With the ability to overcome great fear and harness the power of will, test-pilot Hal Jordan was chosen to be the Green Lantern of Sector 2814 inheriting the ring of the dying alien Green Lantern, Abin Sur. He later on went to creating his own power ring from his own will power. Through sheer will power and determination, Hal has established an impressive record of heroism across the galaxy with the help of his fellow Green Lanterns as well as his peers in the Justice League.
i don't think Hal is anything special. He has the imagination of a toilet bowl... so i don't know how he can be considered the greatest green lantern. i mean, all he ever does is punch people either with his real fist or a construct fist. plus he has the personality of a dish cloth. if you stripped away all his powers and gave him generic super strength no one would care about him.
Hal Jordan is considered to be the greatest because he has the most willpower and is utterly fearless and was the first human to become part of the Green Lantern Corps.
" Hal Jordan is considered to be the greatest because he has the most willpower and is utterly fearless and was the first human to become part of the Green Lantern Corps. "
Agreed. I think it has more to do with how willful they are and not how creative they are with constructs. Though Kyle is my favorite GL
The reason he is considered the greatest Green Lantern are for several reasons, he was the first Earth Green Lantern. Without him, Earth would never have had one. AND also a founding member of the Justice freaking League of America! His imagination is INCREDIBLE! I mean, he is fast and smart about his battle tactics. He is considered the Man with No Fear! One of the first to resist the Yellow Impurity! He was fast in learning and became a top-teir lantern in no time. Yes, Parallax blah blah blah but the reason all that happened was because he was one of the greatest. Now, I don't think he is THE greatest. The only other person who I think was a better GL was Sinestro. If you need me to explain ask me. Hal isn't my personal favorite because he is "the greates" it's because to me personally, I relate to him on so many levels. Personally and theoretically. I know you all have your opinions and I respect them, but when my man is being dissed on, I'm coming to fight.
guy gardner was the #2 pick for gl of the space sector 2418. hal got chosen cause he was closer. plus guy is funnier and has cooler constructs. with jordan it's always planes or fists.
" he was the first Earth Green Lantern. Without him, Earth would never have had one. "
Nope.
@GreenLantern555 said:
"His imagination is INCREDIBLE!"
Not close to Kyle's or John's imagination.
@GreenLantern555 said:
" He is considered the Man with No Fear! "
Daredevil.
:P
@GreenLantern555 said:
" Yes, Parallax blah blah blah but the reason all that happened was because he was one of the greatest. "
Nope, it happened because he couldn't control his anger...although it got retconned. I refuse to believe someone who tore through his own Corps and killed his tutor should be considered the greatest.
@GreenLantern555 said:
" The only other person who I think was a better GL was Sinestro. "
A schemer/traitor who has the name Sinestro can never be considered the greatest, maybe once upon a time, but for someone that looks like the Devil, no.
" guy gardner was the #2 pick for gl of the space sector 2418. hal got chosen cause he was closer. plus guy is funnier and has cooler constructs. with jordan it's always planes or fists. "
And does it get the job done? Why yes it does. The planes are a HUGE reason he is even GL to begin with. HIs planes kick a$$.
@GreenLantern555: if we're taking about practicality when it comes to constructs then john stewart wins. the man has so much willpower his ring can't use all of it.
@Sexy Merc: 1) Yes because he influenced the guardians to trust Earth men 2) His imagination gets the job to be more than done. Kyle is an artist and John is an artitect so that is what they get to work with and it's a lot. Hal has planes. That's what he uses cause it's something that he loves and is part of the reason he is The Man Without Fear. 3)Hal had the name first :- P 4) Parallax influenced him to do it all. Parallax took control of him for a long period of time and more or less force Hal to do it. You would do the same if it happened to your city. 5)"He was the greatest at the time" is what I meant by that. If we are talking about Green Lantern's, Green Lantern Sinestro was one of the greatest.
Nope, it happened because he couldn't control his anger...although it got retconned. I refuse to believe someone who tore through his own Corps and killed his tutor should be considered the greatest. "
" @GreenLantern555: if we're taking about practicality when it comes to constructs then john stewart wins. the man has so much willpower his ring can't use all of it. "
Hey, Hal has WAY more willpower than Stewart does. Don't go there with that.
" Hal Jordan is considered to be the greatest because he has the most willpower and is utterly fearless and was the first human to become part of the Green Lantern Corps. "
Agreed. I think it has more to do with how willful they are and not how creative they are with constructs. Though Kyle is my favorite GL "
My thoughts exactly. One thing I would like to add is that he is also the most mentally stable. If you look at all the Earth sector Lanterns, it seems that each one has had moments where they have lost it so to speak. Kyle lost his girlfriend to Major Force. Likewise woman situations with Guy and John. It took the decimation of Hal's entire city, Coast City, to send him into a time of darkness and insanity. However he had the will to come back and rebuild. Maybe Hal isn't the most popular or most creative or most clever in wit, but he is one of the few Green Lanterns that look to and follow. He does not command authority and respect it is freely given by his fellow Corps members.
