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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!"

 

#3

by Neil Gow

"Magnetic Personalities: Part Two"

 

New Alcatraz Metahuman Penal Facility, San Francisco

High above San Francisco, Hal Jordan watches as three airliners plummet towards the ground, ripped out of the air by the magnetic powers of Polaris - the gestalt entity formed when the latent natural energies of the late Doctor Polaris entered into the young metahuman Francis Kane. Driven insane by the rush of power, Kane's personality was subsumed under Polaris with horrific results.

Jordan concentrates. He is a pilot. During his adult life he has probably spent more time in the air than he has with his feet on the ground. His mind quickly tracks the trajectories of aircraft. His power ring feeds him speeds, stress ratings on wings and engines, probable landing zones, divergent vectors...

He cannot stop them all.

No. He can.

Jordan hovers in mid-air and reaches out with his willpower through his power ring and in each cockpit a glowing green figure of Hal Jordan appears. Three bewildered pilots fall, aghast from their seats and the new pilots take their places.

"OK boys, let's keep this steady. Number one....get your nose up. Number two, you need to straighten out. Three! Nose up! Nose up!"

Each Jordan replicant struggles with the controls of their aircraft. Polaris used her power to drag them from the skies, but she had released them now. All Jordan needs to do is level them out....one at a time.

"Number one - you're level and cruising. Captain...you have your plane back Sir."

"Number two - a little more and yes, you're there."

"Number three...Holy..." Jordan's eyes widen as flames begin to pour from the right engine of the third plane and then the entire wing explodes in a ball of fire. He drops the simulation of himself from the cockpit and zooms after the stricken plane. Smoke and flames pour along one side and it enters a horrifying spin. Jordan stalls and reaches out with his white gauntleted arm. His power ring flashes and a massive green hand envelopes the plane. He grits his teeth at the effort of stopping such a huge object and unnecessarily wraps his other hand around his wrist as if to give him extra stability. The palm of the green hand lies over the flame snuffing it out and finally, the plane slows down and stops, nestled in Jordans grip.

Slowly, carefully, he lowers the plane down, casting his gaze around for a safe place to land. He spots a disused football field and moments later, battered, bruised but alive, the passengers of the plane are being helped to the ground by the emergency services.

Jordan takes to the air again. No-one was killed but the intent was there. Polaris has obviously subsumed Francis Kane...and now they have disappeared.

"Ring. Track the Polaris energy!"

The Polaris Energy and it's host is heading due north

 

STAR Labs Secure Facility, Arizona

"He's been like this for over 24 hours, Dr Heinberg. His vital signs are racing, his mind is operating at the higher level we associate with one of this sociopathic outburts and his remaining bodily functions have all but closed down. It's like he is in some state of hyperactive coma." The medical assistant hands a hand computer to her superior. The older man runs a hand through his thinning hair and taps some information into the pad.

"And the transmissive episodes? How have they been progressing?"

"Well sir, it has taken us some time to reinforce the suppressors within the chamber, but before then Hammond was blowing them regularly. He was transmitting the same thing over and over again. The Sun seemed to be burning the moon and swallowing it and then he screamed for Green Lantern. Nothing more, nothing less."

"It could be a ruse? A trick to get Green Lantern into the vicinity. These two have history, after all."

" They do sir, they do but ..." Suddenly the monitors in the containment room scream in electronic agony, lights pulsing as Hammond's eyes flicker and then flash open. His brow furrows as he strains against the probes and drugs that are struggling to keep him docile.

" Heinberg, you syphilitic excuse for a bowel parasite...listen to me...I do not have much time before ...my strength is sapped again. My request has been simple. Is it too hard.....for a grade school hack...like yourself...to fathom. GREEN LANTERN....bring him here! The ....the.....fate of the World depends on it..."

The chamber falls silent as Hammond's mind-voice fades and then it is filled again with the droning whine of a flatlined heart-monitor. Heinberg shakes his head and then realizes what has happened! "Crash team here STAT. Holy crap, he's had a heart attack!"

 

The North Pole

Polaris floats above the snow and ice, feeling the primal energies of the planet flow through her body. Here, at the top of the world, she would have complete control. She would hold the lives of every single person in her hand and they would worship her as the goddess she has become. When she controls the world she will summon forth the other primal elementals and they will return this precious Earth to its true form. Yes. That is what she will do.

Polaris reaches out and draws the Earths natural magnetism into her. The air sparks and crackles as the air itself is burned in the discharge. The glacier beneath her begins to shake and spasm, casting vast plumes of snow high into the air. Ice shatters, blocks of jagged rock rise and fall and then she smashes her hand down into mid-air, the glacier slams down and a tectonic ripple sweeps out across the frozen wilderness.

