Audiences are witnessing the beginning of a new era of superheroes. The DC Universe is still in its early days, but it hasn't shied away from introducing many different characters with bright futures ahead of them. Throughout the events of Creature Commandos, Superman, and Supergirl, monsters and heroes alike have taken over the spotlight to wreak havoc and ultimately save the day. Now, the franchise is expanding its cosmic side thanks to the release of Lanterns.
The first episode of the latest HBO Max show is finally here, and not only does it set the mood for the events to come, but it also plants the seeds of a mystery that will shake the DCU moving forward. Hal Jordan and John Stewart find themselves at the center of a larger conspiracy that could have dire repercussions for Earth, the Manhunters, and even themselves. Case in point: the episode culminates on a shocking note that will surely have fans talking for weeks to come.
But before we begin, be warned: there will be MAJOR spoilers for Lanterns ahead. If you don't want any surprises ruined, it's best to turn back now.
Hal Jordan seemingly dies in Lanterns, but is this really the case?
In a creative decision fitting for a mystery show, Lanterns consistently jumps in time. The opening episode kicks things off with flashback sequences of a young John Stewart in 1996, before we jump all the way to 2016, where he is being "trained" by veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan. The training is then interrupted by a series of assassinations on a football field in Rushville, Nebraska, which is where the main events of the series will take place. However, during the final moments of the episode, the narrative jumps to the present, where John Stewart returns to the former crime scene only to find Hal's cold body on a bench.
At first glance, it's pretty evident that Hal died, as he has a bullet wound in his forehead. It isn't explained what happened to Earth's first Green Lantern or whether his death could be connected to the mystery that unfolded all the way back in 2016. All we know is that Hal's story came to a very unceremonious end... or did it?
See, when John Stewart sees Hal's corpse, the first thing he does is check his hand. This seemingly unimportant detail reveals that Hal wasn't wearing the Green Lantern ring when he died. Furthermore, it seems that John Stewart isn't wearing the ring either during this sequence (backed up by the fact that he arrived at the crime scene driving and not flying). So, that begs the question: Where is the ring?
We have three possible scenarios here: First and foremost, Hal could have really met his end in a very unceremonious manner. However, it would be a strange choice for the DC Universe to kill off a character as beloved as Hal Jordan from the get-go. So, that leads us to our second option: the body we're seeing is simply a construct built by the real Hal Jordan, who is currently wearing the ring somewhere far away.
Now, there's one big problem with this theory: Green Lantern constructs aren't hyper-realistic, as they are usually green and shiny. So another possibility is that Hal's body is a Manhunter in disguise, trying to make the world believe that the original Green Lantern is truly gone. However, a key detail to consider is that, when a Manhunter dies in comic book pages, it usually reverts back to its original form. So either the alien is alive and just pretending to be dead... or this theory doesn't work either.
All evidence at the moment suggests that Hal is gone for good. However, we shouldn't take anything for granted in a mystery show. So, it will be interesting to see how the story moves forward and whether there's more to Hal's death than meets the eye.
New episodes of Lanterns drop every Sunday on HBO Max.
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