GREEN LANTERN versus SUPERMAN & BATMAN

The Enemies Among Us (DC)
Where: Superman/Batman #29 When: October 2006
Why: Mark Verheiden How: Ethan Van Sciver

The Story So Far...
The past is coming back to haunt Batman and Superman! An unprovoked attack from Martian Manhunter precedes deadly affronts from Titano, Parasite, and Doctor Phosphorus -- all old adversaries who are dead or long since dealt with!

A tense meeting with Martian Manhunter confirms Batman's suspicions that he may be dealing with a shape-shifter, but when Green Lantern lends Superman a hand to deal with a returning Caveman from Krypton -- it quickly becomes apparent that Hal Jordan himself has turned against them!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Superman 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Batman 5 (Professor)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach-Speed)
Stamina: Superman 6 (Generator)
Agility: Batman 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Batman 5 (Martial Artist)
Energy: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Superman 33 (Super)

When DC Studios CEO & Co-Chairman, James Gunn, was a guest of The Howard Stern Show a few months ago -- he inadvertently ignited a debate amongst fans over who would win in a fight between Green Lantern and Superman.

Traditionally the pair of DC heroes are charter members of the Justice League, but there have been a handful of notable battles between them. All of this despite the fact that Superman himself was once considered a potential candidate to receive the ring and join the Green Lantern Corps as guardian of Sector 2814!

This one generally boils down to whether or not the super-human strength and physical feats of The Man of Steel can match the indomitable willpower of energy constructs made by a Green Lantern.

A Green Lantern has to be able to respond to dangerous inter-galactic phenomena while policing a vast array of powerful alien species. That means light constructs need to be pretty tough. Case in point: Hal Jordan was able to smack the Hulk around when the Marvel hero was accidentally displaced in time & reality.

We haven't studied today's particular featured match-up, but we do have some good cases of similar conflicts.

Guy Gardner went to war with Eradicator during the period when Superman was thought dead, and replaced by an engineered doppelganger. Guy wielded a yellow Qwardian ring at this time, similar to GL's, using all the basic tactics of a Lantern to match the Superman facsimile until a mutually agreed upon ceasefire.

Conversely, things went awry when Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner were deployed to the planet Jekuul, discovering Eradicator, General Zod, and his family living with all the benefits of Kryptonian physiology under a yellow sun. This powered Zod and his family up to Superman levels -- allowing them to shatter light constructs, and strategically disarm the Lanterns with extreme prejudice.

I say a Green Lantern should be able to handle himself and lock down a super-powered threat, but we've seen that it can go both ways. With Batman in tow, Superman has a sharp tactical mind at his disposal, but they're up against a seasoned pro in Hal Jordan, and as we'll find out -- he isn't acting alone!

The Tape: Superman & Batman Ranking: Batman (#1)

What Went Down...

Batman scolds Superman for arriving to his own rendezvous late as The Man of Steel touches down behind the hangar of a quiet alien containment facility.

The reaction draws confusion from Superman, who didn't ask Green Lantern to arrange any meeting with The Dark Knight. In fact, they didn't discuss Batman at all when the Lantern helped detain the notorious Caveman from Krypton -- one of several alien threats from the past coming back to haunt them.

Batman's suspicion is immediately aroused, but he can barely finish the thought as the ground begins to rumble and bulge a path from the hangar towards them!

A massive ball of green energy explodes from the ground beneath their feet!

Batman manages to jump clear of the blast moments before it happens -- while Superman stands firm to absorb the brunt of the attack!

Suddenly Superman finds himself under fire as green lasers begin piercing the air and shooting at him!

Batman darts behind the quizzical and besieged Man of Steel -- heading for the shadows of another nearby building. Green lasers dance around The Dark Knight, cutting through the hangar as he appeals to his old ally to talk to him.

Instead, Batman is thrown back as the ceiling caves in under the awesome size and weight of Green Lantern's old one-time foe -- The Creature That Could Not Die!

Meanwhile, Superman finds himself in the turncoat Lantern's sights as he notes the pugilistic heft of Jordan's weapon from a position on one knee!

"Power rings always did... pack a heck of a punch."

The Green Lantern blasts through the hangar doors of his hiding place and flies a beeline towards his target!

Surrounded by a protective shield of energy and five giant glowing arms -- he takes the fight straight to Superman!

Superman is swept off his feet as the Lantern's extended fist guides him like a human missile -- and a barrage of green fists pummel and batter the Kryptonian!

The struggle sends them skipping out into the empty desert -- bouncing off the dirt as Superman exerts himself against his erstwhile teammate, and attempts to bring their flight to a halt. He wants to know why he's attacking them.

Hal points his ring to the night sky as its energy begins to ripple and extend.

Back at the base: Batman does his best to stay clear of massive pink limbs whipping towards him. They shatter the floor as he jumps clear!

Superman and Green Lantern blast back to the base -- concerned that Batman might be in trouble. They crash through the building, finding Batman standing safely beside the unconscious behemoth of The Creature.

