Warning: Spoilers for Infinite Frontier #2 ahead!
Green Lantern may have never had an official sidekick of his own, but Hal Jordan has maintained a standing reputation as the best superhero “uncle” in the DC Universe. Green Lantern is known for his friendships with colleagues like Green Arrow or the Flash, but it’s his relationships with their sidekicks that usually gets less attention. Though he’s usually a solo hero outside of the Justice League or the Green Lantern Corps, Hal has been a mentor to plenty of sidekicks that weren’t his own.
He even maintained a pretty strong relationship with the proteges like Roy Harper or Wally West well after they reached maturity in their superhero careers. With Infinite Frontier bringing these relationships back to the forefront, it’s clear that Hal’s role in the lives of these legacy characters still has a place in their journeys of heroism. And for one of these heroes, Hal’s lessons seem to be becoming more relevant than ever.
Infinite Frontier #2 by Joshua Williamson, Paul Pelletier, and Xermanico features Roy Harper coming to grips with his newfound status as a Black Lantern. While trying to get a hang of his new powers, the former Speedy recalls what Hal once told him about using a Power Ring. When a young Roy hints that he’s not the most confident in his abilities, Hal responds by asking the boy, “When you take a shot…who is in control…you or the bow?” This clearly strikes a chord with Roy and gives him the boost that he needs, even years later, as he soon knows just how to handle is ring. This isn’t the only time that fans have seen Hal support Roy, and Hal was even the one who encouraged Roy to join the Justice League. But Roy isn’t the only sidekick who looked up to Hal, and his fellow founding Teen Titan, Wally West, also has a strong relationship with the Justice League’s original Lantern. Hal had his fair share of adventures with Wally and his mentor Barry, with one even winding up with Kid Flash temporarily wielding some Green Lantern abilities of his own as Kid Lantern in Mark Waid and Barry Kitson’s Flash & Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold #2. They are so close that after Hal’s death, Wally West is especially protective of the Lantern legacy, initially getting him off on the wrong foot with Kyle Rayner when he becomes Green Lantern.
It’s no surprise that Hal is a great mentor, despite having no official sidekick of his own. As a person, Hal Jordan is typically portrayed as too untethered to be a legitimate mentor, but that doesn’t mean he has no wisdom to share with the younger generation of heroes. By maintaining a close relationship with two heroes known for their sidekicks, Green Lantern got to enjoy the benefits of having a sidekick without any of the actual responsibilities that come along with it.
Hal helped trained his fair share of rookie Green Lanterns like John Stewart or Arisia Rrab, but they were always seen as his partners, not his official proteges. Hal was responsible for their training, but they were closer to being equals than anything else – he wasn’t a legal guardian throwing his ward into the line of fire. With Roy and Wally, Hal had the chance to pass on what he knew without being permanently responsible for their well-being.
With Speedy and Kid Flash, Hal Jordan was able to just stop in for a fun team-up before heading back to space. While they weren’t permanent partnerships, Hal’s presence in their lives clearly affected these fan-favorite characters. Though Earth’s most famous Green Lantern has yet to have an official sidekick, it’s undeniable that his influence as the Justice League’s cool uncle has provided the DC Universe and its fans with more than one iconic hero.