Green Lantern (Volume 2) #66 is an issue of the series Green Lantern (Volume 2) with a cover date of January, 1969. It was published on November 26, 1968.
Synopsis for "5708 AD-- A Nice Year To Visit...But I Wouldn't Want To Live Then"
While travelling the American North West while on assignment for the Evergreen Insurance Company, Hal Jordan checks into a hotel for the night. With things quiet in his own era, he decides to take one of his periodic visits to the year 5708 AD where he is the Solar Director of the planet Earth. Travelling to this era by means of his power ring, Hal stops at the office of the council to find it empty. Going to a giant super-computer he had helped create during a previous visit Hal is told that there is nothing amiss on the planet Earth.
Hal tracks down both Dasor and Iona to learn what has been going on and finds that work on the planet Earth has been rendered "obsolete" by rule of the planets new leader: Gudron. When Hal realizes they are under some sort of trance, he tries to use his power ring to save them, however before he can succeed Dasor calls on Gudron to attack Hal. After a pitched battle, the Green Lantern is able to best Gudron in combat, and is shocked to see his opponent melt into nothingness following it's defeat. Upon Gudron's destruction, everyone on Earth snaps out of the being control. Hal meets with the Solar Council and informs them that Gudron's intention to have all humans stop working and have the world operate by machine was his goal all along and that Gudron was a machine as well, but has been unable to determine his origins. Agreeing, Dasor vows to Green Lantern that they will make sure that humanity will not become fully reliant on machines. Always finding leaving the future difficult, especially when it comes to saying goodbye to Iona, Hal decides to slip away and return to his own time quietly, however is shocked to find that his power ring refuses to allow him to return to his own time.
Going to the Solar Council he is shocked to find that they are all under a trance again and he is attacked by Vortan, Gudron's apparent successor. The superior Vortan manages to knock Green Lantern out and then tries to atomize the Emerald Crusader with his atomic ray, but finds that trying to kill Green Lantern is unsuccessful (Because the creature is unaware of how GL's ring protects him from mortal harm.) Vortan takes Green Lantern and leads the still-obedient Solar Council to the super-computer, which Vortan reveals as the true mastermind of the whole plot. The computer then tries to kill Hal with a yellow energy beam. However, Iona's love for the Green Lantern allows her to snap free of the computers control and she tries to stop Vortan from killing the man she loves. She fails, however her brief distraction allows Hal to revive and defeat Vortan, who melts upon defeat just like Gudron. Hal then travels inside the computer and uses his power ring to cause it to self destruct, ending it's menace forever. When Hal tries to ask Iona how she managed to shake the computers control, she is coy about her reasoning. Hal doesn't have time to press her for the real answer as the 24 hour charge on his ring is about to wear out and he has to return to the modern era.
Returning to the present, Hal begins to wonder if there will ever be a permanent girl in his life.
Appearing in "5708 AD-- A Nice Year To Visit...But I Wouldn't Want To Live Then"
Featured Characters:
- Template:Apn
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- The Great Computer (Single appearance) (Destroyed)
- Gudron (Single appearance; dies)
- Vortan (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Notes
Advertisement from Batman #208
- This issue is reprinted in Showcase Presents: Green Lantern Vol. 4
See Also