Jack T. Chance

Jack T. Chance
Jack T. Chance as depicted in Green Lantern (vol. 4) #12 (July 2006). Art by Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #1 (Summer 1992)
Created by	John Ostrander (writer) Flint Henry (artist)
In-story information
Full name	Jack T. Chance
Team affiliations	Green Lantern Corps Black Lantern Corps
Abilities	Green and Black Lantern power rings

Jack T. Chance is a fictional character featured in comic books published by DC Comics. He is a Green Lantern from the world of Garnet—also known as Hellhole. He first appeared in Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #1 in the summer of 1992, and was created by writer John Ostrander and artist Flint Henry.

Jack T. Chance is from the planet Garnet, also known as 'Hellhole' because it is one of the worst criminal worlds in existence. Repeatedly the Guardians of the Universe dispatched Green Lanterns to this planet in hope of redeeming the world, but each attempt failed, usually fatally for the Green Lantern. The last Guardian-sent agent, Pathavim Seth-Ottarak, used his dying breath to instruct his ring to find a replacement among Hellhole's inhabitants uniquely suited to the challenges of the world (in other words, one not limited by the Green Lanterns' usual moral strictures). The ring chose Jack T. Chance. When the ring bonded with him it created a standard Green Lantern uniform and explained his duties to him. Chance rejected the idea of a uniform, refusing to wear anything other than his own clothes with a single small added badge.

Chance hunted down the man who killed his predecessor, intending to kill him in turn, only to find the ring had a failsafe against lethal force. Further, the ring offered no protection against his opponent's yellow bullets. Thus Chance fell back on traditional methods and used a crude firearm to shoot the man dead. This became Jack's standard methodology as he went about pacifying Garnet, wearing down his targets with the powers of the ring then delivering a killing blow with a sidearm.

When news of this reached the Guardians, Chance was quickly recalled to Oa for judgement. The Guardians decided Chance would be subjected to rigorous training and a probationary period before he was allowed to continue serving with the Green Lantern Corps. Chance in turn threatened to simply quit if forced to play by their rules and pointed out his brutal approach was the first thing that had ever worked on Hellhole. The Guardians conceded they lacked a suitable alternative candidate to serve as Garnet's Green Lantern, and had no choice but to appoint Chance as Green Lantern of his planet. Chance and the Guardians brokered a deal whereby he was restricted to his planet (other Lanterns covered whole sectors). His deeds were also subject to reviews to ensure he was not using 'questionable methods'.^[1]

Sometime later, while doing his duties on Garnet, he had the displeasure of encountering Lobo, and true to form the two got into a fight. Chance had the upper hand because of his ring and was enjoying the one-sided fight. The fight took a turn for the worse when Lobo realized that the ring had a weakness to yellow. Lobo covered himself in the yellow blood of a downed citizen, and defeated Chance. Knowing that he would be in a bad way when Lobo was finished with him, he ordered his ring not to forget anything important when the ring would put him back together. After winning the fight, Lobo had the idea of taking Chance's power ring before he left 'Hellhole', however, the ring could not be removed from its wielder's finger. Consequently, Lobo took the whole finger. As Lobo walked off, the ring informed him that, due to the specific deal the Guardians had made with Chance, it would not work beyond the parameters of Garnet's atmosphere. Disappointed, Lobo tossed the finger and ring, and left the planet. The ring and finger then made their way back to Chance and reattached themselves.^[2]

When Hal Jordan went rogue and headed for Oa, the guardians were desperate and called Chance, as their most 'ruthless' agent, to stop the rampaging Jordan. To this end they granted his ring the same abilities as other members of the Corps, and its power was no longer limited to Garnet's atmosphere. While he did manage to surprise Jordan, his skill proved insufficient against his enemy's superior ability. Jordan took the rings from Chance and the other Green Lanterns, and left them for dead.^[3]

Chance did not die, and instead was captured along with fellow Lost Lanterns, to be used by the Manhunters as energy for their newly upgraded software. He was freed by Hal Jordan and Guy Gardner and received a hero's welcome upon his return to Oa. Even though he and his fellow Lost Lanterns were aware that Hal Jordan's murderous actions were the result of the influence from the fear-inducing parasitic energy entity known as Parallax, they still bore grudges and remained unwilling to trust him again. Chance's return made the Guardians rethink his status as a probationary member, and he was finally accepted into the Green Lantern Corps.^{[4][5][6][7][8]}

Chance and a select few Green Lanterns were sent to Qward to rescue Hal Jordan and the Green Lanterns of Earth, during which he was killed by a Parallax-possessed Kyle Rayner.^[9]

During the Blackest Night event, Chance is temporarily resurrected as a Black Lantern.^[10]

Jack T. Chance appears as a character summon in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure.^[11]

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