Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Absolute Green Lantern #1

Set in the dark new alternate DC Universe created by Darkseid, heroes are essentially underdogs the world struggles to accept, having dark new origins largely devoid of hope. To that end, the same looks to be true for this new Absolute Green Lantern, taking one of the greatest Lanterns in the main DC Universe and turning him into something far darker in the Absolute Universe.

As seen in the new Absolute Green Lantern #1 by Al Ewing and Jahnoy Lindsay, the Absolute Universe's version of Hal Jordan is shown walking down a desert road, completely traumatized as a dark presence tells him to "Be Without Fear". While the Green Lanterns of Oa are called to be fearless as they wield the green light of willpower, this presence looks far darker than what one would expect from a traditional power ring. Sure enough, Hal Jordan's three-word response to this being's words tell quite a bit about the changes the Absolute Universe has brought to his Green Lantern story: "I'm so scared."

Following these surprising words filled with fear, Jordan appears helpless as whatever force that's apparently with him kills a police officer who stopped him on the side of the road. As such, the issue then fleshes out what happened to Hal, and who the actual Absolute Green Lantern is.

Hal Jordan is NOT The Absolute Green Lantern

He's Something Far Darker

Flashbacks to five days prior revealed that Hal Jordan bought and sold collectibles and lived in the town of Evergreen. He's also friends with John Stewart, Jo Mullein, and Guy Gardner, who all appear to live in the same town. Then, a massive construct of the Green Lantern symbol lands in Evergreen alongside a very intense version of Abin Sur, the dying alien Green Lantern who bestows his ring to Hal Jordan in the main DC Universe timeline. However, it seems as though fate has other plans for Hal Jordan in the Absolute Universe.

In the present, the Absolute Universe's Hal Jordan continues to cause chaos and mayhem in a diner, revealing a black energy that's taken over his hand as it kills anyone threatening Hal. To that end, it very much looks like Hal Jordan has involuntarily become the Absolute Universe version of the Black Hand, a classic villain in the primary DC Universe and eventual Black Lantern. This is likely because Hal Jordan was shown touching the giant green construct when it first landed, which, for some reason, seems to have infected him with this dark force claiming to be the "absence of light" and "the secret heart within every star".

Will Jo Mullein Save Hal Before It's Too Late?

A Dynamic New Chapter In The Absolute Universe Saga

Absolute Green Lantern #1 certainly sets up a dynamic new origin not only for Hal, but also for DC's Jo Mullein. Appearing at the issue's end, it certainly seems as though Jo was chosen by Abin Sur to become the Absolute Universe's first human Green Lantern instead. It will be fascinating to see how the Green Lantern Corps and its characters differ from what we might expect from the main DC Universe. After all, a terrified Hal Jordan overwhelmed with fear and corrupted by a force he can't control certainly proves this will be quite a different GL story than we're used to.

Absolute Green Lantern #1 is on sale now from DC Comics.