Green Lantern I

The Starheart

Millennia ago, the Guardians of the Universe of Earth-One gathered up "the mystic force loose in the starways" and "locked it in the heart of a star, there to remain forever." Unknown to them, this Starheart then become sentient. It cast a portion of its magic energy to Earth-Two, where it was known as the Green Flame of Life. This aspect of the Starheart was intended to serve as a force for good. (Green Lantern vol. 2 #111–112, Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #7)

The Green Flame's path to Earth intersected that of Yalan Gur, Sector 2814's dragon-like agent from the Green Lantern Corps. Gur was one of the Guardians' favored, and they rewarded him by removing his power ring's weakness to yellow. But Yalan quickly became corrupted by power and attempted to dominate the people of China. They rose up against their oppressor with help from the Guardians, who altered the composition of his power battery and ring. Instead they made its power vulnerable to wood; this weakness would be vulnerable to "the sticks of peasants, the humblest of all weapons."

The wounded Green Lantern flew into Earth's atmosphere while cursing the Guardians, then he lost consciousness, fell back down, and burned on reentry. (Green Lantern vol. 3 #19) Note: This tale was a post-Crisis retcon that replaced the pre-Crisis Starheart as the source of Scott's power. The green meteor was Yalan Gur's own molten lantern, and the voice of the "Green Flame" was Yalan Gur's. It was also drawn by Alan Scott's co-creator, Martin Nodell! The next story reconciled the two.

Just then, Yalan Gur's body was struck by the Starheart fragment sent to Earth, which granted the dying Yalan Gur "absolution if not resurrection." (Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #7) The Starheart thus landed among the Chinese, appearing as a glowing green meteor, and had vulnerability to wood. There it proclaimed:

"Three times shall I flame green!
First — to bring death!
Second — to bring life!
Third — to bring power!"

A sorcerer named Chang retrieved the meteor and forged it into a lamp. Fearing that Chang's actions would anger the gods, his fellow villagers murdered the lamp maker, and in so doing fulfilled the Green Flame's first prophesy, "to bring death." (All-American Comics #16)

After this, the lantern passed through many hands, both good and evil, but it did not flame a second time, per the prophesy. (Secret Origins vol. 2 #18)

The First Green Lantern of Earth

It was also said of the green lantern, "to the bad, it brought destruction … to the good … luck and fortune." In the mid-1930s, the lamp was discovered in Asia by Spike Spalding and Ryan Patrick, who brought it to Gotham City, and it was left at Arkham Asylum. (Secret Origins vol. 2 #18) Note: These characters were inspired by Milton Caniff's "Terry and the Pirates."

In Arkham, a patient named Billings took to the lantern and refashioned it for a new age. Its power cured his madness and gave him a second lease on life — the Starheart's second prophesy, "to bring life." (All-American Comics #16)

In 1939, Billings' lantern was found by Alan Scott, a construction engineer. Alan was riding a train during a test run to gauge the effectiveness of "a newly-constructed trestle bridge." But his company had outbid a rival engineer, Albert Dekker, who planted explosives along the track with the intention of killing all aboard. Alan survived only because of the green lantern aboard the train — which he'd been holding at the moment of impact. The young engineer collapsed into unconsciousness as the magic lantern filled his mind with its story. Note: In one Golden Age story, Alan claimed that he'd been given the lantern by a group of Tibetan lamas. (Comic Cavalcade #13) This was a popular theme in this era, also popularized by the pulp hero the Green Lama.

At the lantern's mental direction, Alan fashioned a ring from it that allowed him to tap the meteor's great power — its third promise. Scott (perhaps influenced subconsciously by its history with the Guardians of the Universe) adopted the identity of Green Lantern. He fashioned a ring to channel the lantern's power, and at first used it to appear as an emerald phantom. He passed through the wall of Albert Dekker's quarters like a wraith saying, "I have the power of going through the Fourth Dimension." He was capable of deflecting bullets and knives when he was solid, but a blow from a wooden club dazed him. (All-American Comics #16, Secret Origins vol. 2 #18)

The new Green Lantern continued to walk through walls and deflect bullets. He also used the ring to create a wall of emerald force and melt steel but wood continued to defeat the hero. Scott demonstrated the ability to become intangible many times during his early years. (All-American Comics #17)

Later in 1940, after APEX radio announcer Jim Tellum was killed, Alan considered the dead man's profession. As a radio engineer, he figured he could get firsthand clues on his cases as the Green Lantern. APEX's assistant manager, Mister Gates, only brushed Alan aside but Scott befriended Irene Miller at the New York World's Fair. Irene worked at the station and was as determined to find the Tellum's killer — which turned out to be Gates. Alan's role in solving this case (and saving Irene's life) garnered the attention of the station manager, who rewarded Alan with a job. (#18–20)

