DC Comics has had a Green Lantern on its payroll since 1940. For the last six decades, this has been Hal Jordan or one of the many galactic police known as the Green Lantern Corps. Before that, the title was assigned to just one person: Alan Scott.
Introduced in All-American Comics #16 and created by Martin Nodell and Bill Finger, this Green Lantern protected Gotham City from everyday criminals and villains like Harlequin and King Shark. He also worked regularly with his compatriots in the Justice Society of America. With DC's introduction of the Infinite Frontier era, Alan has taken a prominent role once again to figure out his new universe.
10 His Ring Is Mystical Instead Of Technical
Some might believe that Alan's ring is an older descendant of the one worn by the other members of the Green Lantern Corps. This is an incorrect assumption. According to the hero's origins, the ring was actually designed by Alan himself.
This is done at the request of a mystical lamp that reveals its origins to him. It is centuries-old and caused both life and death. To continue its legacy, the lamp asks Alan to design a ring that, when charged by the ancient power battery, provides him with superhuman abilities.
9 He Was The Only Survivor Of A Devastating Train Wreck
Superhero origins during the Golden Age of comics weren't as drawn out as they are today. It didn't take one or several issues to get to a hero's first adventure. Usually, it only took a few pages. Such is the case with Alan's transformation from civilian to Green Lantern.
In fact, how he discovers the mystic lamp takes place in only a few panels. Alan, then a construction engineer instead of a broadcast company president, is on a train going over a bridge he designed. Unfortunately, a criminal named Dekker has planted explosions on the structure, which results in the train's destruction. All of the passengers perish, save for Alan, surviving thanks to the mystical lamp.
8 He Is A Founding Member Of The Justice Society
As mentioned, stories moved fast in the Golden Age. The issue of All-American that featured Green Lantern's origin was released in July of 1940. Approximately four months later, he joined the Flash, Hourman, Hawkman, and others as a founding member of the Justice Society of America.
For the next decade, Alan remained an active member of the JSA during its All-Star Comics run. Actually, he was part of the JSA's last adventure in All-Star Comics #57 in the winter of 1950. When the team returned to the revitalized title in 1976, Lantern was featured on the first page.
7 He Had A Sidekick Named Doiby Dickles
It seemed like every Golden Age hero had a sidekick. They came in two categories: Either they were teens like Robin, Speedy, or Bucky. or they were older individuals without powers that provided some comedy relief.
Green Lantern's partner, Doiby Dickles, was the latter. Created by Bill Finger and Irwin Hasen, Dickles is a short, stout man with a Bronx accent, He first encounters Lantern when he thinks the hero was killed. After fending off crime in his own Green Lantern costume, Alan takes Doiby on not simply as a sidekick but a partner.
6 He Was Part Of The First JLA-JSA Crossover
As mentioned, Alan was a steadfast member of the JSA from its inception. There were few adventures where he wasn't part of the team's makeup. That includes their first encounter with the Justice League of America.
After the events of "Flash of Two Worlds," which introduced Jay Garrick as the Earth-2 Flash, it wasn't a surprise that the JSA would make a return. They did so in grand fashion in Justice League of America #21-22, written by Gardner Fox and drawn by Mike Sekowsky. It was the first time that he worked with his Earth-1 counterpart.
5 He Didn't Do A Solo Team-Up With Hal Jordan Until 1965
Though Alan and Hal Jordan paired up in the pages of Justice League, they didn't connect for a solo adventure until 1965. This is two years after the initial JSA-JLA crossover. It went down in Green Lantern #40 by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane.
In the story, which also featured a reappearance by Doiby Dickles, Alan visits Hal on Earth-1 to discuss the strange happenings with his power ring. In turn, a recollection of the Guardians of Oa's origins occurs. The two Lanterns realize the culprit of the change is Krona, who is introduced in this issue.
4 He Married Two Villains (Not At The Same Time)
There's something about bad girls that attracts superheroes, and it seems to happen more with the straight-laced do-gooders. For instance, Batman and Catwoman have had a romantic connection for decades. The same goes for Alan Scott.
His first marriage was to Rose Canton. A sufferer of multiple personality disorder, she would become the villain known as Thorn. However, Alan didn't realize this when they married, nor did he know she was pregnant with twins. The second villain he fell for was the Harlequin (not to be confused with you know who), who was actually his secretary Molly Wayne.
3 His Children Were In Infinity Inc.
Eventually, Alan discovered that Thorn had given birth to two children: Jennifer-Lynn Hayden and Todd Rice. Put up for adoption, Todd discovered the existence of his twin sister. At the time of their meeting, they both discovered they had superpowers. With Jenny seemingly having abilities like those of Green Lantern, they assumed they were his children.
Taking the names of Jade and Obsidian, Jenny and Hayden searched for their father. At the same time, they became founding members of the Earth-2 team Infinity Inc. Soon enough, the twins reconciled with their father.
2 He Renamed Himself Sentinel For A Time
The 1990s were an interesting time for superheroes, particularly ones showing their age. Case in point, Alan. For decades, he and Hal used their Green Lantern monikers without confusion. Yet, creators felt something needed to change with Alan in 1993.
So, they took away his ring in Green Lantern Corps Quarterly #6. Instead, the power of the mystical Starheart was embedded in his body, similar to the way it was for his daughter. This power made him younger. In turn, he decided to create a more modern costume and change his name to Sentinel. He resumed his original age and costume in JSA #50.
1 He Has Come Out As Homosexual
The New 52 era at DC Comics made significant changes to many characters. Alan was one of these. In the Earth 2 series by James Robinson, the character was again made younger, as well as his sexual orientation being changed.
This is something that was also addressed in the digital series Injustice: Year Zero. It was also touched on in Green Lantern's 80th-anniversary special. However, he truly didn't come out to his family on Earth-0 as gay until Infinite Frontier #0.