Hello, and welcome to Geek History Lesson.I'm Ashley Victoria Robinson, a Canadian comic book writer, and I am usually joined by Jason Inman, a screenwriter from Kansas, to teach you everything you need to know about a character in about an hour.
But as you may have gleaned, this is a slightly different than normal episode.Maybe you can hear it in my voice.I'm just back from New York Comic-Con.Jason is in Vancouver working on the TV show that he's writing on.
There is a lot going on at the GHL headquarters right now.So in light of some of the most exciting news that we have had in the world of superhero television shows, we are presenting to you our first of possibly many. Green Lantern mega episodes.
We have some incredibly exciting casting news coming out of the Lantern series, starting with Hal Jordan and ending up with an incredible choice for Jon Stewart.So we are starting off your re-education of the Green Lantern Corps in this episode.So
and brightest day and darkest night, this podcast will teach you everything you need to know.Enjoy and take it away past Jason and past Ashley. Alan Scott is pretty unique among Green Lanterns.
He's not like a lot of the rest of the Corps as we know them.So, Jason, do you think he is stronger or weaker than the likes of Hal Jordan, Jon Stewart, Kyle Rayner?
Well, the honest answer to this question, and I don't want to spoil too much that's going to happen in this episode later on, depends on what version of Alan Scott are we talking about and which retconned version of Alan Scott we're talking about.
Because Alan Scott, you know, he has his original Green Lantern powers, but There's also a time where Alan Scott had this magic key thing inside his body.And if you're talking about that, Alan Scott, then yes, he is a million times more powerful.
But if we're just talking about guy that made a green ring kind of Alan Scott, then the answer is also yes, because he's magic.
So I think what we're getting at is it's about to be retcon central.So what a perfect way to say hello and welcome to Geek History Lesson.I'm Ashley Victoria Robinson.
And I'm Jason confused by retcons in men.Welcome to Geek History Lesson.This is the podcast where we talk about one character, one construct in pop culture and tell you everything you need to know about him.
And today we are talking about Alan Scott, the first, the original, the Golden Age Green Lantern.Alan Scott, colon, the Green Lantern. Mr. With a red shirt and a big green collar.Alan Scott.
Yes.Giving very theater director.
Are you say Alan?Are you saving this cost discussion?Are we going to talk about his costume?
No, we can do it right now.I have no costume.
Here we go.What do you think about this guy's costume?OK, he is a red puffy shirt.
He has purple pants.Yeah a big high collar high pointy collar And then I believe he has helped me out.What are the boots that have straps that go crisscross back and forth?
You know you sometimes see John purse no you see them in like you know in bad 1930s movies where they're trying to portray Egyptians and
Oh, I don't know if I know.I don't know if those are what they're called, except boots.
I don't know how to look those up either.It's fine.
It's fine.He's got he's got some.
Oh, what plebeians we are.
So what do you think about this?
No, it's ridiculous.It's patently ridiculous.He looks like he's auditioning for community theater production of Phantom of the Opera.And
It's fine.It's fine.I I mean, I like email.I like it because it's iconic.
You always know that that's that sure is Alan Scott.Then the Nicholas Scott redesign is my preferred Alan Scott costume.
Oh, she took some inspirations from Kingdom Come.
Yeah, he's real.He's real sexy.
And that version Kingdom Come is his best costume. Was this lesson suggested by anybody else?
It was suggested by actually several many people.
So shout out to our TAs on this episode who include at Keeks on Camera, Jake Hefner at Pillow Kin Master, at Gray Weed at Talon, 788 at Ultimate underscore Lance, Steve Johnson, Elliot Troy at Danny W. Hui and at Psycho Red.
Thank you for requesting Alan Scott.
And if you want to be like those people, you just got to go over to that GHL podcast or at facebook.com slash geek history lesson and send us your request and maybe we'll add you to this list of cool people.
Yes, please.Please do.In fact, it's really, it's also very satisfying where we get to take a character like this who's been on our list of like 800 topics for several years and finally, finally give them their due.So, and
We should just mention BBB BBB BBB BBB newsflash.You can read it in the title of this episode, but we do have a special guest for this episode.It's not coming till later.