In 1941, Irene Met cab driver Charles "Doiby (Derby)" Dickles. Dickles, whose nickname came from his signature hat. He protected her when they were ambushed by thieves. When Alan heard of Dickles' bravery, he approached the stout man as Green Lantern to offer thanks. Doiby stuck with the pair through their case and he even tried to impersonate the hero while confronting the bad guys. Afterwards, the Green Lantern left him a note: "I could use a good man like you to help me in my fight against evil — how about it?" (#27) Doiby Dickles was soon entrusted with Green Lantern's secret identity, after his mask was removed by crooks. (#35)

When an APEX announcer fell ill, Alan revealed hidden talents while filling in for him. The company president complemented him on his on-air manner, and appointed him to become an interviewer for a 'man on the street' program. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #2)

Alan served in the Army during World War II and upon his discharge in 1943, he seemed to drift from station to station: WXK (#10) then WCMG (#12), occasionally identified as a trouble shooter. Eventually he settled in at WXYZ, where Scott was known as a jack-of-all-trades. The manager, Mr. MacGillicuddy, told him he was "trying to do too many jobs at once… You're a good sound engineer — stick to that!"

Soon after, Alan was fired when he was framed in a scam involving a gang that used radios as listening posts. A fierce fight between Green Lantern and the thugs wrecked the WXYZ studio. Alan repaired its equipment, wrote copy for a news program and worked in the sound booth and as emcee on a new variety show. MacGillicuddy was so impressed he rehired Alan and made him General Manager. He was, "too valuable to lose. From now on, you can hold every job in the place if you want to!" (#20) Eventually Alan proposed a "Green Lantern broadcast" where he actually appeared as GL to address the public.

The Green Lantern was a popular character and was awarded features in other new magazines, including anthologies All-Star Comics (1940), and Comics Cavalcade (1942), and his own title, Green Lantern (1941).

The Justice Society of America

As founding member of America's first super-hero group, the Justice Society of America, Alan was instrumental in the United States' battles against Axis powers. The group formed a year before the attack on Pearl Harbor, in November of 1940, when he met his future best friend, Jay Garrick aka the Flash. (All-Star Comics #3)

In mid-1941, Green Lantern was elected chairman of the JSA. (#7) But after a challenging fight against the mystical Ian Karkull, he resigned and reduced his participation to honorary member status. Unknown to all the heroes present, when Karkull was destroyed, a shower of "temporal energy" granted them a measure of extra longevity. (All-Star Squadron Annual #3) Note: GL's exit from the team was due to the real world debut of the Green Lantern title. During wartime, DC editors were careful not to allow "overexposure" of characters who appeared in their own magazines.

He participated once as an honorary member, to battle the Time Trust. (All-Star Comics #10) but in America's darkest hour, he and other powerful heroes were incapacitated by Per Degaton. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he found that Premier Tojo, with the help of the Dragon King, had used the Holy Grail to extend a "Sphere of Influence" over Japanese territory — super-powered individuals could not enter it. (All-Star Squadron #4)

During the war Green Lantern was active in the All-Star Squadron, a great expansion of the Justice Society formed by President Roosevelt. (All-Star Squadron #20, 48, 60, Young All-Stars #2, 8, 9)

As the war ended, the Flash and Green Lantern participated one more time as honorary members (All-Star Comics #24), before returning to active status for the remainder of the group's Golden Age existence. (#25–57)

Super-Villains!

Like Superman, in his early cases Green Lantern seemed to waste his prodigious power fighting common gangsters. Where his magic ring could have easily ended a conflict, the Green Lantern was instead found using his fists, and struggling against simple restraints. For whatever reason, only a few real super-villains before the war's end. Even then, our hero was often found bound to a death-device, after being kayoed by some wood beam, and then not using his ring to free himself. C'est la Golden Age.

Six of the "Green Latrine's" adversaries joined with each other at some point, as members of the Injustice Society (most of its members were either GL's or the Flash's foes). They challenged the Justice Society as a team, and it's these villains who also led the longest careers. Some of these characters have become enduring and popular characters in the DC Universe.