 

Elsewhere, on the Tundra

" Did any of you guys hear that noise?" Crystina pulls her snowsled around, sending a shower of snow across the plane of the glacier. Her travelling companions, Zack and Andy stop beside her.

" Goddamit, Crystina, what's wrong now? If we don't make the glacier edge in the next hour, we're not gonna catch the drop tomorrow." Zack was adamant that this latest madcap stunt worked like clockwork. It had cost a fortune in bribes to get them this far out, but free-climbing into the crevasse of the glacier would be worth it.

" I heard a massive crack...like the ice is splitting." She steps off her sled and then staggers as the ice rumbles and groans.

" Whoa! What the..." Andy pitches over as a massive shard of ice smashes up out of the ground, tossing him to the ground. The energy wave unleashed by Polaris tears through the ice, cracking it open, throwing chunks the size of cars into the air. Zack lunges to grab Andy as he staggers to his feet, but he himself is thrown through the air and barrels over the edge of a crevasse.

"HELP!" Hanging by one hand, Zack flails his spare hand, desperate to get some sort of grip before he falls into the ice below. Crystina slides to the edge and reaches down, grabbing him by the wrist. She kicks down with the toes of her boots, trying to get some grip on the shifting ice. Zack is panicking, scrabbling around and making her job much harder. She looks back to see Andi trying to free his leg from a lump of ice that has landed on him. Zack shifts again and she loses her grip, sliding with him over the edge of the crevasse.

Screaming they plummet down into the darkness....only to be plucked out of the air by a glowing green hand. "Let me get you kids to safety?" Green Lantern smiles as he pulls them out of the crevasse and deposits them gently on the settling ice. He turns and grabs the ice pinning their companions leg, lifting it off him.

Suddenly, his eyes widen as his ring begins to pump masses of information through this mind

ALERT! ALERT! CLASS ONE THREAT IMMINENT. SWARM FRAGMENT DETECTED! ALERT! ALERT! INITIATE EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS! ALERT! ALERT! CLASS ONE THREAT IMMINENT. SWARM FRAGMENT DETECTED!

Hal struggles to regain control of the Power Ring as it pulses, leaking emerald energy through the air. "RING! What protocols? What's a 'Swarm Fragment'?"

DATA IS FOR GUARDIAN EYES ONLY. GREEN LANTERN OFFICERS DO NOT HAVE AUTHORITY. FRAGMENT IS DORMANT. ALERT STAND DOWN.

" uhm....Sir, we're really grateful that you rescued us and all, but shouldn't you be, you know - dealing with that?" Crystina gestures further north where the bleak skyline has been shattered by the appearance of an immense spire of ice and raw metals - and standing on top of it, the lone figure of Polaris.

" Yes. Yes I should. You kids head on back to safety. I have a job to do." Green Lantern turns in midair and flies off towards Polaris. Crystina pulls her hood down and adjusts her long blonde hair before pulling it back up and securing Andy to his sled. As she settles him down, she glances back and notices a large lump of ice lying half-buried in a drift of snow. There is something about it....she plucks it up and sees that deep within the bowling ball sized lump, something is frozen. Something beautiful and shimmering. She glances around and stuffs the lump into one of the bags on her sled. Who knows? It might even pay for the journey!*

(* want to know more about this seemingly random encounter? See Blue Beetle over the next few months - Neil)

 

Floating high over Metropolis

Darla looks down on the sprawling city of Metropolis. Her studies of Earth before and after the initiation of her assignment here have been extensive and this has been flagged as one of the great cities in one of he great countries. Yet she cannot understand the logic behind the greatness. The beings here are, by the standards of much of the rest of the sentient galaxy, quite primitive. Their technological advances are slim, their ability for self-destruction is outrageous and their inability to fathom even the most basic of 7th dimension concepts marks them as a race that will aspire to, but never achieve, true greatness.

But then again, this is Earth, Terra, Sol III - call it what you will but the higher powers of the Universe know full well this humble planet is believed to be the Cosmic Nexus. The centerpiece of realities great drama. Why is it that Earth's heroes protect the stars, rather than the other way around? Why is it always a threat from Earth that brings star systems to their knees? This has puzzled many races for millennia. Could the answer be here, in Metropolis?

No...no, it isn't and this is pointless posturing when she has a job to be done. Darla stretches her Oan senses and begins to map the metahuman energies in and around the city. She can feel the press of the past, present and future around her. Since the cosmic tumult caused by Alex Luthor, much has changed and this planet needs to be understood again...hence her mission. And there it is...

