As a hero, few come close to Green Lantern. It doesn't matter if it is Hal Jordan, Kyle Rayner, John Stewart or Alan Scott. Whoever wears the ring, they have to deserve it. Even Guy Gardner. The costume could be worn by any number of men, women or aliens, but the idea behind the ring is the same. The ring can only be worn by someone who deserves it. The ring may have drifted onto the finger of an occasional villain over the years, but the ring ultimately belongs to the one who has the Will Power to hold onto it.
One of the reasons that the character has lasted through so many incarnations is that the ring itself is ultimately transferable to the next deserving candidate. What that candidate chooses to do with that ring often will determine what happens next. It is an ever-evolving concept that can run for years and years, making old fans happy and bringing in new ones. Like Dr. Who, the new Green Lantern will be completely different, but they will always be a Green Lanterns.
Here are a few key issues or panels in the evolution of Green Lantern.
Green Lantern first appeared in All American Comics #16 (July 1940). However, everyone knows what that cover looks like so here is the very dynamic cover to issue #21. The cover art by Sheldon Moldoff easily matches the energy Gil Kane would bring to the art 25 years later.
From the beginning, the oath of Green Lantern played an important part in the character's mythology.
The second Silver Age appearance of Green Lantern was in Showcase #23. The cover also features a great Atom Bomb cover as well as an invisible alien.
Abin Sur looks for the next Green Lantern in Showcase #22.
Green Lantern's greatest enemy, Sinestro, made his first appearance in Green Lantern #7
The Golden Age meets the Silver Age in Green Lantern #40. This issue holds one of the most important event in the history of DC continuity, the highly individualistic Oan scientist named Krona reaching back in time to find the origin of it all.
The Emerald Warriors Green Lantern and Green Arrow take to the road in the early seventies only to find the greatest villain of the decade, a guy who looks a lot like VP Spiro Agnew.
At the same time Hal and Ollie are fighting politicians, a new Green Lantern named Jon Stewart shows up in dramatic fashion.
Perhaps no Green Lantern has had a harder road to follow than Guy Gardner.
By the eighties the Green Lantern Corps had grown so large; it deserved its own title. This is issue #3
Hal Jordan begins the road to Parallax in Green Lantern #48, the first chapter of Emerald Twilight.
Kyle Rayner takes over the ring giving a more modern and up to date take on the character.
While Kyle is ringing it around the Universe Hal Jordan returns as the Spectre.
Hal Jordan returns as Green Lantern in Green Lantern: Rebirth.
Nothing since the Crisis on Infinite Earths has ever affected the DC Universe like Blackest Night. And with this Green Lantern moves into the future.