The Green Lantern: Men Who Rule the World, Part 2

In Part 1 of this exploration of the origins and symbolism of the original Green Lantern Chronicles, I discussed the transference of power from Abin Sur to Hal Jordan….

Hal’s literal weakness is due to an impurity within the light spectrum of the green battery, which is the source of his new-found superhuman abilities. Because of this imperfection, the Green Lantern’s powers are rendered useless when confronting a menace of the color yellow. Ironically, it is this impurity that imbues that battery with its particular energies.

His figurative weakness is much more interesting, however, by virtue of the fact that it is not so ridiculous. Like many men, Hal Jordan has a profound weakness for a pretty woman, or girl as he would refer to that particular species. So much so in fact, that he has a great deal of trouble keeping his hands off one woman in particular. Her name is Carol Ferris, and she also happens to be his “temporary” boss while her daddy romps around the country on sabbatical.

Fending off the advances — coyly unwanted or otherwise — of male co-workers was just another day at work for women who dared cross the line into the working boy’s club back in the late 50s and early 60s. We reader’s (of this Silver Age) see nothing disconcerting as Carol politely removes Hal’s hands from her “shapely figure,” keeping his advances in modest check while secretly swooning over the man who knows no fear.

Hal Jordan, a man’s man operating within the tolerated boundaries put in place by a patriarchal society. And it isn’t just Carol falling under the Green Lantern’s spell; in a panel on page 2 of the story titled “Summons from Space,” there are several women soaking their panties, lost in personal fantasies of this superhero cum dreamboat. Is it any wonder, then, why we boys once reveled in our own fantasies of becoming a superhero? The perks of superhero-dom aren’t limited to just leaping tall buildings in a single bound….

Sigh. I digress.

Regardless, women in the workplace — whether adornments, playthings or otherwise — are helping to blow in a coming storm of societal change, posing a grave challenge to the fraternal establishment. And nowhere is this better portrayed, both thematically as well as symbolically, than in the issue titled, “Showcase Presents Issue #23: The Green Lantern, Featuring the Invisible Destroyer.“

I’ll discuss the literary issues merited by this floppy (a term used in the comics industry to distinguish between single issues of comic books versus collections, or trades, such as The Green Lantern Chronicles) in the next post.