The great, immortal Vandal Savage first appeared as an unassuming civilian, luring the Green Lantern to him so that he could ultimately meet with Alan Scott. Savage made an odd offer: to buy Alan's safe deposit box. He wanted the stocks within to become the chairman at a steel company. In truth, he was over 1 million years old! He began life as a Cro-Magnon chieftain who gained eternal youth from a falling meteor. Across the millennia he was known as Cheops of Egypt, Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, then advisor to many conquerors. Now he was bored and tried to conquer America. (Green Lantern #10) Savage became a founding member of the Injustice Society (All-Star Comics #37), but slipped back into obscurity for years, reemerging during the debut of the heroes of Earth-One. (The Flash vol. 1 #137)

Humble shop boy, Steve Sharpe, lost his chance at true love when his girl refused to go with him because his father and grandfather were notorious gamblers. His despair led him to leave domesticity behind and take up a colorful crime career as the Gambler. He disguised his age and donned a dapper late-19th century suit, tossing challenging clues at the Green Lantern. Instead of bullets, his derringer contained poison gas. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #12) He broke out of prison by impersonating Doiby Dickles and tried to launch a casino ship. (#20) He staged an elaborate scheme to profit from his own false death sentence, (#27) and apparently fell to his death (#30) which was of course temporary, as he returned having invented a giant deathly roulette wheel. (#35) He returned to the Injustice Society when they reformed to fight the JSA and the Justice League of Earth-One. (Justice League of America #123) Note: In his origin, it was clear that the Gambler was a younger man who only dressed older, but subsequent appearances depicted him as an older man.

Solomon Grundy was an undead monster, the corpse of Cyrus Gold who crawled from out of the quicksands of Slaughter Swamp. When he ran across some escaped inmates, he said that he was "born on Monday," which prompted one of the men to mention the nursery rhyme about "Solomon Grundy." The monster liked the name and adopted it, then became their leader when he demonstrated great strength. Grundy was a serious physical threat to Green Lantern; his organic makeup defied the ring's energies. When Grundy dropped Cyrus Gold's ring, Green Lantern deduced that he was the resurrection of the man who'd been murdered 50 years before. He managed to throw Grundy in front of a train, which destroyed him; but his form immediately began to regenerate from Slaughter Swamp. (All-American Comics #61) Note: The story of Solomon Grundy's first clash with Green Lantern was reinvented in a special one-shot, Green Lantern: Brightest Day, Blackest Night (2002).

Since Grundy was never truly 'alive,' he was brought back to life by a professor called the Baron of New York, who used "concentrated chlorophyll" to revive the beast. This gave him a vulnerability Green Lantern could exploit — he trapped him in a bubble to deprive Grundy of necessary oxygen. (Comic Cavalcade #13) He was freed by lightning and vengeance led him to take on the entire Justice Society. This time GL banished him to the moon. (All-Star Comics #33) Amazingly, he found a way back to Earth via an astronomer's telescope, only to be buried deep in the ground inside a green bullet-shaped casket. (Comic Cavalcade #24)

Paradoxically, Green Lantern had first met Solomon Grundy before the creature's genesis, because of the time manipulations of Per Degaton. Degaton took Grundy and other villains from various points in time to attack America on the day of the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor, in 1941. After this, he was returned to the moon in 1947. (Justice League of America #193, All-Star Squadron #1–3) There he remained until decades later, when a meteor brought him back to Earth to face Doctor Fate and Hourman. (Showcase #55)

"Crusher" Crock was known the best all-around sportsman, whose reputation for playing dirty led to a life of true crime. Dressed in sports gear and a mask, his antics drew the attention of Alan Scott. In battle with the Green Lantern, he apparently died. (All-American Comics #85) He returned twice more, as the Sportsmaster. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #28, All-American Comics #98)

European physicist, Dr. Joar Makent (later "Mahkent") came to America with his invention, a cold-generating ray. Makent faked his own death and used his device to freeze his ship solid. Then a new gang leader called the Icicle began terrorizing the town with that invention; he was ultimately unmasked and leapt to his apparent death. (All-American Comics #90) Alan Scott turned that case into a radio show, but the "actor" playing the Icicle turned out to be the real Makent! He kidnapped Scott and took him to the South American nation of Perumbia. The Lantern would have died in a volcano if Doiby hadn't followed him with his power lantern. (All-American Comics #92)

The Icicle joined the Injustice League along with the Sportsmaster. (All-Star Comics #41) He was one of the first Golden Age super-villains to reemerge in the new age of heroes. He joined others to form the multiversal Crime Champions. (Justice League of America #21)The Icicle was killed in the first great Crisis (Crisis #10), after which his son took up the identity of the Icicle II. (Infinity, Inc. #34)

Vandal Savage joined the first grouping of the Injustice Society (All-Star Comics #37); the Harlequin, Icicle and Sportsmaster all participated in its second. (All-Star Comics #41)

The Sky Pirate was a "terraphobe" who painted a blimp to look like a pirate ship, and raided Gotham City from above. He appeared to walk on air (via tightrope) and used gas-filled pistols. He was also faster and stronger at heights. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #27) He nearly succeeded in stealing an anti-gravity metal and using it to send GL into space. (Comic Cavalcade #25) Like Solomon Grundy, the Sky Pirate was plucked from his time by Per Degaton and pitted against the All-Star Squadron in 1941. (All-Star Squadron #1–3)