It seems the cloud of influence over Hal Jordan has passed, but The Batman rushes him -- grabbing GL's ring hand with his left, and the front of the Lantern's uniform with his right.

Jordan remains passive in Batman's grip, mounting no defense as he removes his power ring and reveals the belief that the entire episode wasn't just a corruption of the man -- but also the Green Lantern power ring!

The Hammer...

We came here to find out who wins when Green Lantern fights Superman, but it looks like we've gotten ourselves tangled up in a far more complicated situation! Before we get into all of that, let's take a moment to outline what brought us to this scenario in the first place:

DC Studios CEO & Co-Chairman James Gunn made headlines weighing-in on Green Lantern vs Superman, but it was actually radio shock-jock and noted comic book fan, Howard Stern, who initiated it, while the pair discussed the upcoming live-action Lanterns series during the September 10th edition of Stern's show. Stern mused: "You know, no one's ever done a great job with Green Lantern. I was a Green Lantern fan, and I don't think-- Y'know, he's got pretty cool super-powers. He could pretty-- I think he could beat up Superman, in a weird way. Don't you think?"

Gunn responded, "Absolutely, absolutely. I think he's pretty-- he's pretty powerful. I think that a good strong match between Superman and uh, Lantern, uh -- any of the Lanterns -- would be great." A sentiment he repeated the next day while answering fan questions during the Peacemaker Official Podcast, "I definitely don't think Superman would beat against, beat Green Lantern."

Social media and fan communities lit up with their own speculation and takes on the match-up, but as you know, in these parts we prefer not to ask who would win a fight - but who did win a fight. The kind of thing that helps settle some of these arguments and put it all into a kind of perspective. Even if we all know the needs of a story will ultimately override any presumed "correct" answers.

I frequently saw a page from today's featured issue doing the rounds during fan discussions, so I figured it would be as good a place as any to start. A chance to provide some missing context to the jpeg, which showed Green Lantern using his power ring to pummel Superman, but offered no actual conclusions or details.

Here we can illuminate the attack: Superman was caught off guard, holding back during the skirmish, and ultimately wasn't even actually defeated by Green Lantern, who was acting under the influence of mental corruption.

The source of that corruption is the mystery at the heart of the entire Enemies Among Us six issue story arc. A pretty bloated and vague tour through Silver Age references like Zook: a cutesy, shape-shifting alien who hung around Martian Manhunter in the 1960s, but according to this story, left Earth after Batman snapped at the Manhunter to keep him quiet during a Justice League meeting.

It was Zook who was assuming the form of obscure old enemies like the Caveman of Krypton and Creature Who Couldn't Die, having been drawn back to Earth by the mysterious psychic "call" radicalizing aliens on Earth into an armada against humanity. His dated references speak to time spent away (and out of publication). We'll take a closer look at Zook's involvement in all of this another time.

The corrupting call is perpetrated by a species of alien conquerors who have been convinced by Despero that humans are morally unworthy of existing.

Despero met the aliens while imprisoned by the Green Lantern Corps on Oa after his last attack on the Justice League during Crisis of Conscience. Which might explain why Hal Jordan and his ring were early targets for manipulation in today's story, and why Superman/Batman #29 also ends with the bombastic arrival of another hostile Lantern & alien -- Kilowog!

Which brings us back to James Gunn's remark about "any of the Lanterns" being a match for Superman! It's not just Hal Jordan crossing swords with his fellow Justice Leaguer, and in the next issue of Superman/Batman, it's Kilowog's turn.

Just like our recent series spotlighting Daredevil and The Wrecker -- I rather like the idea of exploring the Superman v Green Lantern dynamic further!

There are plenty of examples of Green Lanterns testing their might against The Man of Steel -- and I just happen to have several of 'em. So this could be a project we revisit heading into the 20th Anniversary of Secret Wars on Infinite Earths!

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Winner: Inconclusive (Draw)
#3 (--) Superman
#30 (+1) Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
#1 (--) Batman [+1 assist]

GREEN LANTERNS versus HOUSE OF ZOD

Zod's Will Part One: First Contact (DC)
Where: Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps #37 When: March 2018 Why: Robert Venditti How: Rafa Sandoval

The Story So Far...
The Guardians of the Universe have reinstated their post as overseers for the Green Lantern Corps, and while John Stewart contemplates quitting the ranks over a history of indiscretions, Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner continue to fly the beat as Green Lanterns of Sector 2814.

A routine investigation into reported unauthorized resource exploitation on the planet Jekuul brings the pair to a primitive civilization making unexpected advancements. The beginnings of construction signal an occupation by the unlikeliest of welcome parties: Zod!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Zod 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Eradicator 5 (Professor)
Speed: Zod 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Zod 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Zod 4 (Trained)
Energy: Hal Jordan 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: General Zod 33 (Super)

The Green Lantern Corps are: Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner.

Two Lanterns are on call to investigate this case. Hal and Kyle have a complicated history; the latter becoming the last Green Lantern after Jordan completely wiped the Corps out under the influence of Parallax; but they're buddies now.