Mr. Tim Sheridan of the DC animated fame, who has written lots of DC animated films, but he's the current writer and Alan Scott.
And we thought we're going to pick his brain about Alan Scott because he's got a cool new miniseries.Should be an ongoing series.
Miniseries about about Mr. Alan Scott.And he's going to be our special guest.So stay tuned till the end of this episode to listen to our lovely discussion with Mr. Tim Sheridan.
Yeah, it's going to be a super fun, happy time.But in order to get there, we've got to start at the beginning.It's a very good place to start.So, Jason, let's start with the 10 cent origin.Tell the nice people what that is.
Yes, that is where you go to a pop culture themed cocktail party in Gotham City.Because that's where Alan Scott's from.Bet you didn't know that.Spoilers.
Not to Um Actually You, that's not correct.That's a retcon probably.No, not in his original appearance because I'm going to talk about where he's from.
Well, he is a hero of Gotham City.I'm just throwing it out there.Yes, but that's not where he's originally from.Well, this cocktail party is in Gotham City and the people of Gotham City are asking about Alan Scott.
And now this is where you're going to tell them all about it.Alan Scott
A.K.A.Green Lantern, A.K.A.Sentinel, A.K.A.Man of Green, A.K.A.White King, that feels like a racist name, A.K.A.Keeper of the Star Heart, A.K.A.Green Gladiator, A.K.A.Emerald Crusader, A.K.A.Emerald Gladiator, A.K.A.Jade Knight, A.K.A.
Green Champion.Pick a name, Ellen.
Yeah.Dear God. The person who updated the two or three pages that I pulled notes from is obviously an Alan Scott super fan, because there was a lot of information.
Some of those characters.Some of those are just nicknames.
Yeah.Yeah.Mostly he's a Green Lantern and Sentinel.Those are the only ones I met.I'm going to talk about with his glowing hands.Skip ahead.Yep.Is a DC Comics metahuman superhero born a human with later enhanced abilities created by Martin Nodell.
N-O-D-E-L-L And Bill Finger, Bill Finger, the guy who created everything you like about Batman.His first appearance is in All-American Comics, number 16, in July of 1940.He's an OG, OG American superhero.
His team affiliations have been the Justice Society of America, Checkmate, the All-American Squadron, Sentinels of Magic, and the Justice League.Now, his abilities.This is why I wanted to start out by asking,
Do you think he's kind of more or less powerful than maybe some of the more mainstream?
Yeah, and his power said this is this is how I know a true fan wrote this I think this is every power he's ever been ascribed since the 1940 okay his powers include decelerated aging driving Martial arts.
Tell that to Formula One.
Not a superpower.I'll say with my full chest, not a superpower.Tell that to Formula One.You're not superheroes.
Tell that to the fine makers of Ford v Ferrari.
Your movie was really long and kind of dull.Star heart empowerment, indomitable will, pocket dimension access.
Omni-lingualism, which not for nothing, I think all the Green Lanterns have.
Energy absorption, telekinesis, crystallization, force field generation, invisibility, light refraction, resurrection, electromagnetic scanning, time travel, holographic projection, energy homing beacon, chlorokinesis, power absorption, ring duplication, cold manipulation, phasing, energy manipulation, energy absorption, martial and mind alterations, thought relay, immortality, will empowerment, energy twin projection and absorption, and the emerald site.
Alan, relax. Yeah, this is what retcons will get you.A bit of a fancy man there, Mr. Alan Scott.And he has been portrayed in live action.This was something I did not know.None of the projects I'm going to mention are struck work.
They're all already finished.Alan Scott is in a Smallville two-part episode called Absolute Justice, portrayed by an actor named Doug Pinton.In like flashbacks, but yeah.
And Alan Scott also appears in the Stargirl pilot episode by an uncredited actor.
Who means that that's just an actor who showed up to set and they said, wear this costume.Fun fact.But I didn't know that he had appeared in live action, even though I've seen the Stargirl pilot.
He's a guy that like walks through a frame.Yeah, yeah, yeah.In both versions.But yeah, you do see a man getting arrested in the Smallville episode and that's supposed to be Alan Scott.Yeah.