" @Sexy Merc: 1) Yes because he influenced the guardians to trust Earth men 2) His imagination gets the job to be more than done. Kyle is an artist and John is an artitect so that is what they get to work with and it's a lot. Hal has planes. That's what he uses cause it's something that he loves and is part of the reason he is The Man Without Fear. 3)Hal had the name first :- P 4) Parallax influenced him to do it all. Parallax took control of him for a long period of time and more or less force Hal to do it. You would do the same if it happened to your city. 5)"He was the greatest at the time" is what I meant by that. If we are talking about Green Lantern's, Green Lantern Sinestro was one of the greatest. "
1) Alan Scott was a Green Lantern before Hal. Maybe if you said Corps instead of Green Lantern... 2) Still doesn't change anything, sorry.
:P 3) I know. I was joking on that point. Hence the ':P' 4) I think I mentioned retcon...but yeah. 5) One of.
@GreenLantern555: hal hasn't recreated the planet xanshi in construct form. plus while he was doing that his ring said it couldn't use all of his willpower. hal does have willpower by the butt load, no doubt about it, but he has yet to be put in a situation where he can really utilize it.
" @Sexy Merc: 1) Yes because he influenced the guardians to trust Earth men 2) His imagination gets the job to be more than done. Kyle is an artist and John is an artitect so that is what they get to work with and it's a lot. Hal has planes. That's what he uses cause it's something that he loves and is part of the reason he is The Man Without Fear. 3)Hal had the name first :- P 4) Parallax influenced him to do it all. Parallax took control of him for a long period of time and more or less force Hal to do it. You would do the same if it happened to your city. 5)"He was the greatest at the time" is what I meant by that. If we are talking about Green Lantern's, Green Lantern Sinestro was one of the greatest. "
1) Alan Scott was a Green Lantern before Hal. Maybe if you said Corps instead of Green Lantern...2) Still doesn't change anything, sorry. :P3) I know. I was joking on that point. Hence the ':P' 4) I think I mentioned retcon...but yeah. 5) One of. "
1) You know I meant in the Corps. Alan Scott is greater than them all anyway. 2) Does to me ;-) 3) I know Hence the ':-P' 4) I don't think he should be fully held responsible and he was forgiven. 5) I still think if he was in the Green Lantern Corps, he would be the greatest.
" @GreenLantern555: hal hasn't recreated the planet xanshi in construct form. plus while he was doing that his ring said it couldn't use all of his willpower. hal does have willpower by the butt load, no doubt about it, but he has yet to be put in a situation where he can really utilize it. "
Just because he hasn't doesn't mean he can't. The closest situation he has been put in like that was when he was trying to reconstruct Coast City, but the guardians wouldn't let him. I think Hal could do it. He is not a New Guardian for no reason.
@Crom-Cruach said:
" @Sexy Merc said:
Nope, it happened because he couldn't control his anger...although it got retconned. I refuse to believe someone who tore through his own Corps and killed his tutor should be considered the greatest. "
totally agree here. "
So you're telling me that you would not do the same thing if you were possessed by the entity of fear?
@GreenLantern555: Who knows what I'd do, and frankly it doesn't matter. What matters is what he did, and that he did that means to me he's not the greatest lantern.
" @GreenLantern555: Who knows what I'd do, and frankly it doesn't matter. What matters is what he did, and that he did that means to me he's not the greatest lantern. "
But it does matter. How can you judge someone who did something you would have done too? All of his feats and stories can't go down the drain because of what happened. The whole GLC forgave him. Isn't it about time Crom-Cruach did too? Hehe... ;-)
@GreenLantern555: Because I know that that doing that is wrong and would take away my right to be called the greatest if I did that. Murdering your brothers and comrades, going crazy and destroying one of the pillars of good in the DC universe and stealing power that was never yours to begin with are all awful things to do, period.
And if I were a lantern and did what he did, I wouldn't be either. We can judge him because we know what he did there was wrong. It doesn't matter how many people would do something wrong in the same position it's still wrong.
I don't hate Hal. I like him, he is cool, but he will never be the greatest lantern to me.
John Stewart will always be a better lantern to me.
@Crom-Cruach: Don't you think Hal knew it was wrong? He wasn't in full control. If the real Hal Jordan was, then it probably wouldn't have happen, but he did and payed for it. Then he sacrificed himself to save the world! I mean if that doesn't tell you something about him as a Lantern, and hero for that matter, I don't know what does. Yes, the Corps hated him, but every day he has to live with the guilt of doing what he did and strives to make-up for it. And he as come to terms that he will never fully will. Lanterns have learned to respect him again.