After Hal's "rebirth", the pair worked together to stop Sinestro and his Yellow Corps bringing war to Earth, but the ringless fisticuffs used to settle that score probably won't help them against today's super-powered adversaries!

The House of Zod are: General Zod, Ursa, Lor-Zod, and Eradicator.

This family of Kryptonians is headed by the militant despot General Dru-Zod, who was banished to the Phantom Zone before the destruction of his home planet, Krypton. He's cruel & violent, representing a hopeless counterpart to Superman!

We saw General Zod lead an army of Kryptonians against Superman and the Earth back in Action Comics #846, so it isn't unreasonable for the Green Lanterns to suspect invasion and exploitation of the primitive Jekuul inhabitants.

We know Zod and his family are tough enough to stand toe-to-toe with Superman, but what about the most powerful weapon(s) in the universe?

Our closest reference was when Guy Gardner wielded his Qwardian yellow ring against Eradicator in Action Comics #688. Not quite a Green Lantern and not quite Kryptonian, but the pair are at least proof positive that energy rings can hold up against a physical powerhouse in the mould of Superman.

The Tape: House of Zod Ranking: Hal Jordan (#24)

What Went Down...

General Zod casually approaches the two Green Lanterns investigating his nearby construction, extending a welcome, and a willingness to explain the circumstances of his new home on planet Jekuul. The startled Lanterns are not convinced.

Hal Jordan immediately recognizes the Z-shaped crest on the man's chest and springs into action -- slinging his ring to form a giant vice around the General!

Amidst the confusion - Jordan reverts to an intention to arrest the known villain, whose presence has caught both he and Kyle Rayner by surprise, and is presumed hostile. Zod denies any crime has been committed.

A strain begins to emanate through Jordan's ring. "Lantern, do you know what I missed most during my years imprisoned inside the Phantom Zone?"

Drenched in the yellow sunlight of Jekuul -- General Zod throws his arms wide and breaks free from the hard-light construct holding him in place!

Jordan orders Kyle Rayner to make a hasty exit to recruit back-up, but even if he wanted to leave -- he never had a chance. A dark blur is upon him in seconds as Ursa uses her Kryptonian super-speed to hit him in the face like a freight train!

Her son, Lor-Zod, and the Eradicator, float with her overhead, as the Green Lanterns suddenly find themselves surrounded by super-powered Kryptonians!

Back-to-back with his partner, outgunned and outnumbered, Hal Jordan calls an audible, choosing the two targets on the left, while he forms an energy shield shaped like a jet fighter -- and flies straight into battle!

Kyle creates a giant-sized armored samurai as he launches himself at mother & son, while Jordan's plane takes double-barreled eyebeams, on a course towards Zod and Eradicator!

With a single, almighty punch -- Ursa smashes the gigantic samurai, shaking its hard-light armor plates loose with a rippling impact that ejects Kyle out the back!

Jordan fares a little better, losing a wing from his plane, and part of the fuselage, but aiming true for his target.

He pulls back his fist and charges up the ring as he closes in on General Zod and the remains of his plane break over the target -- but even a powered-up punch is child's play for the sun-charged General!

"So this is the self-proclaimed "most powerful weapon in the universe.""

Zod's cold confidence spells a foregone conclusion as he delivers a short uppercut at super-speed, bloodying the Green Lantern's mouth & nose, knocking him out cold and falling to the ground below.

Things aren't going any better for Kyle Rayner. A curious Ursa delivers a callous punch to the gut, wondering why the Green Lanterns would use a ring, rather than armor, a gun, or "a blade, at least".

A snap of her elbow backhands Kyle, sending him head-first into the rocks and dirt of Jekuul.

A flying right-hook knocks the mask from his face, and another sprays his blood across the air. General Zod grabs her fist and tells her "enough."

Deemed "tenuously" alive by the Eradicator's scan, Hal Jordan does his best to attempt an alert to Corps headquarters, but to no avail. Communications have been jammed. General Zod has prepared for this moment, though the Green Lanterns' discovery has come sooner than anticipated.

The Hammer...

I've always kind of accepted that, although messy, Crisis on Infinite Earths set about solving some things...

It revised & refined seminal concepts created without generational foresight, streamlining worlds accumulated through time and corporate acquisition, into a single reality capable of sustaining & exploiting enduring, coexisting pop culture icons.

I think we've come far enough to say the New 52 reboot solved very little. In fact, it might be the inverse opposite of Crisis, causing a lot of ugly and unnecessary problems, reinstating confusion, and generally creating a rift in the DC Comics canon that makes it very easy to invest much less interest. A "jumping off" point.

The New 52, and its marketing department pseudo-reboots, have been the kind of undertaking that makes a guy wonder if Superboy-Prime has lived long enough to become the hero the DC Universe needs -- but I wouldn't say it's all been bad.

Movies would have you believe General Zod is an integral part of the Superman mythos, but his comic book footprint was actually relatively small until recently. There were only a handful of issues between Zod's 1961 introduction in Adventure Comics #283, and big screen debut in Richard Donner's Superman.

