The controversial storyline that ended the distinguished career of one Green Lantern and introduced the ‘last’ Green Lantern. DC Comics wanted a story arc that built toward Hal Jordan‘s 50th issue, but weren’t content with the proposal by then series writer Gerard Jones. Instead, the story of Hal Jordan finding himself in the middle of a civil war among the Guardians of the Universe was ditched in favour of a tale concocted by a group of DC editors – Mike Carlin, Kevin Dooley, Archie Goodwin and Denny O’Neil – and written by Ron Marz that dealt with the fallout of the destruction of Hal’s home, Coast City, during the Superman-centric event REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN (1993). And it would send Hal in a shocking new direction!
While ‘Emerald Twilight’ would upset long-standing Hal Jordan fans, a new generation would be introduced to Kyle Rayner who seemed to display far less of the fearlessness previously required of a member of the Green Lantern Corps. This story marks the beginning of his journey through space, time and various line-ups of the Justice League and Titans.
Despite Guy Gardner no longer being a Green Lantern following the events of REGENERATION (1992), he’s about to be hit by the fallout of Hal Jordan’s clash with the Guardians. And it’ll lead to big changes in his power-set!
Crossover: The standalone ‘Green Lantern’ story bleeds out to related GL titles; the JLA tie-in largely relates to the ongoing changes in Guy Gardner’s life.
Must-Reads: In the Quick List, essential issues are listed in bold; in the Fallout section, issues/story arcs marked with a ✔ are essential reading.
The Book of Oa: Most of the stories told in ‘Green Lantern Corps Quarterly’ take place in the past, but are shown in the buring pages of the Book of Oas in the present, so they’ve been placed toward the latter-end of Green Lantern #50.
Spoilers: The issue descriptions and fallout section contain spoilers, so be warned!
Previous events that directly impact this story:
- REGENERATION (1992) – Guy Gardner obtains Sinestro’s yellow Qwardian Power Ring
- REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN (1993) – The destruction of Coast City
- THE TROUBLE WITH GUYS (1993) – Guy defeats his alien clone
Want to keep it simple? Here’s the chronological reading order without story descriptions, or spoilers:
- Guy Gardner #16 (tie-in)
- Green Lantern (1990) #48
- Guy Gardner: Warrior #17
- Green Lantern (1990) #49-50
- Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #8 [1/7]
- Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #8 [2/7]
- Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #8 [3/7]
- Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #8 [4/7]
- Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #8 [5/7]
- Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #8 [6/7]
- Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #8 [7/7]
- Green Lantern (1990) #51
- Justice League America (1989) #86 (tie-in)
- Guy Gardner: Warrior #18-21
| Must Read | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Guy Gardner #16 (tie-in) After a brief misunderstanding with General Glory who didn’t know Guy Gardner was briefly replaced by a murderous alien clone (THE TROUBLE WITH GUYS, 1993), Guy regains a more positive outlook. Elsewhere, the Quorum assign their cyborg warrior Militia to the task of killing Guy Gardner! 1st appearance: Honey, Quorum New identity: [REDACTED] as Militia |
| ✔ | Green Lantern #48 From the centre of the crater where Coast City used to be, Hal Jordan – the Green Lantern of Sector-2814 – uses his Green Lantern Ring to recreate the city and its deceased population (wiped out during REIGN OF THE SUPERMEN, 1993) and holds conversations with his ‘parents’. This draws the attention of one of the Guardians of the Universe as the act violates their sacred canon. But Hal absorbs the Guardian’s projection and makes his way to Oa as ordered, with a sinister look in his eye. A young couple watch a green shooting star fly upwards..! 1st appearance: Kyle Rayner (cameo, unnamed), Alex DeWitt (cameo, unnamed) |
