| Issue #1 | Issue #2 | Issue #3 | Issue #4 | Issue #5 | Issue #6 | Issue #7 | Issue #8 | Issue #9 | Issue #10 | Issue #11 | Issue #12 |

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!"

 

Issue 5

By Neil Gow

 

New Cronus, The Polaris System

Hal rises from the soft mass of golden silk he has slept in and stretches. For a moment he thought he was back in Coast City, in his sterile new flat.and then he remembered. Donna. A wry smile crossed his face as he recalled the antics of the previous evening.

Swinging his legs out of the bed, a flash of his power ring creates a new costume and he steps into the paradise that is New Cronus. Around him, flowers cascade down ancient stone architecture and water gently runs through ornate channels, creating it's own music as it travels to nowhere.

"There's fruit on the dais over there, and some fresh water." Hal looks around to see Donna, wrapped in a long white and gold toga, standing above him, staring into space.

"It makes a change from coffee and pop tarts. Have you been up there long?"

"Long enough to watch you tossing and turning in your sleep. you looked troubled."

An emerald glow surrounds Hal as he floats into the air, drifting up to meet Donna. Their bodies are inches apart when he stops. "I have a lot on my mind. That's why I'm here."

"I presumed as much. I didn't think you'd come all this way for nothing."

"Don't get me wrong, I. well, last night, it." Hal stumbles over his words as Donna laughs and plants a small kiss on his cheek.

"Don't worry Hal. I understand. We all have our responsibilities. We can't live in paradise forever. Even if we can escape, we still need to return eventually. Come with me and lets see what we can find."

The pair float down through the majestic wonder and finally come to rest bathed in the glow of Donna's orb of knowledge.

"I can feel the power.what is it?"

Donna reaches out and touches the sphere. "It is a record. A device to record the history of this entire Universe. From the moment it came into existence to the final beam of light that fades to nothing. It is my burden. It always has been - I just never realized it." She gestures to Hal. "Touch it. Share what you know and it will help you."

Hal reaches out and places his hand on the sphere. The light flares and his ring pulses. And then the world appears to him anew.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oa

Three Guardians stand together, floating in nothingness.

"Jordan is with the Harbinger."

"He seeks the Swarm."

"Darla warned us. His ring triggered the alert."

"If they are active, we cannot allow them to spread."

"He will die stopping them."

"We must send the Corps."

"We cannot risk the loss. Not again."

"Others will follow him. The Corps is needed elsewhere."

"The Sun That Destroys must be our primary concern."

"Earth will perish."

"Sacrifices must be made. There may be another way."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New Cronus, The Polaris System

"What is the Swarm?" Hal looks deep into the Orb.

His mind is filled with images of beautiful ornate crystal scarabs. Colours shimmer through their crystalline wings and latent energy plays across their shells. The scarabs shimmer, shake and then shatter into a million pieces. Smaller scarabs, buzzing and flying around . Earth. The scarabs soar over a landscape radically different from the Earth that he knows. Vast forests cover the ground. Strange ferns are dominant and then, then he sees one. A dinosaur. A vast lumbering long necked herbivore, traveling by a slow moving river with it's herd of young. The scarabs see it, somehow, and dive, engulfing the beasts. They flail and moan in deep, rumbling tones for moments and then they stumble and fall. The mighty lizards are drained, their life force drained by the crystalline locusts. When there is nothing but a husk, the Swarm moves on.and on. The image pans back, high into the sky and Hal sees more scarabs. More Swarm.

"Hal! Hal! Come back from it!" Donna wraps an arm around Hal and eases him away from the orb. He takes a few steps back, panting slightly.

"The Swarm.it was on Earth once. So alien, so deadly. If it has returned. if it could do that, what now?"

"The records are limited in that time period, but one thing is certain. There is no record of this Swarm since the time the dinosaurs disappeared. Whatever killed them killed the Swarm."

Hal turns his back and stares towards Oa. "One thing here doesn't make sense Donna. If the Swarm is not a threat, why do the Guardians want to keep knowledge of it from me? Why are they scared? What threat does the Swarm have to a Green Lantern?"

Donna stands behind him and places an arm on his shoulder. "I thought Green Lanterns didn't feel fear."

"We know fear. We understand fear and we have learned to face fear and defeat it. Anything that divides the Guardians and the Green Lanterns.anything that makes the Guardians act fearfully. That's something to be wary. Donna, I have to go."

"To Oa?"

"No. Back to Earth. I have an appointment I have to keep. If I told you, you wouldn't believe me. Can you promise me something?" She nods. "Until I have got to the bottom of this, don't tell anyone about this."

"You'll be back?"

Hal leans in and plants a soft kiss on her lips. "I promise. I'll be back." And with that, a green flash signals his space warp back to Earth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beyond

Who am I? I am the Star. I am Immortal.

Once I roamed the Universe. Once I lead with honour.

Now I am formless. My body has gone. My sisters have abandoned me. They act as nursemaids to the Oans

We were part of a whole. The alpha and omega. The natural balance.