As the lead antagonist of 1980's Superman II, Zod left an indelible mark on the broader consciousness, but the obscurity of a character already best known for his imprisonment in the Phantom Zone was exacerbated by the post-Crisis reboot, which sought to restore Superman's status as "Last Son of Krypton" -- the sole survivor of his doomed home planet.

Kara Zor-El, Supergirl, wasn't fully reinstated as Superman's cousin until 2004, and attempts to resolve the disparity between mainstream awareness of General Zod, and comic book canon, was clumsy and inconsistent.

The most egregious revival of Zod was 2001's Russian super-villain of the same name, with a fever-dream stopgap in the highly publicized '04 For Tomorrow story, before goggles & grey became Kryptonian chic with Richard Donner himself collaborating with Geoff Johns on a shaky, but full-fledged comeback, in 2007.

Despite the looming influence of Terence Stamp's performance in films, no real consensus seemed to be reached about design or characterization, even when Zack Snyder reprised the character for 2013's bleak, and generally unhelpful, live-action cinematic franchise-starter, Man of Steel. Which presents a rare problem the New 52 era of comics could -- and maybe even did -- solve.

This dark haired, bearded Zod clearly isn't Terence Stamp, but there's a sense of acknowledgement in the design that also builds on elements of Jim Lee's mirrored zed emblem, and Adam Kubert's shock-haired interloper.

It feels like this Zod exhibits a stage of revision and refinement that's approaching a definitive incarnation -- a rarity for this era of DC Comics.

Along with just being an intuitive place for a super-powered alien criminal to turn up; The House of Zod's showdown with Green Lantern feels like another knowing reference, calling back to their 1979 encounter in Green Lantern #122 & #123.

It's not necessary to box the character into past appearances -- and they haven't -- but in an era of confusion and book burning, it's nice to feel like there's some knowledge and awareness informing what's going on. Although, again, I wouldn't want to downplay the natural intuitiveness of moving these characters away from Superman, and into a collision with DC's resident space cops.

Of course, in doing so, this also satisfies the increasingly familiar trope of the evil Superman, without any of the baggage that deteriorates Superman himself, or the innate concept of a true villain with absolute power.

To some extent this scenario satisfies the dream match of Superman vs Green Lantern, and the question of what Superman might do with his powers if he was a militaristic conqueror of worlds. The only difference is exploring and expanding upon General Zod in the DC Universe is ultimately far more satisfying and valuable than a less convincing tangent, like Injustice.

That seems to be part of the conceit of this appearance, which in my estimation, places a little bit too much of a premium on the unbridled power of the "bad guy Supermen". The Lanterns are pretty soundly outmatched, which doesn't gel with past appearances, and downplays the powers of the Green Lantern ring.

If Ursa was smacking Kyle Rayner in the face like this, I feel like he should have more to worry about than a bloodied lip. I'm not sure if this a conceptual problem stemming from the script, or an aesthetic conceit. The Lanterns are depicted as having energy shields around them, but it's a little subtle for my liking, and the pencils don't quite gel with my conception of that shield completely surrounding the body (and face), rather than just being a two-dimensional outline.

Rafa Sandoval's action is dynamic, but the layouts are a little bit all over the place. The balance of detail in panels shifts from a little cluttered, to a little sparse -- unconscious habits I associate with digitally created comics. I could be presuming too much, and on the whole, it's a solid read, with good clean lines.

This is only the first chapter of this arc of Hal Jordan and The Green Lantern Corps, though. There's more to talk about and I'd like to come back to examine more of this story, and perhaps past battles. By becoming a supporter on Patreon you can help make that possible, while also unlocking access to additional updates, the new Discord server, and sponsored content like Rank & File Top 10!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has recorded over 700 battles and ranked well over 1,000 characters! Find them all by following links throughout each and every post, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights in order of publisher, series, and issue number.

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Winners: General Zod & Ursa (w/ Eradicator & Lor-Zod)
#124 (+109) General Dru-Zod
#362 (new) Ursa
#654 (--) Eradicator [+1 assist]
#651 (new) Lor-Zod [+1 assist]
#27 (-3) Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
#87 (-6) Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)

DOCTOR LIGHT versus GREEN LANTERN

The Ghost of Christmas Light (Marvel)
Where: Green Lantern #36 When: February 1993
Why: Gerard Jones How: Gene Ha

The Story So Far...
Hal Jordan's heading home for the holidays, bringing best pal Carol Ferris to the Jordan Family Christmas at his brother Jim's! A magical flight in sets the season off to a perfect start, but hidden within the majestic Northern Lights is the malicious manifestation of Doctor Light!

With his powers ever-expanding since experiencing death; Light no longer needs a physical form! He exists as a being of pure light, passing through particles and wavelengths as he searches for purpose and power. Finding himself drawn to the ethereal glow of the Green Lantern's power ring, the villain is on a course to crash the party!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Draw 2 (Average)
Intelligence: Doctor Light 5 (Professor)
Speed: Doctor Light 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Green Lantern 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Green Lantern 4 (Trained)
Energy: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Green Lantern 27 (Metahuman)

Doctor Light has developed a bit of a reputation for being a chump, but he's undergone several transformations over the years that've enhanced, focused, and unlocked his light-based powers! In today's fight he's fresh from being spat right out of Hell -- and more at-one with light than ever before!

