| Unofficial Green Lantern/Superman: Legend of the Green Flame Index |
GREEN LANTERN/SUPERMAN: LEGEND OF THE GREEN FLAME
Cover Date: 2000
Cover Price: $3.50
Cover Credits:
Art: Frank Miller
Colors: Matt Hollingsworth
|
|
"Chapter One: 1989"
"Chapter Two"
"Strange Interlude 1"
"Chapter Three"
"Strange Interlude 2"
"Chapter Four"
"Epilogue"
Credits:
| Story | Neil Gaiman |
| Pencils | Eddie Campbell (Prologue), Mike Allred (Chapter 1, Part One), Mark Buckingham (Chapter 1, Part Two), John Totleben (Chapter 2), Matt Wagner (Interlude 1), Eric Shanower (Chapter 3), Jim Aparo (Interlude 2), Kevin Nowlan (Chapter 4), Jason Little (Epilogue) |
| Inks | Eddie Campbell (Prologue), Terry Austin (Chapter 1, Part One), Mark Buckingham (Chapter 1, Part Two), John Totleben (Chapter 2), Matt Wagner (Interlude 1), Arthur Adams (Chapter 3), Jim Aparo (Interlude 2), Kevin Nowlan (Chapter 4), Jason Little (Epilogue) |
| Colors | Matt Hollingsworth (except otherwise noted), Kevin Nowlan (Chapter 4) |
| Editing | Mark Waid |
Feature Character(s):
- Green Lantern (Hal Jordan; last in Action Comics Weekly #635; next in Green Lantern Special #2)
- Superman (last in Action Comics Weekly #642; next in Superman Vol. 2 #29)
Supporting Character(s):
- Lois Lane (last in ???; next in Superman Vol. 2 #29)
Villain(s):
- The Green Flame of Life (last/next in ???)
- Gintear (first appearance; a demon)
- Grueflutter and his Skyboat Crew (Prigsquatter and Smeglet named; demons; first appearance of all)
- Festlesquirm (last in Swamp Thing Annual Vol. 2 #2; last appearance)
- five park muggers (first appearance of all)
- Nazi corpses (in 1949)
- The Spear of Destiny (last in Last Days of the Justice Society Special #1; next in flashback in Spectre Vol. 3 #21)
Guest Appearance(s):
- Blackhawk (in 1949; in between Blackhawk Vol. 3 #10 and #11)
- Weng "Chop-Chop" Chan (in 1949; in between Blackhawk Vol. 3 #10 and #11)
- Selina Kyle (last in Action Comics Weekly #614/5; next in ???)
- Deadman (last in Action Comics Weekly #626/5; next in Deadman: Love After Death #1)
- Phantom Stranger (last in Action Comics Weekly #642; next in Doom Patrol Vol. 2 #29)
- Lords of Order (last/next in ???)
- Sandman I (in 1949; deceased; possibly from an alternate reality; see second comment)
- Hawkman (in 1949; deceased; from an alternate reality; see second comment)
- Hourman I (in 1949; deceased; possibly from an alternate reality; see second comment)
Other Character(s):
- Neil Gaiman, Mark Buckingham, and possibly other creators (first appearance)
- a waiter (first appearance)
Comment(s):
This one-shot was originally intended as the main story of Action Comics Weekly #642, but was canceled due to an editorial decree. Writer Neil Gaiman had woven the story around the friendship between Hal Jordan and Superman, and their knowledge of each others' secret identities. This was not considered canon in 1989, so the story was never published. Not until ten years later, during which time a lot had happened - Superman was now considered at least a reserve member of the original Justice League, and Hal could very well have known Superman's secret identity back when.
It has never been explained who these dead "JSA members" really were. Neither is it known where the Green Power Battery came from. As Hal himself notes on page 12, it can't be Alan Scott's, since "This was found in the forties, and Alan had his battery until he vanished a few years back." A popular theory suggests that the dead JSAers and the Power Battery are residual versions from an alternate reality in Last Days of the Justice Society Special #1.
Berlin 1949. The drunken Janos Prohaska and Weng Chan of the Blackhawks go down into a deserted bunker and find some corpses in strange costumes (apparently the Justice Society of America; see second comment) and a strange green lamp (see first comment).
Today. Hal Jordan is feeling lonely, and visits Clark Kent for a chat. They accompany each other to a museum convention Clark is supposed to cover for the Daily Planet, and find the green lamp in an exhibition. Hal recognizes it as a power battery, and tries loading his power ring with it. The effect is disastrous and a wave of magic energy kills both heroes. They wind up in the Region of the Just Dead and encounter Deadman, who explains that their deaths are not irrevocable until they have gone "into the light". Hal then tries using his ring to take them back to their bodies, the worst thing he could have done...
Meanwhile, the Phantom Stranger sits in the apartment given to him by the Lords of Order, his current masters. Sensing that something else needs his attention, he finally leaves the apartment forever and dismisses the Lords. Now and forever, he is on his own.
Superman and Hal have wound up in Hell, where Superman's super-senses can't experience anything but suffering, fear and pain. Horrified by realizing that he can't save these innumerable souls, he is slowly going mad. The catatonic Man of Steel can't do anything but float around and cry, while a terrified Green Lantern desperately tries waking him up. When the two of them are attacked by blood-thirsty demons, Hal once again uses his ring, and they disappear.
Superman and Green Lantern encounter the power that killed them - the sentient Green Flame, the remains of the magic energies of Maltus. The Green Flame explains that their deaths were a result of Jordan trying to load his scientific ring with supernatural energies. Then it tempts Hal to give in for the supernatural power of the Green Flame instead. At that point, the Stranger appears, and teaches Hal how to tame the corrupt Flame. Hal reads the oath of Alan Scott, loads his ring, and the threat of the Green Flame is neutralized. The Stranger then returns Hal's and Superman's souls to their bodies, disposing of the lamp.
Alive after this experience, Hal is feeling better. After a warm good-bye, the two heroes part.