Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a male comic superhero who features in DC Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Alan Ladd Wellington Scott
Alan Scott took a job as radio engineer at Apex Broadcasting Co. to be close to the source of news that would keep him alerted to criminal activity. His co-worker Irene Miller had recently inherited an estate and the racehorse Jersey Queen. He visited her and chased of the racketeer "Scars" Jorgin, who was trying to force her to sell the horse, worried it would beat his own star. That night "Scar"'s thugs tried to hobble the horse, but Green Lantern gave them a sound beating. "Scar" enlisted Irene's jealous cousin Gerald Davis, and he convinced her to enter Jersey Queen in a claiming race, where the losing horses could be bought. Queen lost and Davis bought her, so Alan Scott slugged him for tricking Irene. Geral entered the Queen in a number of races in which he won, making "Scar"'s horse Pegasus a bit of an underdog, and they planned on betting on Pegesus and sabotaging Jersey Queen. Green Lantern stole Queen from their stable, so they painted up another horse and entered him as Jersey Queen. "Scar" and his men broke into Irene's estate, and Green Lantern trapped them with a wall of light, blinding "Scar" and forcing him to sign a confession. Irene won the biug race with her horse, and thanked Green Lantern with a kiss. A pneumonia epidemic overwhelmed the city, and the hospitals ran out of serum because of misappropriations by Boss Filch and his ward heelers. Green Lantern confronted Filch, demanding he return the stolen money, but Filch was not easily shaken. to raise money for more serum GL shook down illegal gambing joints, giving their money to the Red Cross. He met with the wealthy and convinced them to donate more money, and beat up a charlatan who was posing as him asking for donations that he was keeping for himself. The money was raised for serum, which was being delivered by a plane, and when Filch's son caught pneumonia Green Lantern agreed to save the boy's life by flying to the plane before it reached the city in exchange for a confession. The boy lived, and Filch kept his word, implicating commissioner Merril as a co-conspirator, so GL busted up Merril's crew, and the hospitals got their money back. (Green Lantern v1 #1)
A series of fires hit the Third Street District slums, and arson was suspected, although the Daily Tattle blamed substandard construction and called for new modern structures to replace the buildings. Green Lantern investigated, and stopped a fire that broke out during his visit. Green Lantern rescued a fire inspector and a reporter from goons that tried to kill them after they had gathered evidence that the fires were the result of arson. Murker owned the tenements, and was responsible for the fires. He was working with Barton, the publisher of the Tattle to convince the government to buy the Third District at an exorbitant price. commissioner Grey was reluctant to comply, so Murker had his family kidnapped, and he agreed to buy up the tenements. Green Lantern got Murker to confess and reveal the location of the hostages by hanging him outside the window of a high-rise. Green Lantern rescued them and confronted Barton with the fire inspector and journalist he thought were dead, spooking him into revealing his role in the racket. Hop Harrigan's pal Tank said men were after him, and Hop saw him dragged away by athletic gentlemen. He hailed a cab driven by Doiby Dickles, and told him to follow in hot pursuit. A police officer pulled them over for speeding, and Hop pretended to be violently ill and on his way to the hospital. The police officer followed them following Tank, and when he realized they were lying about hop being sick he threw Hop and Doiby in jail. Green Lantern busted them out, telling Hop he was proud of the spy-buster, and they found Tank in a spa. Tank said he was on a health regiment under pressure from his girlfriend, and when he avoided treatment he got dragged in anyway. Hop was mortified to learn he hadn't been kidnapped, but Green Lantern just laughed. Apex sent Alan Scott to cover the news of South American country Landovo, and since Doiby was laid up from his cabbie job with a busted arm he accompanied Alan for a vacation. They arrived in the middle of a civil war, as foreign agents had stirred up rebels who wanted the democratic government replaced with a dictatorship. Green Lantern saved a boy from crossfire, and his grateful father, a rebel spy, gave him a tip when Doiby fell into enemy hands. Green Lantern rescued him, and Doiby knocked around his captors for saying he looked like a moron. GL put down the rebel army, and convinced them they were being manipulated by the foreigners, who were using them. Doiby ended up buying a cab because he didn't understand the exchange rate of the country, and Alan had a good laugh at his expense. (Green Lantern v1 #1)
Post-Crisis
Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
