Warning! Spoilers to DC Infinite Frontier #0 below!
With the launch of DC's Infinite Frontier, Alan Scott, the first Green Lantern and co-founder of the Justice Society of America, has confirmed that he is a gay man. Admitting this truth to his two children in the halls of the JSA headquarters, Alan's historic declaration also reveals that his secret wasn't just known, but protected by some of his closest teammates and friends. This new side of Scott's character was first explored with his Earth-2 incarnation, leading many readers of DC's New 52 books at the time to wonder if the original Alan Scott was harboring the same secret. Now, this sincere and heartfelt admission not only sets the next stage of DC Comics stories, but makes Golden Age heroes part of a companywide movement to make all previous characters and stories relevant.
Create by Martin Nodell, Alan Scott was an engineer who discovered a mystical green lantern following the events of a horrific railroad bridge collapse. Given a ring that granted him flight and the ability to create glowing green constructs of whatever he thought of, Alan became the Green Lantern and began a superhero career that remains relevant today. His first marriage to the schizophrenic villain called Rose and Thorn gave birth to his children, Jennie-Lynn and Todd, who were put up for adoption. Alan didn't know of their relation until years later when they were Jade and Obsidian of Infinity, Inc. His family life complicated by his dedication to the JSA, Alan regretted not being there for his children and worked hard at building a better relationship with them, which had its own ups and downs.
In the story by writer James Tynion IV and artist Stephen Byrne, Obsidian narrates his complicated history with his father as he and his sister are called to meet with their father. Launching into a monologue about time and being honest with himself, Alan can't seem to bring himself to say it. He admits how difficult it is to Todd, whose own backstory as a gay hero who's maintained an undisturbed relationship allows him to provide the necessary love and encouragement. "I'm gay" says Alan Scott. He is warmly embraced by his children, admitting that he felt he couldn't take his new position as the Sentinel without being completely honest with his friends and family.
Writer James Tynion IV confirms what he hinted at in his story with Gary Frank in Green Lantern 80th Anniversary 100 Page Super Spectacular, where one of the victims of a bridge collapse may have been more than a murdered friend to Alan. This situation mirrors the Earth-Two series when Alan's proposal to his boyfriend Sam Zhao was fatally interrupted by the train wreck that led to Alan becoming his universe's Green Lantern, something that has become canon because of DC's new Omniverse. As a character created during a time where such identities were misunderstood and ostracized by the public, the mainstream Alan Scott hid away this part of himself, but his relationships, and occasional marriages, were doomed to fail due to him being incomplete. His hints to Todd are a beautiful reference to the former villain's backstory as a gay hero, sympathetic to his father's struggle and giving him the necessary strength to finally accept the truth and say it out loud.
Alan Scott's admission opens up many amazing possibilities for future DC stories. The confirmation that other heroes knew allows other founding JSA members like Jay Garrick, Ted Grant and even unnamed former lovers to comment and tell their stories. Green Lantern has always been the backbone of the JSA and now his role as the Sentinel for the Quintessence signifies hope for the future, as this older hero embraces the best in himself so that Infinite Frontier and the world they're building can be better, and brighter, because of it.
