Hal and Kyle Alone Against Zod -- and His Family -- in HJ&GLC #37

The first part of "Zod's Will" takes place here, as Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner investigate a planet that should be at a stone-age level but which has been observed being targeted by high-tech miners. However, what they didn't expect to find was the renegade Kryptonian, General Zod. And he's not alone: with him is the Eradicator, Ursa, and his son, Lor. That's four Superman-level beings against two Green Lanterns.

The good news? Both Hal and Kyle are equipped with the most powerful weapon in the universe.

The bad news? That's not even nearly enough. Hal attacks Zod on sight, and the battle is quickly engaged. The end result is that both Lanterns get their hind quarters handed to them and are taken captive, as Zod determines that whatever plans he had in mind must now be accelerated before the rest of the Green Lantern Corps arrive.

As for the rest of the Corps, they are in a state of disarray. The Guardians -- what few of them remain -- are reasserting control over the Corps, prompting John Stewart to tender his resignation. But it's a short-lived retirement. Ganthet and the others need John to remain a Lantern, to keep the Guardians themselves in check so that they don't usher in another multiverse-shattering catastrophe like Darkest Night or First Lantern. Reluctantly, John agrees. Which is a good thing, because the other Lanterns would only follow his lead.

It's unusual to have a uniquely Superman super-villain take the lead role in a multi-chapter story arc in another hero's title. It would be rather like seeing Superman match wits with The Riddler for four issues, or Wonder Woman take on Gorilla Grodd. Mind you, I'd pay good money for either of those stories, so "unusual" is a good thing, and with the diverse cosmology of the DC Universe, it even makes sense for the Green Lanterns to encounter rogue Kryptonians in deep space. And raise your hand if you're already wondering when Lor-Zod is going to go toe-to-toe with Jon Kent!