In past featured fights we've seen Arthur Light channel, control, and project light, such as: his team-up with Mirror Master against The League of Titans in Final Crisis #1, or attack on the Fortress of Solitude in Superman/Batman #43.

After his rejection from Hell: Doctor Light realized the ability to surrender his physical form and become light! This adds a new spectrum to his potentially deadly arsenal as he travels instantly through light while bending it to his will!

Fortunately, Green Lantern is no stranger to battling opponents who cast opposing light. The fearless Hal Jordan continues to clash with the likes of Larfleeze [Green Lantern #42] and a Parallax possessed Kyle Rayner [Green Lantern #24], to say nothing of his arch-nemesis Sinestro, who was finished off in a fistfight without the use of power ring projections in Green Lantern #25!

It's a good thing Jordan knows how to throw a punch when he can't rely on green hard-light constructs, too! When Doctor Light was part of The Society, we saw him literally extract the light-based powers of The Ray in Infinite Crisis #1!

The Black Lantern Martian Manhunter was also able to use intangibility, speed, and deceptive projections to beat both Flash and GL in Green Lantern #44.

To make matters even worse: these are the days before Parallax, which means Green Lantern power rings are still unable to act against anything yellow! We saw Professor Zoom pierce GL's light shields with common yellow objects in Green Lantern #40, and Golden Roc cause some trouble in Secret Origins #32!

if Doctor Light can exploit the fullest of his unlocked light-manipulation powers to move fast and create holograms and mirages -- he just might test the GL oath of might on a brightest day! Let's see how the Christmas clash went!

The Tape: Green Lantern Ranking: Green Lantern (#30)

What Went Down...
Christmas merriment turns to terror when the Jordan family's decorative lights leap from the tree and begin strangling Jim "Santa Claus" Jordan!

Within each globe gleams a cackling face and it doesn't take brother Hal long to figure out the most likely culprit. With a flash of his ring he dons the uniform of the Green Lantern and races to rescue his brother from Doctor Light!

The tendrils of colored lights wrap around GL, holding a yellow globe at his throat as the villain demands the green "supernal light" of the ring. Green Lantern struggles as the wiring wraps tighter around his throat.

As the family wonders how such a powerful hero could be challenged -- little Howie races to unplug the lights from the electrical socket. The strategy is a good one, but Doctor Light charges the globes to fire a laser that tags the boy on the shoulder and sets him aflame!

Hell hath no fury like a mother scorned! While Carrol Ferris tends to the boy, Sue Jordan flies into a rage -- launching herself at the malicious decorations! Lasers beam wildly from the coils wrapped around GL's body, but her sudden assault pays off. The Lantern coaches her to strip the yellow bulbs and free his green light to slice through the power chord!

The Christmas tree becomes a raging torch, but the peril seems to pass as Green Lantern directs the family to leave the house. He promises to collect the unconscious Santa and "guy in the Hall", maintaining the façade of a secret identity, but as he does -- he fails to notice a materializing figure!

The unexpected blast of the Doctor's solid-light beam knocks Green Lantern clean out of the air! It's enough to put the hero on his keister, but he's far from out. With a sling of his power ring he challenges Doctor Light to fight in the dark -- obscuring his eyes with a hard-light block from his ring, while taking his legs out with the mocking form of a flash light!

The villain concedes to taunts that he was always a lightweight, but Green Lantern has drastically under estimated the threat he presently faces!

While GL turns his attentions to snuffing the tree fire with a rug, Light dematerializes his way out of his blinders, and refracts himself into a one-man army of five Doctors Light!

The refracted Light brigade beats and batters an unprepared hero with a barrage of fists! They surround him, forming a chorus line of four who kick him back to the ground!

Even Light himself cannot answer the mystery of what's become of him since death. It hardly matters! He once again demands the power and knowledge of the Green Lantern's "light of unearthly perfection". GL obliges, using his ring to smack Doctor Light over the head with a lamp. The Lights furiously converge!

Glowing with yellow light, the Doctor issues an indignant ultimatum: Give him access to the green light - or "die in yellow agony!"

Engulfed in blistering yellow light - the Green Lantern is seemingly out of options, but a wry smile betrays his confidence! He summons his battery and gives Doctor Light a window to the source of a Green Lantern's power. It's exactly what he wanted -- but all is not as it seems!

Like the proverbial genie: Doctor Light is sucked into the battery! There, he will have his wish to be one with the light -- trapped within it!

The Hammer...
Just when you think you're out - they suck you right back in! A little bit of a cheap victory for Green Lantern in the end, but if you live by the light - I guess you die by it, too! Or at least... get sucked into the prison of a cosmic battery your light-based essence cannot escape from!

After a mostly comical stint with the Suicide Squad (that also ended with his temporary death), this was the story that finally put Doctor Light on ice.

