Obsidian

Created by Roy Thomas & Jerry Ordway

+ History

Obsidian is the son of the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott. He and his twin sister, Jennie-Lynn (Jade), were conceived by Scott and a young woman named Alyx Florin. In truth, Florin suffered from multiple a personality disorder; she was also the former villainess, Rose Canton a.k.a. the Thorn. Not long after the twins were conceived, Rose left Alan without a word. She had the children in secret, left them up for adoption, and disappeared. Jennie and Todd were raised separately, by two sets of adoptive parents and did not meet until adolescence. He was raised in Wisconsin by adoptive parents, James & Shirley Rice. It was later revealed that Todd's adoptive father was abusive, which resulted in serious mental scars for Todd.

The twins found each other when their powers began to manifest. They eventually traced their parentage to Alan Scott and joined a group of up-and-coming Justice Society protégés. Alan was surprised to learn that he had two children, but they were denied membership in the JSA and formed their own group called Infinity, Inc. Soon after Jade and Obsidian's public debut, Thorn also resurfaced as a villain. (Inf.Inc. #13-14) Green Lantern entered the battle, which was joined by another of his former nemeses, the Harlequin (Molly Maynne; as an undercover member of the U.S. espionage community, Maynne had kept an eye on Thorn on her children for years).

During the melee, Thorn's good personality (Rose) briefly regained control. Rose stabbed herself to prevent the Thorn from killing her children. Before she died, she revealed that she was Alyx Florin, Alan Scott's former wife, and Jade and Obsidian's mother. The Harlequin also then revealed her true identity to them and professed her long unexpressed feelings for Alan. (Inf.Inc. Annual #1) Alan and Molly were soon engaged then married. They were happy to accept Jennie and Todd as their own children, and their bond has grown steadily since then.

He served with this group for its duration (Infinity, Inc. #1-53), then continued to partner with his sister. During his time with Infinity, Todd had a brief relationship with Marcie Cooper, who turned out to be the new Harlequin, a villainous agent of the Manhunters.

When Infinity disbanded, Jade and Obsidian stuck together for a while, encountering Superman (Superman v.2 #46) and running afoul of the mindboggling maze of Mister McEscher. (Showcase '93 #7)

He joined Wonder Woman's JLA after Zero Hour with fellow Infinitor and friend, Atom-Smasher) (JLA #0) During this emotionally volatile tenure, he learned more about his powers and was drawn towards his own darkness. (JLA #105) He also explored his own sexuality during this time (coming to no definitive conclusion). He and Nuklon stayed with the League until it was disbanded by the UN after a controversial Extreme Justice mission. (JLA: Incarnations #6)

The dark nature of Todd's powers began to affect him greatly. During his time with the JLA, he had been depressed, and his condition soon projected onto his abusive father, James Rice. He attacked Rice (JSA #5), who called the JSA. Todd had also fallen under the influence of Ian Karkull, who commanded him to black out an entire city. The pair routed the JSA, but Obsidian went on to overpower Karkull and enveloped the entire planet in darkness. (#7-8) Alan Scott eventually forced his son into retreat but believed that Todd might have died as well. (#9)

Jade soon sensed that her brother was alive (#21), but by then he had allied with another dark villain — the sorceror Mordru. These "Princes of Darkness" were joined by Eclipso and attacked the JSA once more. (#46) Obsidian was defeated once again when members of the JSA, aided by the Shade, ventured into the Shadowlands, the place from which Todd draws his power. (#48) Alan provided the final blow, using the power of his Starheart to strip Obsidian of his power, and thus, his evil tendencies (#50) Todd was now clear-headed and realized the evil he had done. He willingly submitted to custody by the D.E.O., which is headed by a former Infinitor, Mr. Bones. (#52)

Todd seems to have finally come to terms with his sexuality. He began a relationship with Damon Matthews, who is an assistant to Kate Spencer, Manhunter. (Manhunter v.3 #18)

 

In the DC/Marvel Amalgam universe cross-over (1996), Todd Gambit was called The Wraith.

 

+ Powers

Obsidian possesses the power of shadows. He does this by tapping into the dark energy of a dimension known as the Shadowlands. These shadows can be used to form solid constructs, or to instill fear. Unfortunately, the dark energy affects Todd's mental state as well. His connection to the Shadowlands has been severed, for now, by the magic of Green Lantern's Starheart power.

Appearances + References

 Green Lantern v.3 #86, 109
 Green Lantern/Sentinel: Heart of Darkness
#1-3
 JLA
#1
 JSA
#1, 5, 7-9, 46-52, Secret Files #2
 Justice League America
#0-113
 Showcase '93
#7
  Superman v.2 #46

SERIES

 Infinity, Inc., 53 issues (1984-88)

 Jade

 Green Lantern I

 JLA FAQ > Who's Gay?