“The Third Identity of Replikon”
Among the deserted ruins of the Asteroid Belt, we find dwelling on the remains of an ancient planet an alien creature named Xum. For centuries, the ethereal being has been watching over his two children, still unborn in their giant eggs, until he can find a place where the conditions are suitable for them to hatch.
Suddenly the creature spies a giant mechanism floating past his planet- it is an asteroid probe, and as he logically deduces it will lead him to civilization, stows away into the craft as it makes its journey onward. Soon the probe is malfunctioning and requires technical attention, and so it is that Green Lantern steps into the picture, flying up into space to retrieve the Asteroid Probe for its manufacturers, Ferris Aircraft.
NASA is not too happy about the space probe’s uneven performance, but owner Carol Ferris wants to examine the equipment and figure out what malady has befallen the mechanism before she’ll accept the responsibility for the failure. Green Lantern offers to drive the equipment in his rig to a Star City laboratory where they can fully determine the problem, but meanwhile, within the asteroid probe, Xum is undergoing a strange transformation.
On his journey to Earth, the Asteroid Probe had passed the Justice League satellite station, and using his alien powers, Xum was able to observe the goings-on inside. At the time, three Justice League-ers were present, Batman, Flash, and Wonder Woman. Using the memories of their appearance, Xum creates an amalgam of all three outfits, resulting in a bizarre yet slightly familiar costume for his tangible form.
He burst out of the Truck Rig, where Hal has quickly changed into Green Lantern. Although not able to put his finger on it, he acknowledges that the creature seems like a replica of someone or something he’s seen before. Green Lantern tires to subdue him with a power beam, but the creature changes to mist-like proportions, and the beam passes right through him. When Hal tries to throw a punch, the alien grabs him and slams him into a wall! Before Green Lantern can do anything else, the creature heats up and rockets out of sight!
Meanwhile at Star City, poor Dinah has been the chosen victim of Ollie’s latest Chili concoction! As tears stream down her face she gasps, “Best paint remover I’ve ever eaten!” Suddenly there is a crash below- it seems a gang of young thugs have been threatening Dinah’s florist shop for “protection money” and have come to make good of their threat to destroy the place!
Dinah and Ollie change into Black Canary and Green Arrow, and take care of the punks, while a new adventurer watches from the sidelines. It is Xum, and he has been studying the duo’s fight moves very intently! Noticing the observer, Ollie heartily quips,“You’re either a very GOOD guy, or a card-carrying villain!” by way of a greeting.
When asked who he is, the creature, remembering what GL had said about him looking like a replica of someone, replies, “I am R-R-R-Replikon!” Ollie is in the middle of introducing himself and Dinah, when the alien lashes out and floors Green Arrow!
Green Arrow fires a Kayo arrow at Replikon’s head , only to find that it bounces right off him! Just then , Green Lantern shows up and joins the duo in the fight. Both Green Lantern and Green Arrow lay blows to Replikon, and are returned with the same. Soon Black Canary notices that the creature has been copying every move they’ve made, and maybe if all three of them simultaneously did three different moves, he might not be able to counter them. The three-pronged attack is successful, and soon Replikon is subdued.
While they hold onto their captive and decide what to do with him, Replikon heats up, and as he did earlier that day, rockets out of their grasp, and into the sky! Green Arrow tries to hold on, but then Replikon turns back into mist, sending the archer hurtling to the ground! Green Lantern makes a cushy landing for the Arrow, but chides himself for letting Replikon get away.
Later that night, Hal tries to cheer himself up by visiting his girlfriend Carol at her hotel. His plans for the night are dashed when he finds she’s already spending the evening with a suave gentleman named Andre. They invite Hal to join them, but the adventurer is in no mood to play third wheel, and skulks away.
As Andre leaves a swooning Carol Ferris at her door, she remarks about how his foreign charm makes her feel like a schoolgirl. But soon Andre is on the roof of the hotel, where he turns into mist,and solidifies…as Replikon!
Under the guise of Andre, the alien known as both Xum and Replikon has been letting Carol Ferris show him around town. Little does the heiress know that he is cataloging the town’s resources for his own plans of World Destruction! The couple run across Hal Jordan, who is none too happy to see the two together aagain, and walks off. Carol asks Andre if he’d like to go to dinner that night, but he begs off, citing previous plans.
