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Captain Hal Jordan was chosen to represent an intergalactic police force created by the oldest beings in existence - the Guardians of the Universe. Protecting Earth and all of space sector 2814 from every extraterrestrial threat imaginable. Hal Jordan shines his light proudly as the Green Lantern

"In brightest day, in darkest night, no evil shall escape my sight.
let those who worship evil's might, beware my power - Green Lantern's light!"

 

#2

by Neil Gow

"Magnetic Personalities: Part One"

 

Hal Jordan 's Apartment in Coast City

" And this is where you live, Green Lantern 2814.1? It seems rather . Spartan?" Darla walks slowly around Hal's Coast City apartment and examines every surface.

" Firstly, it's called 'minimalist' and I like it. Secondly, can we can the '2814.1' business." Hal comes out of the shower room with a green towel wrapped around his waist, rubbing his wet hair with another one.

" It is the correct Corps protocol. How else am I to differentiate between the three.two Green Lanterns for this sector?"

" Three, Darla, three. John is missing, not dead. It's easy to tell the three of us apart. John has the afro, Guy is ginger and my hair is brown."

" You would rather be differentiated by the colour of your hair than by a designation of the Green Lantern Corps? That seems very strange."

" There are a number of strange things in this life Darla, and not wanting to be known as a number is one of them. Now.if you don't mind, I have to dress and then I've got to go and meet my new commander."

" You have another commander? I was under the impression that."

" My mundane commander! In the United States Air Force. Now, what do you have planned for today?"

" I considered monitoring your movements to ensure that I have a firm grasp of this planet's customs. However, I am certain now that you are a truly unique individual, Hal Jordan. Therefore I intend to survey your planets temporal structures for any anomalies."

Hal chuckles. " Darla, you couldn't be more of a Guardian if you tried - you would rather check for holes in time than understand the human condition. To be honest, as long as you stay out of trouble and don't bring back any stray interstellar entities, I'm happy." A flash from the power ring dresses Hal in his USAF uniform. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have to be going."

As the door to the apartment closes, Darla sighs and mumbles to herself. " Whatever I have done to deserve this ridiculous assignment, it was never deserved." And with that she disappears.

STAR Lands Secure Facility, Arizona

"We need a doctor here STAT! There's something very wrong! Very very wrong!" The guard turns away from the panicking orderly and turns back to the twitching figure of Hector Hammond. The giant headed, feeble bodied immortal dwarf telepath struggles unconsciously against the restraints that keep his immense mental powers in check. Small flecks of spittle flick from the corners of his mouth and then his eyes fly wide open and he screams a soundless scream. The mental inhibitors redline and blow out and ever single person in the secure facility has their mind filled with one image and one phrase.

A Sun, the same size as the Earth. Devouring the Moon and the Stars - and the scream of 'BRING ME GREEN LANTERN!!'

Edwards Air Force Base

". and that's the bottom line people. Edwards has been ran by General Stone in a way that well.I cannot condone. Things are going to change and we are going to make this place a base to be proud of. Now, for the first and last time - do you have any questions?" The portly figure of the new commanding officer of Edwards Air Force Base, General Adams, stands resolute before them, hands clasped behind their back - daring them to ask a question.

The address he has just given could not have been more scathing. A base in disarray without discipline or purpose. An over-imagined sense of importance within the national picture. Pilots who were more interested in pursuing the idolisation of the 'Top Gun' stereotype than the work of real fighting men and women. In the eyes of General Adams, the only redeeming feature of General Stone's command was that no-one had been killed or seriously injured.

" Sir, the new Raptors - the next generation fits - will be still be testing them?"

Adams turns slightly and glares at the young pilot. " And your name is?"

" Captain Jillian Pearlman Sir, but the guys call me 'Cowgirl'"

" Well, Captain Pearlman, your parents took the time to call you Jillian, so that is what you should be called rather than some inane call sign. We will be testing the new Raptors - but first I want each and every one of you so-called pilots to take an evaluation overseen by my staff. I'm not putting anyone in the sky that I haven't signed off myself."

