Green Lantern (Alan Scott)
From Green Lantern Wiki
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| Green Lantern | |
| Real name: | Alan Ladd Wellington Scott |
| First Appearance: | All-American Comics #16 |
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Created by: | Bill Finger Martin Nodell |
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Team affiliations: | Justice Society of America Formerly The Sentinels of Magic Checkmate All-Star Squadron |
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Abilities: | Engineering Expert Martial Artist Businessman |
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Sector: | Space Sector 2814 |
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Home planet: | Earth |
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Partner: | TBA |
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Portrayed by: | William Katt (Voice) |
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Origins
Unlike others who bear the name "Green Lantern," Alan Scott's power does not come from the Guardians of the Universe, but from the Starheart, an magical entity once imprisoned by the Guardians. The Starheart found its way to Earth where, in 1939, in the shape of a lantern, it saved Alan from a train wreck. At the lantern's mental direction, Alan fashioned a ring from it that allowed him to tap the Starheart's great power. Perhaps influenced subconsciously by the Starheart's history, Alan adopted the identity of Green Lantern (the name of the great Corps administered by the Guardians).
[edit] Justice Society of America
Alan was a founding member of the Justice Society and was instrumental in many wartime battles. After the war, as a broadcast executive in the late forties, Alan Scott had a flirtatious relationship with the costumed villainess the Harlequin (who unbeknownst to Alan, was secretly his secretary, Molly Maynne). Molly even admitted that her career as a "criminal" was just a ruse to get close to Green Lantern. The Harlequin eventually turned over a new leaf, becoming an undercover agent for the FBI. She left Alan's life without confessing her true identity or her real feelings.
[edit] Marriage
Alan subsequently met and quickly married a young woman named Alyx Florin. He was unaware that she was actually Rose Canton (a.k.a. The Thorn), a schizophrenic but reformed enemy of the Flash. Alyx disappeared on their wedding night, starting a fire that led Alan to believe she had died. In fact, she survived and discovered that she was pregnant with twins. The children were born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and raised separately by adoptive families as Jennifer-Lynn Hayden and Todd Rice. Alyx was taken to the Amazons' Reformation Island.
Jennie-Lynn and Todd, who developed superhuman powers as a result of their father's connection to the mystic Starheart, did not meet until adolescence, and set out to uncover the identities of their real parents. They adopted the costumed identities of Jade and Obsidian and confronted Alan about their parentage. And truly, Alan had no clue. Also during this time, he renewed his acquaintance with Molly and discovered her past as the Harlequin; the pair finally gave in to their longtime attraction. But Rose Canton also resurfaced. Just before her death, she revealed the circumstances of Jennie and Todd's births. Alan and Molly were married, but soon separated by the JSA's banishment to Limbo. They were reunited two years later when the Justice Society returned to Earth.
[edit] Starheart
At one point in recent years the Starheart made Alan appear much younger, and he took the new name and costume, Sentinel. He encountered a mysterious new Harlequin (IV), who may have been a manifestation of the Starheart, which became malevolent. The Starheart was apparently destroyed and Alan's powers were diminished and he returned to his original uniform. Jade also lost her powers during this incident.
When the Justice Society reformed, Alan was there as always to anchor the team. One of their first major cases pitted Sentinel against his son, Obsidian, who had been seduced by dark forces. Alan was forced to beat Todd into retreat. It soon became obvious (and was confirmed by Dr. Mid-Nite) that Alan had become the living embodiment of the Starheart. Any changes to his age or powers are merely psychosomatic. Obsidian returned in alliance with Mordru and Eclipso. This time, Alan set things right and banished Todd's dark powers, perhaps for good. After this, Alan reclaimed the name Green Lantern. Todd was taken into D.E.O. custody and vowed to atone for his actions. The recent events involving his son have made Alan somewhat overbearing and overprotective of the JSA's other "children."