I understand your view and respect it. You are allowed to have your opinion. ;-)
@GreenLantern555: I'm not saying he hasn't proven himself a hero. I'm saying this act took away his right to be the greatest. His fear, rage and whatever else were born of his only failing, mental problems and weaknesses. He can be a hero, but more then once he has embraced darkness and for that he can never be the greatest. He might be one of the most powerful, but that doesn't make him the best and it never will.
This is the same reason why Lancelot was never the greatest knight of the round table. Galahad was, because he stared at temptation, he faced evil and saw darkness and he denied it and repudiated it, that's why he found the grail and that's why he is the greatest knight to ever have sat at King Arthur's table.
" @GreenLantern555: I'm not saying he hasn't proven himself a hero. I'm saying this act took away his right to be the greatest. His fear, rage and whatever else were born of his only failing, mental problems and weaknesses. He can be a hero, but more then once he has embraced darkness and for that he can never be the greatest. He might be one of the most powerful, but that doesn't make him the best and it never will. This is the same reason why Lancelot was never the greatest knight of the round table. Galahad was, because he stared at temptation, he faced evil and saw darkness and he denied it and repudiated it, that's why he found the grail and that's why he is the greatest knight to ever have sat at King Arthur's table. "
Well, we will just have to agree to disagree on this one. I still think he is the greatest and you think he got that right taken away. And that's the way it looks like it's going to stay. I don't think of you any less and I hope you don't think me any less. I respect your opinion though and I fully understand it. I just stick with my hero even when he makes mistakes. I am just a die hard. ;-)
@GreenLantern555: No worries there, I don't think less of you for disagreeing with me. I respect your opinion even if I don't share it. It's perfectly fine to agree to disagree and it doesn't make me respect you less.
" @GreenLantern555: No worries there, I don't think less of you for disagreeing with me. I respect your opinion even if I don't share it. It's perfectly fine to agree to disagree and it doesn't make me respect you less. "
A lot of what I'm about to say has been touched on, but I'm going to try to be concise in my thoughts... 1) Alan Scot was the first Green Lantern. Hal Jordan was the first Earthling in the GL Corps. 2) Guy Gardner was the first choice of Abin Sur's ring, but he was injured and farther away than Hal, so Hal got picked for expediency's sake - much as Kyle was picked because he was the one there when Ganthet showed up. 3) The GL title carried the "Man Without Fear" tag for years (which made me think that they should have smooshed together GL and DD for Amalgam, instead of GL/Iron Man). 4) I think the willpower debate is too close to call. a)Kyle making a different construct every time he used the ring was an editorial mandate, and it fit his character, because he's an artist. He had the willpower to be Dr. Manhattan... I mean Ion, and to give up that power when it became too much for him to be responsible with. In giving it up, he recreated the Guardians and Oa. Not shabby. b) John has similar imagination, and actually became a Guardian when on the Mosaic. And apparently recreated a planet at some point (according to a previous post - I didn't know that [thanks]). c) Yeah, Hal seemed to always use planes and fists, but remember: not only did he briefly recreate Coast City before the Guardians stopped him, he drew power from the Guardians, before cutting a bloody path to Oa. And then walked into the Battery and took its power. That takes a fair amount of willpower. To me, going for the green fists all the time isn't a lack of imagination or willpower - it's tactics. The ring's doing the job no matter what the construct is, so creating a simple green fist that he uses all the time demands less of his willpower, and allows him to also be thinking about the enemy, bystanders, and his next three moves. It also causes enemies to underestimate him. Also, he had his moments of imaginative constructs (my favorite still being a pushmower to plow through parademons on Apokolips). d) Guy's gotta get a mention, because he was the ring's first choice, and because he had the will to use the yellow ring. That's cool beyond measure, and may rank his willpower through sheer stubborness.
I like all the GL's, but Hal's the greatest. He's also the only Earth GL to have come back from the dead. Okay, that's it. Thanks for your time.
"Hal Jordan is considered to be the greatest because he has the most willpower and is utterly fearless and was the first human to become part of the Green Lantern Corps. "
He doesn't have the most willpower seeing as he gets mind controlled and possessed all the freaking time and his best feats are nothing when compared to Kyle's.
He's not utterly fearless because he's given into Parallex time and again.
Being the first human GL means jack and squat in terms of actual greatness and as pointed out before, Hal was not the first.
"Hal Jordan is considered to be the greatest because he has the most willpower and is utterly fearless and was the first human to become part of the Green Lantern Corps. "
He doesn't have the most willpower seeing as he gets mind controlled and possessed all the freaking time and his best feats are nothing when compared to Kyle's. He's not utterly fearless because he's given into Parallex time and again. Being the first human GL means jack and squat in terms of actual greatness and as pointed out before, Hal was not the first. "
The reason he was taken over by Parallax is because he had no fear so it easy to fill him up with fear. That is why he was the perfect person for Sinestro and Parallax's plan. He was only really successfully taken over once. The other times Hal kicked a$$.
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