"Emerald Twilight" is a pivotal 1994 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, spanning issues #48 through #50 of Green Lantern (vol. 3). Written by Ron Marz with art by Darryl Banks, the story chronicles the tragic fall of Hal Jordan, one of DC's most iconic heroes. After the destruction of his hometown, Coast City, by the villains Mongul and Cyborg Superman, a grief-stricken Jordan attempts to use his power ring to recreate the city and its inhabitants. When the Guardians of the Universe forbid this use of the ring, Jordan descends into madness, embarking on a destructive rampage to Oa, the home of the Green Lantern Corps.
The storyline is infamous for its radical transformation of the Green Lantern mythos. Jordan systematically defeats fellow Lanterns, absorbs the power of the Central Power Battery, and ultimately kills the Guardians and his former mentor, Sinestro. This act extinguishes the Corps, leaving only one surviving Guardian, Ganthet, who flees to Earth. The arc concludes with Ganthet bestowing the last power ring upon a young artist named Kyle Rayner, who becomes the sole Green Lantern in the universe.
"Emerald Twilight" was highly controversial upon release, as it replaced the beloved Hal Jordan with a new, untested hero. The story was part of a broader trend in 1990s comics to shake up legacy characters, and it successfully introduced Kyle Rayner, who would carry the Green Lantern mantle for the next decade. The arc also introduced the concept of Parallax, the fear entity that later became central to the Green Lantern lore, initially presented as the name Jordan adopts in his corrupted state. The storyline remains a landmark, if divisive, moment in DC Comics history, fundamentally reshaping the Green Lantern franchise for years to come.