Knodar was the "last criminal of the 25th century." From the year 2547, he used a Time Catapult to visit 1947. He used the Magitron to commit crimes and make Alan Scott forget his alter ego. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #28) When he returned, he switched places in time with Green Lantern and attempted to best the "best criminal of the age," Jesse James, by robbing trains with fantastic devices. (#30) His "metal controller" was a formidable weapon, (All-American Comics #100) one he used again when he returned to the 20th century amid the time fluctuations of the Crisis. (Infinity, Inc. #23–24)

A bevy of other colorful characters appeared only during Green Lantern's early years (many of these were near the end of his title's run):

• The Lizard donned a green asbestos suit to commit arson. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #16)
• The fashionable and masked Fop transformed common criminals into "gentlemen" so as to pass among civil society — and rob them. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #25)
• The Fool used plasticine bubbles, lassos and a mini-plane to keep GL surprised and off balance. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #28, 31, Comic Cavalcade #27)
• Circus performer Cordani transformed his clubs into weapons as the Juggler. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #32)
• When cowboy Jim Jonas pretended to be a hero called White Star, Green Lantern was willing to make room for an ally, but Jonas was using the guise to cover up his own crimes. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #34)
• Gamma was actually a team of three men who used a cane that produced gas and a heat-based illusion to defy their opponents. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #35)
• Green Lantern made a guest appearance in a play called "The Red Domino" a villain by the same name burst onto the scene. This was a ruse by the enigmatic Dr. Cypher who almost succeeded in revealing GL's identity. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #36)
• The Trapper was an outdoorsman who used lumberjack and fishing tools to commit crimes. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #37)
• Mr. Paradox used a gem to hypnotize GL so that it seemed he was capable of the impossible. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #38)

Postwar

The Harlequin

The Harlequin was a villainess who was a special case, by far the Green Lantern's most frequently-recurring "foe." She came into his life in 1947 and began a flirtatious relationship with the hero, persistently calling him "darling" and "honey." Her secret was that she was actually Alan Scott's new secretary, Molly Maynne. (All-American #89)

The "gay, tantalizing" Harlequin appeared on a handful of All-American covers. She wore special spectacles (controlled by a button in her palm) that could create blinding magnesium flares, electric shock, and induce hypnosis. Her mandolin also had sturdy weaponized strings. She frequently tried schemes to get Green Lantern to marry her. (#91) Molly even admitted that her career as a "criminal" was just a ruse to get close to Green Lantern. (All-Star Comics #41) Molly was Alan's date at their friends' wedding inspired the Harlequin to propose marriage to Green Lantern. "Not in a million years!" he cried after which he managed to put her in jail but (convenient for her) without unmasking her. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #33)

More often than not, they wound up on the same side of a brawl and she would escape. (#93–95, Green Lantern #31) The Harlequin eventually publicly repented, and submitted to Green Lantern and the authorities. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #32) But she quickly "escaped" jail — because she was secretly a government agent known as H-9! She and GL were ordered to work together, but he was prevented form learning learn her civilian identity (or Molly's feelings for him). (Green Lantern vol. 1 #34–36, 38)

The Harlequin reappeared in Metropolis, appearing to stage a crime under the direction of her former Injustice Society cohort, the Sportsmaster (he was still angry about her betrayal). Superman "foiled" her, but she slipped away. Afterwards the Green Lantern arrived to explain that the Harlequin was working undercover for the law. (Superman Family #206)

Secret History: Rose and Thorn

Around the same time, the Flash clashed with a ruthless villainess called the Thorn, who was actually the evil alternate personality of kind-hearted botanist, Rose Canton. (Flash Comics #89, 96) During his third and final clash with the Thorn, the Flash finally realized that she and Rose were the same person, not sisters. After her defeat, Rose begged the Flash to lock her away, fearing she would become the Thorn again. The Flash appealed to the Justice Society and Green Lantern arranged to carry Rose to the Amazons' Transformation Island, where Wonder Woman hoped Amazonian training would enable Rose to "rid her of her Thorn side forever." (Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane #113) Note: The pages from Lois Lane #113 were unpublished leftovers from 1948. Dave Stepp believes it had been intended for Flash Comics #106. Roughs of the complete story appear in one of The Comics zines, by Robin Snyder.