I've always liked the idea that the Suicide Squad was the last refuge for characters who were on the chopping block. It kinda seems like that was the case for Light. As I say often, I've never been the biggest Teen Titans fan, and a guy with a silly hat who terrorizes kids with lightshows can seem a tad pathetic.

Unless I'm very much mistaken, Doctor Light didn't escape the Green Lantern's battery for over three years! By that time, Kyle Rayner had taken over the gig - and that's a battle I hope to come back to some time in the near future!

Consider this installment the first part in a fine example of what should be done with villains who've out stayed their welcome, or seemingly warn out their use. As we'll see in the future issue of Green Lantern: they can always be brought back with a spiffy new coat of paint. Although, considering where Doctor Light would wind up another decade later, the results may not always be lasting...

I didn't really pick this battle to talk about Doctor Light. Truth be told, I've had it on the To Do list for the last couple of Decembers, but something always gets in the way. In fact, this year I spent a whole lot of my Christmas working on the relaunch of Mortal Kombat Online, and now I'm sick! I was pretty determined to sneak this one through before the year ended, though. So here we are!

I wouldn't call Green Lantern #36 a uniquely important Holiday issue, but it's got a very nice balance of elements. In essence it's a sweet family gathering. The Jordan Family Christmas episode of the series, showing Hal Jordan in the fairly unusual environment of a domestic setting. Relatable, believable.

Of course, it wouldn't be a superhero's family gathering without some sort of big super-villain fight, and that breaks things up nicely!

As noted, the use of this particular villain holds extra weight given his increased powers, and his ultimate shelving afterward. Although, while it's interesting to think the character may've been on the way out, the issue doesn't actually read specifically like a swansong. Being trapped in GL's battery is a fairly temporary predicament, and the exploration of Doctor Light's powers opens things up.

There is a more deliberate sense of ominous mortality in the story, though.

For one, Green Lantern fights wearing a black arm band for Superman, who'd just been killed off in Death of Superman a month prior. The personalized presence of his family is also playing towards their ultimate deaths, at the end of '93, when Mongul and Cyborg Superman bring about the destruction of Coasty City, and the turn of Green Lantern into Parallax.

Whoa. What a downer! Fortunately, GL #36 isn't itself a downer at all and this fight was a lot of fun to go back to! I hope it brought our year of superhero smackdown to a fitting, belated Christmas close!

Technically Secret Wars on Infinite Earths ends the year in November, so you can check out the Top 20 Featured Fights determined by readers - or get all the gems that didn't make the cut by checking out the complete 2018 Feature Fight Recap! I've gotta tell ya, a lot of my favourites missed the Best Of this year so it's well worth your while digging into the full recap!

Just to be delightfully eccentric and inconsistent - the Annual Rankings Recap spans January to December, so fans who love to see where all the heroes land after we record these fights won't want to miss that! Today's battle has shot Green Lantern back up the list to #20! Hard luck for Aquaman, down to #21!

A big thanks to everyone who's been reading and sharing links throughout the year. A lot of great folks on Twitter have been hitting those retweet and likes! Don't forget Facebook and Google+ button at the bottom of every post! This weird world of superhero fights is something I like to do, but it's always nice to know somebody else is getting something out of it too! Happy new year!

Winner: Green Lantern
#20 (+10) Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
#75 (-5) Doctor Light
#547 (new) Sue Jordan [+1 assist]

FLASH versus GREEN LANTERN

A Flash of Evil (DC)
Where: Green Lantern #40 When: Late May 1993
Why: Gerard Jones & Joe Filice How: Claude St. Aubin

The Story So Far...
When the multiverse was gripped in a crisis of infinite Earths; The Flash disappeared in a race to save existence from the Anti-Monitor's cosmic weapons!

The only evidence of Barry Allen's brave sacrifice was an empty red and yellow costume, to be collected by his protégé Wally West. When the world was remade, Kid-Flash took up the mantle, filling the void left by Barry as the new Flash!

A sudden return of Barry Allen years later seems like a Christmas miracle, but all is not as it seems! The lingering mystery of his disappearance hides a sinister truth about his return. When Flash begins acting strange, best friend Green Lantern is reluctant to doubt him. His hesitance creates a deadly conflict with Darkstar -- forcing the Lantern to take-on his old friend in order to protect him!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Professor Zoom 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Professor Zoom 5 (Professor)
Speed: Professor Zoom 7 (Light Speed)
Stamina: Draw 6 (Generator)
Agility: Draw 2 (Average)
Fighting: Green Lantern 4 (Trained)
Energy: Green Lantern 7 (Cosmic Power)
Total: Professor Zoom 28 (Metahuman)

Ahhh! Not so fast! It's another classic case of mistaken identity as the Reverse-Flash masquerades in red to pose as his classic arch-nemesis: The Flash!

You and I know the scarlet speedster Barry Allen gave his life to stop the Anti-Monitor's schemes in Crisis on Infinite Earths #8! That was a little less than eight years earlier in publishing time, but for the DC Universe, the gap may not be so significant. Further: Flash's sacrifice was without witness and tinged in cosmic mystery, meaning his old pal can't be totally sure of who he's fighting!

