Comic Title: Showcase #22
Publisher: DC (National Comics Publications, Inc.)
Address: 575 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY
Cover Date: Sep/Oct 1959
On Sale Date: July 28, 1959 Copyright Date July 28, 1959
Source: Library of Congress, Periodicals 1959

Newsstand Date July 28, 1959
Source: Newsdealer Magazine, V14 #5

Frequency: Bi-monthly
Cover Price: $0.10
Page Count: 32
Editor: Julius Schwartz

Title: "SOS Green Lantern"
Pages: 6

Feature(s):
Green Lantern (Hal Jordan of Earth-1)

Writer: John Broome
Penciller: Gil Kane
Inker: Joe Giella

Reprinted In:
Secret Origins #2 (1973)
Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes HC (1976)
Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes SC (1976)
Super Heroes #3 (1980)
DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #22 (1982)
DC Silver Age Classics Showcase #22 (1992)
Green Lantern Archives Vol. 1 HC (1993)
Green Lantern #81 (1996)
Millennium Edition:Showcase 22 (#50) (2000)
Showcase Presents Green Lantern Vol. 1 TPB (2005)
Green Lantern:The Greatest Stories Ever Told TPB (2006)
Green Lantern Chronicles Vol. 1 TPB (2009)
Green Lantern Corps Through the Ages #1 (2009)
Green Lantern Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2011)
Green Lantern:A Celebration of 75 Years HC (2015)
Green Lantern:The Silver Age Vol. 1 TPB (2016)
Green Lantern:The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 1 HC (2017)

Feature Character(s)

• Green Lantern (Hal Jordan; first appearance; last appearance in Justice League of America #144; next appearance in Green Lantern #10)

Supporting Character(s)

• Abin Sur (Green Lantern of sector 2814; dies in this story; first appearance; last appearance in Green Lantern #16; no further appearances)

Comments:
This story tells the origin of the Green Lantern for the first time. He is not shown with a mask in this story.

The story of Green Lantern's Oath from the second story of Green Lantern #10 takes place one week after this story.

Abin Sur's death and Green Lantern's origin are expanded upon with the inclusion of new details in both the first story of Green Lantern #1 and Green Lantern #59.

Synopsis:
Somewhere in the southwest U.S.A., a spacecraft has crashed. It’s pilot is Abin Sur, and he is dying. Before his inevitable death he uses his green ring to send a bolt of energy to retrieve an earthman who is entirely without fear.

The bolt of energy circles the Earth until it locates Hal Jordan, a test pilot for the Ferris Aircraft Company. The bolt lifts Hal and his flightless trainer and brings them to the sight of the wreckage.

Once there Abin Sur explains to Hal, via telepathy, that he is from a distant planet. He shows Hal the power battery, a green lantern in Earth terms, and explains that it is given to selected space-patrolmen to be used against evil and injustice. Abin then uses his power ring to ensure that Hal is honest. When it does, Hal is declared both honest and fearless, which are both tests that a Green Lantern must be. Therefore Hal is selected to have the power battery and ring passed on to him.

Abin continues by explaining how his ship crashed when it was battered by radiation surrounding Earth, and he was blinded by the yellow lights of the Aurora Borealis. The battery has a yellow impurity in it which renders it useless against that color, and if the impurity is removed the battery loses its power. The ring must be charged with the battery every 24 hours.

After Abin dies, Hal takes his uniform, ring, and the battery, disposes of the spacecraft, tries out the ring, and adopts the secret identity of Green Lantern.