[edit] Infinite Crisis
During the great Crisis created by Alexander Luthor and Superboy-Prime, Alan and Jade followed Donna Troy into space to investigate a cosmic rift. When Luthor was defeated, the rift began collapsing and Jennie-Lynn was caught in one of the shock waves. Alan was on Thanagar when she lost her life. He learned afterwards that as she died, she returned the power once given to her by Kyle Rayner. Thus in a way, she continues to live on within Rayner.
When the rift collapsed for good, Alan and the remaining heroes were sent reeling through space and time. He and several others reemerged a week later on Earth. Alan was among the lucky ones, having only lost an eye. Alan then somehow gained Adam's right eye and lost his left eye completely.
His missing eye was later replaced by a portion of his daughter Jade's mystic green energy. After being put into a comatose state during an attack by the Gentleman Ghost, Jade appeared to him, told him goodbye and granted him another portion of her green energy. His missing eye is currently replaced by a green glowing orb that, due to its mystical origins and connection to Jade, allows him to track astral and mystical energy forms such as ghosts.
The JSA had also become a spectre of its former self, and its members became disillusioned about the team's effectiveness. This was underscored by the advent of Lex Luthor's Everyman technology, which awarded powers to a girl who adopted Jade's codename. Alan had to restrain Obsidian from accosting the girl.
[edit] Checkmate
Soon Alan was approached by the spy organization Checkmate, which was reorganizing under U.N. control. They invited Alan to become their White King, which he accepted. His time with Checkmate was brief.
Scott soon found himself in a moral conflict with Checkmate's Black Knight Sasha Bordeaux over the violent nature of Checkmate, particularly after Bordeaux and her team slaughtered dozens of Kobra operatives during a raid on a facility. Bordeaux contended that the ends justified the means, while Scott adhered to the principle that heroes should not kill unless absolutely necessary; Bordeaux responded to this by suggesting that Scott should resign. Concurrent with this internal conflict, Scott and "White Queen" Amanda Waller attempted to keep the organization from being discontinued by political forces.
Another JSA member, Mr. Terrific, succeeded him in the post.
Meanwhile, Alan was urged by the Justice League to re-establish the JSA as an organization that cares for the legacy of its heroes. When his time with Checkmate came to an end, Alan resumed an active role in the JSA.
[edit] Powers and Abilities
[edit] Powers
Starheart Empowerment: Alan controls the mystical power of the Starheart, an ancient artifact created by the Guardians of the Universe to contain the predominate amount of magic they had gathered in the universe. After the destruction of his ring by Extant, the long-term proximity to the energy has left him able to direct the green flame and its attendant constructs by sheer willpower alone. Green Lantern has extensive energy manipulation powers able to effect the entire spectrum including gravity, radiation, heat, light. Creating Solid objects allows him to make Simple weapons, entrapments devices, common geometric shapes, gigantic hands and simple containers. It has been discovered that Alan's body is composed entirely of green flame.
- Eternal Youth: The artifacts mystical properties also imbue Scott with seemingly eternal youth. His appearance of aging is only a magical manifestation of his will.
- Flight
- Phasing: through solid matter (described as the ability to “move through the 4th dimension”
- Hypnotize
- Blinding Light
- Energy Blasts: He can project energy blasts as fields of concussive force, flame, water or even ice.
- Heat Beams: able to melt down metal.
- Stun Beams
- Invisibility
- Danger Detection: Sense and reveal dangerous objects by causing them to glow
- Energy Constructs: ability to focus his will and create solid objects such as giant hands, walls and etc.
- Increased Strength: increase his strength and striking power by directing the construct into a weapon form. Alan tends to utilize archaic weaponry as his force modifier.
- Electromagnetic Scanning: Alan is able to detect most normal electromagnetic phenomena are within an Amazing range, including radio, television, infrared and ultraviolet.
- Power Duplication: He can use the power of the Starheart to duplicate the powers of other beings for short times, this allows him to keep up with the Flash, or have the lifting strength of Hippolyta.