Rose spent most of the next 20 years on Transformation Island, seemingly cured of her dual personality disorder. However, her fascination had turned to Green Lantern, despite having met him only briefly. (Infinity Inc. Annual #1)

Streak the Wonder Dog

As the popularity of super-heroes was waning in favor of humor and other types of comics, Green Lantern was awarded a furry new sidekick, Streak the Wonder Dog. The German shepherd belonged to Sara Dale, who was a counter-intelligence agent. She sent Streak to work with her brother, park ranger Luke. Streak followed Luke to Gotham City when Sara was kidnapped by Dr. Malorgo. Both Luke and the dog were shot up by gangsters, which drew the Green Lantern. Only Streak survived; he was taken in by Alan Scott to recover. The case led GL to find Sara and free her, with Streak's help, of course. Once free Sara had to return to her duties but she entrusted the enthusiastic dog to Alan Scott (per the Lantern's advice). Streak was not a talking dog but in the narrative, his thoughts are spelled out. (Green Lantern vol. 1 #30)

Streak then starred in his own featurette. Alan Scott appeared in each story, but didn't necessarily participate in the dog's adventures. Streak appeared without his master on the covers of Green Lantern #34, 36, and 38 (1948-49).

All-American Comics became All-American Western, changing formats with #103 (Nov. 1948; new western hero Johnny Thunder had taken over the cover several issues before). Green Lantern ended with #38 (May/June 1949) and Molly appeared in the final issues; Doiby less so. Green Lantern continued to appear regularly with the Justice Society in All-Star Comics until that title also went Western in early 1951.

The Silver Age

In 1963, Alan Scott resumed his Green Lantern identity to help the JSA and Earth-One's Flash battle Vandal Savage. (The Flash #137) Soon afterward, he and the rest of the JSA met Earth-One's Justice League of America (Justice League of America #21–22), encountered the Crime Syndicate of Earth-Three (#29–30), and clashed with Earth-One's evil Johnny Thunder. (#37–38)

By 1965, when he and Doiby Dickles teamed up with Hal Jordan to battle Krona (Green Lantern vol. 2 #40), Alan had become president of his company, which had expanded from radio to television and changed its name to the Gotham Broadcasting Company (GBC). (NOTE: Post-Crisis revisions (e.g., Secret Origins #50) retroactively assigned this name to the station in the '50s. He later acquired additional stations in New York and California that kept him from his home town for long stretches of time. (Batman: Gotham Knights #10)

Around this time, the Amazons decided that Rose Canton was now free of her evil alter ego, the Thorn, and Wonder Woman returned her to America. However, Rose was now obsessed with Alan Scott, whose true identity she had learned by overhearing Wonder Woman's conversations about the JSA. Disguising herself by dying her hair black and wearing glasses, she traveled to Gotham City and introduced herself to Scott as Alyx Florin. Since she had scarcely aged since 1948 (due to Paradise Island's mystical properties), Alan did not recognize her. The two fell in love and Alan proposed marriage. He even revealed his secret identity to her, unaware that "Alyx" already knew.

On their wedding night, her Thorn personality reasserted itself and she nearly killed Alan in his sleep. As she struggled for control of herself, she started a fire in their hotel room and then fled into the night, leaving Alan to assume she had died in the blaze. She took the name "Smith" and moved to a small town in Southern Wisconsin, where she learned she was pregnant. She gave birth to twins: a boy and a girl. But she feared that her Thorn identity would attempt to hurt the children, so Rose fled again, giving hers and Alan's twins up for adoption. They were named Jennie-Lynn Hayden and Todd Rice, and they knew nothing of each other or their real parents. (Infinity Inc. Annual #1)

Soon after "Alyx's" apparent death, Alan lost his best pal, Doiby Dickles, to Princess Ramia of the planet Myrg in Galaxy 882. Doiby met the Princess when she cast out into the universe for a husband, desperate to avoid an arranged marriage. Green Lantern intervened when her suitor, Prince Peril, pursued her to Earth. Doiby and Ramia's sudden and true love won out. Doiby traded his derby hat for a crown, and went to live on Myrg. (Green Lantern vol. 2 #45) 

Losing Alyx and Doiby left an emotional strain on Alan's judgment. After one particularly stressful evening in which his own apartment was robbed, he attempted to use his power ring to eliminate all evil on Earth. This only banished himself and the entire population of Earth-Two to Earth-One, although Alan finally reversed the situation with the help of Hal Jordan. (#61) 

Alan eventually paid the price for neglecting his cornerstone station. A half million dollars in debt, he lost control of Gotham Broadcasting. (All-Star Comics #64) It left him despondent and Green Lantern fell prey to the Psycho-Pirate, (#65) who caused him to rampage (#66) along with other members of the JSA, until Wildcat broke the spell. (#68)

Alan relocated to Keystone City (Green Lantern vol. 2 #108); he was humbled and accepted a position as a research assistant to Jay Garrick. (Infinity, Inc. Annual #1)

