Everything is quiet. A ship plummets toward Earth. No one can hear the whine of the ship’s engines. There is no sound in space.

But inside the craft, things are different. The whir of computer parts is loud. The emergency alarms are deafening.

This alien is named Abin Sur. He comes from a world far away from our own.

He is a champion in that place. But his time is almost at its end . . .

“Ring,” Abin Sur says. “Find my replacement. Find a man on this world . . . a man who knows no fear. Find the next Green Lantern.”

The ring’s answer can’t be heard over the roaring flames. The ship is no longer in outer space. It has entered Earth’s atmosphere.

There is nothing quiet about this man or his plane. His name is Hal Jordan. Flying is what he does best.

“You’re taking it too high,” someone says through Hal’s headset. The voice belongs to Carol Ferris, Hal’s boss.

He should really listen to her. But he doesn’t. Instead, Hal takes the plane higher.

“I’m a test pilot, Carol,” Hal says. “I’m going to do my job. Let’s see what this thing can do!”

The jet continues to climb. Just then, the engines shut off. “Wait,” Hal says. He looks down at his controls. There’s no noise coming from them.

Carol’s radio goes silent. “Hal?” Carol yells into her headset. “Hal, answer me!” But it’s silent on the other end.

Hal pulls at the controls. They don’t respond. He only has a few seconds to eject before the plane crashes.

Suddenly, everything starts to glow. A bright, emerald light floods the cockpit.

It takes thirty seconds for Hal’s eyes to adjust. He can see again. But it takes him much longer to believe his eyes.

His plane is no longer falling. It’s flying, lifted up by a strange green light.

The light finally sets the plane down. Hal doesn’t recognize the area. There’s too much smoke to see anything.

Then a green beam of light cuts through the smoke.

Hal follows the beam through the smoke. The craft on the other end of the light is waiting for him. Its bay door lowers.

Abin Sur speaks. It is in a language Hal has never heard.

The ring on Abin Sur’s finger translates for him. “Greetings,” the ring says. “You must be the one I’m looking for.”

Hal isn’t sure what to say. So he says nothing. “You are not . . . running away at the sight of me,” Abin Sur says. “That tells me the ring has chosen correctly. Your bravery and . . .”

But the alien is too weak to say any more. He simply hands Hal Jordan his ring.

The ring touches Hal’s fingers.

Abin Sur disappears. And so does the ship, fire, and smoke. All that’s left is Hal and a glowing green lantern.

Hal pauses. Then he slips the ring on his own finger.

Hal takes a step back. Visions fill his mind. Beings in uniforms fly through the sky. They are on some distant world.

Somehow, Hal knows them — even though he has never seen them before.

They are defenders and heroes.

The vision ends. Hal looks down. He sees that he’s wearing that same, strange uniform. He has become one of them.

Carol’s voice crackles from the jet’s radio. “Hal?” she says. “Can you hear me? Are you there?”

“Great,” Hal says under his breath. “How am I gonna get this thing airborne again?”

Then a bolt of green bursts from Hal’s ring. It surrounds the jet. It rises into the air.

“Oh,” he says. “I guess that’ll work.”

Hal takes a deep breath. He smiles. Then he concentrates and bends his knees. He jumps into the air.

And just keeps on going.

The jet follows him like an eager puppy on a leash. Hal smiles. This is a whole new kind of flying.

Soon Hal is back at Ferris Aircraft. He calmly walks to the control tower. “Hal!” Carol cries. “How did you —?”

But the explanation will have to wait. Another plane has lost power. It’s going down quickly. The alien radiation from Abin Sur’s damaged ship still hangs in the air. It is interfering with the plane’s equipment.

With all eyes on the sky, Hal heads to the locker room. He touches his ring to his lantern to charge it.

The ring sparks with energy.

Like a bolt of lightning, Hal shoots into the sky. He grits his teeth. He aims his ring.

The ring hums. Energy surrounds the falling plane. Hal closes his eyes. He concentrates.

Hal gently sets the plane down.

“Wait!” Carol calls after him. “Who are you? How did you do that?!”

For once in his life, Hal Jordan stays quiet. He just smiles at Carol. Then he turns and flies away.

Hal travels to a distant planet called Oa. There he will learn his super hero mission. And he will learn the Green Lantern’s oath . . .

“In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil’s might, beware my power . . . Green Lantern’s light!”

Hal will use his willpower to defeat his fears. He will protect the beings of Sector 2814 against all evils. He is the greatest Green Lantern!