Green Lantern: Get To Know DC Comics' New Gay Icon

'Earth 2' writer James Robinson tells MTV that Alan Scott, returning to DC Universe as a gay man, is 'proud of who he is on every level.'
By Josh Wigler

Green Lantern
Photo: DC Comics

The original Green Lantern, Alan Scott, is back in the DC Universe for the first time since last year's companywide reboot. He's courageous, charismatic and powerful, the same hero fans have loved and adored for decades, with just a few notable modifications — the most controversial of which involves his sexuality.

DC Comics announced Friday (June 1) that Scott has been reimagined as a gay man, marking a significant change to the hero who has been around since the 1940s. His sexuality will be revealed in the pages of writer James Robinson's "Earth 2" #2, and ahead of that, the scribe has been making the rounds, speaking with outlets all about the new Green Lantern.

For those of you just tuning in, here are five things you need to know about DC's newest gay icon:

Like Son, Like Father
Robinson revealed to MTV Geek that Scott's new sexuality was partly inspired by the character's gay son, Obsidian, who no longer exists in the rebooted DCU.

"The only thing that bothered me about rebooting the character and making him younger again was that we lost his son Obsidian, who was gay — the original version, obviously, when he was an older man, with a son," Robinson said about creating the new Green Lantern. "And then, with that in mind, I thought, 'Well, why not make Alan Scott gay. Why not make the leader of the Justice Society gay?' It worked on every level. I suggested it to [DC Comics co-publisher] Dan DiDio, and to be fair to Dan, there wasn't a moment's hesitation. He said, 'Yeah, great, great idea.' "

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Fighting for Acceptance
Scott is certainly one of the more prominent gay characters in the DC Comics catalogue, and even though many fans are accepting him with open arms, he'll have his fair share of social hurtles to overcome.

"One of the unfortunate things about the United States is that some states are less willing to [let] people have their personal freedoms," Robinson told Geek. "So, in 'Earth 2,' some of those things are obstacles a gay person might face. But Alan Scott is a force of nature, so he would never let that stand in his way. He's proud of who he is on every level."

Alan Scott, Media Mogul
Speaking of every level, there are many layers to the new Alan Scott beyond his sexuality. One of the most important elements to the rejiggered character is that he's in charge of a major media empire, for instance.

"He's a giant of the media industry," the writer said in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "By getting involved in communication, the news, and the Internet, he's become a billionaire. He's kind of a cross between Mark Zuckerberg and David Geffen. The original Alan Scott owned a radio station in the '40s and '50s, so he was a media giant then. He was this bold, heroic, brave man who took control, who would risk his life for you and be this emerald knight that was always there to protect the world."

James Robinson Speaks With MTV Geek About Green Lantern's Sexuality

An A-List Superhero
Scott isn't just a media mogul or a solo-operating superhero, either: The Green Lantern of "Earth 2" is a leader of men — specifically, the Justice Society.

"He will be very much the leader of the Justice Society and a figurehead," Robinson said in an interview with the Huffington Post. "Often, I think, gay characters, with the exception of Batwoman, are part of a team but are often aside, somewhat. Alan's going to be at the forefront of this team, leading it, being someone that is loved and admired by the people of Earth 2. So that's a subtle difference that I will be adding: trying to not just present a positive gay role model but someone that is a type-A superhero."

He's Not Alone
One of Robinson's major goals for "Earth 2" is to present a cast that's as diverse as humanly possible. To that end, the writer promised that Scott isn't the only homosexual character in the comic.

"There is another character down the line, but that character won't be appearing for some time, so it's probably a bit too early to talk about that," he told the Advocate. "But this book will definitely have a diverse cast. Alan Scott won't be the only gay character in 'Earth 2' — I promise you that."

Tell us what you think of the new Green Lantern in the comments section!

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