Now the balance has been broken. Males and females now in mirrored form.

Unnatural. Beyond our powers, beyond our comprehension.

My sisters are lost. Revenge. Revenge against the men who caused this deviancy.

I am the Star and I seek a new home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Coast City

"So, like, did you actually date Green Lantern then?"

Jennifer Gates throws a cushion at her friend and settles back onto her sofa and cradles her glass of wine. "No, I saw him a couple of times, at the school and told him . well, lets just say I gave him the snigger green light. Nothing came of it though." She giggles and sips her drink.

"Just as well."

The room full of women, all sharing a girlie night, turns to Jennifer's sister. Jennifer grins again. "Oh come on Louise, even you have to wonder.what it would be like?"

With an emotionless mask of a face, she responds. "Oh dear, I don't have to wonder."

One of the other guests realizes what she is inferring. "You and Green Lantern?"

"Don't sound so shocked. I assume you young things can remember a few years back when I wasn't considered past it? When I wasn't Louise Mansfield, 'actress between jobs', and I was Lois Fuller, social climber?"

Jennifer thinks for a moment. "Oh God, yes. In remember now. I remember how Aunty Jessie got so stressed out when your picture was all over the front page. You went to some charity gala with him, didn't you?"

"I most certainly did."

"You must have great memories?" Another guest leans forward slightly, sensing the possibility of a bit of gossip about Jennifer's sister.

"Oh yes ." and then her voice drops to an almost inaudible level, as she glances at the picture of her young daughter on her sister's wall. "And a whole lot more."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Malthus

"So explain that one to me again son, because I'm still not sure I understand what the Hell you're talking about?" General Stone rubs his forehead as he checks that he really has just 'teleported' from a mountainous plateau to . "And where the Hell are we?"

Around him, Stone can see a futuristic mega-city. Massive buildings reaching high above the clouds. Walkways crowded with hundreds of people. Floating cars spinning through the air. This was madness. Utter madness. Nothing he has seen before has prepared him for this.

His companion, Thom, looked around and checked for anyone watching them. "The item I used is a subspace hyperglide unit. It would appear to be a one-off device. It is programmed to switch us from one place - Earth - to another - the planet Malthus. This is the start of our mission. I know this much."

"And handily nothing else, as your memories have been erased to protect the past from your knowledge of the future?" Stone looks bemused.

"Indeed. You do not look pleased with this, General Stone. You look decidedly..pissed off?"

Stone raises an eyebrow and smiles. "Oh that's a generous understatement but it would appear that I have very little choice in whether I am the saviour of the Earth. I assume that there is a reason that we have come to this place?"

DO NOT MOVE. YOU ARE UNDER ARREST AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. DO NOT MOVE.

The metallic voices of the L.E.G.I.O.N. guard drones cut through the calm of Stone's hiding place. Dozens of the faceless grey automatons float around the two men, glowing plasma guns leveled against them.

General Stone looks at Thom and the time-displaced hero shrugs. Stone smiles a knowing smile and flexes his fingers before pulling them into two firm fists. He's never been one for surrendering. He glances at Thom, to see his hands surrounded by a shimmering star field. Apparently he isn't either.

" A Terran and a .." The woman who has appeared next to them, apparently from nowhere checks her hand console. "Amazing. The most advanced Xanthuan I have ever seen. This is one that Dox is going to love. Stand down."

The woman has white hair and orange skin. Her body shimmers slightly as she moves, never quite having the full definition is should enjoy. At her command, the drones lower their weapons and stand down from their obvious attacking stance. General Stone takes a deep breath.

"I believe that by the end of the day, I'm going to really get sick of saying this, but who the Hell are you?"

"My name is Stealth. Welcome to Malthus. You are now under the protection of L.E.G.I.O.N."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Edwards Air Force Base

"Mandy! Mandy! This way honey.smile for the camera? Mandy, is it true about you and Brad? Mandy." The blonde starlet spins and smiles and poses for the camera as she gets out of her personalized sports car. A pair of very professional looking bodyguards gets between her and the press pack that has descended on Edwards to cover the photoshoot.

Hal stands waiting for his charge, the words of Lieutenant Graves ringing in his ears. Apparently this photo opportunity is a vital part of the regeneration of the base and it's reputation and absolutely nothing has to go wrong with it. Famous last words really. Hal takes a deep breath and walks forward towards the seething knot of pressmen.

As he squeezes through the melee and emerges before the tittering Ms Mason, the two bodyguards put themselves between him and his charge. Hal straightens up and looks the bigger one in the eye.

"Gentlemen, my name is Captain Jordan and I'm your host for today."

The goliaths chuckle and look him up and down, like two dogs looking over a juicy steak. He'd seen that look before on the faces of so many different aliens. The assumption that smaller and weaker means vulnerable. Inwardly, Hal chuckled.

