Sunday, April 21, 2013

ALAN SCOTT (GREEN LANTERN)


Origin

Alan Scott
Hundreds and hundreds of years ago, a mystical green meteor fell down toEarth after wandering the cosmos for millenia, pulsing with strange life. It fell in ancient China, after merging with the essence of an ancient Green Lanternnamed Yalan Gur. A mystic named Chang heard a voice inside the meteor prophesysing that it would act three times, once to bring death, once to bring life, and once to bring power. Chang carved it into a lamp, but other men in his village feared him and the meteor and tried to murder him. The mob was about to succeed, but green flames blasted from the lamp and killed them. After many years, it was taken to America and given to Billings, an insane patient of Arkham Asylum. Billings was fond of metalworking, and he remade the Chinese style lamp into an ornate railroad lantern. Light burst from the lantern and he was sane, completing the first two prophecies. As it turned out, the power within the Lantern was actually the Starheart, the gathered magical forces of the Earth-1 universe, bound together by the Guardians Of The Universe upon their decision to rid the stars of magic to pave the way for science to prevail. It was hidden in the heart of a star before becoming a sentient being. After many more years, the lantern got on a train with young railroad engineer Alan Scott on it. Scott picked up the lantern and held it. Then, as the train was passing over a bridge, it was revealed that Dekker, a business rival, had placed explosives on said bridge. The train derailed, and everyone except Scott died. As he awoke in the wreckage, the lantern told him-carve a ring from the base of the metal and allow it to touch its light. When he did, the ring was filled with the power of the Starheart. He was told that the ring was powered by his will and belief. Alan Scott left, punished Dekker, and became Green Lantern.

Creation

Alan Scott was created by Bill Finger and Martin Nodell.

Character Evolution

Golden Age: Earth Two

Green Lantern (Earth Two)
Scott was a founding member of the Justice Society Of America. Although, like Jay Garrick, he was old, the magics of the defeated foe of the JSA, Ian Karkull, kept him young and healthy even well into what should have been his older years. He fought evil in the JSA for many years. Scott had a sidekick named Doiby Dickles, and his base was in Gotham City. When not fighting crime, he worked for the Gotham Broadcasting Company, a company he eventually came to control. He actually became chairman of the JSA for a short time before giving the position to Hawkman. Suddenly, he and the rest of the JSA were transported to an another dimension, fighting Ragnarok for eternity as not to destroy the universe. However, the JSA came back after a few years.

Modern Age: New Earth

Green Lantern / Sentinel (New Earth)
Scott retired after a battle with Extant, where he was physically aged to where he would be without the ring. But then, for a time, Scott's body was merged with the Starheart, meaning he no longer required a ring and was, again, rejuvenated. He took the name Sentinel and helped found a new Justice Society Of America. But since, he was physically altered so he appeared older (he felt the apparent youth was alienating him from his older wife Molly), but still wore the ring solely by choice. Alan Scott continues fighting crime in the Justice Society as the Green Lantern. He returned to action in Gotham once, when an infamous "made of wood" copycat chain of murders occurred in Gotham City. He worked alongside Batman, and together, in the process of finding the killer, they fought the Irish mob. They found the killer, and it was revealed that he was the original killer's nobody grandson, inspired by the mark his grandfather left on Gotham .They took him down, but Scott felt responsible for both killers' psychotic actions, as in his heyday, he accidentally destroyed the original killer's shop, partially triggering his hatred of society.

Post-Flashpoint: Earth 2

Green Lantern (Earth-2)
After the Flashpoint event, Alan Scott is returned as a young media mogul in Earth 2. In this incarnation, He has a boyfriend named Samuel. The two decide to take a break from work by going on a trip to the countryside in Hong Kong. While inside the train, Alan Scott decides to propose to Sam; however, the train explodes before Sam can answer. It has also been confirmed that he will not wear a ring and will not have a lantern; he will be a "living lantern" so to speak.

Major Story Arcs

Modern Age: New Earth

Solly

Another odd adventure he shared with Batman and his old friend Ted Knight came when he was requested to help with saving an innocent incarnation of Solomon Grundy amicably called Solly, one that had saved civilians and Jack Knight himself from a massive blast. He was sent into the behemoth's mind and fought several Grundy incarnations until Ted himself entered the fray and helped Solly rest in peace, albeit setting the stage for Grundy's next resurrection. During this mission, he also confronted a mad bomber targeting Opal Citybuildings along with Jack and the O'Dares, and was unexpectedly saved by his old archenemy and Opal City lover, the Shade.

