Lanterns Episode 7's official trailer confirmed what hidden materials are inside Hal Jordan's Fortress of Storage, and the contents have a far deeper meaning that may recontextualize how brilliant Hal really is. Lanterns Episode 6 sheds some more light on what truly happened to Kyle Chandler's Hal Jordan hours before his death, confirming that he spent his final night in Rushville after a tense reunion with Aaron Pierre's John Stewart, and the fact that there was no struggle when he was shot in the heat at close range. It still didn't line up that Hal didn't fight back in the face of death, meaning that there is a chance that he had already prepared for this tragic ending.
Part of John Stewart's investigation into Hal's death is tied to Hal's Fortress of Storage cube, but he couldn't open it because the security system requires a live voice verification from its owner. Episode 6's ending showed John summoning the "Halogram" (the 2006 backup who represents a younger, more optimistic version of Hal) from Hal's Green Lantern ring, suggesting he will use him to activate the Fortress.
Lanterns Episode 7's trailer (around the 0:15 mark) confirmed exactly that premise as the pair managed to open the cube, revealing the contents of the storage: a paper bag and a backpack.
While this may seem unusual, it could suggest how far ahead Hal was thinking when he packed those two items, suggesting he might have known John and the Halogram would find them.
It's possible this is the first time the Halogram has seen the contents of Hal's Fortress of Storage, as evidenced by the shocked look on his face. It will be interesting to learn more about the kind of conversation John and the Halogram will have about why Hal (who may or may not have a clone) decided to keep these seemingly ordinary things from Earth in safe storage.
John will definitely want to know why a man who could hide an entire ship in the endless void inside the Fortress of Storage chose two ordinary objects, while the Halogram will have to confront the fact that his later self no longer trusted even his own stored consciousness with the full picture.
Watch the official Lanterns Episode 7 trailer below:
The penultimate episode of Lanterns is set to premiere on Sunday, September 27, on HBO and HBO Max at 9 p.m. ET.
What Are the Contents of Hal Jordan’s Backpack and Paper Bag in Lanterns?
Lanterns Episode 7's trailer didn't really reveal the twist about what's inside the backpack and the paper bag from the Fortress of Storage. Still, it's worth speculating that these two crucial objects are significant to whatever Hal Jordan is planning and could be tied to a last-resort escape plan.
The backpack could be Hal's go-bag, a travel storage with essentials in case he needs to leave Earth quickly and remain in space for a while for a potential mission tied to his cosmic responsibilities. After the events of the 2016 timeline, Hal was imprisoned and no longer Green Lantern.
Episode 6 revealed that he was living in a small house with a booby-trapped door with Earl (the carnivorous alien plant he treated as a pet). This goes to show how paranoid Hal became, which aligns with the theory that his backpack is an actual go-bag. Keeping a packed bag with cash, IDs, a change of clothes, and whatever else he might need to vanish makes a lot of sense.
Lanterns lore established that Hal was the one who took down Sinestro when he tried to stage a rebellion against the Green Lanterns and killed one of the Guardians. It's possible that the paper bag could contain something he took off Sinestro, a memento, or even his confiscated Green Lantern ring as a sign of his victory or something to remember what he did. There is also a chance that his power battery, or an alternative one, could be inside the paper bag.
Another prevailing theory is that Hal's cracked ring could actually be Sinestro's and not his original ring. Hal's original ring could be sitting inside the storage. This would explain a few unusual things in Lanterns, such as Hal treating the Green Lantern ring as a dangerous object he didn't want to use often, and why a second, more secure version is kept in the pocket-dimension storage. It's worth noting that none of this is confirmed, and the last two episodes could present a different kind of revelation involving these objects inside the storage.