Around this time, Alan was confronted by Lo-Lanke, the immortal wife of his lantern's creator, Chang. She revealed that actually Chang's "servants perished at the first flame of the green fire, but he survived." Chang retained a small piece of the meteor which preserved him. When Alan's spirits were dimmed over the loss of GBC, he unwittingly enabled Chang's power to surface. In a final battle with Green Lantern, Chang was crushed to death by a huge tree; Lo-Lanke had never told her master that the emerald energy didn't work against wood. (Green Lantern vol. 2 #108–110)

Alan and Hal did not learn the original secret of the Starheart until Alan's lantern was stolen by an alien called Zalaz. Once he possessed it, he sacrificed himself to reanimate his love, M'La. They revealed that the green meteor was a creation of the Guardians of the universe. She in turn chose to return the energies to their source. (Green Lantern vol. 2 #111–112)

Note

The Super DC Calendar 1976 gave Alan Scott's birthday as October 2.

Infinity, Inc.: Jade and Obsidian

As they grew, Alan's children Jennie-Lynn and Todd developed super-human powers as a byproduct of the mystic Starheart. The siblings did not find one another until adolescence, but they were united by their powers and their desire to uncover their true parentage. They adopted the costumed identities of Jade and Obsidian and became founding members of Infinity, Inc. When he first encountered them, Alan hypothesized whether there might be some connection between his ring and Jade's power (and green skin). (Infinity, Inc. #1)

Under the influence of the sinister Stream of Ruthlessness, the JSA was turned evil. Alan tried to kill Jade and Obsidian. (#9–10) 

Alan decided to get back into the broadcasting game and formed a partnership with old friend Molly Maynne to purchase TV-18 and radio station KGLX in Los Angeles. Their professional relationship soon became a personal. (Infinity, Inc. Annual #1) Concurrently, Maynne resumed her guise as Harlequin, using her illusion-casting shades to make her appear younger. (#9)

She made a surprise, disruptive appearance at Infinity Inc.'s first press conference in Los Angeles (#12) and later confronted the Thorn, who had also resurfaced. All of this made Jade and Obsidian wonder if the Harlequin was their mother. (#18)

The Harlequin helped the Infinitors defeat the Thorn, but then Rose committed suicide to prevent the Thorn from taking control again. Alan and the children pieced together the truth about Alyx Florin, and verified that she was the mother of the twins. Only then did the Harlequin reveal her true identity as Molly Maynne — and Alan finally asked her to marry him (he also showed that he had been wearing a toupee to disguise his receding hairline!). Most of the Justice Society and Infinity attended their wedding, and Doiby Dickles returned from Myrg with his wife, Princess Ramia. (Infinity Inc. Annual #1, #21)

Alan and Molly had no children together.

Sentinel (Post-Crisis)

Alan and Molly's honeymoon was short-lived, as the Green Lantern and most of the Justice Society were cast into the timeless Limbo. (Last Days of the Justice Society #1) TV-18 thrived under Molly's guidance and years later, when the JSA was freed from Limbo (Armageddon: Inferno #4), Alan Scott was able to also reacquire Gotham Broadcasting too. (Justice Society of America #2)

Alan began to learn a lot more about the nature of the Starheart. To everyone's surprise, the entity restored Green Lantern's youth! (Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #5) Molly sensed some distance between them after this, especially as Alan doubled down on his super-hero career, and chose a new name and costume to become Sentinel. (Showcase '95 #1)

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. (Green Lantern/Sentinel: Hearts of Darkness)

At some point, the couple moved from Los Angeles to Gotham City. (Underworld Unleashed: Hell's Sentinel #1) In the aftermath of the city's massive earthquake, they relocated to Manhattan (Green Lantern Secret Files #2) and "moved what could be salvaged from his Gotham Broadcasting Company building into storage." (Green Lantern vol. 3 #110) He later changed the company's name to Scott Telecommunications. (Green Lantern Secret Files #2)

The JSA Returns

JSA

Whenever 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. (#7–9)

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 his original name, "Green Lantern." (#46–50) Todd was taken into D.E.O. custody and vowed to atone for his actions. (#52) These events made Alan somewhat overbearing toward, and overprotective of the JSA's other younger "children."

