Open with a VOICEOVER...
“Not only are we not alone in the universe. For years now, we’ve known of a group of EXTRATERRESTRIALS who protect our universe and keep us safe. We don’t know where they come from, or where they get their power. But we know this much...they’re good.”
The voice is revealed to belong to a WEATHERED MAN in his 60s who we will come to know only as ‘
PIPE.’
Cut to FERRIS AIRFIELD many years ago where a YOUNG HAL JORDAN watches in horror as his father
MARTIN, hero pilot, dies during a routine test flight.
TODAY.
Green Lantern
ABIN SUR is speaking to his fellow Lantern
TOMAR-RE when he is suddenly attacked by A MASSIVE CREATURE blocking out the sun—the size of a WHALE with MECHANICAL TENTACLES and a shark’s killer grin.
This is
LEGION. And we
FEAR it.
Abin Sur is MORTALLY-WOUNDED in the attack but manages to fight off Legion long enough to make his ESCAPE to the nearest planet in his sector so his ring can select his SUCCESSOR—
HAL JORDAN is re-introduced in the midst of his own fight for life as he desperately flees from an angry MOTHERF**KING HUGE BOYFRIEND of a woman he slept with the night before.
- The character beats are largely similar to Martin Campbell’s film version including Hal’s STRAINED RELATIONSHIPS with his off-and-on girlfriend & colleague CAROL FERRIS and his DISAPPOINTED FAMILY including his brother JACK, with the exception of his ADORING NEPHEW NATHAN.
Next, we get our first glimpse of the Green Lanterns’ PLANET HOME BASE OA where the intense & dedicated
SINESTRO has just been informed that Abin Sur has fallen. He requests some kind of action from the GUARDIANS but is refused, which makes him only more INTENSE.
HECTOR HAMMOND, the story’s human (so-to-speak) villain is a formidable foe first introduced working for the FBI as a PATHOLOGIST. The bespectacled-nerd gets no respect from his colleagues nor his jerk boss
BROOME but someone clearly likes him because Dr. Hammond has been handed a TOP-SECRET ASSIGNMENT to perform an AUTOPSY on the body of Abin Sur, just after he has passed his ring onto to an amazed (and confused!) Hal.
Hammond is then introduced to Pipe (our narrator from the opening) who oddly refers to the deceased Abin Sur as “A FRIEND.” Pipe gives Hammond THREE HOURS to determine what caused the Lantern’s demise. During the examination, Hammond becomes INFECTED by GLOWING SHRAPNEL—a piece of Legion.
Meanwhile, Hal has only begun to investigate the powers of the ring he has bequeathed by the dying purple alien when Carol arrives to take him to dinner. That’s where he has his inevitable showdown with the “MOTHERF**KING HUGE BOYFRIEND which Hal naturally wins with a ring-created TEN-FOOT GLOWING GREEN FIST.
After the fight, Hal is TRANSPORTED to Oa and gets the ENTIRE RUNDOWN on being a Green Lantern—from meeting Sinesto and Tomar-Re, to having his first run-in with Lantern DRILL SERGEANT
KILOWOG, to being given a COMPACT HISTORY of the Green Lantern Corps.
Hal also briefly meets Abin Sur’s widow
LIANA, and lies to her in describing Sur’s last words as a pronouncement of his love for her—Sinestro confronts Hal on this in the next scene, unable to understand his EMPATHY & COMPASSION and thinking that it will only serve to cloud his judgment.
In his history lesson, Hal is told of the DESTRUCTIVE POWER of Legion and returns to Earth, skipping the traditional Lantern COMBAT TRAINING with Kilowog at first.
Back on Earth, Hammond begins to develop TELEKINETIC POWERS and uses them to ENSLAVE his boss Broome.
Hector attends an AIRSHOW at the Ferris airfield where his father
SENATOR HAMMOND, a former pilot and astronaut, is at the controls of a jet for an exhibition. Hector mentally assumes control of the jet and delights in the power he temporarily has over the man whose shadow he has existed in his entire life even, as the jet clips the wings of two others in the senator’s formation and starts to spiral out of control.
RELIVING MEMORIES of his own father’s tragic demise, Hal races to retrieve the Lantern power ring from the glove compartment of his Mustang and makes his FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE as the GREEN LANTERNas he rescues the two damaged jets and catches the senator’s jet in a GLOWING GREEN NET.
- Hector becomes ENRAGED and pushes forward with his own powers to counterattack Hal’s, causing one of the jets to CRASH into the CONTROL TOWER where Carol and Nathan are observing the show.
- Carol risks her life to protect Nathan but an EXPLOSION from the crash sends her hurtling out of a window and to her death, but Hal CATCHES HER in time.
Emboldened by his powers, Hal begins battling crime and saving lives ALL OVER THE WORLD—even taking a detour into space to rescue an ASTRONAUT on the INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION—as his fellow Lanterns gear up for a showdown with Legion.