Six months ago, a group of criminals from the future traveled into the past to conquer this world with their supposedly superior technologies. Green Lantern 2814.1 defeated them over Metropolis. Every power ring transmits a record of their activity back to Oa, to chronicle the actions of the Corps. The ferocity of the battle raised a few eyebrows even amongst some of the more hardy Guardians. There was a sense of desperation in 2814.1's actions, a desperation that drove him further and harder than ever before. He prevailed and the invaders retreated back to their time. The possible ruptures in the continuum were avoided. Or were they?

Hidden within the maelstrom of energies flowing around the city, Darla is sure, are slight traces of hyper-accelerated tachyons ... the tell-tale fingerprint of temporal displacement. However, these are relatively fresh yet of the same spectral denominator as those associated with the incursion. Darla smiles a wry smile. It would appear that someone slipped between the 30th and the 21st century when the Fatal Five invaded..and they have not gone home!

 

The North Pole

Hal pulls up as he sees the figure of Francis Kane enveloped in a swirling energy cocoon. He can feel the magnetic forces drifting over his skin, even at this distance and the gentle tug of the field. Nearer to Francis, the ground is swelling and breaking, like waves on a beach.

"Ring..whats she doing?"

The Polaris energies appear to be feeding on the natural magnetic patterns of the planet, building power. The concentrated energy is causing shifts in the ferrous metals within the planets crust.

Hal flies in, shielding himself from the maelstrom with his power ring. Polaris, as Kane now referred to herself, stares at him as he settles, level to her.

"Francis! You've got to take control! You're causing chaos!" Jordan cries out, trying to be heard over the crashing of the rocks and ice. Polaris smiles and answers.

"Your time here has finished, human. Soon, I will have enough power to summon the other primal elementals and then we shall take our home back from the parasites that inhabit it now. " The voice was different, more primal - aggressive and assured.and nothing like either Francis Kane or the old Dr Polaris.

"I can't let you do that!" Hal's power ring flared as he prepared to attack.

"Human, there is nothing you can do to stop me!" Polaris waves her arms and a column of rock and ice flies into the air, targeting Green Lantern. Hal arcs his body and forms a curves shield with his ring, scooping the rocks away from his body and harmlessly into the snow. He fires back with a blast of emerald energy, but it fractures on the magnetic cocoon surrounding Polaris.

"You cannot harm me. I have transcended the fragile form I once inhabited. This form is stronger - more capable of focussing my power. I am Polaris, primal energy of this planet." She waves her hand again and another barrage of rocks smashes into Jordan.

"You are Francis Kane! You are not Polaris!" Jordan screams into the storm, desperate to reach out to the battered consciousness of the former Teen Titan.

"I AM POLARIS!!" Kane bristles with new power and rises swiftly into the sky. Jordan tracks her, blasting away at the magnetic cocoon that surrounds her - to no avail. Discharges of static electricity crawl over Polaris and discharge themselves into the ground.

Polaris energies reaching maximum saturation. Discharge imminent. Ring power at 9%

Without warning, Polaris explodes. Waves of energy ripple out from her and the planet itself rocks with the shock. Electromagnetic devices across the Northern hemisphere spark and explode. Electrical supplies surge and blow, sending entire countries into darkness. The Earth itself rocks deep to the core, fracturing long dormant fault lines and creating earthquakes to smash across Canada, Russian and northern Europe. At the North Pole, rocks and snow spiral up and around Polaris and then explode outwards, catching Hal and thrown him back, smashing him into a rock wall. He falls down, barely conscious, only to be buried under a barrage of rock debris.

His eyes open and see Polaris glowing in the air and then he passes out.

 

The Suburbs, Coast City

"And so you see Sir, with the addition of our patented automated blinds system, your house can moderate it's temperature and light intensity at...." The young man in the sharp suit stops as General Stone finally raises his hand.

"Son, I've stood here and listened to the crap you've been taught to spout to get idiots to buy your blinds...do I look like someone who wants to buy some blinds? Do I? Do I look like the sort of man who would wait for some spotty college drop out to come to their door and sell them blinds if I did want blinds? Do I look housebound? Do I look like I cannot face the outside world and live in my house scared of my own shadow? Do I? DO I REALLY?!"

The salesman takes a couple of steps back, shocked by Stone's vitriol. " I .. I... I'm sorry sir. I mean I'm...well..." He spins on his heel and scuttles away from the furious General.

Stone slams the door and storms back into his small suburban house. He marches up to liquor cabinet and pours himself a large slug of whiskey. This is not the way that he should be living. He should never have been 'framed' for the stuff that happened at Edwards. He wasn't framed...no, he took the fall for the idiots at the Pentagon who thought they could do what they wanted with all of that alien technology they dumped there. People died on his watch. He had to take the fall.

" General Jonathan Stone?" The voice comes from behind Stone, a strange accented version of English. He drops his glass and spins around, reaching for a pistol that is no longer lodged at his hip

" Who the Hell are you?!"