So he has made it to live action, although I still think he's ripe for a future adaptation.
In fact, in the original draft of the script by Mark Guggenheim of the Green Lantern movie, the 2011 Green Lantern movie by Ryan Reynolds, Alan Scott was a character in that movie.
Alan Scott should have been a character in that movie.I don't know if he should have been a Green Lantern, but he should have been like a mentor type character.
In the original version of that script, he was sort of an FBI agent that kind of knew what Green Lanterns were.
Oh yeah, the guy with the murder board?That's fun.
Not the guy with the murder board.He was just like, you know, think about him like he was like a man in black character who kind of had dealt with aliens before and sort of like showed up as an ally.
That's cool.I would like that.I don't know if it would have saved the movie, but I would have been interesting.Would like to see it.
It would have got a couple of claps when he said, I'm Agent Alan Scott.
People have been like, well, yeah, we were like, yeah, like what was like he said, Stephen Strange.So that is your 10 cent origin on Alan Scott.So why don't we roll right into the meet cute, which, again, is Jason's favorite part of the podcast.
Is it?You keep jumping to you even alluded to it when we started.I did.
This is the part where we saw a turn from romantic comedies, where we're going to tell how we first meet it or cuted said character.Ashley, how did you meet Alan Scott?I'm very curious about this.
As long as I've known about Green Lanterns, I've always kind of known that Alan Scott was like the Golden Age original Green Lantern.
I will say that the first story that I read him in where he was more than just kind of a cast away supporting character was the new 52 or two series.Yeah, he's a mean character there that I picked up because you told me about that series.
You might have even told me about it on an episode of Geek History Lesson.You told me that that was a series where he came out as gay and that Helena Wayne was Robin.So I said, I'll have that, please.
So that's kind of where I really fell in love with the character.And it was where I also fell in love with Nicola Scott before I met her in real life and then fell even more deeply in love with her.
Yes, we talk about her a lot on this podcast.She's amazing Jason you teased it earlier, but where did you meet in cute Alan Scott?
So I first met Alan Scott when he was a character called Sentinel He shows up in a very early issue of the Kyle Rayner Green Lantern run Drawn by Daryl Banks and written by Ron Mars and
And Sentinel is sort of the exposition dump, because up to that point, Kyle Rayner has no idea what the Green Lantern Corps.He doesn't even really know that he's he just knows that he's a Green Lantern.That's about all he knows.
And nobody has seen Hal Jordan for a long time.Alan Scott in this issue kind of shows up in this issue and using his magical powers kind of gives Kyle the entire history of the Green Lantern Corps.And then basically is like, oh, yeah.
And this Hal Jordan guy went nuts and you have to stop him.You're the only one that can.
And so he is sort of the Obi-Wan Kenobi, if you will, to Kyle Rayner.And he keeps showing up in the run, so much to the point where one of Kyle Rayner's girlfriends is Alan Scott's daughter.Yeah, we'll talk about her very briefly.
We should talk about her a lot.Jade, Jenny is one of my favorite comic book characters. primarily because it's run.But I also he also I read a series that was from the early 90s of just Society of America miniseries drawn by the great Mike Paraback.
And Alan Scott is a big part of that.
So yes, that's when they were brought back from return.
So Alan Scott is. He's sort of, to me, he's an Obi-Wan Kenobi in the DC universe.
An elder statesman of the DCU, perhaps.Yes, he is.
I like his character.I like him more as Sentinel than Green Lantern.
Oh, we'll get to that discussion when the time comes.
I like the idea that he's kind of moved on.From Green Lantern.From being a Green Lantern, yes.
There's too many Ding Dang Green Lanterns.Green Lanterns.Green Lanterns.
His Sentinel costume, I think, is pretty good.
I like this little costume.
Yep.Yep.Yep.Yep.Friends.Jason also teased at the top of this episode that we will be talking to Tim Sheridan later in the episode.
And I want to let you know that if you are here as the Tim Sheridan stand, please don't forget to go over to I am Patriot.Well, I mean, you and I are both wishes.Well, no, that's the only reason I showed up today.I didn't talk to Tim.
