Hal Jordan’s Father Death Twist in ‘Lanterns’ Rewrites a Core Green Lantern Origin

For decades, DC Comics has established that Hal Jordan’s father, Martin, died in a plane crash. The ‘Lanterns‘ premiere seemed to follow that path, showing through a news broadcast that Hal watched his father die in a crash in the 1970s.

Then the seventh episode arrived and changed the answer to how Hal Jordan’s dad died. The crash still happened, but the reason behind it is now far darker and far more personal.

How Hal Jordan’s Father Died in the Comics

Martin Jordan was created by Christopher Priest and Mark Bright and first appeared in the 1989 ‘Emerald Dawn’ storyline. He worked as a military test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base until he died in a crash in front of his son Hal. Hal was eight years old at the time.

The tragedy shaped everything that followed for the family. Hal later landed a job as a test pilot at Ferris Aircraft because Martin’s close friend Carl Ferris felt responsible for his death. Hal went on to become a test pilot himself, learning there was nothing left to fear after losing a parent.

In the ‘Secret Origin’ retelling, Hal’s mother forbids him from ever going near an airplane after his father dies. Hal also blames Carl Ferris for his father’s death, and later discovers Carl has fallen ill from guilt over his involvement. That grief and resentment became the emotional engine of the character.

The ‘Lanterns’ Twist Behind the Plane Crash

In the HBO series, Martin instead took his own life, crashing his plane on purpose. Hal reveals that he always knew it was intentional, because his dad had told him where to find a lockbox containing a note. The scene lands during an emotional boat ride, and Hal admits he is fearless because he is broken.

The episode does not simply drop the reveal without setup. It opens in 1975 with a young Hal refusing to give up a baseball after coming within two outs of a perfect game. Afterward, Martin gives Hal a necklace carrying the key to a family failsafe passed down from Hal’s grandfather, along with a lesson about letting go of the ball.

Martin dies not long after that, leaving Hal with both the key and the lesson. It is a quiet, devastating moment that recasts every earlier mention of the crash.

Martin Jordan and the Jordan Boys Legacy

Martin suffered from depression, just as his own father did and just as Hal himself did, which the series calls the Jordan boys legacy. The note explains the pain Martin carried his whole life, and Hal recalls his father believing the family would be better off without him. That makes the family history a cycle rather than a single accident.

The story also gives the present day plot real stakes. Once Hal is gone, John Stewart is forced to confront the possibility that Hal died the same way as his father and grandfather. The show turns a piece of backstory into a mystery that hangs over the whole season.

The change also sets Hal apart from heroes like Bruce Wayne and The Flash, whose parents died at the hands of another person. Hal’s origin now comes from inherited pain, and no villain is behind it.

Why the Hal Jordan Origin Story Change Matters

The creators knew this was risky territory. Damon Lindelof co-wrote the episode with comic writer and series co-creator Tom King. In an interview with TheWrap, Lindelof compared the idea to asking whether Batman is still Batman if his parents are not killed, and whether Hal is still Hal if his dad did not die in a test flight.

The writers’ room saw the change as a way to interrogate Hal’s fearlessness and carve out the show’s own story. Some critics see it as fitting a recurring theme in King’s comics, which have reshaped superhero stories around the trauma he lived as a soldier with PTSD. One critic argued the reframing ultimately lands on the idea that heroes are simply broken men.

Longtime fans will likely split on whether this deepens Hal or undercuts a beloved piece of Green Lantern lore. Either way, the way Hal Jordan’s father died now carries far more weight than a malfunctioning jet ever did. So does knowing that Hal has known the truth since he was a kid make his famous fearlessness feel more heroic or more heartbreaking to you?