It is not uncommon for the anniversary issue of a long-running comic book to be marked with a shocking death. It is somewhat rarer, however, for such a book to be marked with a resurrection. This seems to be the case with the 600th issue of Green Lantern, which may have retconned one of the most controversial deaths in DC Comics history.
The possible retcon came in “City of Angels,” by Jeremy Adams and V. Ken Marion. The story centers around Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, as he returns to Earth and his hometown of Los Angeles. Joining him is Odyssey the Time Bandit, who is assisting him in tracking fugitive aliens as part of her parole.
While stuck in traffic, Kyle begins to relate his life story and how he became a Green Lantern. He speaks of being raised by a single mother and how art was his only outlet. However, one key event of Kyle’s history goes unmentioned in his recollection.
While discussing his youth, Kyle mentions his first love, Alexandra “Alex” DeWitt. Kyle tells Odyssey of how his sketches of Alex got him a job as a comic book artist. However, Alex grew tired of supporting them both, as Kyle’s dream job didn’t pay well. She also disliked Kyle’s becoming a shut-in, as he stayed home to meet his deadlines instead of going out with her. Both issues led her to dump him.
What Green Lantern death did DC retcon?
In the new story, Kyle tries to impress Alex by showing up at her favorite club. However, this doesn’t work. She doesn’t believe he’s really changed his ways. However, this trip wound up changing Kyle’s life in another way. After the awkward artist stepped outside to get away from the crowds, he was entrusted with the last Green Lantern ring.
In Kyle’s original origin, 1994’s “A New Dawn,” he sought out Alex after becoming Green Lantern hoping to win her over. She agreed to give him another chance and helped him to get a handle on his new powers. She also died a violent death at the hands of Major Force, who was trying to find the new Green Lantern. Kyle found her body later, stuffed into her refrigerator.
The panel of Kyle finding Alex’s body stuffed in her refrigerator became one of the most infamous images of the Dark Age. It also led to Gail Simone coining the term “women in refrigerators.” This became a catch-all for whenever a woman in a comic was killed or imperiled purely to give a male character angst.
However, Green Lantern #33/#600 seems to change this history. When Odyssey asks what happened next, Kyle does not mention Alex’s violent death. Indeed, he does not mention her at all. Instead, he talks about how becoming a Green Lantern taught him that “sometimes your dreams aren’t just one thing.”
The death of Alex DeWitt in “A New Dawn” was the defining moment of Kyle Rayner’s life as a hero. It seems unlikely that Kyle wouldn’t mention this tragedy had it occurred. Given that, it seems that Kyle never tried to win back his lost love in the new timeline and Alex lived.
Green Lantern #33/#600 is now available at comic shops everywhere.