At a certain point it became obvious (and it was confirmed by Dr. Mid-Nite) that Alan had actually become the living embodiment of the Starheart. Any physical evidence of age or of waning power were literally psychosomatic creations. (JSA #26)

Infinite Crisis

During the second 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. (Rann-Thanagar War: Infinite Crisis Special)

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. (52 #4)

In this time the JSA became disorganized and its members became disillusioned about the team's effectiveness. This was underscored by the invention of Lex Luthor's Everyman technology. Luthor gave normal people super-powers and even formed a new Infinity, Inc. around them. Young Nicki Jones was awarded powers similar to Jade's and adopted her codename as well. Alan had to restrain Obsidian from accosting the girl. (#29)

Checkmate

When he resumed his duties, the legendary Green Lantern took up a new role. He was invited by his colleague, Mister Terrific to join the international espionage organization called Checkmate. Alan signed on only when Holt agreed to be his Bishop. (52 #25) Checkmate had been reorganizing under U.N. control, and Alan became their White King. (52 #46, Checkmate vol. 2 #1)

His time with Checkmate was brief; Alan had even admitted that his interest in the position was fueled by his desire to keep tabs on the organization. On a mission to China, he chose to follow his moral compass rather than his orders. When Checkmate's charter came up for renewal, he was not voted into another term as White King. Mister Terrific succeeded him in the role. (Checkmate vol. 2 #4–5)

Final Crisis

Once the dust from the "Infinite Crisis" had settled, the Justice Society's elders were urged by the Justice League to reestablish the JSA. They saw value in the institution for its ability to care for the legacy of the world's heroes. (Justice Society of America vol. 3 #1)

The JSA's perennial foe, Vandal Savage, returned from banishment in space with a special vengeance toward the Green Lantern. Faced with his own death, Savage chose Alan Scott as the target of his ultimate revenge. (JSA: Classified #10) Savage lured Alan to him using a creation who resembled his old friend, Wes Dodds (the Sandman). (#11) The ruse led Alan to Savage's lair, where the hero was trapped. (#12) Savage hoped to create a clone of Green Lantern to infiltrate the JSA, but Alan called in help from Checkmate. Blackhawk planes destroyed Vandal Savage's compound but the immortal escaped again. (#13)

During this period, Alan sometimes wore a new uniform that looked more like emerald armor. He enjoyed teaming with Obsidian against the menace of Gog. (Justice Society of America vol. 3 #14) Note: This costume was made famous by the version of Alan that appeared in Mark Waid and Alex Ross' Kingdom Come (1996). That story was eventually described as having taken place on Earth-22, and some of its characters traveled across time to meet the Justice Society of Earth-0.

The final year of the first Green Lantern began with an attack by Scythe, who surprised Alan with a weapon that crushed his neck and paralyzed him. (Justice Society of America vol. 3 #44) Despite his seeming immortality, his condition worsened. At the same time, a meteor fell to Earth that contained the body of ... Jade! (Justice League of America vol. 2 #44) Her return drew a fragment of the Starheart to Earth, which caused Alan's own fragment of the power to assert itself, and take control of legions of metahumans. The Justice League was forced to step in. (#45)

Members from both groups were attacked by Alan/the Starheart at its base on the dark side of the moon. (#46) After much struggle, the JLA and JSA suppressed the Starheart with the help of Jade, who extracted and contained its darkness from her father. Alan was restored to normal. (#48)

Afterwards, Alan Scott became a "sentinel of the Starheart," establishing a colony on the dark side of the moon that was a nexus for all magical beings and worlds. He became diplomat of sorts, and even signed a nonaggression pact with Mordru of Sorcerer's World. (Justice Society of America vol. 3 #43)

The Green Lantern's new status quo did not stand for long. A dark god called D'arken rose from beneath the JSA's new home in Monument City. (#53) In the end, Alan Scott chose to let go the reigns on the Starheart's dark power, directing it all toward D'arken. The god was defeated but Green Lantern was also destroyed in the process. The JSA pledged to rebuild. (#54)

This was the final issue of Justice Society of America, and after that the DC Comics universe was totally rebooted for its "New 52" initiative. In the New 52, Alan Scott was a young character who resided only on Earth-2.

New Earth-2

Post-Infinite Crisis

After the Infinite Crisis, the existence of parallel Earths was restored to the DC multiverse. There was again an Earth-2, where life seemed to have continued seamlessly from the place where the original Earth-Two had ceased (for the JSA's sake, the transition to post-Crisis continuity happens over Infinity, Inc. #18–24). This new Earth-2 universe had it's own Alan Scott, Jade and Obsidian.

This parallel world was first discovered by Power Girl. Like all Golden Age heroes, she had originated on Earth-Two. But unlike her team members, she subconsciously maintained this memory and connection, even after the multiverse became one. Power Girl found her way to the new Earth-2 but discovered that it already had its own Power Girl; she was devastated, truly an orphan in the multiverse. During this meeting, the Earth-2 Jade mentioned that her father was dead. (Justice Society of America vol. 3 #20)

When DC's New 52 reboot took effect, this version of Earth-2 was erased in favor of another new interpretation of DC's Golden Age heroes.

