Parallax (comics)
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Parallax is a fictional character, a supervillain from DC Comics. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks for Green Lantern vol. 3, #48 (January 1994), Parallax was devised as the new supervillain identity for former Green Lantern protagonist Hal Jordan. The character's revamp as a villain, as well as his replacement as Green Lantern by the Kyle Rayner character, was controversial with many fans. After further changes for the Hal Jordan character over the subsequent years, 2004's Green Lantern: Rebirth once again cast Jordan as a heroic Green Lantern and retconned Jordan's villainous career as the result of the influence of an alien parasite.
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[edit] History
In 1994, DC Comics decided to do away with Hal Jordan, who had been Earth’s Green Lantern since his first DC Comics appearance in 1959, hoping to replace him with a new, younger character Kyle Rayner, in order to attract new readers. The storyline culminated in Green Lantern vol. 3, #48 (January 1994), and involved Hal Jordan descending into madness following the complete destruction of his home town Coast City by the villain Mongul. Jordan went on a rampage, destroying the Green Lantern Corps, and all the Guardians except their leader, Ganthet. This provoked outrage among some fans, and so, Jordan was exonerated in the 2004/2005 miniseries Green Lantern: Rebirth, written by Geoff Johns, and pencilled by Ethan Van Sciver, in which it was revealed that Parallax was actually a demonic parasitic entity dating back to the dawn of time. This parasite was the sentient embodiment of fear, traveling from world to world and causing entire civilizations to destroy themselves out of paranoia.
The Guardians of the Universe imprisoned Parallax within the central Power Battery on Oa using fear's opposite energy, willpower. Parallax had lain dormant for billions of years, its true nature hidden by the Guardians to prevent anyone from trying to free it. Being yellow in color, Parallax eventually came to be referred to as simply "the yellow impurity."
This was the reason why the rings were useless against the color yellow: Parallax weakened its power over the corresponding spectrum;hence only someone with the willpower to overcome great fear could master the power ring. Thus, when recruiting new Green Lanterns the Guardians were careful to look for recruits that were largely fearless. When the renegade Sinestro was later imprisoned in the Power Battery himself, his Qwardian yellow power ring tapped into Parallax's power and awakened it.
Since Sinestro hated Hal, Parallax chose Jordan as its tool to free itself. Parallax spent years influencing Hal, causing him increasing self-doubt and notably his premature whitening at the temples. Parallax's control over Jordan became nearly complete with Jordan's grief over the destruction of Coast City, and it was Parallax who was responsible for Jordan's subsequent murderous activity, his apparent killing of Sinestro (which was later revealed to be an energy construct created by Parallax and Sinestro's manipulation to the creature's creation with his own Qwardian ring, created as the final stage of Jordan's susceptibility to the impurity in order to break his will), and Jordan's destruction of the Central Battery, which allowed Parallax to graft itself onto Jordan's soul.
Despite Parallax’s seeming conquest of Jordan’s soul, Jordan’s heroic tendencies managed to manifest themselves enough for him to sacrifice his life in order to reignite Earth’s Sun in the Final Night crossover storyline. Jordan’s soul (with Parallax still grafted onto it) subsequently became the newest host of the Spectre, the vengeful spirit of God’s wrath in the 1999 miniseries Day of Judgment, written by Geoff Johns.[1]
Since Parallax was gone from the Oan Power Battery, the final power ring conferred to Kyle Rayner did not have any weakness against yellow. The Spectre eventually ejected Parallax from Jordan's soul, then departing in order to move onto the next recipient of the Spectre, while Ganthet guided Jordan's soul back to his own body, preserved after Jordan reignited the Sun during Final Night.
His soul and thoughts finally clear for the first time in years, Jordan was resurrected, again taking his place as a Green Lantern; even regaining some of his lost youth (evidenced by his hair becoming brown again).
Together, Jordan and Kyle Rayner, along with fellow Green Lanterns John Stewart, Guy Gardner and Kilowog freed Ganthet, whom Parallax had possessed after his expulsion from Jordan's soul, and imprisoned the parasite back in the Central Power Battery on Oa.
Despite this re-introduction of the "yellow impurity", which is now referred to as the Parallax Fear Anomaly, the power rings' weakness against yellow no longer applies, as experienced wielders are now able to consciously recognize its source, and overcome the fear associated with it. It is still, however, a considerable weakness for new GL recruits, who are ignorant of the impurity's nature or of how to combat it. During training, new recruits' rings may falter at times against yellow objects, and/or when a recruit is experiencing panic or fear, as seen with Soranik Natu and other recruits in Green Lantern Corps: Recharge #4 (December 2005).
[edit] Powers and abilities
Parallax has immense fear-casting and mind-control powers, strong enough to easily scare and control the likes of Superman and Wonder Woman, except those who are capable of understanding and conquering inner fear such as Kyle Rayner and Batman. It can take possession of someone's body when they feel even the slightest fear. Parallax is also capable of creating solid energy constructs, such as creating a convincing Sinestro energy-duplicated for Hal Jordan to kill.
[edit] In other media
Although Parallax has made no appearances in commercial material, he was portrayed by an unnamed actor in a promotional video sent to comic book stores as a means of promotion of the crossover series Zero Hour.
