When Silver Age Hal Jordan went on the road, in the issues numbered in the high 40"s, he wound up meeting a couple of new girlfriends, Eve Doremus and Olivia Reynolds. What does Mr. Silver Age think of them?
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Sorry for the delay, I wasn't at the home office, where I keep my MSA Archive, and I was sure I'd written about GL's post-Carol love life. But I hadn't actually written that much and never specifically about Olivia (or Joan Colby). Olivia really wasn't a significant character until GL returned after the GL-GA run, by which time I'd lost interest in GL.
I liked the dynamic of Hal floating around the country, running into nubile young women. It seemed more natural than every other hero who was fairly well nailed down with a long-time, unshakeable girlfriend. I didn't think they did enough with that idea, especially when they weren't big on having their super-heroes be superheroes.
Here's what I said about Eve in a CBG column (Jan. 12, 1996), a long time ago. How long? My contact information at the end of the column consisted of my mailing address and "post to him on CompuServe at 72103,753." That's a long time ago. It actually ran as one of three short columns I provided at once, complete with color photocopies for images, that they stuck together to make a full page in those big-page days. That was a long time ago, too.
Hal Meets Eve
Dear Mr. Silver Age:
Hal Jordan certainly has left a string of saucy wenches pining for him! We all know the scoop on Carol Ferris and Olivia Reynolds, two of the three great loves of Green Lantern's life. But how did he meet Eve Doremus?
Tony S., New York City
Mr. Silver Age says: It's true, Tony. That wild playboy Hal Jordan seriously dated three women in succession back in the Silver Age! And 25 years later, he still was involved with two of them! What a rogue!
The third member of this lovely trio is the daughter of Mark Doremus, owner of the Cosmidor Corp. in Cosmidor City, Wash. She met Hal while he was on vacation--both as Hal and Green Lantern--in "Perils of the Powerless Green Lantern" in GL #58 (Jan 68).
Hal had been experiencing weird emotional rushes that had the Guardians concerned. The changes weren't so wild that he felt like doing something really, really stupid and despicable like killing all of the Green Lanterns and sucking the main Power Battery dry. But they did make him kind of giddy.
The Guardians diagnosed him with battle fatigue, took away his power ring, and ordered him to rest. Since Hal's boss had just given him a pay raise and a week off for his sterling performance for Evergreen Insurance Co., Hal agreed to kick back.
So there he was, lounging against a tree, when he heard a scream. "Keep calm, Hal!" he told himself. "Sure, that's a girl screaming, but you don't have to play hero all the time! Give somebody else a chance to be the glory boy."
Like who, Hal? You don't meet Guy Gardner until next issue, and Lobo is years from being created! Get off your duff and do some heroing, pal!
Fortunately for our story, the nubile Eve and her young brothered enter stage right, pursued by a bear. Hal went a few quick rounds with Yogi's brother, then scared him off by throwing a beehive at him.
Needless to say, Eve was impressed as all get-out. She invited our emerald hero to hang loose at the Doremus mansion. That's right, mansion.Thus began the whirlwind romance that had our coosome twosome walking hand-in-hand on the beach, dancing by moonlight, boating, and doing who knows what else (although we can guess).
A few nights later, as Hal was lying in bed (by himself, you naughty reader, you!), he realized that ever since the Guardians took away his ring, he hadn't had the emotional fluctuations. Ergo, it was his ring that was to blame!
Before he can alert the Guardians to this hasty conclusion--rather than thinking that maybe the Guardians were right in their diagnosis and it was the rest that was doing the trick--three crooks broke into the Doremus house. What are the chances?
The ringless Hal put on his costume and tried to bluff them into surrendering. Showing further bad judgment, the crooks refused. So Hal beat the beejeebers out them. GL preferred this approach in this time anyway, as being a super-hero was quickly going out of style.
As he was wrapping things up, the Doremus family arrived, awakened by the noise. Eve spotted the Emerald Gladiator, became concerned that Hal wasn't around, and raced up to his room.
GL chased after her, frantically trying to figure out how he can keep Eve from seeing his empty room and clothes and figuring out the truth. By the time he caught her, Eve had thrown open Hal's door and discovered...
But you only asked how they met, Tony, so I'm afraid you'll have to read the issue to learn the rest.
I will mention that Hal was mightily impressed that Eve was more concerned for Hal's safety than with meeting Green Lantern. GL's studly ways already had caused Hal to lose the love of his life, Carol Ferris. And GL's glamour also had put the kibosh on a budding romance with resort owner Joan Colby a few issues before this.
We don't have the space to discuss that latter ill-fated romance. Besides, when you're a comic-book playboy like Hal, there's always another babe waiting in the next issue.
Actually, as already noted, in this case Guy Gardner was waiting in the next issue. And I wouldn't wish that on anyone.
-- MSA
"Buddy--that's my brother here---was teasing this normally friendly bear..."
Bears aren't native to Australia,(1)(2)(3) so this is not a situation I am likely to encounter. But from what I understand of the habits of such creatures FOR GOD'S SAKE DON'T DO THAT.
(1) And likewise Green Lanterns.
(2) Koalas aren't bears, but marsupials. Female koalas have pouches, like female kangaroos.
(3) Drop Bears are said to be related to koalas. Their existence is sometimes doubted, but footage of one can be found here.
Thanks, Mr. Silver Age, for reprinting your article. I liked the idea of Eve being wealthy. (apparently). I wanted to see more of her in those days.
She was just so different from Carol's icy executive that she really stood out. He needed to meet a few more potential girlfriends like that. Since he traveled so much, it would've been easy to do and given him a reason to move on. Another missed opportunity.
-- MSA
"Buddy--that's my brother here---was teasing this normally friendly bear..."
And she and he are surprised the bear attacked?
I would like to have seen Mr. Doremus offer Hal a job, which would have kept him around Eve for a while.