Alan Scott The First Green Lanterns Comic Origins Explained

Alan Scott, The First Green Lantern’s Comic Origins Explained

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While Alan Scott was DC Comic’s first Green Lantern, he’s quite different from other Lanterns, and may just be one of DC’s most important heroes ever

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Alan Scott The First Green Lanterns Comic Origins Explained

It’s just been reported that HBO Max’s Green Lanterns series will feature quite a few different Lanterns, including Alan Scott, the very first Green Lantern to exist in the DC Comics Universe. However, Alan Scott’s Green Lantern is a much different Lantern than that of his counterparts, so his inclusion in the series is of particular interest for DC fans.

There’s a handful of other reasons why Alan Scott is noteworthy as well and could use some explanation. Who is Alan Scott, DC’s first Green Lantern, and how is he quite possibly one of the most important DC heroes to have ever existed?

The Origin of The First Green Lantern, Alan Scott

Alan Scott The First Green Lanterns Comic Origins Explained

Alan Scott’s Green Lantern was originally a creation of Martin Nodell, first appearing in All-American Comics #16 back in 1940. After his debut in that series, Nodell’s new character garnered enough positive reception to warrant his own Green Lantern comic run. In his origin, Scott was a simple train engineer who is saved from what would have been a fatal train accident by a magical green engineer’s lantern. The lantern’s metal was made from a fallen meteorite that had fallen thousands of years ago in China. The spirit within the meteorite, known as the Starheart, prophesied that it would bring death, life, and power. With the first two having already been completed by the time the lantern falls into Scott’s hands, the lantern gives the young manpower, fashioning a ring for him to wield, and the first Green Lantern was born.

Around this same time, DC Comics had just begun exploring the possibilities of crossovers between their characters and series. Given Green Lantern’s popularity, Alan Scott soon became the second chairman of the Justice Society of America, one of the first superhero teams in the comic book industry. Other members included Jay Garrick (the original Flash), Doctor Fate, Hour-Man, Spectre, Sandman, Atom, and Hawkman.

Over time, the DC Multiverse would be created and many of these characters in the JSA would become the heroes of an alternate Earth, while new characters took on their roles in the Silver Age of DC Comics. For example, Barry Allen became the new Flash of Earth-1, while Jay Garrick became the Flash of Earth-2. This same was true for Alan Scott, though his Earth-1 replacement Hal Jordan also got a brand new origin, involving a dying alien giving Jordan his ring, and subsequently becoming inducted into a cosmic police force tasked with protecting the galaxy at large known as the Green Lantern Corps.

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Alan Scott’s Green Lantern Works Differently

Alan Scott The First Green Lanterns Comic Origins Explained

Crisis on Infinite Earths made the attempt to simplify things, and the JSA and their Justice League counterparts were now all on the same Earth, with the JSA being the heroes of the past during WWII, while the Justice League were the heroes of the modern era. Even so, Alan Scott’s origin did not change, and he was still not connected or a part of the Green Lantern Corps, or the Guardians of Oa who led them.

While an officer of the Green Lantern Corps wields the green energy of willpower contained within their lantern power batteries based in the emotional spectrum, Scott’s light and power are depicted as being more magical in nature. However, attempts have been made over the years to retcon his origins, in order to make them fit just a little bit better, most notably from Geoff Johns. Apparently, the spirit known as the Starheart used to be an experimental weapon that the Guardians of Oa were unable to contain. As it made its way to Earth in the form of a meteorite to one day save Scott, it must have taken some inspiration from the Corps, seemingly influencing Scott to take the name Green Lantern. While Scott has used his ring’s power to create constructs and beams of energy like the standard galactic Lanterns, his power is more often than not seen as a powerful green flame. Oddly enough, his ring’s only weakness was wood.

How Earth-2’s Version of Alan Scott Made History

Alan Scott The First Green Lanterns Comic Origins Explained

When DC’s New 52 initiative rebooted the DC Multiverse after the events of Flashpoint, there were several things that weren’t the same or were missing completely. One such element that was gone was the existence of the JSA altogether. In the new DC timeline, the Justice League were the first heroes to emerge in the world, only 5 years prior to when the New 52 begins. However, the New 52 did run a series titled Earth-2, which featured the members of the JSA in the modern era. Remarkably, Alan Scott got a major retcon to his sexuality, where he was revealed to have come out as openly gay.

While this reveal was in 2012, future comics featuring Scott and current iterations have held true to this retcon, even in stories featuring the JSA in the past. Given that the JSA was operating during the 1940s it would have been much harder for Alan to be as open about his sexuality, considering that before the 1960s, acts of homosexuality were treated as felonies punishable by imprisonment. This was a historic move on DC Comics’ part, one that was generally lauded as a positive and progressive move on the part of the publisher, and will be a featured element for Scott’s character in the upcoming HBO Max series.

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Alan Scott Might Be DC’s Most Important Hero

Thanks to the recent Doomsday Clock Watchmen/DC crossover story, it was revealed that Doctor Manhattan was responsible for the changes made to the DC Universe after Flashpoint and the New 52, including the non-existence of the JSA in the past and the Legion of Superheroes in the future. The reason for Manhattan’s manipulations was revealed to be the result of his experimentations on the DC Universe, as he noted its pivotal nature in the Multiverse at large. Calling it the Metaverse, Manhattan tried to effect the life of Superman, who was in effect a constant in the DC Universe despite changes he made.

One very large change he made was moving the magic lantern 6 inches out of Scott’s reach in the past, resulting in his death during the train accident, rather than becoming the Green Lantern he was meant to be. This created a ripple effect in the DC Universe, ensuring that the JSA would never be formed, and Superman would never have heroes prior to himself to take inspiration from. Doomsday Clock was also penned by Geoff Johns, who implies that without Alan Scott’s Green Lantern, the DC Universe would have likewise never become what it was meant to be, making Scott an incredibly crucial hero as a result. At Doomsday Clock’s end, Manhattan remedies many of the changes he made, including moving the lantern back into Scott’s reach, thereby restoring his and his team’s place in the DC Universe, and correcting the imbalance the DC Universe had long been suffering through.

All in all, Alan Scott should be an incredibly interesting and dynamic addition to the Green Lantern series, regardless of how unconventional his lantern and ring might be. If any hero knows what it’s like to stand out and be somewhat against the grain, it’s Green Lantern Alan Scott, one of the most important and oldest heroes in the entire DC Universe.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/green-lantern-first-alan-scott-comic-origin-explained/

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