Replikon’s point of return is the Star City Chemical Storage tanks, which Carol had shown him earlier that day. He ruptures one of the tanks, releasing deadly fluorocarbon gas into the atmosphere, which, if uncontained, will destroy the earth’s protective ozone layer. This is Replikon’s diabolical plan: He wants to destroy the Ozone layer to let the radiation in so the world will be suitable to raise his unborn children, still waiting for him on his home planet in the asteroid belt.
Hal is driving his rig out of town, when he intercepts a distress call from the Star City Chemical Plant. He changes into Green Lantern, and arrives just in time to contain the escaping gas in a cosmic “bottle” before Replikon shows up to battle him again!
Lantern sends the bottle up into space where the gas can dissipate without permanent damage, and sets his sights on bringing down the alien! After an ineffective slugfest with Replikon, Green Lantern decides to try another approach- he feigns unconsciousness, and then follows the unsuspecting Alien to his dwelling, where he hopes to formulate some kind of plan. To his utter shock, the alien Replikon turns into his contender for Carol Ferris’ affections, Andre! “Oh No!” thinks Hal, “This is either too GOOD to be true…or too BAD!”
Unable to deal with the overwhelming truth himself, he goes to Ollie and Dinah for a game plan. Knowing that for the most part, their weapons are useless against him, their only option is to tackle Replikon on their own turf and catch him off-guard. They have to set a trap for him and Hal regretfully knows the only way to get Replikon where they want- by convincing Carol to cooperate!
When confronted with the news that her new beau Andre is none other that the alien Replikon, Carol is devastated. To them, he may seem like en evil menace, but to her, he always appeared sweet and gentle. When also admitting she finds him physically attractive, Hal reasons that Replikon used his mind- powers to look into her head and construct an appearance that was her ideal to easily sway her. “Save your breath- I’ll do your dirty work”, says a disgusted Carol. “Just… Don’t touch me!”
Soon it is nightfall, and as she has reluctatly agreed to, Carol has brought the unsuspecting Andre to an abandoned building at the edge of Town. “Why you bring me to this empty building place?” he asks. “I-I can’t answer that,” replies Carol sadly. As she instructs him to go into the building where the heroes lie in wait, she leaves in tears.
Once inside , Replikon is confronted by the trio of Justice League-ers. With an immediate and continual barrage against him, they give Replikon no time to create a fighting strategy. When they have him against the ropes, Green Lantern springs the trap on him- a huge container made out of lead. Before the confused alien can react, GL has shut the cylinder completely, completely containing Replikon in the airtight makeshift prison.
By now, Hal has figured out where Replikon has come from, and using his galactic powers, flies Replikon back to his homeworld. Upon arrival of the barren planet, Green Lantern dissolves the container and allows the creature to explain his attack. When GL finds out that Replikon wanted to destroy the earth’s atmosphere so that his two children could live, an incredulous Green Lantern says “You’d destroy BILLIONS of lives so you THREE could exist in comfort? Bad Bargain, Replikon!”
He flies off, leaving an smoldering Replikon to gaze hatefully at his captor.
Upon returning home, Hal meets up with Carol. It is with a twinge of guilt that she takes the news of Green Lantern’s success in defeating Replikon and sending him back to his home planet. Heartbroken and embarrassed by the ordeal, she lashes out at Hal. “You never fail! You probably can’t understand failure!” When he explains that it was for the greater good, she acknowledges that he’s right but is disgusted by it. “You’re Right…and I despise you for it!” She is fed up with the trails and tribulations that go along with dating a super-hero. “You’re a Hero, Hal…Me, I’m an ordinary woman…I need an ordinary Man! Goodbye!”
Then with a dismissive wave of her arm, she curtly leaves and walks out of Hal’s life, leaving the dejected Green Lantern speechless and alone.
I have to say that this ending was truly heavy to read at the time! Even as a 12 year old kid, we knew this was just destroying poor old Hal, and we loved how that last panel didn't have any dialog at all - the look of pain on GL's face said it all! Years later, this story still holds the impact it had reading it all those years ago.
