William Hand, known as Black Hand, is a DC Comics supervillain associated with death and the Black Lantern Corps. This timeline chronicles his creation, key story arcs, and role in the Blackest Night event.
Black Hand makes his first appearance in Green Lantern (Volume 2) #29, created by John Broome and Gil Kane. He is introduced as a villain using a cosmic power rod that drains energy. #dccomics #villain )
Black Hand's origin is revealed: William Hand is the son of a mortician family in Coast City, exposed to death from a young age. He invents a cosmic power rod to manipulate death energy. #origin #dccomics )
Black Hand battles Green Lantern Hal Jordan in Green Lantern #76. He uses his power rod to steal the power from Hal's ring, but is ultimately defeated. #greenlantern #battle )
Black Hand is killed during the Crisis on Infinite Earths event, but later resurrected by the entity Nekron. This sets up his connection to the Black Lantern Corps. #crisis #resurrection
Black Hand appears as a minor villain in the Zero Hour crossover, battling the Justice Society of America. He is once again defeated and temporarily imprisoned. #zerohour #crossover )
Black Hand appears in Green Lantern: Rebirth, a story arc that revives Hal Jordan. Hand is shown as a psychotic killer, using his rod to murder people and absorb their life force. #greenlantern #rebirth
In Green Lantern (Volume 4) #29, Black Hand commits suicide in the Hall of Justice, using his power rod to kill himself and become a host for Nekron. This act triggers the Blackest Night event. #blackestnight #suicide
Black Hand is resurrected as the first Black Lantern, serving as Nekron's herald. He leads the Black Lantern Corps in attacking Earth and the universe. #blackestnight #blacklantern )
Black Hand is defeated when the White Lantern entity is created. He is stripped of his Black Lantern ring and imprisoned. #blackestnight #defeat )
After Blackest Night, Black Hand is imprisoned in the Sciencell on Oa. He is subjected to experimental torture by the Guardians of the Universe. #imprisonment #guardians )
In The New 52 continuity, Black Hand's origin is revised: he is a serial killer who gains a power ring from the dying Black Hand of another universe. #new52 #origin
Black Hand escapes prison and joins the Third Army, an army of mutated Guardians. He assists in the invasion of Earth. #thirdarmy #greenlantern )
Black Hand is a key antagonist in the 'Lights Out' crossover, where he tries to harness the power of the Source to destroy the universe. He is stopped by the Justice League. #lightsout #crossover )
In Green Lantern (Volume 5) #30, Black Hand attacks the Green Lantern Corps homeworld, Mogo, using a new power rod. He is defeated by Hal Jordan and the Corps. #greenlanterncorps #battle )
Black Hand appears as a minor antagonist in the 'Omega Men' series, allying with the Citadel. He is eventually killed by the Omega Men. #omegamen #death
Black Hand is resurrected once again in the 'Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps' series. He attempts to create a new Black Lantern Corps using the remains of dead Lanterns. #rebirth #blacklantern
Black Hand is manipulated by the First Lantern to attack the Guardians. He is ultimately sealed away in a pocket dimension. #firstlantern #guardians
Black Hand is summoned by the Batman Who Laughs to serve as a guardian of the Dark Multiverse. He is defeated by the Justice League. #darkmetal #darkmultiverse
Black Hand is a member of Lex Luthor's Legion of Doom in the 'Year of the Villain' event. He uses his powers to resurrect dead villains for Luthor's schemes. #yearofthevillain #legionofdoom
In 'The Flash' #79, Black Hand battles the Flash, using his death powers to drain the Speed Force. He is temporarily incapacitated by the Flash's speed. #theflash #speedforce )
In 'Green Lantern: Blackstars' #2, it is revealed that Black Hand is the reincarnation of the original Black Hand from the past, a dark historian who served Nekron. #origin #blackstars )
Black Hand appears in 'Dark Nights: Death Metal', serving the Batman Who Laughs. He is killed by Wonder Woman but later resurrected by the Bat-God. #deathmetal #darknights
In the 'Future State' timeline, Black Hand is a major threat, leading a new Black Lantern Corps. He is opposed by the new Green Lantern, Jo Mullein. #futurestate #blacklantern
Black Hand creates an upgraded power rod using the remains of dead multiversal entities, allowing him to manipulate reality on a cosmic scale. #powerup #multiverse )
Black Hand is resurrected by the villainous group 'The Cabal' to aid in their plans to rewrite history. He is thwarted by the Justice Society of America. #goldenage #justice Society
In 'Superman: Son of Kal-El' #13, Black Hand attacks Superman, attempting to drain his life force. He is defeated by Jon Kent with help from the Justice League. #superman #jonkent
Black Hand is a member of the Great Darkness's forces in the Dark Crisis event. He is ultimately consumed by the Great Darkness. #darkcrisis #infiniteearths
Black Hand is killed by the Spectre but later resurrected by Nekron once again, continuing his cycle of death and rebirth as the avatar of the Black Lantern Corps. #death #resurrectioncycle )
In the 'DC vs. Vampires' alternate universe, Black Hand is a vampire lord, leading a faction of undead. He is ultimately destroyed by a coalition of heroes. #dcvsvampires #alternateuniverse
Black Hand appears in the 'Green Lantern: The End' storyline, trying to merge the Black Lantern Corps with the Source. He is stopped by the combined Lantern Corps. #greenlantern #theend )