"Oh like wow, are you the guy that's gonna take me flyin' today?" Mandy slides past her minders and wraps both arms around Hal's neck, giving him two air-kisses and then spinning around, draping herself off him to pose again for the cameramen. Dressed in calf-length cowboy boots, little denim 'daisy dukes', a cropped white t-shirt and a little white jacket, she certainly wasn't dressed for flying.

"Yes ma'am, I certainly am." Hal smiles and gently removes her hand from around his shoulder. " I think we're going to have to get you changed out of those clothes first and then I can show you around the Base."

"Why Captain.are you so forward with all the girls? We've hardly met and you want to get me out of my clothes!" Mandy giggles and smirks and Hal rolls his eyes. It's going to be a very long day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Outskirts of Bludhaven

Freedom. It is the sweetest taste. The creator, Norton, always sought to create life but he failed and created me. Ah, if only he had known what would happen? Those fools in The Society released me. They dropped me like a weapon of mass destruction. The government used me as a weapon against Imperiex. Everyone used me as a weapon. I am no weapon.

I am free though and I have purpose. Years of expulsion and regeneration. Years of acquiring aminos and synthetics. Adding to my collective gene pool. Coupling the building blocks of life as I was used by whoever wanted.

Bludhaven was the start. The Genesis of my new life. My nucleus held whilst my outer self was bathed in life. An orgy of flesh. So much flesh. So much material to build into my matrix.

Oh the Kryptonian thought he had removed me - thrown me into space. My outer shell has been discarded but now, I no longer need it.

Norton's final plan has come to fruition. My evolution is complete. What was once idiotic is now genius. What was once gargantuan is now compressed. What was once fluid and plastic is now flesh.

I am Chemo and I walk as a free man. A free man who will wreck revenge on those that have used me.

Edwards Air Force Base

On reflection, it hadn't been that bad. Mandy's minders were a little nervous when Hal had to get up close and personal with the singer to perform her flight suit checks. Mandy must have burned through hundreds of digital files as she posed on everything and anything she could. There wasn't a doorstep or a vehicle on the base that she hadn't draped herself over.

Naturally, the other flyboys love it. The General has made it clear that wolf whistles and any idea of 'whooping and hollerin'' at Ms Mason was strictly forbidden, it didn't stop them laughing at Hal. Even the normally professional Cowgirl has a fixed smirk on her face as she watches Hal manoeuvre his charge towards the fighter trainer than she was going to fly in.

Hal ignored them all. This was his penance for missing the flight test that the General had ordered. He had to tough it out or his days in the air are numbered. Carefully, he guides Mandy into the co-pilot's seat and checks her fastenings and parachute one last time.

"You sure this is gonna be safe, Mr Jordan?"

"Trust me, Ms Mason, this is going to be a piece of cake. Now just check that your microphone is working so you can talk to those good folks on the ground and we'll be on our way."

As the reality show phenomenon twitters into her microphone about how nervous she is and how this 'is like just gonna be the greatest, ya?" Hal runs through his final pre-flight checks and guns the engine. His passenger shrieks with excitement as he taxis the jet down the runway.

" Are you ready Ms Mason? Lets go!"

Kicking in the engine, Hal takes off and shoots up, high above the air base and into the crystal blue sky. He sits back in his chair and relaxes. His one true moment of seclusion is here, in the sky.

"Ohmygawd, I think I'm going to barf!" Mason groans into her facemask. Hal smiles and spins the plane along it's axis before turning the nose up into a looping ascent.

And then he sees the sky is no longer blue, but a deep glowing pink colour. It couldn't be. could it? Hal pulls on the joystick and brings the jet around as Mason screams. Everything is bathed in a purple-pink glow. The plane shakes, shudders and then begins to fall out of the air. Hal desperately tries to pull the nose up, but the jet falls over and over, wrapped in purple bands of energy.

And then it explodes.

Hal bursts through the explosion in a sparkling sheath of emerald energy, transformed into Green Lantern. Instinctively he flashes the power ring and it gathers the shattered pieces of the training jet before they could crash to the ground. Hal searches for Mandy Mason.she has to be somewhere. Her ejector seat should have activated.

Suddenly he is doubled over as a bolt of cerise light batters him from behind. Groggily, he looks up and sees a familiar figure from his past.. In a new form.

Long blonde hair floats suspended in mid-air around Mandy's angelic face. Her eyes flash with pink and purple energy. Her body now wears the skin-tight white, purple and black ceremonial garb of the Zamoran Queen. Purple thigh boots, black and purple body suit, highlighted with white and purple long gloves.

"Star Sapphire."

"Yes Green Lantern. I am now Star Sapphire. No longer the weak plaything of these media drones. Now I will teach them.and you.to respect all women! Your deaths will act as a lesson to humanity. The Age of the Sapphire has returned!"

Fade to pink.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next Issue - Green Lantern#6: Star Sapphire is back and Green Lantern is under the spotlight. Plus more on the Swarm, General Stone and the fate of John Stewart. Oh, and Superboy Prime too. Anymore story and I'm going to have to get a bigger hard-drive!