A Question Re: Alan Scott

Question for the project I’m working on, but what exactly different Alan Scott’s ring and the rest of the Green Lanterns? Like, I know his doesn’t work on wood instead of yellow, but I also heard it once belonged to a rogue Lantern so the Guardians changed the weakness, while others say that it’s actually an entity called the Starheart. Is Scott even a member of the Corps? Or his own free agent with a similar ability?

1 Like

I’m no Lantern expert, but as I understand it…

I’m an alternate dimension, the Guardians of the Universe gather up all the magic in the universe and wadded it up into a single ball and hurled it as a comet going through space. Somehow this meteor ended up switching to our dimension and crashing to Earth. Some guy found it and carved the meteor stone that was this magical Starheart into the shape of a Lantern which eventually would up on a train with Alan Scott. The train crashed and Alan Scott and the Lantern were the only thing that survived. Scott harnessed the power of the Lantern to find those responsible for derailing the train and after that became a superhero. He has never been a member of the Green Lantern Corps and his powers are magically based rather than science based.

Then there’s the whole earth one and earth two stuff to talk about plus likely changes via reboots plus the real chance I’m confused on everything. I’ll let a real Lantern expert take it from there.

3 Likes

Okay, here’s Alan’s origin: an asteroid fell from space and had telepathic green fire in it which told Scott to forge a ring using it. Therefore, he is not a part of the corps, and his ring is allergic to wood, not the color yellow. This green flame was later retconned into being an evil alien that the guardians couldn’t keep control of, so it was blasted off (like Team Rocket) into space, and landed on earth. The ring that he uses can make somewhat weaker constructs than a corps-affiliated Green Lantern, but he can also use it to paralyze enemies and phase through walls (at least in the Golden and Silver Age).

2 Likes

Sorry if it sounds like I’m being sarcastic, but that’s his actual origin story.

1 Like

I think BatWatch covered the (unnecessarily convoluted) backstory. In terms of capabilities, it has some properties in common with a normal Green Lantern ring, but Post-Crisis it seems to be more powerful and magical in nature. Alan Scott himself is not a member of the Corps.

3 Likes

@Batwing I didn’t think you were being sarcastic at all. Comics are weird.

2 Likes

@CaptThunder001
Hey, that’s why I love ‘em.

2 Likes

So does that mean his ring ISN’T powered by will?
Also, if he came into contact with a Blue Lantern, would the rings not become supercharged?

1 Like

@CaptThunder001
His ring isn’t powered by will for certain. As for your question about Blue Lanterns, I have no clue, but I would imagine not.

2 Likes

Is Alan Scott even in the same universe with the rest of the Lantern Corps. The New 52 put him back into Earth 2 where Darkseid was the main threat. Has anything recombined universes since then or has Alan Scott migrated over.

I believe Doomsday Clock stated that Doctor Manhattan meddled with his origin, so he never received the lantern or ring.

2 Likes

Oh man this thread is starting to give me a headache…

5 Likes

@Batwing and BatWatch As I understand it, his history goes something like this:

  1. Alan Scott is the first Green Lantern, created during the Golden Age.
  2. Green Lantern gets rebooted into space cop Hal Jordan during the Silver Age, so Alan and the rest of the JSA are placed on Earth-2 instead.
  3. Crisis on Infinite Earths happens. All histories are merged into one, with Alan and the JSA being heroes who operated during WWII.
  4. LOTS of retcons are piled onto Alan to explain his powers post-Crisis (this is my main point of confusion/where I’m looking for clarification)
  5. Flashpoint reboots the universe. Alan and the JSA are back on Earth-2, with Alan now an avatar of the Green.
  6. Doomsday Clock reveals that Alan Scott DID exist on the main DC Earth, but Doc Manhattan prevented him from becoming Green Lantern for the lolz, so the JSA never formed.

My question’s more “what’s the story behind Alan’s powers Post-Crisis but Pre-New 52?” (Sorry I wasn’t clearer about that in the original post)

3 Likes

Right, that’s what I kinda figured you were asking. Alan Scott’s ring is the Hawkman of jewelry. And much like Hawkman, I gave up trying to understand after a certain point. I’ll try to look it up when I have some time, assuming nobody’s provided a clearer answer by then.

4 Likes

@BatJamags
I love Alan Scott as a character (in JSA: The Golden Age, New 52, etc.), but his origin story is MIND BENDING. But (hot take) he is a better character than Hawkman by far.

3 Likes

Also, at some point in the 90s or 2000s, Alan was de-aged and started using the name Sentinel. His daughter Jennifer-Lynn Hayden (aka Jade) has the same powers as him (but without a ring) and dated Kyle Rayner for a while, so Alan became a mentor to him despite not being part of the (then defunct) GLC. By the time JSA launched, he was back to being Green Lantern and had re-aged.

1 Like

OK, according to DC Database, the Starheart was a prison for mystical energy created by the Guardians. A chunk of it crashed as a meteor and was forged into a lantern that found its way to Alan Scott, who fashioned a ring out of it. As far as I can tell, it doesn’t actually channel Willpower like a normal GL ring, but functions similarly aside from a few extra powers like phasing. Somehow, the Starheart’s power merged into Alan, who became a living embodiment of magical energy. His powers are as vague as any magic-themed character’s, but include the usual GL suite plus hypnosis, immortality, invisibility, phasing, superhuman strength, and teleportation. Basically, he’s pretty hardcore.

1 Like

Thanks everyone!