I didn't really want to record this episode, to be honest with you. But, I knew Tim Sheridan was gonna be here.So I'm here for Tim Sheridan.
Is he here right now?Can we call him up?He's patiently in the night.You know, here's a fun fact.We could.We really could.And he'd probably be a good smart about it.But let's not do that.
But let's not.He's in the waiting room of the Mind University.I'm only here for him. If you're only here for Tim Sheridan, I understand.He's a very lovable man.I want to encourage you while you're away to go over to patreon.com slash Jalwin.
That is J-A-W-I-N.Again, if you're only here for Tim Sheridan, you might know how to spell that.We are going to have an extra episode, an episode of our Geek History Lesson Extra Show with Tim, more Tim Sheridan talk.
It's exclusive to the Patreon.Tim talking about his comic book career, comic books he wants to write, comic books that he wants to write in the future that you don't even know about.
The only place you can find it is if you go over to Patreon, and I'm pretty confident you'll find some other stuff that you like over there, like Justice Pod, like the other episodes of GHL Extra, like the video series that Jason and I are creating there.
What is that video series?You might want to tell them about that.
Well, it's called Inside the Podcast Studio, and it is- Well, we're inside the podcast studio right now.
We are, and- But why do they want to see that?
They wanna see it because we have cool things in here like comic books and action figures and trivia games and Diego Anthony Nunez and we show all of those things.
We do live streams, we talk about stuff, our favorite comic books, our favorite stories.
We give away a lot of digital rewards for coming to watch.
This is audio but that's all video, that's the great thing about that.
You can see intern Kat Brago there.
You can see intern Kat Brago, yeah. Yeah, it's very nice.So thank you to all the super fans to support us.They're a main reason why this podcast has existed for almost 10 years.All the support over there.
So if you want to come join the cool cats over at Patreon, patreon.com slash Jalen, check it out.And now it's time for the main meat of the lesson.
Yes, the History 101.This episode might as well be called, Where in the DC Multiverse is Alan Scott Green Lantern?Because that's basically what we're going to be talking about for the next hour or so.Can I ask you a question?Yeah.
And this is how much Carmen Sandiego is so much in my brain.
Where in time is Carmen Sandiego?
Oh, it's like, where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?
So what I know it from is from where in time is Carmen Sandiego.
Oh, did they change up the melody for that one?
The game show, it's where in time is Carmen Sandiego?Oh, that's so interesting.We're on the case and we're chasing her through history.Okay, so you were correct, I'm sorry.Hosted by former GHL guest.Kevin Shing, yeah.That's right.
Yeah, so that's what I was, that's the reference that I was making.Oh, I was going for the OG one, okay, all right.Well, I'm a lot younger than you, so I'm going for the younger one.
No, I just said this on a Recent episode of Jason and Jeremy John about Justice League.
I said this I'm I was born 2005 Wow I'm gonna take back some comments.I made about Scott Pilgrim if that's true
I'm a young'un.I'm a spry young'un.
Spry 20.Wait, you wouldn't even be 20 yet.That's upsetting.He's spry 18 years old.
Let's talk about Martin Nodell and Alan Scott.
Created Green Lantern.The Green Lantern.After listening
to Die Nibelung, if you are either an opera fanatic or if you've been listening to this podcast for a couple of years, you know that Die Nibelung is the Ring series, German opera, the same opera that Danny Elfman literally stole the Batman theme from.
And then he saw a green railway lantern, a railway lantern that was painted green.And so he thought, let's smash those together and make superheroes.Die Nibelung, the Ring series. is a lot about magic.
Does this inspire them to make a guy with a ring?
So the character that Nodel created had a bunch of magical powers that were all derived from a magical green ring that needed to be recharged using a magical green lantern.
And he stated that he chose the color green from inspiration in Greek mythology because green is a powerful character in a variety of myths. So he called up his friends at All Star Comics, not DC Comics.
Oh, sorry, All American Comics, All American Comics.And he said, and I quote, when I sent it in, I waited into the second week before I heard a word to come back in.
