After the Death of Superman event, four people showed up and tried to claim (or so it seems) the rights to wear the famous “s” insignia of the Man of Steel. These individuals were Superboy (Con-el), the Man of Steel (Henry Irons, later known as Steel), the cyborg Superman (Hank Henshaw), and the shadowy one who was later identified as the Eradicator.
I’m not going to go into too much detail about the entire Reign of Superman or The Return of the Superman event. What I am looking for here is the effect of this incident on the life of Hal Jordan and how it ultimately affected the entire Green Lantern Corps, and in a big way!
In the midst of the argument to claim the right to be identified as the new resurrection of Superman, an unidentified spaceship flies over Coast City (the hometown of Green Lantern Hal Jordan). The huge spacecraft implanted 77,000 detonating balloons throughout the city. Eradicator was there to investigate, but Hank Henshaw (cyborg Superman) attacked him. The two battled, with the spacecraft proceeding to its target and, “Sounds like a million thunderstorms rolling as one. 77,000 explosive devices go off as one –, –and the world is changed forever.” “Every office, every home, every school and hospital is atomized. The West Coast and its entire ecosystem is instantly torn apart–, –and more than seven million men, women and children who once called the area home seaside city–, –die”.
It turns out that the cyborg Superman was behind it all and his achievement, Mongul. The two shared a common hatred for Superman. His plan is to make Earth the new (Mongul’s) Warworld, and they have chosen Coast City as their main base of operations. And they have been successful in their initial plans. Coast City was gone. All of it.
The real Superman finally appeared and along with Steel, Superboy, and Supergirl, forged an attack on the now inhabitants of what used to be Coast City, now known as Engine City. Also, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), the hometown hero of Coast City, arrived from outer space (probably Oa). But he’s a hero without a city to call his own. He came to a strange place where a massive engine is in place of him. He made his way in search of the culprit of this madness. He charged in, laying waste to everything that got in his way until finally Mongul. The two of them brutally fought each other (great fight sequence by the way, if that fight scene had been adapted into animation it would have been awesome). After numerous exchanges of attacks, Green Lantern emerged victorious with Mongul unconscious.
Green Lantern supports Superboy, Steel, and Supergirl and, in the end, the real Superman. Superman Cyborg was torn to pieces. Everything seemed over, that’s how this story ended for now. But the outcome of what had happened cannot be changed. Coast City was gone, reduced to a barren land with a monstrous construction as its landmark. Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) was well aware of this, but it seemed that the effects of this catastrophe had not yet sunk in on him. Well things definitely changed after this.