" I am ... the future."

 

High in the air over the Pacific

Hal laughs as he guns the engine of the antique WW2 plane and performs another daring spiraling dive. He can hear Carol screaming in the passenger seat and promising to sack his ass as soon as they return to ground. He retaliates by spinning the plane on its axis. He laughs and looks out at the .... green sky. He hears a strange voice in the distance, urging him to wake up...

ALERT! Green Lantern 2814.1 - Emergence Resuscitation Applied. Ring Power Level 7%

Hal feels the cool, crisp snow under his aching body and he remembers. Polaris. He looks up and she is floating higher now, the electricity that accompanies her power is arcing out across the horizon. My God! If he doesn't stop her she is going to tear the planet to pieces! Hal drags himself to his feet and grits his teeth as he takes off.

"Ring...access records regarding Francis Kane. How powerful was she?"

Records accessed previously via Justice League suggest that Francis Kane was an unskilled metahuman. She has displayed an inability to control her power adequately, even at lower levels of power.

Hal prayed that this could be the answer to this disastrous threat. He cannot stop the Polaris entity but he might be able to stop Francis. He stops in flight and extends his arm, creating a gargantuan construct above and below the magnetic cocoon surrounding Polaris. His eyes fix on his construct and he concentrates - drawing more and more magnetic energy through from the cocoon and back into Kane!

Polaris screams and lashes out wildly with tendrils of charged magnetic energy. Jordan strengthens his protective shield and boosts the power through the construct.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU CAN ACHIEVE HUMAN?! GIVING ME MORE POWER WILL ONLY SPEED THE DEMISE OF YOUR RACE!!"

Hal smiles and thinks to himself...."Your plan is only as strong as it's weakest link....and that link is about to snap." He pushes again and the roaring battling energies are silenced as a piercing scream screeches across the wilderness. Polaris flares brightly and then flashes and disappears. The magnetic energy disperses again, flowing back to the natural equilibrium. "Ring? Where have they gone?!"

Unable to track Polaris entity or human Francis Kane. Power levels at 2%

Was she dead? Had she been torn to pieces? Had she been somehow absorbed into the planet itself? Hal considers the possibilities - he would have to see later. Now he has more pressing worries. "Ring - passive mode. Parabolic course for Coast City - we need charging."

The sky flashes green and he is gone.

 

Deep Space

"Everything stable Captain." The Okaaran pilot turns and recalibrates one of his instruments again. Truly this has to be one of the most tedious missions that he has ever been assigned to. He is Okaaran, a proud warrior of high caste. He should be waging war, not carrying out yet another scanning mission. Still, after the war in the Polaris system, even the prolific warehouses of Okaara were running low. New planets were needed, new strip mines and asteroids to smelt. New munitions crystals to create. Of course, it could have been a lot worse. This mission, to the edge of dead space, could discover a new material to build a new weapon and bring greater glory to the clan.

" Pilot. Remote probe 3 shows a new energy sources. Report."

"Tracking sir. It's vector has it coming from dead space and at some speed Sir. It...it...it's Oan in nature sir. Scanners are having some trouble locking it down but I am certain it is Corp in origin. Almost certainly a Ring of Power."

"Is it really?" The captain rubs his chin....the Warlords have wanted a Oan power ring for many years. If they could glean even the slightest clue to their operation the commercial ramifications would be vast. "Has the source detected us yet?"

"The course takes them away from our course Sir. I doubt it."

"Enter stealth mode. Prime weapon pods 1 through 12. Battle stations!" The Okaaran cruiser fades from view as it accelerates towards it's quarry. "Range?"

"Prime weapons range established. Permission to fire?"

The captain grins. "Fire all weapon pods. Take that Green Lantern down!" The pilot stabs a series of buttons on his console and the ship falls out of stealth and erupts in a burst of light as a dozen plasma missiles streak towards their prey.

The Green Lantern stops and turns. He raises his arm and his power ring alters space. Slowly, stars begin to blink out as darkness spreads. Time seems to slow down and one by one the plasma missiles dim and then blink out of existence.

"CAPTAIN! The Lantern is drawing energy from dead space. Massive energy."

"Full reverse! Send a message pod to Okaa..."

The rest of the Captains order never reaches the pilot as the ship is blown apart by a bolt of green energy, marbled with darkness. Space stops for a moment and then the darkness is drawn back and the starscape is restored. All that remains is the figure of one man, John Stewart. His Green Lantern uniform is darker, more foreboding. His eyes are matt black, devoid of life and his emerald ring is shot through with obsidian strands. He mutters an oath into the depths of nothing and then flies back into dead space.

 

Next Issue

When Hal meets Hector plus Green Lantern gets a love life...and then some, revelations, skullduggery and a dressing down from someone unexpected.