Underworld Unleashed

Alan faces longtime foe Solomon Grundy
During the Underworld Unleashed event, he was forced to come to terms with what his prolonged youth meant: his own wife, Molly Mayne, the Harlequin, sold her soul to rejuvenate herself and be closer physically with Scott. A force of superheroes gathered to reach Hell and free her soul, but in the process he fought his old foe Braidbriar Thorn, who used his wood weakness to force the Suicide Wood trees to crucify him; while he could have broken the branches, Scott refused to do so, as it would mean inflicting upon the souls inhabiting the trees the equivalent pain of ripping their arms off. This action calmed and exorcised the souls, and Scott was left free to combat Thorn and release his wife's soul. Shortly after this, he was aged to his true age, allowing him to spend more time in peace with his wife.

Checkmate

He was also for a brief time White King of the secret organization Checkmate. Tasked with having China lift its veto of the organization before a United Nations committee, Scott found a secret Chinese installation working in the development of meta-humans. Within, his cunning allowed him to smoke out a Kobra traitor and deliver him into the authorities. He then stated to the Chinese functionaries the installation would remain a secret as long as China lifted its ban on Checkmate. The Chinese reluctantly complied, but the U.S. government, annoyed at losing a chance of humiliating China at a global level, forced him to leave Checkmate, only giving him the chance to pick his successor. He immediately chose the second Mister Terrific and returned to the JSA position.

Final Crisis

He was later re-incorporated into the JSA and was one of the great heroes who resisted Darkseid's control of Earth during the Final Crisis, and helped form an army to combat the growing threat in the days before catastrophe struck by invoking Article X, a law passed by Franklin D. Roosevelt allowing for the drafting of superheroes. During the Gog crisis the JSA suffered, he stood with the old guard, disbelieving the godling's promises and ultimately facing his wrath by being forced to witness his daughter's dancing corpse, summoned by Gog to torment him.

Alan Scott is paralyzed

Alan Scott in his Kingdom Come Armor
Recently, after being taken over by the Starheart, he was seen in his Kingdom Come armor. During the events of Supertown, Alan assists the JSA in defending a terrorist attack onMonument Point. After engaging the super terrorist Scythe in combat Alan has his neck broken. He is later shown in a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida wearing a halo neck brace and paralyzed from the waist down. Alan however was able to channel enough will power into his ring to send himself to the moon and into the Emerald City and was able to outfit himself with a new type of armor reflecting a living lantern. In doing so he was able to keep his body in a constant healing state and became more powerful than ever and was able to defeat Scythe in their rematch. Alan has admitted that until his neck fully heals it is unknown what his mobility will be afterwards but intends to continue being a very active member of the Justice Society despite his handicap.

In the future

Sometime in the 31st century Alan Scott and Blue Devil are seen encased in stone. It is unknown at what point they were placed within the wall or who placed them there, though it can be deduced that they were in great agony when placed within the stone wall. They can be seen surrounding the White Witch's thrown, now calling herself the Black Witch.

Post-Flashpoint: Earth 2 (DC new 52)

Solomon Grundy, Avatar of the Grey

Alan's new look.
After the explosion of the train Alan is the only known survivor. While looking for his lost lover who is presumed dead he is visited by the mystical green starheart. It tells him that he is chosen to be the Avatar of the Green. At first he declines but eventually decides to take up the power and is transformed into The Green Lantern. Over in Washington D.C. a new threat arises calling himself Solomon Grundy, Avatar of the Grey. Grundy challenges Alan to fight and will destroy every city on the planet if he refuses. Alan has made his way towards Grundy who he sees fighting Hawkgirl and Jay Garrick.
In order to save the world, Alan decides to enter the Grey to find out how to defeat Grundy. The Grey reveals that the Earth is doomed, and that they have decided to put all their power into Grundy to destroy it. They offer to bring back Sam for Alan, which works for a short time. However, Alan soon realizes that they can't really bring him back, and he returns to Earth to defeat Grundy, which he does by flying Grundy up to the outer atmosphere and throwing him on to the moon. When he returns, Jay and Hawkgirl offer to form a new Trinity, but he turns them down, saying that he can save the world on his own.