Speed Saunders sent a fax to Sentinel, Wildcat I, Flash I and Hippolyta to break the news of Sandman I’s death. Sentinel and his fellow JSA members passed the news on to several other heroes and asked them to come to the funeral. At Ted Knight’s request Sentinel showed Star-Spangled Kid II around a warehouse that housed JSA memorabilia. Sentinel had a hard time interesting the Kid in the JSA’s legacy until he mentioned the original Star-Spangled Kid and found that she was receptive to learning about her predecessor. (JSA Secret Files v1 #1) Sentinel was among the number of superheroes who attended the funeral of the original Sandman. As the service drew to a close the Sons of Anubis attacked the assembled heroes who defeated them. After the battle, the Scarab appeared and told the heroes that a threat to Earth’s existence was approaching, and they must reform the Justice Society of America to combat it. (JSA v1 #1) Sentinel and the newly reformed JSA found out why Scarab needed their help. A new Dr. Fate was about to be born, and Mordru was trying to locate and kill the Fate-Child. The JSA were charged with finding the child before Mordru. Sentinel traveled to Tibet with Sand and Hippolyta. They encountered and defeated the Sons of Anubis, but did not find the Fate-Child in Tibet. (JSA v1 #2) Mordu abducted the Fate-Child and defeated the JSA, but the battle lasted long enough for the Fate-Child to transform into Dr. Fate and trap Mordu inside his amulet. The JSA returned to their headquarters and named Sand their first chairman. (JSA v1 #4)
Sentinel used his powers to speed up the re-modeling job construction workers were doing to turn the former Dodds manor into the new JSA headquarters. Sentinel listened to Sand relate a recent adventure he had in Africa. (JSA v1 #5) Sentinel and the JSA had a press conference to officially announce the JSA’s reformation and the reopening of their headquarters and museum. Sentinel and the JSA then confronted Black Adam who was running amok in midtown Manhattan. Dr. Fate and Hourman III used their powers of time-travel to steal the thunder that created Black Adam from the past and used it to transform him back into his human alter ego Theo Adams in the present. The JSA then handed Adam over to Chase and the D.E.O. (JSA v1 #6) Jade called up Sentinel because she sensed something was wrong with Obsidian through her psychic connection to him. The JSA watched a news bulletin about a disturbance in Milwaukee, and Sentinel correctly guessed that his son Obsidian was the source of the trouble. The JSA immediately set off for Milwaukee and confronted Obsidian. Obsidian defeated the JSA and bound them all in shadows, except for Sentinel, who he sucked into the Shadowlands for Ian Karkull to deal with. (JSA v1 #7) Ian returned from the Shadowlands with Sentinel and James Rice in tow. Obsidian brought the Shadowlands to Milwaukee and it quickly spread across America. Sentinel tried to talk Obsidian out of his mad plan to merge Earth with the Shadowlands, but Obsidian just told his father he hated him and attacked. Sentinel used his powers to dispel the Shadowlands from Earth and weaken Obsidian. Obsidian began to fade away as the Shadowlands called him back home. Before he vanished he tried to drag Sentinel with him, but James Rice sacrificed himself to save Sentinel. Sentinel had to break the news to Jade that Obsidian had apparently died. (JSA v1 #9)
Post-Flashpoint
Following the Flashpoint, a new version of reality was created with a different history of events.
In 1936, Alan Scott was drafted into the United States Army Corps of Engineers and assigned to Project Crimson, an important mission to locate and harness the semi-mythical Crimson Flame, believed to be somewhere beneath the sea in the North Pacific. While a member of this project, he developed romantic feelings for fellow engineer Corporal John Michael Ladd. Ladd helped him understand what he was going through, and the pair began a romantic relationship. Late in the project, Ladd suggested Alan that they continue the relationship in a more real sense after the project completed. He put his own ring on Alan's finger and told him that he would like to stay with him after the mission and go off the radar, for good. Though he cared for Ladd, the idea scared Alan. The conversation was interrupted, however, by an eruption of crimson energy from beneath the sea. (DC Pride: Through the Years v1 #1) Johnny was then seemingly killed at the hands of the Crimson Flame. (Alan Scott: The Green Lantern v1 #1) When Johnny died, the nature of their relationship was revealed. Alan was discharged from the military and checked himself in to Arkham Asylum, hoping to 'cure' himself of his homosexuality. While he was in Arkham, he befriended a trans woman named Billie, who carved him a lantern as a gift. Billie was eventually lobotomized and, horrified, Alan lead a mass breakout of inmates from Arkham's 'Deviancy Wing', taking Billie's lantern with him. He fled to Colorado and became a train engineer, falling in love with a conductor named Jimmy Henton. (Alan Scott: The Green Lantern v1 #2)
On this particular evening, their romantic encounter would end in tragedy, however. The train would pass over a bridge that Alan designed; he recently outbid a rival engineer named Albert Dekker for that bridge contract, but a bomb exploded beneath the bridge derailing the train. Everyone on board was killed in the explosion—everyone but Alan Scott. When Alan woke up, he found Jimmy and all the passengers dead. Alan was close to death himself, but a green light emerged from Billie's lantern, healed his wounds and granted him the power of the Green Lantern. (Alan Scott: The Green Lantern v1 #2) With this fantastic new power under his command, Alan set out to find Albert Dekker—the man responsible for blowing up the bridge and killing Jimmy. Glowing like a green phantom, he phased through the walls of Dekker's office and made him see justice. After a revealing encounter with Jimmy's mother, Doris Henton, Alan promised her that he would continue to use that light, which she said was also in her son, to help people find their way through the darkness. Her words inspired the oath he would recite when he charged his ring on the Lantern. (Green Lantern 80th Anniversary 100-Page Super Spectacular v1 #1)
