Henry "Hank" Hallmark is the Flashlight, a hero who bravely answered call of the Custodians of the Cosmos[2] to join the Rainbow Patrol that protects his sector of the galaxy with the aid of his cosmic Power-Torch.[3]
Hank's immediate predecessor Zoe Fox was assaulted by Inframan. He broke her Power-Torch and froze her in a living death. She became a threat to the cosmos in her own right and was imprisoned by the Rainbow Patrol on Gaolworld Maxitractus II as Prisoner X.[1][4]
Hank Hallmark was then recruited by the Custodians of the Cosmos, a trio of powerful gestalt beings based on the planet Zamballa, to join the Rainbow Patrol as Flashlight Terra. He and his cohorts were granted powerful torches housing Kan-Du hyper-lenses, granting them many abilities to use in their quest to preserve order in the Cosmos.
Hank joined the super-team Justice 9 as one of its most powerful assets.[1] Hank found love with his teammate Ray, also known as the Red Racer.[5]
New 52
Multiversity
During the Empty Hand's first attack, Hank and Red Racer traveled to the House of Heroes[5] in order to aid in the battle against The Gentry.[6] After the conflict, a multiversal team formed based out of the House of Heroes: Justice Incarnate. Ray joined the team though Hank seemingly did not.
Rebirth
Multiplicity
Justice Incarnate came into conflict with Prophecy, a being that was kidnapping Supermen from across the Multiverse, intending to use their power to protect against a coming threat. During the battle, the Ultima Thule was lost and Ray sacrificed himself to assemble a new craft to allow the heroes to escape Prophecy's clutches. Before he died, he asked his team-mates to make sure Hank stayed strong for him.
Green Lanterns of the Multiverse
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Dawn of DC
Love's Lightning Heart
Flashlight and Red Racer reunited
Though Hank tried to move on and heal from Ray's death, he was unable to. He became convinced that Ray could be returned to life, despite several other members of his team disagreeing with him. In turn, he asked Optiman to locate traces of Ray's potential survival. Optiman located a source of super-powerful Cherenkov radiation in deep space, potentially consistent with Ray's own energies. The radiation also attracted the attention of several Tyrant Empires, including Hank's longtime foe Inframan.
Asking the Custodians for permission to briefly speak to Prisoner X, Hank was denied. He went rogue and sought out Prisoner X anyway. On his way to the core of the prison on Gaolworld Maxitractus II, he was forced to incapacitate many of his fellow Flashlights.
Plying Prisoner X's hatred of Inframan for information, Hank learned that the only way to defeat Inframan was by using the one thing he feared — nothing. Hank freed the Un-Beast, leaving a trail across the quadrant as he led it to Inframan's diamond-heart fortress built around the energy source Optiman had detected. Using the Un-Beast, he defeated Inframan and reached into the Energy Source, freeing Ray. The pair, reunited at last, embraced and kissed.[1]
The Earth 36 equivalent to the Green Lantern Ring and Starheart Power Ring. The Flashlight weapon houses a formidable Kan-Du (or Kan-Do[1]) hyper-lens with seven power settings:[2]
"When all is dark and in despair, The night's made bright by Flashlight's glare! All evil things had best beware, By seven lights this oath I swear!"
Notes
Flashlight may be seen as an homage to the Earth-B version of The Beacon of Big Bang Comics (who was a pastiche of Alan Scott), though his physical appearance, first name of "Hank" and known origin are more similar to Hal Jordan.
However, on Grant Morrison's substack, Morrison pointed out that Hank's predecessor Zoe Fox is loosely based on the Earth-A Beacon, Julia Gardner (who was Big Bang's pastiche of Hal Jordan)[7], and that an event similar to Green Lantern: Emerald Twilight happened on Earth-36, which means that not only are both Zoe and Hank based on Hal Jordan, but Hank also stands in for Kyle Rayner as well.[4]
This character has been a member of the Justice League of America, or the Justice League in any of its various incarnations, sworn by a duty to act as guardians of America and the world by using their skills and/or superpowers to protect Earth from the clutches of both interstellar and domestic threats. This template will categorize articles that include it into the "Justice League of America members" category.
