All-American Comics Vol 1 16
From DC Database
Appearing in "The Origin of Green Lantern"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Jimmy (First and only known appearance to date)
Villains:
- Albert Dekker (First and only known appearance to date)
Other Characters:
- Billings (First and only known appearance to date)
- Chang (First and only known appearance to date)
Locations:
- Trestle Bridge
Items:
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Synopsis for "The Origin of Green Lantern"
Engineer Alan Scott and his colleague, Jimmy, travel aboard a train across the American Midwest. Alan is present to inspect the recently designed Trestle Bridge. Alan recently outbid a rival engineer named Alert Dekker for the Trestle Bridge contract, and Jimmy is concerned that Dekker might try to sabotage the bridge's test trial. Alan assures him that there is nothing to worry about.
As fate would have it however, a bomb explodes beneath the bridge derailing the train. Everyone on board is killed in the explosion – everyone but Alan Scott. Alan awakens and finds a strange emerald lantern resting near the wreckage. The lantern begins glowing and an eerie voice begins to chant, "Three times shall I flame green! First - to bring death! Second - to bring life, and third - to bring power!" Known as the Green Flame of Life, the disembodied voice infuses Alan with visions of the past.
- Flashback:
- Two-thousand years ago a green meteor came to Earth and landed in the provinces of China. An aging occultist named Chang discovered the meteor and listened to the same spectral promises of death, life and power. Cutting away a portion of the alien rock, Chang fashioned it into a small lantern. The neighboring villagers distrusted the sorcerer and before long, a mob gathered together and killed him. The Flame of Life fulfilled the first of its prophecies.
- The lamp traveled across the globe for centuries until it eventually fell into the hands of a mental patient named Billings. Billings remolded the lamp into the shape of a train conductor’s lantern. The Green Flame of Life flared again and mystically restored Billings' sanity – granting him a new lease on life. As promised, the second of three prophecies has been fulfilled.
Now the Green Flame of Life flares for a third time granting the gift of power to Alan Scott. Following the lantern's instructions, he cuts away a small piece of the lamp and molds it into a ring. The Flame of Life instructs that in order to effectively wield his power, he must charge his ring with energy from the lantern, once every twenty-four hours.
With this fantastic new power under his command, Alan sets out to find Albert Dekker – the man responsible for blowing up the Trestle Bridge. Glowing like a green phantom, he phases through the walls of Dekker's office and forces him to take responsibility for the bridge's destruction. Moments after Dekker confesses to his crimes, he falls away dead from fright.
Alan decides to use his newfound powers and tools to fight crime as a man of mystery. He becomes... the Green Lantern.
First Appearances: Green Lantern (Alan Scott); Albert Dekker (a corrupt businessman); Billings (a mental patient); Chang (a Chinese occultist); Green Flame of Life (the spirit of a dead Green Lantern); Jimmy (Alan's friend)
Final Appearances: Albert Dekker (dies in this issue); Billings; Chang (dies in this issue); Jimmy (dies in this issue)
Appearing in "The Rescue"
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Synopsis for "The Rescue"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "Cicero's Cat"
Featured Characters:
- Mutt (First and only known appearance to date)
- Jeff (First and only known appearance to date)
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Synopsis for "Cicero's Cat"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "Sealed Orders"
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Synopsis for "Sealed Orders"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "The Sinister Mansion"
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Synopsis for "The Sinister Mansion"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "Traitor's Treachery (Part III)"
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Synopsis for "Traitor's Treachery (Part III)"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "The Exploding Buildings"
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Synopsis for "The Exploding Buildings"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "Cicero's Cat"
Featured Characters:
- Mutt (First and only known appearance to date)
- Jeff (First and only known appearance to date)
Supporting Characters:
Villains:
Other Characters:
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Synopsis for "Cicero's Cat"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "Goodbye Widow-Maker"
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Synopsis for "Goodbye Widow-Maker"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "The Power Plant Failure"
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Synopsis for "The Power Plant Failure"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Appearing in "Stamps"
Featured Characters:
- Popsicle Pete (First and only known appearance to date)
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Synopsis for "Stamps"
- Synopsis not yet written.
Notes
- This series was published by the All-American Publshing company.
- The Green Lantern story from this issue is reprinted in Golden Age Green Lantern Archives, Volume 1.
- Russell Cole is also credited as Edwin Alger in this issue.
- Al Smith is credited as Bud Fischer in this issue.
- This is the first appearance of Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern. The character of Green Lantern was created by graphic artist, Martin Nodell in 1940. Alan will become a recurring character not only in this series, but also in All-Star Comics and Green Lantern (Volume 1).
- Green Lantern's origin is retold in Secret Origins (Volume 2) #18. Albert Dekker, Billings, Chang and Jimmy reappear in the revised history. Secret Origins places Billings, the mental patient, at Arkham Asylum in Gotham City.
- Originally the incident at the Trestle Bridge took place in an undisclosed location. JSA Classified #11 provides a slightly revised origin of Green Lantern, and places the incident in Arizona.
