Green Lantern (vol.2) #179 (1984)

Green Lantern (vol.2) #179 (August, 1984)
“Let Us Prey!”
“Green Magic: Enemy Lines”
Writer/Editor – Len Wein & Todd Klein
Artist/Letterer – Dave Gibbons
Colorist – Anthony Tollin
Cover Price: $0.75


The Predator!  Last week when we discussed The Final Night, I said that I could’ve sworn I’d already read it… but come to find that I hadn’t.


Well… here’s another story just like that!  I was shocked when I was flipping through a cheap-o bin the other day… and realized that I didn’t have these Predator issues.  I guess one of the side-effects of being in the comics blogging and podcasting “scene” is experiencing stories via osmosis.  I guess I’ve heard/read enough about the Predator that I thought I’d read the actual stories myself!


To paraphrase our friend Lex Luthor, not so fast kemo sabe… I’ve still got a lot to learn.


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We open at Ferris Aircraft where the Demolition Team have been sent to… demolish things.  Ya see, Congressman Jason Bloch made arrangements with the Monitor (yeah, that Monitor) to take Ferris out.  Even with Green Lantern off-planet, the Demos task is no cakewalk… because they are now faced with the threat of… the Predator!  Rosie of the Demos tells him to stand down, as this is none of his concern.  He doesn’t agree… and says from this point on, Ferris Aircraft is under his protection.

And so, a fight breaks out.  It looks like the Predator has the situation well in hand.  The Demos are so tied up with our man that they’re (for now) leaving Ferris’ staff alone.  Carol and Tom look on, wondering where Hal might be.

And is if by segue… we join Hal Jordan, who is half a galaxy away nearing the planet Omnicron Ceti IV.  He’s ticked off at the Guardians… and in other news, it’s a day that ends with the letter “Y”.  He’d rather be helping out on Earth, but heavy’s the finger that wears the ring… so, whattayagonnado?  Anyhoo, Omnicron Ceti IV’s core has become unstable… and threatens to blow.

Back at Ferris, the fight rolls on.  The Predator takes out Jackhammer… splitting his helmet with a tap.  Mr. Hammer then lunges, and gets monkey-flipped into an electrical box for his trouble.  Tom (I think it’s Tom) thanks the Predator for saving his life.

We shift to Oa, where the Guardians of the Universe are watching over Hal Jordan.  They look on as he sits on Omnicron Ceti and thinks.  With a snap of his fingers, Hal takes off.  The Guardians fear that he’s abandoning the imperiled planet.  Really now?

Back at Ferris, the battle… continues.  The Predator takes out the Demo… Scoop-Shovel!  Well, there’s a name that’ll strike fear into hearts worldwide.  We rejoin Hal as he hunts down some Stellarium meteoroids .

Back on Earth… remember that Congressman Jason Bloch?  Let’s check in on him in Washington, D.C.  He fears that the Demolition Team’s attack on Ferris Aircraft will lead right back to him.  Stands to reason, right?  He drinks to his health.

Still on Earth… back to Ferris.  Scientist Clay Kendall, seeing the chaos, rushes to his Psi-Lab.  Inside we see his Psi-Chair, which would allow him to tap into the 90% of the brain he doesn’t use (science!).  He hops in the seat… unfortunately, he does this just as Predator and Hardhat bust in.  Poor Doc Kendall gets himself fried.

Back on Omnicron Ceti, Hal is melting down the Stellarium meteoroids (“meteoroids” might be my newest-toughest word to type!).  He hopes his “screwy” idea will bear fruit.

Back at Ferris, the Predator takes out the final non-Rosie member of the Demolition Team, Steamroller.  Predator leads him directly into the hangar that houses the centrifuge… which oughta tell us that our masked man has at least a “passing” knowledge of Ferris Aircraft’s layout.

Back with Hal… he pumps the Stellarium cement into the core of Omnicron Ceti… and, whattayaknow… it worked!  A victorious Hal is visited upon by a holographic Guardian head.  He tells the head that he’d better hope his pals on Earth haven’t been harmed.

Back at Ferris… it’s down to two.  The Predator vs. Rosie.  She aims her nail-gun… however, before she can pull the trigger, he chucks a dagger into the barrel… and the thing blows up in her (tear-streaked) face.

The confused Rosie threatens that she’ll be back… but then gets socked in the mush by Carol.  With Rosie kayoed, the Predator sweeps Ms. Ferris up in his arms, and gives her a kiss.  B-b-b-ut, I thought– okay, okay, that’s a reveal for another day.

Our story ends with Hal Jordan returning home to see Ferris Aircraft in all sorts of smoldering ruin.

That’s not the end of the issue, however… we’ve got us a Tale of the Green Lantern Corps… for better or worse.  We join an odd little crew of mohawked characters… one of whom a “sorceress named Holli, who is in actuality, a Green Lantern.  They’ve apparently been banished by yet another mohawked individual.

They head to a small island “behind enemy lines” and meet up with ally Mikkin and fomer foe-turned-rebel, Tahrk.  Holli suggests they take out Tahrk… but Mikkin isn’t on board, claiming that they are all fugitives now.  To prove his worth, Tahrk has to battle… I wanna say his name is Skeev, and boy does he live up to it.

The chapter wraps with the two battling to a stalemate, and earning each others respect and trust.  As they celebrate their new partnership, a submarine surfaces nearby.

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This was a fine issue.


It’s just a fight issue… with some Hal in space stuff, but it wasn’t boring.  I actually think it took me twice as long to read that… back-up piece… than the lead-off story.  Man, that back-up was dull!


I don’t wanna spoil anything about the Predator… especially now that I’ve come to realize that I’ve never read this.  I wouldn’t want to say the wrong thing.  I mean, I know the big reveal… but can’t say with any authority that it does or doesn’t make sense.  From what I’ve heard, it’s pretty silly… but I wouldn’t wanna commit to a stance just yet!


I didn’t mention it during the synopsis, but while Hal was trying to save Omnicron Ceti, he compared it to Tomar-Re’s inability to save Krypton from exploding.  That’s a really neat bit of continuity… I always liked that.  I mean, it would stand to reason that the Green Lantern Corps would’ve tried to intervene.


Let’s talk Demos.  These are some geeky folks.  Being this punny, I’d almost expect them to appear in a Peter David book!  It’s funny to consider that these characters were being played straight here.  Endearing, even… because, if they were to pop up in the current day, they’d be treated like a joke.


So, yeah… our main story was pretty good.  The Predator gets a strong introduction… saves the day, and even puts the moves on Hal’s gal.  That back-up though?  Woof.  It was pretty, but oh so dull.  To be fair, it was a middle chapter of a continuing story… so I was coming into it cold, but… again, woof.


Overall… if you’re a Green Lantern fan, you should definitely check this issue out.  It has been collected in Green Lantern: Sector 2814, Volume One (ah!  That’s where I had it!  Still hadn’t read it though) and is available digitally.


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