Black Lantern Corps
Black Hand
A longtime foe with a connection to death.
William Hand is a longtime Green Lantern enemy whose fascination with death becomes central to Blackest Night. Green Lantern #43 is the direct prologue to that transformation.
Continuity: Main DC comics continuity; this profile follows the cited era rather than asserting a permanent present-day status.
- Affiliation
- Black Lantern Corps
- First appearance
- Green Lantern #29 (1964)
Story history — History and later developments — spoilers
Black Hand begins as one of Hal’s recurring foes well before the Black Lantern Corps exists as a story concept. Green Lantern #43 reframes his connection to death and introduces the event’s first Black Lantern. Blackest Night then makes him a conduit for a larger threat. The original villain, his black-ring role and the force behind the event are distinct parts of that history.
Reference scope: DC’s timeline points to Green Lantern (1960) #29 for the classic villain; the #43 listing establishes the 2009 prologue.
Profile reviewed 2026-11-04.