Powers and Abilities

Equipment

Starheart Power Ring

Alan Scott possesses powers quite comparable to a Green Lantern of the Green Lantern Corps, although what fuels his ring is vastly different; he receives power from the magical force called the Starheart, once accommodated within the Lantern rather than through the Green Lanterns' Power Batteries and since contained within his own body. The ring grants many punctilious abilities, such as wingless flight, super human speed, energy blasts, et al. The ring can also actualize any objects Scott can visualize through will power and concentration, e.g. over sized human hands, force fields, or even devices with complex moving parts like automobiles or airplanes. The ring is capable of translating languages, illuminating traps, the creation of probes to seek out specific people or objects, repairing physical damage, or analyzing a potential threat. Using the power of the Starheart, Scott is able to move through the 4th Dimension and pass through solid matter. He can detect disturbances in the electromagnetic spectrum and can modify cast spells because of the Starheart’s connection to magic. Alan has shown the ability to teleport on multiple occasions, also teleporting other people with him. His ring is powered by his will, faith, and the mystical energies of the Starheart.

Weakness

But, sadly like every superhero his powers have a weakness. The weakness of his ring was discovered by a small time business owner who watched as he was beaten by the Sportsmaster, knocked out by a simple wooden baseball bat, meaning wood is his weakness. A new criminal found out during that sad display in front of a convenience store. That criminal was later known as the "Made of Wood" killer and as years passed his grandson took the part of the killer. Fortunately for Scott, Batman was there to save him the second time.

Characteristics:

  • Height: 6'
  • Weight: 201 lbs.
  • Hair: Blond
  • Eyes: Blue

Alternate Versions

JSA: The Unholy Three

In this universe Alan is a post WWII agent called the Lantern. His ring was used to tell truth from lies. A rogue Superman destroyed the ring and Alan's hand.

Green Lantern: Evil's Might

Alan is the young leader of the Bowery Greens. He stole a magic green gem and later on stole Kyle Rayner's ring. In the final showdown Alan is absorbed into Kyle's ring.

Superman: Red Son

Alan Scott is a member of the Green Lantern Marine Corps.

The Golden Age

The House Un-American Activities Committee is investigating alan Scott due to his refusal to turn in employees suspected of communist activities.

Kingdom Come

Kingdom Come
Alan is the only Green Lantern of Earth in this alternate future. From his base of operations new Oa Alan protects Earth from alien attacks. he joins Superman's new Justice League. At the end of Kingdom Come Alan is shown as the UN ambassador to New Oa.

Other Media

Television

Justice League

In the two part episode "Legends", John Stewart and a few other members of the Justice League visit another universe and meet the superhero team the Justice Guild of America(a team based off of the JSA). One of the members of the Justice Guild, Green Guardsman, is an homage to Alan Scott. Green Guardsman was voiced by William Katt.

Batman Brave and the Bold

Alan Scott is voiced by Corey Burton and appears in the episode "Crisis: 22,300 Miles Above Earth!"

Green Lantern: The Animated Series

Although Alan Scott has not appeared on the show, his character was alluded to in the season one episode "Steam Lantern." When Hal Jordan is blasted into a parallel universe by the Anti-Monitor, he encounters a steam-punk world with its own Steam Lantern. The Steam Lantern recalls his first encounter with a Green Lantern, who he describes as wearing "a red shirt and a cape." Hal Jordan is unaware of the identity of this GL.

Novels

Green Lantern: Sleepers Book Two

Book Two of the popular Sleepers series stars the original Green Lantern, Alan Scott. It begins by disclosing origins of the first Green Lantern and reveals how he came to have his power ring and how he uses his powers to fight evil. In this installment, Scott enters World War II to fight a 17th-century supervillain named Malvolio, an anti-Green Lantern who wants to take over the world. Malvolio decides to cut a deal with Hitler that endangers the entire Allied campaign in Europe and the Pacific. Not one to think small, he is determined to eliminate the entire Green Lantern Corps, destroy Earth, and decimate all other worlds that have ever had the protection of a Green Lantern.
  • Written By: Christopher J. Priest
  • Publisher: iBooks (April, 2007)
  • ISBN-10: 1596871350
  • ISBN-13: 978-1596871359

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