It’s not so easy to do a topic on Alan Scott, the Original, Golden Age Green Lantern
First of all
There are very few issues from the Golden Age, that contain the character, in our Library, aside from All Star Comics
And Golden Age stories didn’t usually have much depth.
Recently, Alan has gotten some coverage
Since Superman is no longer in canon as being active in the 1940s
Alan Scott is now portrayed as the
“Big Gun”
The powerhouse of that era
And since
The New 52
Earth 2 series
And in more recent stories in the
Main DC Universe
His LGBT+ background has been explored
What are your thoughts on Alan Scott?
Any favorite stories with Alan Scott in them?
I’m excited to follow this topic. Alan Scott is one character I don’t know as much about as I’d like it. My first real exposure to him was in the New 52 Earth-2 comics, which was a very different version. I did like him a lot in the Infinite Frontier series.
Here are the main
Golden Age titles in our library
Containing Alan Scott
Some links on the creation of
Alan Scott
The Golden Age Green Lantern are given below
Although
Martin Nodell and Bill Finger (co creator of Batman with Bob Kane)
Are listed as Co Creators of
Alan Scott
It seems Nodell was the major creator, with Bill simply being the writer for the first stories
Nodell said the idea came from two sources
A New York City subway worker, waving a green lantern, to signal “All Clear” during a train slowdown.
The major influence was
Aladdin
And his Golden Lamp.
Nodell wisely ditched the Genie aspect,
Which had already been used in Johnny Thunder in Flash Comics six months earlier.
In fact
Alan Ladd was considered for the name of the character,
Before the movie actor became famous
Alan Scott is a character I have always been interested in, even before he became an LGBT+ character. I used to read Justice Society and loved his character. I will be back to comment once I have gotten to read All-American Comics. One of the reasons I have been drawn to him was his children. It was one of the few characters that felt like real life family in the DCU. I miss it a bit.
Thanks for posting
I certainly agree that Alan having kids made him relateable
And certainly he seems to care about them now
When Infinity Inc first appeared Roy and Danni Thomas had the parents reject even the idea of them becoming super heroes.
Part of it was to create drama
Part of it was to give emphasis to the new characters, without pages of the JSA training and interacting with them
Also Roy and Danni wanted the increased revenue of creating new characters in terms of comic book sales and outside media representation.
And now Jade and Obsidian are on Stargirl
I am relying on memory alone but I don’t remember Alan spending much time with his kids
He of course didn’t know he had any kids since Rose left him after a brief marriage and they were adopted into separate households
A short time later
Crisis on Infinite Earth occurred
The JSA were sent off to do eternal battle to stop the end of the world.
Jade later appeared more separate from the JSA in titles like the Outsiders
Obsidian had much more interaction with the JSA when they eventually return
But I don’t remember much interaction between father and son
I also remember Todd being evil for a time
If you could point out any issues
Where the family bonded pre the 2020s
I would greatly appreciate
I like the idea of family in the DC Universe much. I miss Rebirth Superman with Clark Lois and ten year old Jon being a great family
Forgive me for not trying to do the research on Alan, Todd and Jen myself
I am just not up to it.
Some more Golden Age Green Lantern Links
Alfred Bester was a Science Fiction writer, famous for The Stars My Destination and The Demolished Man. He wrote Green Lantern in the 1940s and created Solomon Grundy and Vandal Savage. He did NOT create the famous Green Lantern Oath - “In brightest day, in blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight. Beware my power, Green Lantern’s light!”
Golden Age Green Lantern Reprints Available
Alan Scott Comic Books Chronology (including All Star Squadron)
Origin of the Green Lantern Itself
It was this almost lack of interaction as a family that I actually enjoyed. I read JSA during parts of Obsidian being there and read a lot of Outsiders. They often talked about being his child, but it always came off that they were mainly estranged from him. Then suddenly as we get closer to the more recent stuff, it is like he is almost father of the year instead. I liked the estrangement, it reflected a part of reality to me that I was not seeing elsewhere, outside of the fact most superheroes had a Ma and Pa Kent type of character. This, however, was different. There are different ways that family looks and this was a more accurate representation to me or at least spoke to me and my experience the best with the family term.
Thank you for clarrifying
I never felt at ease with my own family.