Meanwhile, Hammond embarks on a CRIME SPREE with Broome as his helpless assistant and he uses his illegally-gained fortune to make a grand entrance at a party at the NATIONAL AIR & SPACE MUSEUM. But none of it is enough to impress his DISAPPOINTED FATHER.
As the senator is giving a speech, Hector INVADES HIS THOUGHTS and LEVITATES him with his powers. Just then, Pipe arrives with a DOZEN ARMED-MEN and pleads with Hector to stop. Sensing that he won’t comply, Pipe orders his men to fire but Hector TELEKINETICALLY DEFLECTS the bullets upwards—instead ripping through his father.
- The senator uses his DYING BREATH to tell his son that he always loved him, which is enough to drive Hector into a GRIEF-STRICKEN RAGE he turns on Pipe.
Hal hears of the CHAOS at the museum and comes to the rescue. Hector quickly gains the upper hand by SEIZING CONTROL of Hal, and uses his power ring to INCINERATE Pipe’s CAPTURED MEN.
- This is enough to make Hal doubt his ability to honor the legacy of Abin Sur as one of the Green Lanterns.
After a HEARTFELT CONVERSATION with his trusted friend
THOMAS KALMAKU (who knows of his super secret), Hal returns to Oa to learn more about the ORIGNS OF LEGION—the terrifying result of the Guardians’ attempt to harness the POWER OF FEAR.
- Long ago, The Corps managed to capture Legion—not without HEAVY CASUALTIES— and IMPRISONED IT until the Guardians could forge a YELLOW RING powered by FEAR that will finally allow them to keep the beast at bay for all time.
Hal requests assistance from the Guardians to help him fight the threat of Hector Hammond, who carries within him a piece of Legion, back on Earth.
- The Guardians refuse because Hal has not yet completed his Lantern training.
- Realizing that the planet will suffer unless he acts soon, Hal REMOVES THE POWER RING and tells the Guardians that he’ll go back to Earth and fight Hammond.
As Hal’s plea to the Guardians fall on deaf ears, Legion BREAKS FREE FROM ITS CELL and starts to cut a PATH OF DESTRUCTION through Oa.
Hal retrieves his ring and gets BACK INTO UNIFORM.
With Sinestro by his side, the newest Green Lantern goes HAND-TO-HAND with Legion.
- Hal lures the APOCALYPTIC CREATURE into the chamber containing the Corps’ CENTRAL BATTERY and channels the battery’s IMMENSE POWER into a single BLAST that DESTROYS Legion for good.
- Hal barely survives the awesome ring blast but still has his old cocky personality.
Sinestro and the other members of the Corps are floored by Hal’s WILLINGNESS to sacrifice his life even when they wouldn’t assist him in saving Earth. They vow from that moment onward they will honor their oaths as Green Lanterns and help their newest member defend his planet from the evil Hammond.
At that moment, the once-harmless geek is a MISSHAPEN MONSTROSITY who takes Carol hostage and mentally launches a SQUADRON of UNMANNES-JETS to RAIN HELLFIRE on Coast City.
Hal and the Corps arrive just in time to prevent further casualties.
While Sinestro, Kilowog, Tomar-Re, and the other Lanterns DESTROY THE JETS and rescue Coast City civilians, Hal flies off to save Carol from Hammond’s DIABOLICAL CLUTCHES.
Hector puts his beautiful hostage into ANOTHER JET where he intends to send her off into the sky to perish. Hal offers his malevolent adversary his POWER RING in exchange for Carol’s life.
- Hammond takes the ring, then goes back on his word and launches the jet. While rejoicing in his victory, the villain realizes too late that you have to be chosen to wield a Green Lantern’s ring. The energy BACKFIRES on Hammond, leaving him a MANGLED and CATATONIC MESS.
Now all Hal has to do is save Carol, but that’s EASIER SAID THAN DONE—
- His ring is LOW ON ENERGY and the battery he uses to recharge it is miles away. Thus Hal has to climb into another jet and intercept his lady love before she dies.
- Once she’s in sight, Hal ejects at 10,000ft and approaching the SOUND BARRIER.
- His PARACHUTE gets ensnared by Carol’s jet and he manages to climb aboard to pull open the canopy and free her before they slam into the side of a cliff.
- In FREE FALL with mere seconds to live, the TWO YOUNG LOVERS share a FINAL KISS and—at the final moment—finds the willpower within the ring in time to become Green Lantern and hasten their deadly descent.
With Hammond FOREVER INCAPACITATED and the world saved for now, Hal finally acknowledges his responsibility as EARTH’S PROTECTOR and a member of the Green Lantern Corps.
In the next-to-last scene, Hal meets up with Pipe, who is now revealed to be none other than ALAN SCOTT – the FIRST GREEN LANTERN OF EARTH.
- Scott wishes Hal well and implores him to EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE and all the WONDERS it contains (in so many words).
The film ends with Hal joining Sinestro in EARTH’S ORBIT and the two Lanterns streak off into the INFINITE VOID to find ADVENTURE on the thousands of planets that await their arrival.
GREEN LANTERN WILL RETURN.
.