The room exploded into a storm of indignation as the pilots protested their skills.

" SILENCE. Is this an indication of the state of this base? This is not a democracy people, this is the Air Force and I am your commanding officer and by God, I do not remember anyone telling me that my orders were up for debate. You are all dismissed. The first evaluations begin at 08.00 tomorrow morning."

With that he turns and marches towards the door, leaving a room of very confused test pilots.

" Hey, Cowgirl - nice job. Way to go getting on the right side of the new C.O."

" Whatever, Moosehead. Why don't you fly your Canuck butt back over the border and let us get on with the work..eh?"

" Ladies, there's no need to be fighting between ourselves. Let's face it, Stone is yesterday's news and Adams is the new head honcho. We deal with it and move on."

" So speaks Rocket-Man, leader of the masses. I don't need nobody testin' me on how I fly. I've got over 1000 hours air time logged gentleman and you all know I can fly you all into knots." Cowgirl points at each of the men in turn but hesitates when it comes to Jordan . " What do you think Highball?"

Jordan hesitates for a moment. " No matter what we think about what happened to General Stone, we have to move on. We are Air force pilots and this man is our commanding officer and if he asks us to jump, we ask how high. So if he wants to see us fly then ladies, lets show him how well we can fly." Hal looks around the room and each of the pilots gives a solemn nod. No-one is being grounded.

Hal has other things on his mind though. General Stone was a good man and he took for the fall for something his superiors should have stopped. Stone knows a lot. Stone knows that he is Green Lantern and a number of the strange things that have happened at Edwards over the last few months have been because of Hal and his power ring. Has Stone passed on this information to Adams - and if he has, does that mean that the entire US military hierarchy knows that Hal Jordan is Green Lantern.

The consequences don't bear thinking about.

The Highway Between Edwards and Coast City

Hal feels the wind blow through his hair as he speeds back towards home. Nothing to do on the base today and he could do with some time to gather his thoughts.

Bleep Bleep! Bleep Bleep!

His cell phone vibrates in his flight jacket. He pulls over and plucks it out.

" Hello, Hal Jordan ."

" Hal, it's Jim. How are you?"

" I'm fine Jim. How are you and Susan? And Howie?"

" His name is Howard, Hal. and he's fine. He was asking about you, about his Uncle Hal. He's really keen to spend some time with you."

" You haven't told him, have you Jim?"

Jim sighs. "No Hal, I haven't told him. I know it seems hard for you to accept but there are some people who are interested in you because you are you, rather than you being Green Lantern!"

" Whoa now - there's no need to be so aggressive Bro. What's brought this on?"

" Oh sorry Hal.it's just been hard these last few months. Susan doesn't realise what can happen out in this world. If I was to lose Howard.."

" Jim, you've got to ease down a little. It's a great world out there.."

" Says the man with the funky power ring to protect him. Tell me Hal, when you are off in space, righting some wrong, who's going to be here to protect us? I know what you can handle and I reckon I know what these new kids can handle and Hal, with all due respect, I'm happier looking after my own kid. And there are a lot of other parents I know think the same."

" What? You're saying that because Superman is AWOL, the PTA has imposed a curfew on the kids."

" It's not like that Hal.it's just.hey, what would you know. You don't have a steady girlfriend let alone kids. When you do, come back and criticise my parenting. In the meantime, if Uncle Hal could make an appearance in Sacramento , that would be just great."

The phone goes dead. Hal sits back in his seat and releases a long shallow sigh. Sinestro, Mongul or a rogue Sun Eater..he'd face them all rather than have to deal with his brother in full righteous fury.

Major magnetic storm forming thirty miles south of this position. Detecting major tectonic build-up beneath the crust. Magma activity growing.

Hal jumps out of his seat and as he does so, he flies into the air and transforms from his flight suit to his green and white Green Lantern attire.

" Get me there quick Ring. We cannot have a volcano appear in the middle of Los Angeles !"