Green Lantern is Hal Jordan: the Silver Age ring slinger who spent many decades fighting alongside The Flash in team-ups, and as part of the Justice League of America! We saw the post-Crisis version of their first JLA adventure in Secret Origins #32, where Flash figured heavily in the defeat of The Wood King!

Flash's connection to the Speed Force always makes him a formidable foe! Hal learned that first-hand when he was smacked around by his buddy years later in Green Lantern (Volume 4) #44! By then, it turned out Barry Allen wasn't dead after all, and the Black Lantern Martian Manhunter turned them against one another with telepathic deception. Not really what we're here to talk about...

So far we know a speedster can do some serious damage to Green Lantern. In that battle, GL was reluctant to harm his friend. That's a major factor in today's fight, because he's coming in under the impression Professor Zoom is Barry!

Eobard Thawne (aka; Reverse-Flash) is a sycophant gone bad from the future of the 25th Century. He knows all of The Flash's old moves and has perfected them through his own mastery of the Speed Force! We saw that put to chilling effect in Flash: Rebirth #4, when he kept ahead of Barry Allen and Max Mercury!

Green Lantern clearly has his work cut out for him, but he also wields a power ring capable of willing into reality just about anything he can conceive!

At the time of this fight, the Green Lantern energy ring is unable to enact upon anything yellow. In the future, this would come to be known as the Parallax impurity, which is excised with the removal of the fear-based entity from the central battery. If Reverse-Flash was in his own yellow costume - that could cause some serious trouble! Fortunately, Flash Red means no immediate threat!

We've seen Jordan handle the yellow weakness fighting Golden Roc [Secret Origin #32]. At super-human speeds it won't be quite so easy, but he also has a diverse environment at his disposal to mount a defense.

The Tape: Professor Zoom Ranking: Green Lantern (#30)

What Went Down...
Soaring over Central City; Hal Jordan spots the trademark scarlet streak left by the speedster he believes is his mysteriously returned best friend.

Flash darts into The Flash Museum, ordering its occupants to exit or face death!

Green Lantern investigates, finding "Flash" resting casually against a statue in the museum rotunda. He has nothing but contempt for the honored legacy of his heroic "misspent youth". It's baggage he plans to shed with extreme prejudice, taking one of his goody-goody superhero friends with it!

Lantern manifests a massive hand to catch his friend-turned-foe in mid-dash. He has no desire to fight, but Flash doesn't share the sentiment. The speedster thrusts his hands at speed to create a compressed air battering ram that sends the vulnerable ring-slinger hurtling across the rotunda!

Still a little confused by his old friend's sudden hostility -- Jordan dips into his old bag of tricks, throwing a giant green boxing glove. Flash knows it well, racing in circles to deflect the projectile and send it back to its source!

A towering bronze statue of the real Flash becomes a battering ram in the impostor's hands. He dares GL to contemplate if his ring's energy will work on bronze. Fortunately, it does -- breaking the statue apart against the hard-light energy bubble he manages to form at the last moment!

Jordan goes on the offensive, throwing up a complicated mechanical restraint to pin the speedster down against a nearby wall.

The device locks around The Flash's neck, wrists, torso, and legs -- but it hardly matters! Like Barry Allen himself, the impostor is much more powerful than his successor. He can vibrate his molecules at such intense speeds he passes right through solid matter!

Flash disappears backwards into the wall, cackling, before charging right back through the same way! Green Lantern knows he's coming from somewhere, but can hardly prepare for the immediate onrush!

Flash narrowly misses Green Lantern on the way to The Rogues Gallery weapons storage! He remembers the roll call of those legendary fiends, and delights at the thought of eliminating Barry Allen's best friend with their lethal arsenal!

The barrage of weapons forces Green Lantern to erect another energy shield and start reconsidering his tactics. As he does - the phony Flash ups the stakes by unleashing one of The Top's poisonous spinning tops!

The spread of noxious gas brings forth coughing from museum curator Dexter! Unwilling to abandon his post, the dutiful museum worker now faces imminent death, if not for the nearby gasmask of Mister Element! GL's ring filters the air around him, while he sends the mask to Dexter and makes chase.

Desperate to talk sense into the man he still believes is his old friend -- Jordan ensnares his target in a coffin sized prison cell.

It's meant to be too small for Flash to vibrate free, but the yellow of his costume is all he needs to break the bars. He dashes through the exhibit of adventures in time and space, jumping onto the time defying Cosmic Treadmill!

He broadcasts his plans to escape to an exotic moment in time, but in truth simply darts back a few minutes prior to their entering the room! The trick lets him catch Green Lantern completely unawares with a sucker punch! He grabs the stunned hero by the ankles and starts spinning at super-speed!

The intense forces threaten to black out even a hotshot test pilot turned space cop! Green Lantern desperately summons the will to create a grappling hook with his ring -- bringing the tilt-a-whirl of doom to a sudden stop!