The Harlequin's Legacy

The second person to take the name "Harlequin" was the sometime-villain Duela Dent. Dent took many names, including Two-Face's Daughter and Joker's Daughter (claiming such parentage each time). (Batman Family #6) Duela confounded the original Robin many times before actually becoming a Teen Titan herself, under the name of Harlequin (II). (Teen Titans #46) She has always flopped back-and-forth between crime and heroism.

The third Harlequin was Marcie Cooper, granddaughter of the Golden Age Manhunter, Dan Richards. (Infinity, Inc. #14) As a youth, Marcie Cooper was recruited by the Grandmaster to join the galactic Manhunters, an alien band of androids originally created by the Guardians of the Universe. Her grandfather, not knowing about the Manhunters' new nefarious plan to invade Earth, encouraged her to join the group as he had years ago. The Manhunters gave her a job working at KGLX radio in Gotham City, alongside Molly Maynne Scott, the original Harlequin. Marcie began dating Northwind, and later Obsidian, both of Infinity, Inc., infiltrating the super-team from within.

When the Manhunters began their strike on Earth, Marcie stole Molly's illusion-casting spectacles, becoming Harlequin III. (#46) She failed to recruit Obsidian to the Manhunters, but killed her grandfather after he betrayed the Manhunters! Single-minded in her attempt to destroy Infinity, Inc., she joined Injustice, Unlimited and masterminded the assassination of Skyman. She used Solomon Grundy as her pawn in killing Skyman, but when the sometimes-kind Grundy realized what he had done, he savagely beat Marcie. She has not been heard from since.

Notes

William Moulton-Marston, the creator of Wonder Woman, penned a text piece for the quarterly Green Lantern #1 (Fall 1941) "Will Power is the Flame of the Green Lantern!", in which he instructs young readers how to overcome adversity and fear. The same issue contains a profile of the character's creators, Bill Finger and Martin Nodell.

In 1967, radio actor Ron Liss (who played Robin on the '40s Adventures of Superman radio show) adapted Alan Scott's origin from All-American Comics #16–17 as "The Official Adventures of the Green Lantern," one of three full-cast audio dramas on a record album called The Official Adventures of Aquaman, the Flash [and] Green Lantern. It was narrated by Jackson Beck, narrator of Adventures of Superman. The album was produced and directed by Herb Galewitz and released by MGM's Leo the Lion Records imprint (CH-1040). The story might have come onto Liss's radar because it had been recently reprinted by Jules Feiffer in The Great Comic Book Heroes (1965). 

In 2005, Simon and Schuster published two prose novels called Green Lantern: Sleepers, under their iBooks imprint. Book One stars Green Lantern Kyle Rayner in the present day, and Jennie-Lynn Hayden and Alan Scott also appear. This was written by Mike Baron, from a plot by Christopher Priest.

Book Two, by Priest and Michael Ahn, stars Alan Scott. It presents a greatly expanded version of Alan's origin, including his childhood as a scrappy orphan, how he became a railway engineer, his struggles after the train wreck (which saw him held legally responsible for the crash), and his first meetings with Irene Miller. The villain is Lord Malvolio, a peculiar Elizabethan-era Green Lantern who was introduced by Priest in Action Comics Weekly #632 (Dec. 1988). GraphicAudio subsequently adapted the book as an audio drama in 2011.

JSA writer Geoff Johns said Alan Scott: "Like Jay, he’s a mainstay in the DC Universe. He’ll be taking center stage in the last half of the year of Justice Society of America as he comes face-to-face with a new member he sees a lot of himself in Hawkman." (from Newsarama)

Powers

Alan Scott controls the great mystical power of the Starheart, an ancient magical artifact created by the Guardians of the Universe. (Green Lantern vol. 2 #111-112) On Earth, a fragment of the Starheart was originally fashioned into a lantern, then also into a ring that Scott uses to create hard light constructs and project fire-like plasma blasts. Much like the weapons of the Green Lantern Corps, the Starheart's power could be wielded for near-limitless uses. Often the ring's constructs looked as if they were aflame.

In his early days, he would frequently create walls of light, become immaterial, and had "immunity to metals." His ring needed to touch to its companion lantern once every 24 hours in order to "maintain its potency." If caught unaware, he was vulnerable to anything, such as gases or brute force.

Over time, the artifact's mystical properties also imbued Scott some measure of extended youth. Essentially, Alan's body became composed of the Green Flame. His appearance of aging is only a magical manifestation of his will. (JSA #26)

As the Harlequin, both Molly Maynne and Marcie Cooper wore special glasses that allowed them to hypnotize people and to create realistic illusions. Marcie also wielded a mandolin with an extending handle that could be used as a weapon.