I was smart but shy. I felt I was an embarrassment to all
Even my mom, who I took care of in her last 5 years of her life, I never felt unconditional love
Now all are gone except my sister, who tried to put me away a half hour away from her home, SC where I live in NYC
Like my mother lied when she talked to her, I don’t tell my sister much about my limited walking abilities, because she screams at me when I do.
Two of my favorite friends died last year. I miss them a lot.
The few remaining I talk on the phone rarely. I don’t have much to say and don’t want to bother them, much like Elemental Girl in Sandman
So DC University Community is what I have left.
Thanks again for sharing
Turok, this is why I love comics because we can see ourselves in certain representations. I saw myself in this Green Lantern family. I have had similar interactions and relationships with family members that you are describing. Some of mine I keep very close to my chest due to the nature of some of the history. I needed, for many years, to see that it was okay to not have a close relationship with family, but still try to be in their life in a limited capacity. Jade and Obsidian’s relationship with their dad did that for many years for me.
It is funny, in a not haha way, what a character in a comic book can represent for different people. We are talking about our own families, but through the lens of the original Green Lantern. It is fascinating to me. This is why these characters matter.
I am glad you have the community here Turok! I know some of the faces come in and out and some leave altogether, but I am glad you are still here and I hope you are able to have us stay in your life for many years to come. Sending you always love and light.
Thanks a lot
What you said means a lot to me
I will try to stay in Community as long as I can.
In Secret Origin: The History of DC comics
There is a discussion on
Green Lantern’s Ring
Is it on Left or Right Hand?
At 22 minutes The Golden Age
38 minutes Silver Age
In 1950
The Last issue of All Star Comics, issue 57,
Was published
With
Barry Allen as a new Flash
In Showcase 4 in 1956
The Silver Age of Comics began
Hal Jordan as the new Green Lantern appeared in Showcase 22, in 1959
Flash 123 in 1961
Introduced the concept of Earth 2,
Where the Silver Age Flash, Jay Garrick, lives
Flash 129
Has a page which
Summarizes All Star 57
In Flash 137
Has Vandal Savage and the JSA coming out of retirement
In Justice League of America 21
The JLA and JSA team up for the first time
There were team ups between the JLA and JSA every summer for many years after that
In 1976 All Star Comics 58 finally was issued
Set on Earth 2, Alan Scott was a charter member of this current day JSA
This series is best known for Power Girl and Helena Wayne Huntress
Wally Wood contributed some great art in the early issues, especially of older Earth 2 Superman
With so many characters in the JSA, Alan Scott never had a big arc in this title
The JSA went to Adventure Comics issues 461 for a few more appearance after All Star was canceled at issue 74
For some reason, in our library, the art is only black and white
Thanks for liking my posts
Lots of times I wonder if anyone is reading what I post in my DC History Club topics
You give me encouragement to keep on posting
I like reading your posts, even if I don’t always comment!
Alan Scott is a character I knew next to nothing about until last year’s DC Pride anthology, where I read that very nice story about him and Obsidian.
I feel like I’m going to have to take notes on this thread, I really need to read more Alan Scott stories and I’m seeing a lot of good ones here. Thanks for all the research and sharing these! 
The favorite comic book of Roy Thomas when he was a child was
All Star Comics, with the Justice Society of America
So when he left Marvel to DC in 1981
He created
All Star Squadron
The first story is set the day before Pearl Harbor, which caused the United States to enter World War II
The series was introduced as an insert in Justice League of America 193
The link to the series is
This is a great series but
There isn’t much Alan Scott in it
Why?
Roy had two ideas when he wrote All Star Squadron
To tell stories that could fit into the already existing 1940s All Star Comics issues
And
To relect the actual events in World War II, as they occurred.
The initial storyline of All Star Squadron in issues 1 through 3 occurs between issues 10 and 11 of All Star Comics.
Also the real World had no Alan Scott, Superman or Spectre, who with their immense powers, could have ended the War in a very short period of time.
Nor did the War end in the comic books either
Why?
Roy covers that point in issue 4 of All Star Squadron.
The reason?
Magic
In the form of the Holy Grail possessed by the Axis Powers
Unlike the DC Super Heroes of the Silver Age in the 1960s, whose origins were scientific based
The most powerful heroes of the Golden Age were magic based
Including
Alan Scott
Spectre
Dr Fate
Johnny Thunder
Wonder Woman
Even Superman was vulnerable to magic