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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 new-found 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 (dies in this issue); Jimmy (dies in this issue)

Appearing in "The Rescue"

Featured Characters:

Hop Harrigan

Supporting Characters:

Ikky
Miss Snap
Wash

Villains:

Other Characters:

Canvasback Kelly
Lem Brown
Mrs. Brown
Brown's baby
Doctor Trent
Doc Stevens

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Synopsis for "The Rescue"

Synopsis not yet written.

Appearing in "Cicero's Cat"

Featured Characters:

Mutt
Jeff

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Synopsis for "Cicero's Cat"

Synopsis not yet written.

Appearing in "Sealed Orders"

Featured Characters:

Red, White and Blue

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Synopsis for "Sealed Orders"

Synopsis not yet written.

Appearing in "The Sinister Mansion"

Featured Characters:

Ben Webster

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Synopsis for "The Sinister Mansion"

Synopsis not yet written.

Appearing in "Traitor's Treachery (Part III)"

Featured Characters:

Jimmy Stone

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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"

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Synopsis for "Cicero's Cat"

Synopsis not yet written.

Appearing in "Goodbye Widow-Maker"

Featured Characters:

Scribbly

Supporting Characters:

Wodow-Maker
Ma Jibbet
Dinky Jibbet

Villains:

Other Characters:

Mr. Macklin
"Dopey-D" ranchers

Locations:

New York City

Morning Dispatch

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Synopsis for "Goodbye Widow-Maker"

Synopsis not yet written.

Appearing in "The Power Plant Failure"

Featured Characters:

Ultraman (Gary Concord)

Supporting Characters:

Ginger (First appearance)
Alec

Villains:

Garoo (Final appearance; Dies)
Garoo's Fish-Apes (Only appearance; dies)

Other Characters:

Dr. Marman (Final appearance; Dies)
Senator Jones (First appearance)

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Synopsis for "The Power Plant Failure"

Synopsis not yet written.

Appearing in "Stamps"

Featured Characters:

Popsicle Pete

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Synopsis for "Stamps"

Synopsis not yet written.

Notes

Synopsis information on issues 16-102 is available at www.comics.org.

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. Jimmy's last name, Henton, and Dekker's first name, Albert, are also revealed in that issue.

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.

Aside from the stories above, this issue contains:

"Daisybelle" by Gene Byrnes

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.

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All-American Comics Vol 1 16

Contents

Appearing in "The Origin of Green Lantern"

Synopsis for "The Origin of Green Lantern"

Appearing in "The Rescue"

Synopsis for "The Rescue"

Appearing in "Cicero's Cat"

Synopsis for "Cicero's Cat"

Appearing in "Sealed Orders"

Synopsis for "Sealed Orders"

Appearing in "The Sinister Mansion"

Synopsis for "The Sinister Mansion"

Appearing in "Traitor's Treachery (Part III)"

Synopsis for "Traitor's Treachery (Part III)"

Appearing in "The Exploding Buildings"

Synopsis for "The Exploding Buildings"

Appearing in "Cicero's Cat"

Synopsis for "Cicero's Cat"

Appearing in "Goodbye Widow-Maker"

Synopsis for "Goodbye Widow-Maker"

Appearing in "The Power Plant Failure"

Synopsis for "The Power Plant Failure"

Appearing in "Stamps"

Synopsis for "Stamps"

Notes

Trivia

Related Articles

See Also

Recommended Reading

Links and References

Start a Discussion Discussions about All-American Comics Vol 1 16

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