Sheathed in green, Hal speeds through the sky to the fringes of Santa Monica . The hair on his head tingles as he flies over the epicentre of the volcanic activity. A massive magnetic storm is raging, invisibly, around the epicentre. The emergency services have already cleared the area, after smoke and steam began to spew out of the parkland. The area was cordoned off but a large crowd had formed at the barriers and they cheered as Green Lantern zoomed overhead.

" Ring. How long before this thing blows?"

Pressure is rising erratically. Unable to estimate.

" OK, First things first, lets deal with this quake!" Green Lantern concentrates and a massive green oil platform appears in the middle of the deserted park. " This thing is like a massive zit.all it needs is someone to release the pressure and .POP! It's gone. Like a wise man once said '..we've got a hole to dig up here!'

Jordan concentrates harder and the grass beneath the power-ring generated drilling rig erupts as the jade drill bit plunges down through the earth. "Keep me up-to-date on the depth, Ring."

10 feet .. 20 feet . 30 feet ..40..50..60.temperature spiking, pressure spiking.70 feet and impact

The green mining drill disappears as the rumbling from beneath the earth changes into a hissing, screaming whine as gas and steam pour from the vent and then as massive spout of ash and pumice and magma! Green energy spins around the debris, a funnel vortex that sends the steam and gas spouting into the upper atmosphere and simultaneously cools the magma.

" Barry Allen, you would be proud of me now!"

The pressure is dispersing. The magma has been plugged. The eruption has been terminated.

" And now we tidy this place up!" Hal dissolves the spinning siphon and creates a massive hammer and chisel, breaking the still cooling magma column off at the base and then lifting it up with a massive hand. He carries it high into the sky and then deposits it far out into the bay. He glides down to the police cordon and addresses the officers there.

" Gentlemen, I think that you had better keep the people away from there for a while until the proper authorities can check the place out." The officers nod and shake Green Lantern by the hand as the crowd cheers.

" Green Lantern! Green Lantern! Over here!" Hal turns to the sound of the woman's voice but struggles to put a face to the voice. " Green Lantern! Here!" Finally he focuses on the gesticulating figure of Jennifer Gates, the teacher from the school he saved yesterday.

" Miss Gates, we have to stop meeting like this?"

" I was just passing by after visiting my mom and well..that was really impressive."

" Like I said yesterday, it's what I do."

Jennifer takes a deep breath. " Do you do lunch as well?"

" Pardon?"

" Sorry, that was so. you must have 101 other things to do."

" I do do lunch. Just not today. I'm well.kind of busy." He gestures to the crowd, the police and the steaming base of the magma column.

" Well.uhm.if you need me, you know where to find me OK?"

" At the school right?"

There is another magnetic storm rising to the south, twenty miles out at sea. Tidal anomalies could cause serious flooding.

Without thinking, Green Lantern takes off, leaving his admirer alone on the ground.

High above the West Coast

" Ring, we need to get on top of this. That's four potential disasters in one day, all within a small radius of each other and each one following a massive magnetic disruption. Magnetism.that's Dr Polaris' MO. I want to be certain.."

Dr Polaris aka Neal Emerson is dead. His death was attributed to the late Human Bomb during the incidents prior to the attacks on Metropolis last year.

" But if Polaris is dead.who could this be? Ring, I need an overview. Plot each of the disasters, marking them for frequency as well."

Hal's power ring generates a map of the world, marked with small green markers, growing in intensity as they arc around the map. Starting on the American east coast, moving around the world in a simple arc and then circling smaller and tighter around the west coast.

" There's a pathway.it looks like a natural phenomena but it seems to be concentrated on this area. Ring. Extrapolate the path of the disturbances. Where did it start . where will it end?"

The disaster start south of Metropolis and follow the natural flow of the planets weather systems until they reach the west coast. They appear to be circling down onto one spot. New Alcatraz .