| ✔ | Guy Gardner: Warrior #17 (pp.1-20) (tie-in) Guy Gardner finally reunites with his mother, but learns his abusive father is dead and his brother, Mace Gardner, committed suicide after Guy left home. The Quorum track Guy to Arlington and send in Militia. Their no-holds barred fight over the freeway almost ends in Guy’s death when his ring cuts out, but a truck takes out Militia who swears he’ll return. At the Justice League‘s New York HQ, Ice reveals to Fire and Wonder Woman she doesn’t want see Guy anymore… |
| ✔ | Green Lantern #49 The grief-stricken Hal Jordan’s path to to the planet Oa is blocked by various members of the Green Lantern Corps, including Boodikka, Jack T Chance, Hannu, Ke’Haan, Kilowog, Kreon, Laira, Graf Toren and Tomar-Tu who he soundly defeats and takes their rings for himself. Hal lands on Oa, seeking the Central Power Battery, but is shocked to meet the Guardians’ last line of Defense… Sinestro, freed from the Battery and bearing a Green Lantern Ring once more! 1st appearance: Hannu, Ke’Haan |
| ✔ | Guy Gardner: Warrior #17 (pp.21-22) (tie-in) Guy Gardner adopts a new costume and takes the name Warrior! |
| Must Read | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Green Lantern #50 (pp.1-30) Sinestro convinces Hal Jordan to give up his additional rings in favour of a fair fight. The punch-up ends with Hal breaking Sinestro’s neck. Kilowog tries to knock some sense into Hal, but he flays the skin off Kilowog’s bones. The passive Guardians of the Universe don’t stop Hal from entering the Power Battery, though they choose the Guardian Ganthet to enact their last course of action. The Battery shatters and the remaining Guardians die. Hal emerges in a suit of green armour, smashes his ring and departs. Ganthet, now the final Guardian, reforms Hal’s ring and leaves Oa… |
| ✔ | Guy Gardner: Warrior #18 (pp.1-3) Guy Gardner’s yellow Qwardian Ring flares up, causing an explosion at JL headquarters… |
| ✔ | Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #8 [1/7] The Maltusians – now known as the Guardians of the Universe – spent millennia recording a complete history of the battle of good versus evil in the Book of Oa. In that time, they created the robotic Manhunters, followed by the Green Lantern Corps to bring order to the universe. Over the years, the Green Lanterns of Sector-2814 have been some of the most-dedicated. Now the pages of the Book of Oa burn in the wake of Hal Jordan’s actions. |
| Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #8 [2/7] In 1944, alien mercenary Dask N’oir escaped the Sciencells of Oa and arrived on Earth, landing in Nazi-occupied France. The Guardians ordered Abin Sur of the Green Lantern Corps to intervene. N’oir defeats the ‘mystery men’ Flash (Jay Garrick) and the Green Lantern (Alan Scott). Having lost his own ring to N’oir, Sur takes Alan’s ring while he’s unconscious and uses it to defeat Dask N’oir. Sur returns Alan’s ring and wipes his and the Flash’s memories before he regains consciousness and takes N’oir back to Oa. | |
| Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #8 [3/7] Abin Sur passed his ring to Hal Jordan before he died. Hal would go on to become one of the greatest Green Lanterns, though he’d eventually see how manipulative the Guardians could be. |
| Must Read | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| ✔ | Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #8 [4/7] The Guardians offered Probert a Green Lantern Ring to apprehend rogue Lantern Krudd on LaBurb, but Probert wouldn’t take the ring. Instead, he chose to take out Kkrudd his own way, but relented and used the ring when he was clearly outmatched. The Guardian returns to take Kkrudd and the ring, but Probert decided to keep it! 1st appearance: Probert/The Bad One |
| Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #8 [5/7] Kkrudd wasn’t the first poor recruitment choice for the Guardians and he wouldn’t be the last. Sinestro proved to be one of the worst of all! Other dubious choices were Guy Gardner and Jack T Chance. | |
| Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #8 [6/7] Jack T Chance riled Lobo up when he tried to take the criminal Augusta Gulf to LEGION leader Vril Dox. Lobo covered himself in the yellow blood of one of his victims to counter the weakness in Chance’s Green Lantern Ring. Lobo defeated Chance and stole his ring by ripping off his finger. Lobo threw the finger back to Chance when it proved to be useless to him. | |
