When Hal Jordan Isn't Working as a Test Pilot, He Works Some Odd Gigs

CBR

By Brian Cronin

Published Mar 14, 2019

In their latest look at recurring plot points, CSBG spotlights some of Hal Jordan's odder jobs when he wasn't working as a test pilot!

In Drawing Crazy Patterns, I spotlight at least five scenes/moments from within comic book stories that fit under a specific theme (basically, stuff that happens frequently in comics). Note that these lists are inherently not exhaustive. They are a list of five examples (occasionally I'll be nice and toss in a sixth). So no instance is "missing" if it is not listed. It's just not one of the five examples that I chose.

Obviously, we are all quite familiar with the idea of Hal Jordan working as a test pilot for Ferris Air. That was what he was doing when he was so rudely interrupted during his training by a dying Green Lantern in Showcase #22 (by John Broome, Gil Kane and Joe Giella)...

That was the standard set-up when Hal graduated to his own ongoing series. His best buddy, Tom, who worked as a mechanic at Ferris Air, was his only confidante and Carol, his boss, was his love interest (but don't worry, people, Julius Schwartz made sure to tell readers early on that Carol wasn't REALLY Hal's boss. Her father was the boss. Carol was just running the company for him. Heaving forbid Hal actually have a female boss!). However, in the back half of the 1960s, Broome felt that things were getting a bit too stale. So he decided to make a major shake-up in the series. He had Carol Ferris get engaged to another man! A shocked Hal Jordan quit working for Ferris Air and began to travel around the country, working different jobs in different places.

In Green Lantern #50 (by Broome and Kane), we see Hal's first gig. It was not too far away from test pilot, as he worked as a pilot who would take tourists on rides around Idaho...

This job lasted for just a single issue, but Broome managed to even give Hal a love interest and a father figure...

Three issues later, Hal was now in Washington and he got a gig as an insurance adjuster...

This would be a fun way to tell stories, as Hal would be sent off on claims and, of course, they would invariably tie to some sort of crazy supervillain attack...

And at the end of the issue, Hal would settle up with the claim...

The insurance adjuster gig lasted a pretty long time. During this period, Broome began to be replaced by more than just Gardner Fox (who would often trade off stories with Broome on Flash and Green Lantern).

Broome decided to mix things up one more time in Green Lantern #70 (art by Kane and Vince Coletta), where Hal Jordan gets a job as a traveling toy salesman for Merlin Toys...

Hal even gained a rival sales person (and possible love interest) in Olivia Reynolds, who would do anything to make a sale!

Broome was finished with the series with #75. Denny O'Neil took over (with Neal Adams handling the art duties) and Hal Jordan just traveled the country for a while with Oliver Queen and one of the Guardians. I am not sure what they did for money. I assume they just robbed tourists. Eventually, the series was canceled.

It was then brought back with Denny O'Neil still on as artist but Neal Adams gone. Hal got a new job!

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In Green Lantern #99 (by O'Neil, Mike Grell and Colletta), Carol Ferris (who learned Hal's identity and began dating him after she divorced her first husband) bought Hal a trucking business...

Here Hal is on the road in the next issue...

Hal then went back to work for Carol at Ferris Air as a test pilot again. Eventually, he sort of retired from working and became a full-time Green Lantern (probably mugging tourists again for cash).

In Green Lantern #32 (the next series) by Gerard Jones, Tim Hamilton and Romeo Tanghal), Hal bought a plane to start up an air taxi business with Carol as his office manager (she had fallen on some hard times after being trapped as Star Sapphire for a number of years)...