An exploration into the psyche of Kyle Rayner hints that the greatest achievements of Hal Jordan may be doing damage to his fellow Green Lanterns.
It looks like the notable ring-slinger Hal Jordan casts a dark shadow over the legacy of the Green Lanterns. A deep fear of Kyle Rayner’s exposes how Jordan may be inadvertently harming his fellow members of the Corps.
The Green Lantern Corps is composed of individuals all across the galaxy, and though the organization has existed for eons, there’s been an uptick in members recruited from Earth. It all started with Hal Jordan after receiving a ring from a dying Abin Sur. Since Jordan’s acceptance into the Corps, there have been a decent number of Green Lanterns hailing from Earth. While every member of the Corps has something special to their name, Jordan is often regarded as the ‘greatest’ Lantern. Even after his destruction of the Corps during his Parallax phase, the hero was able to reclaim his honorary title and even lead the Corps on several occasions.
And it seems that some members may be floundering under the legacy that Hal Jordan has left behind. Kyle Rayner revealed his own insecurities in DCU Halloween Special #1’s short story “Fear of the Dark” by Eddie Berzanga and Tervor Hairsine. It’s Halloween and Kyle is spending it with the Green Lantern Corps’ Mogo. The planet sized Lantern is using its particular telepathic abilities to help Kyle master his fear after his intense battle with the Sinestro Corps. Mogo conjures up a number of nightmares for Kyle to overcome: Lanterns Kyle has failed, the ghost of Kyle’s mother, even the ghastly visage of Sinestro appears to voice strong criticisms against Rayner. Nothing speaks to Kyle’s inner doubts more than when he witnesses his own origin story with Hal Jordan replacing him and informing Kyle of how inefficient he is as a Lantern.
Hal Jordan is Hurting His Fellow Green Lanterns
Kyle’s insecurities likely stem from when he was forced to host the Sinestro Corps’ entity of fear, Parallax. During the Sinestro Corps War crossover, Kyle was broken down by Sinestro in order to properly serve Parallax. Everything Kyle feared was magnified to an extreme degree. So it may not be the most pressing anxiety on Kyle’s mind all the time. But deep down, Kyle likely fears that he may not be as worthy as Hal Jordan of a Green Lantern Power Ring.
Truth be told, Hal isn’t any better a Lantern than any of his fellow Earth compatriots. Jordan may have had some grand achievements, but so has every other member of the Green Lantern Corps. Even Kyle took on the arduous task of keeping the Corps going after its light was nearly extinguished by Parallax. But Hal is likely the most venerated Lantern of all time, and it seems to be taking a toll on his allies. Hal could probably stand to refute the claims that he’s the ‘greatest’ Green Lantern, if only to take the pressure off of his allies and assure them that the Corps’ efforts are a team one. Otherwise, Hal Jordan’s legacy may become a crippling weakness for his friends in the Green Lantern Corps.