| ✔ | Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #8 [7/7] With Oa in ruins, the final pages of the Book of Oa are now destroyed. |
| ✔ | Green Lantern #50 (pp.31-33) A young man steps out of a Los Angeles club to take a whizz in the alley sees another green shooting star – this time it’s Ganthet! The final Guardian of the Universe grants the man the final Green Lantern Ring which transforms him into the last Green Lantern! 1st appearance: Green Lantern/Kyle Rayner (full, unnamed) |
| ✔ | Green Lantern #51 (tie-in) Kyle Rayner heads to his ex-girlfriend’s apartment to show her the ring and costume, which she connects to the Green Lantern. Alex DeWitt agrees to move to New York with Kyle to capitalise on the ring. In the morning, Kyle and Alex head into the city where a criminal calling himself Ohm has stolen a hi-tech battle suit from STAR Labs. The new Green Lantern flies into action to stop Ohm from draining the power grid, but only barely survives to steal his victory! Later, Alex convinces Kyle to generate his own version of the Green Lantern costume! In New Jersey, Mongul breaks out of Slabside Island Maximum Security Penitentiary seeking revenge on Superman and the Green Lantern! 1st appearance: Alexandra DeWitt (named), Green Lantern/Kyle Rayner (named), Ohm, Slabside Penitentiary/The Slab |
| Must Read | Title, Issue & Synopsis |
| Justice League America #86 (tie-in) Superman just recently returned from space (during BIZARRO’S WORLD, 1994) and thanks them for fighting alongside him against Doomsday (during DOOMSDAY!, 1992-1993). Ice reveals new abilities to Fire that she’s gained after defeating Ewald Olafsson. Guy Gardner accuses Ice of avoiding him, but she demands respect. Before Guy can fully charm Ice, the Ray calls her away on a mission. William Everett III senses the chaos and knows he’ll have to take over the mantle of the Amazing Man! Captain Atom and the Ray answer a request for help from the FBI, only to discover the actions of the Cult of the Machine have unleashed the Dreamslayer! 1st appearance: William Everett III, Randolph Skreggs, Jack Snyder | |
| ✔ | Guy Gardner: Warrior #18 (pp.4-22) A week after Guy Gardner’s ring surged and then died, Blue Beetle warns him it may never recharge and (under duress) gives Guy a prototype suit of armour. Green Lantern Corps member Bivvix dies on his way to Earth, never getting to warn Guy about Hal. Wonder Woman tells Guy that Ice is at the Arctic Circle. But his efforts to reassure her that he’s changed are ruined when Militia attacks again, knocking Ice unconscious! |
| ✔ | Guy Gardner: Warrior #19 Not even Guy Gardner’s new armour is enough to fend off Militia who has him on the ropes. Ice regains consciousness and punches Militia across the Arctic! He retaliates, knocking Ice out again, and unmasking to reveal he’s actually Guy’s brother, Mace Gardner! Guy suddenly gains all the Yellow Lantern Ring’s power again, allowing him to rapidly defeat Mace with one shot. Just then, Alan Scott arrives and warns Guy that the universe is in great danger! Identity revealed: Militia is Mace Gardner |
| ✔ | Guy Gardner: Warrior #20 Hours ago, Ferrin Colos of the Darkstars and Alan Scott informed Guy Gardner of the destruction of Coast City, the disappearance of Hal Jordan and the deaths of several Green Lanterns. Now, Guy leads Arisia, Martian Manhunter, Captain Atom, the Ray, Colos, Alan Scott and Wonder Woman to Oa where they’re attacked by monstrous green creatures created by Hal Jordan! |
| ✔ | Guy Gardner: Warrior #21 Hal Jordan overpowers the entire squad, rendering them unconscious with ease! Guy attacks Hal, but doesn’t stand a chance and lies broken! Hal destroys Guy’s ring, stripping him of his power, and departs while promising to make everything better. |
| Must Read | Issue & Fallout | Event / Crossover |
| Justice League America #87 (1994) The Overmaster returns the Dreamslayer to his other-dimensional prison. | ||
| ✔ | Green Lantern #52-53 (1994) Mongul attacks Kyle Rayner, unaware he’s entirely different Green Lantern to the one he last fought; Superman helps Kyle defeat Mongul; the Quorum hire Major Force to investigate the new Green Lantern. | |