The pair spill to the ground, but GL recovers first and vows to finish the fight if he has to bring the whole museum down on top of Flash! The speedster sarcastically laments the impending end of the great Flash Museum, whipping up debris with a super-fast wave of his hand! GL goes on the defensive!

The intense barrage of objects begins to pierce the Lantern's energy bubble, but also creates cover for him to escape through the floor to come back around for a sneak attack. Just as he does -- Darkstar attacks from above!

Green Lantern's ring intercepts the deadly surprise blast fired by Darkstar! He races to grapple with his rival space-cop, who has no regard for any past associations the scarlet speedster may, or may not, have established on Earth!

Jordan's attempts to protect Flash earn him a speeding yellow boot to the back of the head! A parting shot as the impostor attempts a high-speed escape!

As Flash streaks out of the building - Darkstar takes to the skies in hot pursuit! Believing it may be his last shot at neutralizing a global threat -- he fires deadly bolts of energy that meeting their running target in a spectacular explosion!

Believing he's witnessed the death of his long missing friend -- Green Lantern erupts with rage! He launches himself at the Darkstar, but is met with pleas of innocence! The Darkstar's energy bolts were merely meant to stun!

Darkstar posits that super-speed rendered his body unusually unstable, while Green Lantern contemplates the true possibility that The Flash pulled a literal fast-one.

While the two intergalactic lawmen argue; Professor Zoom lies in wait beneath the ground, having vibrated at super-speed to disappear below the surface! A gambit that caused the ground to explode, but left him safely unseen.

The Hammer...
Darkstar may've gatecrashed the battle and brought it to an explosive end, but there were no winners in today's featured fight! His role was merely in providing an assisted distraction that allowed the impostor Flash a discreet exit.

If you paid attention to the Tale of The Tape, you already know this felonious false Flash is in actual fact Eobard Thawne: Professor Zoom!

Usually he'd be wearing yellow and red as the Reverse-Flash, but in '93, Zoom's super-speed, and knowledge of future-past, were tools in a ploy to stage the impersonated return of Barry Allen! A comeback easily achieved with a quick costume change and commitment to 25th century cosmetic surgery!

The story actually functions as a revamp and return for Prof Zoom, whose neck snapping death famously occurred ten years earlier! In that respect, it's a story that does deliver on a major return! Even if ultimately temporary as a new Zoom came to succeed Thawne as the Reverse-Flash in 2001.

The plausibility of Barry Allen's return is something I don't have a great memory of. The story was coming just a few months after Death of Superman, and slightly ahead of the much-hyped 'breaking of The Bat' in Knightfall. Significant changes were being visited upon DC's greatest heroes, and I have to imagine a return that would displace Wally West seemed at least conceivable, as a result.

Of course, when compared to the international headlines made by Superman and Batman, it was easy to overlook The Flash as just another monthly issue on the racks. If you weren't paying attention, you might not have even noticed that the scarlet speedster on covers wasn't the one who was supposed to be there!

It had only been eight years since Barry Allen's supreme sacrifice in the pages of Crisis on Infinite Earths #8. It was a timeline that probably should've leant credence to his prospective return, but also reinforced a naïve confidence that it was too soon to unseat a replacement who'd served the post-Crisis DCU well.

The garbled transition from pre to post Crisis brought many frustrations for a young reader, but if there was one thing to take away, it was the sacred text of Barry Allen's death. It was an event so significant it placed him within the rare pantheon of the seemingly un-resurrectable: Thomas & Martha Wayne, Uncle Ben Parker, Gwen Stacy, Bucky Barnes & Jason Todd...

Yes, the rules have changed a lot in the decades since. The mid-2000s brought those last two back, and if you've been reading long enough, you're probably thinking heavily about the return of Flash in Final Crisis, and Flash: Rebirth.

Heck! Even Thomas Wayne has a bafflingly active fanbase now thanks to the regrettable tangents of 2010's Flashpoint. The template of early nineties stunt events seems to permeate today's publishing heavily, rather than lessons learned from all that had to be undone.

"The Return of Barry Allen" might not be as well remembered as Death of Superman, Knightfall, or even Green Lantern's fall from grace and turn to villainy. Yet, as an exception, it remains one of the better examples from that time. As an event, its dramatic tension is the threat of a return.

As a story, its end result is a contribution of something that had been taken away -- and a re-emphasis of an important piece of myth building. Good fiction builds on itself. It can twist, contort, progress and surprise without breaking. It creates problems (drama) without eroding the consequences of meaning of its own content. The kinds of comics I'm much preferring to read and revisit.

This month on Secret Wars on Infinite Earths we're featuring comics with the characters found in Injustice 2! The Flash, Green Lantern and Reverse-Flash are all characters you'll encounter in the sequel video game, albeit in a universe where many of DC's greatest heroes are no longer in tact.

Follow links throughout this post to find more from the heroes, villains and comics you love! Dive deeper to find every past featured fight in the Secret Archive Index, where they're organized by publisher, series, and issue number!

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Winner: Draw
#28 (+2) Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
#133 (+161) Professor Zoom (Eobard Thawne)
#526 (new) Darkstar (Ferrin Colos) [+1 assist]