And finally, it all made sense. The starting point of the disasters was the place that Dr Polaris died. Emerson was dead but like any good scientist, he had to obey the laws of conservation of energy. Dr Polaris housed a massive reservoir of magnetic energy, bolstered by the nefarious energies given to him by Neron. When he died, the energies did not disappear - they tried to find a new home. Time and again they have tried to 'ground' themselves in the massive magnetic fields of the Earth but - well, Alan probably understands this better - but I'm betting that the taint of Neron has somehow made them poisoned. Easily rejected. So the energies have sought out a new home.a new Doctor Polaris?

" Ring. Patch me through to LAPD at New Alcatraz! I need to know whether she is still in the power dampening facility?!"

Who are you concerned with, Green Lantern.

" Is Magenta still at New Alcatraz?!"

New Alcatraz Metahuman Penal Facility, San Francisco

The facility was opened six months ago, as a result of the need for larger, more secure prisons to cope with the captured felons following the mass prison break that was the precursor to the invasion of Metropolis. It is a state of the art metahuman detention centre, designed to create the exact environments required to hold the most powerful criminals the world could offer. Each individual holding area can be specifically configured to restrain it's captive in a humane, yet secure manner.

One of the first denizens of these new facilities was Magenta, the magnetic mistress formerly known as Frances Kane - a one time Teen Titan whose powers have snapped her mind. Her crimes have been centred around Keystone City , but the judges wanted her removed from the area, so New Alcatraz was the obvious destination.

The silver-haired young woman kneels passively in the middle of her plastic cell. No metal is allowed within the confines of her prison. Frances Kane will never feel the touch of a proper knife and fork. Metal in her hands is too dangerous..

And then the Polaris energies strike home and Frances Kane's life changes forever. When she was younger, her mother believed that the manifestations of her powers were proof that she was possessed by the Devil. Now, as the homeless power of the explosive magnetic master on the planet spill into her body, augmented by the demonic powers of Neron, her mother could well have been correct.

Frances floats into the air, energy crackling around her. Her mouth and eyes open as electric blue sparks run over her body. She spins in mid-air and faces the two panicking guards who have been taken totally by surprise. She sneers at them and throws out her hands, sending a wall of concussive magnetic force forward, shattering her plastic shell and blowing the guards against the far wall.

" I.I..I can feel the power, flowing through me. His mind.his plans.I can see so much more. I can see the flow of the planet. I can see the trails of the stars. I can see life, through the eyes of the primal forces of the world. It's amazing..and it is all mine!"

She rises through the air, blasting a way through the roof of the detention centre and rising into the air.

" I look around me and all I see are the feeble attempts of the blind to make sense of the world. No-one understands the planet like me - no-one can rule this planet like me!!"

Frances throws out her arms and the guard posts in New Alcatraz begin to buckle and twist. Guards run out and spray her with bullets, but they stop yards away from her body, turn and fly back to their originators.with deadly results.

" I will teach you all not to stand in my way. I am Fra.Mag..I AM POLARIS!" Frances throws out her hands again and a massive ripple runs around her, throwing cars and people like dolls as she bends the earth to her very whim.

Suddenly, a green fist wraps itself around Frances , pinning her arms to her side.

" You are not Polaris , Frances . You are a scared young woman who has received too much power too soon." Hal sweeps down and around Frances , trying to keep her attention fixed on him.

" The Green Lantern.my new old nemesis. Do you think that a ridiculous green hand can stop someone attuned to the calling of the planet itself. Frances Kane is gone, Green Lantern..only Polaris remains. And Polaris will rule the EARTH!"

A snarl runs across the face of Frances Kane and she generates a massive magnetic pulse.

EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! Electromagnetic pulse has disrupted air traffic control and circling aircraft. Multiple targets endangered!

Hal looks up and his face blanches as he sees not one, but three passenger aircraft falling out of the sky.

And in the background, Polaris laughs!

Next Issue: Polaris is back in a new and deadly form, but will Green Lantern be able to put this particular genie back into it's bottle. And what did happen to John Stewart? All this and Darla's latest adventure next issue!