| Justice League America #89 (1994) Justice League Task Force #14 (1994) Justice League International #66 (1994) William Everett III becomes the Amazing Man; Overmaster is revealed to be behind Ewald Olafsson’s increased abilities; Overmaster kills Ice; Amazing Man is instrumental in Overmaster’s defeat. | JUDGMENT DAY | |
| Guy Gardner: Warrior #22 (1994) Guy Gardner wakes from a three-week coma following his battle with Hal Jordan on Oa. | MARAUDERS OF THE NADDA | |
| Guy Gardner: Warrior #22 (1994) In South America, Guy Gardner gains a whole new power-set from the Water of Warriors; Guy witnesses rifts in time, unaware that they have connections to Hal Jordan’s efforts to live up to his promise. | MARAUDERS OF THE NADDA ZERO HOUR: CRISIS IN TIME! | |
| ✔ | Green Lantern #54-55 (1994) Zero Hour #3-1, 0 (1994) Major Force kills Alex DeWitt, testing Kyle Rayner’s mettle as a hero; Alan Scott tells Kyle Hal Jordan’s story; Guy Gardner discovers the extent of the abilities his new armour gives him; Guy meets new Green Lantern Kyle Rayner; Hal Jordan takes the name Parallax and conspires with Extant in an attempt to ‘set things right’ by restarting the universe; Guy Gardner’s armour is replaced with ‘tattoos’ on his skin that have the same capabilities as the armour. | ZERO HOUR: CRISIS IN TIME! |
| ✔ | Green Lantern #0 (1994) Parallax offers to resurrect Alex DeWitt; Parallax clashes with Kyle Rayner in a conflict that destroys the last remnants of Oa. | ZERO HOUR: CRISIS IN TIME! ZERO MONTH |
| ✔ | Guy Gardner: Warrior #0 (1994) Guy learns he’s actually descended from an alien race called the Vuldarians. | ZERO MONTH |
| Guy Gardner: Warrior #25 (1994) The Quorum retrieve Mace Gardner from the hospital. | ||
| New Titans #116 (1994) Kyle Rayner joins the Titans. | PSIMON SAYS… DIE! | |
| Guy Gardner: Warrior #33 (1995) Hawkman #23 (1995) Guy Gardner: Warrior #34 (1995) Probert returns, aiding Guy Gardner against the Tormocks. | THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR | |
| Green Lantern Annual #4 (1995) Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner briefly swap bodies and live out each others’ origins. | YEAR ONE | |
| Guy Gardner: Warrior #35 (1995) In space, Guy Gardner finds his Draal duplicate Joe Gardner selling former Green Lanterns as slaves. | ||
| ✔ | Underworld Unleashed #2 (1995) The demon Neron offers to resurrect Alex DeWitt for Kyle Rayner, but Kyle violently rejects him. | UNDERWORLD UNLEASHED |
| Green Lantern #60 (1995) The Quorum send the retooled Militia to join Major Force’s attack on Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner, pitting Mace Gardner against his brother once again. | CAPITAL PUNISHMENT | |
| Green Lantern/Silver Surfer: Unholy Alliances #1 (1996) The destruction of Oa is revealed to have opened a rift between the DC Universe and Marvel Universe. | DC VERSUS MARVEL | |
| Guy Gardner: Warrior #43 (1996) The Quorum resurrect Major Force and send him to the Warriors Bar to kill Guy Gardner; despite having survived the fight with Hal Jordan, Major Force finds Arisia in the bar and kills her instead of Guy. | ||
| ✔ | The Final Night #1-4 (1996) Green Lantern #81 (1996) Parallax redeems himself by sacrificing his life destroying the Sun-Eater to save Earth from destruction; a funeral is held for Hal Jordan. | FINAL NIGHT |
| Justice League: A Midsummer’s Nightmare #3 (1996) Kyle Rayner joins the Justice League. | ||
| Green Lantern #98-99 (1998) When Kyle Rayner finds himself in the 30th Century, the future Ganthet takes the Green Lantern Ring from Kyle and grants it to his ancestor Cary Wren; Kyle Rayner is transported to the past where he meets a younger Hal Jordan. | ||
| ✔ | Green Lantern #100-106 (1998) The extent of Mongul’s actions against Coast City are revealed in full; the younger Hal Jordan accidentally returns with Kyle Rayner in Kyle’s present; young Hal aids Kyle Rayner in a battle against a time-displaced Parallax; Carol Ferris works on rebuilding Ferris Air. | EMERALD KNIGHTS |
| ✔ | Day of Judgment #2-5 (1999) Hal Jordan is freed from Limbo to become the host of the Spectre. | DAY OF JUDGMENT |
