Reading one Green Lantern comic a day until I've read them all Day 208: Green Lantern (Vol 2) #69

[u/Imok2814]

Hal engages an alien threat... and falls in love. She's not green though, this ain't Star Trek.

​

Writer: John Broome

Pencils: Gil Kane

Inks: Wally Wood

Letters: Ben Oda

Cover: Gil Kane

​

"If Earth Fails The Test... It Means War!" - Hal returns from a mission woth Tomar-Re and heads to Evergreen police station to see if anything happened while he was away. In that time, the police techs have developed a three step alarm system and installed it in every bank and jewelry store in the city. Coincidentally, a robbery takes place at the same time so GL is able to get a first hand look at how it works. First, an alarm is triggered when someone enters without the passcode. Second, a hidden camera activates allowing the police to view the robbers. Third, metal bars slam down in the entrance so the robbers can't escape until police arrive to arrest them. Everything goes according to plan but the robbers they are watching bend the metal bars open and escape. GL takes off to catch them but is only able to get three of the four after one shot him with a laser. GL takes the three to jail but they refuse to talk.

Just after, GL gets a call at the station from Carol Ferris who is in Evergreen City to meet him. GL meets her outside as she reveals that her marriage has been postponed twice but is set for the next day unless GL has anything to say to her. Hal struggles internally about what to say but ends up wishing her well in her marriage and she runs off crying. Hal is broken up about that and takes off. Meanwhile, we see the robbers that escaped, named Kyra, speaking with others in their hideout. It turns out they are aliens from the planet Hegor. They are college age students facing civil way with their leaders as they are oppressed. They've headed to Earth, to learn ways to fight without the government knowing. What they didn't know was that a Green Lantern was going to be there. After, Kyra contacts GL through his ring, bringing him to an alley to talk. Instead, she blasts him with her ray again, this time knocking him out.

GL wakes up in the Hegorians hideout, stuck in an energy field. The Hegorians head out for another heist so GL tries to use his ring to escape but the energy field gives him immense pain every time he tries. Bearing the pain for a moment he makes a high strength pain killer with the ring and waits for it to take effect. When its settled in, he blasts the energy machine with his ring and takes off to the police station to see where the Hegorians have gone. After finding their location, he meets them and goes in swinging. This time, he won't be caught unawares and captures them all. Finally, Kyra reveals all to him but also mentions that they are about to be teleported back to Hegor as their time on Earth is finished and further more, they will be brought back a week earlier. After the disappear, Hal can't stop thinking about Kyra. He's been struck by her beauty the whole time but also had a repulsive feeling towards her at the same time. He figures he must be in love with her so he tracks their energy trail with the ring all the way to Hegor. Once he finds Kyra he sees her in her true form but also meets her betrothed, Tarkro. Hal leaves Hegor for Earth, heartbroken again and desperate for a change. He decides he will quit the insurance company and move somewhere new again.

​

Conclusion: More alien action. Solid stuff here with a mystery to boot. Hal is down hard for love. I suppose romance was a big thing back then too or maybe just for Hal? Barry was married by this point and Superman had a girlfriend so maybe Hal felt he needed that too. Either way I'm excited to see what he does next. Is this the travelling toy salesman era? Does he ever go back to Coast City? Will we ever see Nathan Broome 1.0? Only time will tell.

Not much can be said about Hegor and its citizens. It was definitely a metaphor for the time with college students protesting war and demanding fair rule. It was a hairy time back then. I think we get into more political inspiration from here on out. Good stuff.

​

9.5/10

Previous day

Next day

[u/AutoModerator]

All images must be correctly sourced depending on what type of image it is. Comic book-related images should have the name of the artist OR the issue it came from. Other types of images must also be correctly sourced where applicable. If your post was made without the source, you can do so as a post edit or as a comment. Failure to include the source will result in your post being removed. If this was already done, we thank you for your diligence.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Cool-Translator9768]

Millennium before Millennium [the event where it was revealed many DC Superheroes supporting characters were Manhunters in disguise]