Trivia
- Green Lantern (Volume 3) #19 reveals that the Green Flame of Life is actually the spirit of a deceased member of the Green Lantern Corps named Yalan Gur. This significant detail tangentially links Alan to the Green Lantern Corps. Historically, he has always been treated as a completely separate entity.
Related Articles
- 1940
- Green Lantern
- Green Lantern (Alan Scott)
- Green Lantern (Alan Scott) image gallery
- Green Lantern (Alan Scott) appearances list
- Green Lantern (Alan Scott) quotes page
See Also
Recommended Reading
- All-Star Comics
- Green Lantern (Volume 1)
- JSA
- Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe XIX (Green Lantern biography page)
Links and References
- All-American Comics #16 entry at the Grand Comics Database
- All-American Comics article at Wikipedia
- Green Lantern (Alan Scott) article at Wikipedia
- [http://www.glcorps.org/book.html Green Lantern (Alan Scott) biography page
- Green Lantern (Alan Scott) biography page at the Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe
Ben Webster/Appearances
Ultraman (Gary Concord)/Appearances
DC Database > Administration > Tasks > Articles in need of summaries
DC Database > Appearances > Character Appearances > Alan Scott (New Earth)/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Character Appearances > Blooey Blue/Appearances > Blooey Blue (Earth-Two)/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Character Appearances > Hop Harrigan (Earth-Two)/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Character Appearances > James Stone (Earth-Two)/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Character Appearances > Red Dugan/Appearances > Red Dugan (Earth-Two)/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Character Appearances > Scribbly Jibbet (New Earth)/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Character Appearances > Whitey Smith/Appearances > Whitey Smith (Earth-Two)/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Item Appearances > Green Lantern Power Battery/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Item Appearances > Green Lantern Ring/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Item Appearances > Starheart/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Location Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Location Appearances > Arizona/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Location Appearances > Arkham Asylum/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Location Appearances > Capitol City/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Location Appearances > China/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Location Appearances > Gotham City/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Location Appearances > Gotham City/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Location Appearances > Gotham County/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Location Appearances > Gotham County/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Location Appearances > New York City/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Location Appearances > New York City/Appearances > Morning Dispatch/Appearances
DC Database > Appearances > Team Appearances > Red, White and Blue/Appearances
DC Database > Comics
DC Database > Comics > Comic Categories > All-American Comics Vol 1
DC Database > Comics > Comics by Era > Golden-Age
DC Database > Comics > Comics by Era > Golden-Age > 1940
DC Database > Comics > Comics by Era > Golden-Age > 1940 > 1940, July
DC Database > Comics > Comics by Era > Golden-Age > 1940 > 1940, May > 1940, May (Publication)
DC Database > DC Staff > Cover Artists > Sheldon Moldoff/Cover Artist
DC Database > DC Staff > Editors > Sheldon Mayer/Editor
DC Database > DC Staff > Executive Editor > Sheldon Mayer/Executive Editor
DC Database > DC Staff > Inkers > Al Smith/Inker
DC Database > DC Staff > Inkers > Art Helfant/Inker
DC Database > DC Staff > Inkers > Jon L. Blummer/Inker
DC Database > DC Staff > Inkers > Martin Nodell/Inker
DC Database > DC Staff > Inkers > Russell Cole/Inker
DC Database > DC Staff > Inkers > Sheldon Mayer/Inker
DC Database > DC Staff > Inkers > Stan Aschmeier/Inker
DC Database > DC Staff > Inkers > William Smith/Inker
DC Database > DC Staff > Letterers > Al Smith/Letterer
DC Database > DC Staff > Letterers > Martin Nodell/Letterer
DC Database > DC Staff > Letterers > Sheldon Mayer/Letterer
DC Database > DC Staff > Pencilers > Al Smith/Penciler
DC Database > DC Staff > Pencilers > Art Helfant/Penciler
DC Database > DC Staff > Pencilers > Jon L. Blummer/Penciler
DC Database > DC Staff > Pencilers > Martin Nodell/Penciler
DC Database > DC Staff > Pencilers > Russell Cole/Penciler
DC Database > DC Staff > Pencilers > Sheldon Mayer/Penciler
DC Database > DC Staff > Pencilers > Stan Aschmeier/Penciler
DC Database > DC Staff > Pencilers > William Smith/Penciler
DC Database > DC Staff > Writers > Al Smith/Writer
DC Database > DC Staff > Writers > Art Helfant/Writer
DC Database > DC Staff > Writers > Bill Finger/Writer
DC Database > DC Staff > Writers > Carl H. Claudy/Writer
DC Database > DC Staff > Writers > Jerry Siegel/Writer
DC Database > DC Staff > Writers > Jon L. Blummer/Writer
DC Database > DC Staff > Writers > Russell Cole/Writer
DC Database > DC Staff > Writers > Sheldon Mayer/Writer
DC Database > Quotes > Alan Scott (New Earth)/Quotes