- Spell Modification: He has the power to modify spells since the Starheart and its attendant energies are magical in nature.
- Force-Fields
- Energy Sheath: He seemed to have a relatively permanent personal force-field that protected him from bullets and the like (described as an “invulnerability to metal”). This life sustaining aura protects him from harm. He can generate a field of life sustaining atmosphere and protection from harmful radiation, even if he is unconscious.
- Telepathy: Occasionally to read minds or playback events
- Starheart Sight: allows him to track astral and mystical energy forms such as ghosts.
- Teleportation: on occasion but it seem to be energy intensive or otherwise difficult or he would use them more often.
[edit] Abilities
Engineering: engineer excelling in Repair/Tinkering
Expert Martial Artist
Businessman
[edit] Strength
- Class 100+ While using energy constructs
[edit] Weaknesses
Wood Flaw: The energy is ineffective against wood. Items made of wood cannot be lifted or broken by energy from the ring nor can barriers of emerald energy stop projectiles crafted from wood. By extension, things made of plant-matter could potentially disrupt his power and were not affected by the ring's power as much as other substances were (so if he fired a blast at, say, a giant mutant Venus fly trap, the blast wouldn't be quite as effective if he'd fired the exact same beam at a human being or a brick wall). Apparently, this vulnerability to wood was because the green flame was an incarnation of “green, growing things” and thus could not be turned against them.
[edit] Equipment
- Starheart Power Ring: Alan has formed a ring which acts as a focus for his powers.
[edit] Transportation
- Flight
- Teleportation
[edit] Weapons
- Starheart Lantern: nigh-indestructible, acted as energy source for his powers, the lantern was capable of absorbing energy as well and could be made invisible. currently depowered as its power has been internalized by Alan, mainly a keepsake now.
[edit] See Also
[edit] In Other Media
[edit] New Frontier
Alan Scott/Green Lantern appears as a member of the JSA in the opening credits of the animated film Justice League: The New Frontier.
[edit] Green Guardsman
In the Justice League animated series episode Legends, the producers used characters similar to the Golden Age Justice Society of America. The character Green Guardsman was the analog of Green Lantern. Green Guardsman's real name is Scott Mason and his ring is ineffective against anything made out of aluminum.
According to Bruce Timm, there were plans to use Scott and the other Justice Society of America characters in a crossover episode of Justice League, but copyright issues with DC prevented them from doing so (later, some characters traditionally associated with the JSA would have minor roles on the follow up series Justice League Unlimited, one of them apparently Scott's son Obsidian). Instead, a character similar to Alan Scott, the Green Guardsman, (voiced by William Katt), meant to be both an homage and parody of Alan Scott, appears in the first season episode Legends as part of the Justice Guild of America (JGA).
[edit] Notes
- Although this character was originally introduced during DC's Earth-Two era of publication, their existence following the events of the 1985-86 limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths remains intact. However, some elements of the character's Pre-Crisis history may have been altered or removed for Post-Crisis New Earth continuity, and should be considered apocryphal.
- The character of Green Lantern was created by graphic artist, Martin Nodell, under the pen name Mart Dellon.
- In the original, Golden Age version of Scott, the Starheart was from the Universe of Earth-One. Since the Crisis on Infinite Earths eliminated the Original Multiverse, it now comes from the same universe as he.
- One piece of retroactive continuity fills out Scott's early history: All-Star Squadron Annual #3 states that the JSA fought a being named Ian Karkull who imbued them with energy that retarded their aging, allowing Scott and many others (as well as their spouses) to remain active into the late 20th century without infirmity. The events of that incident also lead to his taking a leave of absence from the JSA, explaining why the character vanished from the roster for a time.
[edit] Trivia
- Alan Scott is left-handed.
- The original name for Alan Scott was Alan Ladd. This was intended to be a play on the name Aladdin, and not a reference to Silver Screen actor, Alan Ladd.