Overview
Personality and attributes
He would later adopt a new superhero identity for himself and went by the name of Sentinel. (Green Lantern Corps Quarterly v1 #6)
In this time, Irene came to be infatuated with the masked mystery man known as Green Lantern. (All-American Comics v1 #20)
Powers and abilities
Originally, Alan Scott was an ordinary human being with not special inherent powers or abilities. (All-American Comics v1 #16)
The ring permitted to Green Lantern to walk through obstacles as if was a ghost. (All-American Comics v1 #20)
He had the ability to travel through the Fourth Dimension thanks to the Starheart's power. (Alan Scott: The Green Lantern v1 #4) His mastery over this ability has evolved to the point where he can actually travel through time at will. (Alan Scott: The Green Lantern v1 #6)
The ring though was noted to hold a limited charge of power. Scott was able to charges his ring by touching it to a Starheart Lantern, which will give him full energy for 24 hours or until how heavily it runs out. (All-American Comics v1 #16)
Later on, he physically merged with his lantern and no longer needed to recharge it. (Green Lantern v2 #112)
After battling Ian Karkull, a unique form of radiation from the Shadowlands he was bathed in granted him eternal youth. (All-Star Squadron Annual v1 #3)
Scott used to be an employee at the Apex Broadcasting Company that was a news organisation that originally hosted radio shows. (All-American Comics v1 #20)
Notes
- The Alan Scott Green Lantern was created by Bill Finger and Martin Nodell where All-American Comics v1 #16 (July, 1940).
- In an interview, Nodell had said, "When I sent it in, I waited into the second week before I heard the word to come in. I was ushered into Mr. [Max] Gaines' office, publisher, and after sitting a long time and flipping through the pages of my presentation, he announced, "We like it!" And then, "Get to work!" I did the first five pages of an eight-page story, and then they called in Bill Finger to help. We worked on it for seven years [through 1947]."
Alternate Versions
- In Earth 2 v1 #1 (2012), an alternate version of Alan Scott was shown to inhabit the reborn Earth-2 in the reborn Multiverse. Alan Scott, media mogul, presented a documentary about Darkseid’s invasion of Earth 2, which raged for years and cost the lives of the Wonders of the World, Earth 2’s foremost protectors. Alan was on a flight to China and looked down from his flight as it passed over Italy, which was now a crater in the ground after the Darkseid War. Alan made a deal in Beijing to gain ownership of GBC’s satellites after negotiations with a client firm. He met his longterm boyfriend Sam Zhao in Hong Kong, and Zhao said he wanted to take him to the countryside, knowing that if Alan staid in the city he’d be continually distracted by business. Alan was pleased with the idea of a romantic excursion, and they left on a bullet train. Alan felt bad that their business ventures kept them apart for so long, and asked Zhao if he’d move his business to America so they could spend more time together. Alan produced a wedding ring and proposed, but at that moment the train was rocked by an explosion. Alan, burned and badly injured, crawled from the wreckage of the train when he was confronted by a green flame that spoke to him. The flame said he had been chosen, and healed his wounds, apologizing that it had been able to save him but not his lover Sam. The flame was the embodiment of Earth’s enemy and had chosen him as Earth’s champion because a threat was approaching that threatened the world’s survival. Alan asked why the Earth hadn’t chosen a champion when Apokolips invaded, and the flame replied that Superman was the suns champion, and the coming threat would make Darkseid and Apokolips look inconsequential. Alan Scott accepted the responsibility, and was empowered with the energy of the Green, becoming Green Lantern. The flame said he needed a personal object to focus his power, and Green Lantern chose the engagement ring he was about to give to Sam, which became the conduit of the Green. Green Lantern asked the flame about the champions that came before him, and the flame assured him he’d understand everything in time. Green Lantern’s first task was to uncover who caused the train crash that killed Sam, and the flame said its’ job was done, and he was now on his own. Lantern tended to the survivors and helped a rescue team bring them to safety. The dead were placed in bodybags, and Lantern knelt at Sam’s body, saying everything he did from that point on to help humanity would be to honor Sam’s memory.
In other media
Television
- In Stargirl, Alan Scott appeared in the setting of the live-action DC Universe television series where he was portrayed by an uncredited actor. It revealed in the second season that he came to be the father of twin brother and sisters that had to be given away for adoption.
Films
- In Justice League: The New Frontier, Alan Scott made a cameo appearance in the opening credits in the setting of the animated DC Universe film.
Video games
- In DC Universe Online, Alan Scott appeared in the setting of the MMORPG video game where he was voiced by actor Jason Phelps.
Appearances
- All-American Comics v1: (1940)
- Green Lantern v1:
- JSA v1:
- Earth-2 v1:
External Links
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