Here we have the 1st issue in a 3 part series surrounding the Green Lantern Corps. The story is titled "Challenge!" & begins w/ Hal Jordan blazing through sector 2814 on his way to Oa in response to a call from the Guardians - he is met by new GL, Arisia, from sector 2815, who is starstruck. We learn that Oa is at the "heart of the universe". Once there, Hal speaks w/ many other GLs including Gk'd, Charlie Vicker, Stel, Katma Tui (who Arisia shows jealous toward), Xax, Arkkis Chummuck & Eddore, who sends Hal into a reverie about how he became a GL. Following we have the telling of Hal's origin story & how he got the ring from Abin Sur. "You will have power over everything -- except that which is yellow!" An interesting detail of this version of the story is that Hal actually removes Abin Sur's uniform & "dons" it himself.
After Hal finishes his tale, Tomar-Re & the Honor Guard appear on a stage, addressing the gathering GLs. The Guardians themselves then appear. We then have Hal telling another story, this time to Arisia, explaining why though the Guardians were magnificent, they were also to blame for the evil in the world. We hear the story of old Oa, the Paradise of the Immortals, & Krona's "unsatiable ambition" which leads to the unleashing of evil into the universe & b/c of this happening, the origin of the Guardians to combat it. There is mention of the pre-GL Manhunters proving "untrustworthy" which leads to "living agents" ie. the Green Lanterns. Hal goes a bit further, telling of his own tangle w/ Krona on Earth & the help he received from Alan Scott, original GL from parallel world Earth-2, until he is reprimanded by one of the Guardians.
Just as the Guardians are about to resume the announcement, it is too late. They are interrupted by the appearance in a "stellar screen" showing Krona & his minions. Krona is back & he announces his plans to destroy the Guardians & their "precious" universe. The entire GL Corps then joins in a ritual of charging their rings within the Battery of Power. Hal gives his oath, as do others. A few GLs notice something odd w/ the battery. It begins shaking. Then, unexpectedly, the Battery explodes. Many GLs, like Spak-Drom, die b/c of this. In the aftermath, Hal realizes that the Guardians are gone, though they communicate through a crystal that the GLs are now to find Krona & "put an end to his madness". Hal then poses the problem that w/ the Battery now destroyed, the GLs have less than 24 hours to defeat Krona as their rings will become useless. The remaining GLs then band together to find & beat Krona while @ the same time, Krona laughs mockingly "halfway across the galaxy".
Scripter: Len Wein (from a plot by Mike W. Barr)
Illustrators: Joe Staton & Frank McLaughlin
Letterer: John Costanza
Colorist: Anthony Tollin
Editor: Dick Giordano
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This issue also has a column titled, CORPS CONFLICTS, attributed to no specific writer. It tells the history of the Earth GLs' involvement w/ the GL Corps. We learn that the first Earth GL to be involved w/ a Corps battle was in 1928, when the Guardians feared the rise of one Earth kingpin, Al Magone. Eventually Magone was annexed to a prison planet, though once there, he did even more damage, eventually causing an all out battle. It was around this time that Roger Vicker was wrongly killed & his brother, Charley, joined the GL ranks. We then mainly read about Hal Jordan's dealings w/ the Corps, his battles w/ Sinestro, as well as the Qwardians.
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