially caused those negative circumstances. That alone is the missing ingredient within this particular genre.
Haltried to redo time, rebuild the universe— a big move even forGreen Lanternconsidering what it completely implies–this means creating drastic and massive changes, and completely rewriting that entire history which naturally led to many objections and objections to his continued membership. Yet he's unfairly targeted—he's responsible for what his villain persona had done! This leaves that profound realization–this callous disregard; even the possibility of desecration completely emphasizes this particular plot twist.
Conclusion: A Legacy Undone and the Importance of Context
The callous treatment from the Justice League and others to the former Green Lantern after he is found to be not fully responsible for that prior turn creates the key theme that even despite his prior terrible behavior as Parallax; his intentions and personal responsibilities remained complex. Yet those Justice League heroes remain incapable of empathy or acceptance, completely failing to understand what drove the fallen hero, resulting in an entirely dark tale showing an even deeper ruthlessness than it seemed. Even that simple detail completely recontextualizes his demise!