| ✔ | Green Lantern: Legacy – The Last WIll and Testament of Hal Jordan (2002) Boodikka is revealed to be among the Green Lanterns who survived Hal Jordan’s attack on Oa; as a member of the Brotherhood of the Cold Flame, Boodikka summons the spirit of Kilowog as the Dark Lantern in a bid for vengeance; Tom Kalmaku restores Oa, along with the Book of Oa. | |
| ✔ | Green Lantern #145-150 (2002) Kyle Rayner gains the power of Ion and utilises it to restore the Central Power Battery; new Guardians of the Universe emerge from the Battery, coming under Ganthet’s care in the hope they’ll make better decisions than their predecessors; Kyle relinquishes his Ion identity and its power. | |
| ✔ | Spectre #21-23 (2002-2003) The Spectre locates the ghost of Sinestro (or possibly a hard light construct) and taunts him with a dream in which he never becomes a Green Lantern; Sinestro chooses Hell over reliving this nightmare over and over agains and is sent to the Underworld. | |
| ✔ | Green Lantern: Rebirth #1-6 (2005) Hal Jordan uses his powers as the Spectre to restore Coast City; Hal learns his actions as Parallax were actually caused by the parasitic entity Parallax – the living embodiment of fear – who was also the source of the yellow impurity in the Green Lantern Rings; Sinestro’s ‘death’ is revealed to be part of a plot concocted by himself and Parallax to push Hal Jordan over the edge; Parallax briefly possesses Guy Gardner and overwrites his Vuldarian DNA with human DNA; Parallax’s efforts to take control of the Spectre are thwarted; Kyle Rayner and Ganthet resurrect Kilowog; Hal Jordan is reborn as the Green Lantern; Guy Gardner becomes a Green Lantern again; the Green Lantern Corps is restored. | GREEN LANTERN: REBIRTH |
| ✔ | Infinite Crisis Special: Rann-Thanagar War #1 (2006) It’s revealed that Ion is actually a being. | INFINITE CRISIS RANN-THANAGAR WAR |
| ✔ | Green Lantern Corps: Recharge #1 (2005-2006) Guy Gardner, Kilowog and Kyle Rayner start training a new next generation of the Green Lantern Corps. | |
| ✔ | Green Lantern #3 (2005) Hal Jordan discovers a number of Lost Lanterns – Green Lantern Corp members believed dead due to his rampage – on planet Biot including Boodikka, Jack T Chance, Hannu, Ke’Haan, Kreon, Laira, Graf Toren and Tomar-Tu; Hal also finds Arisia isn’t dead as she’d actually entered a healing state that’s typical of the Graxonite race. | |
| Green Lantern #10 (2006) Following Sinestro’s return, a number of Yellow Lantern Rings are revealed to have been created and sent out looking for hosts who instill fear, starting with Arkillo. | ||
| Booster Gold #2 (2007) Booster Gold alters the timeline, giving Guy Gardner a chance to see his father before he dies and talk through their issues. | ||
| ✔ | Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1 (2007) Tales of the Sinestro Corps: Parallax #1 (2007) Green Lantern #24 (2007) Sinestro rips the Ion entity – seen in its true form for the first time – out of Kyle Rayner and he becomes a host for Parallax; as Parallax, Kyle fights against the Green Lantern Corps as a member of the Sinestro Corps; Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner free Kyle from Parallax. | THE SINESTRO CORPS WAR |
| ✔ | Blackest Night #1 (2009) Green Lantern Corps #46 (2010) Bivvix is among the dead Green Lanterns resurrected as a member of the Black Lantern Corps; Alex DeWitt is resurrected as a member of the Black Lantern Corps and forces Kyle to relive her murder as the hands of Major Force. | BLACKEST NIGHT |
| Justice League: Generation Lost #12 (2010) A new origin for Ice proves the belief that she’s a virtual goddess is a lie. | BRIGHTEST DAY |
| Collected Edition Title | Collects… |
| Green Lantern: Kyle Rayner Rising Compendium (2023) | Damage #16 Darkstars #34 Green Lantern #0, 48-65 Guy Gardner: Warrior #27-28 Teen Titans #116-117, 124-125 REBELS ’94 #1 |
| Green Lantern: Emerald Twilight (1994) | Green Lantern #48-50 |
| Green Lantern: Emerald Twilight/New Dawn (2003) | Green Lantern #48-55 |
| Collected Edition Title | Includes… |
| Green Lantern: 80 Years of the Emerald Knight – The Deluxe Edition | Green Lantern #50 |
| Green Lantern: A Celebration of 75 Years | Green Lantern #50-51 |
Reading Order © Omniverse Comics Guide 2026
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