I was ushered into Mr. Max Gaines's office, publisher, and after sitting a long time and flipping through the pages of my presentation, he announced, we like it. And then get to work.And I did the first five pages of an eight page story.
And then they called in Bill Finger to help.We worked on it for seven years, all the way to nineteen forty seven.
All American Comics, again, is like one of the companies that will become DC Comics.
Yes, in the same way that Timely Comics eventually becomes Marvel Comics.Fawcett Comics is another one that eventually gets folded into DC.It's all to say, before DC was DC, before it was even Detective Comics, there were other comics.
Before it was a twinkle in anyone's eye.It was called All-American Comics, which honestly feels like it should have published Archie Comics instead of Alan Scott Comics, but here we are.
You better salute the flag when you read these comics, boy.
Oh boy, oh boy, let's not go down that road at all.
You better enjoy them hot dogs while you're reading this comic.Yeah, I do enjoy a good hot dog.
So we know you're all American.You're 100% all American.Absolutely not.So we had the name Green Lantern and Martin O'Dell was like, hmm, what is his normal human person name?And I'm gonna tell you how we got to the name Alan Scott right after this.
We're back, GHL, talking Alan Scott Green, the Lantern.Jason, you're a writer.When you're trying to name a character, how do you go about deciding how you're going to name them?
I usually look for meanings behind names or, to be honest with you, sometimes if I just think that that's a funny name, I'm going to make that the character.
Well, Martin O'Dell flipped through a New York City phone book until he found two names he liked.
It's an easy way to do it, too. Scott.Sometimes it just sounds good.Thus, Alan Ian Fleming James Bond from a book that was on a shelf.Yeah, well, he stole that Green Lantern appeared.They stole Alan Scott's name, too.Well, not the full name.
He didn't read an article, but he didn't read about a murder victim named Alan Scott was like, that's great.
Green Lantern appeared in all American comics in July of 1940 and then all-star comics number three in winter of 1940 where he made his debut as a member of the Justice Society of America so less than six months old and he's already he's already on a super team and by issue seven of All-star comics so four issues after he debuted he was the second chairman of the team Then he promptly quit the team and then he rejoined following a five-year absence.
So Green Lantern and the Justice Society didn't necessarily get along super, super well in the beginning.
Guess he wasn't that all American, was he?
There you go.Some of Alan Scott's earliest villains include Vandal Savage and Solomon Grundy, who during the golden age is just a straight up zombie, is not necessarily as sophisticated as he is in Batman now.
I knew Solomon Grundy was one of his villains.
I didn't.I thought that was super, super fascinating.By 1941, One years old, Green Lantern was a bonafide hit and moved on to his own series.So Jason, this is where I ask you, even though we've already argued about this.
What city is Alan Scott based in?
Well, I will say at this time, I don't know if Batman was based in Gotham City, so I have no idea.I have no idea.Think Marvel Comics more than DC Comics.New York?
Greatest city in the world.
What a fake name for a city.
What a fake name for a city, New York.
Yeah, that's not real.That's definitely made up.
New York City.So Alan Scott not only was a new superhero, he got a new city, he got a new book, and he got a new sidekick.Jason, do you know the name of Alan Scott's sidekick?Torchy.
It's Doiby Dickles, D-O-I-B-Y-D-I-C-K-L-E-S, who's a fat New York City taxi driver.
Hey, don't body shame this man.
That is the official character description, fat. Yes, I think it's kind of giving Bibbo Babowski.I'm not gonna lie a little bit He also gets a dog sidekick good for him.
Okay?I was gonna ask what kind of dog is this do you have um?He's kind of like a little German Shepherd.
Do you have a guest?Do you know the name of the dog by the way?
I don't.I don't know.I didn't know the Green Gowns could have had any sidekicks.I'm going to say the name of the dog is Furry Boy.
It's Streak, a.k.a.Streak the Wonder Dog.So if you're wondering where Streaky the Cat came from, perhaps.
Streaky the Wonder Guy, yeah.
Streak was so popular, he got his own series.
In January, by the way, of this year, the year of our Lord that we are recording this podcast and our Lord, of course, being Loki.The first appearance of Streak the Wonder Dog sold at the Heritage Auctions for seven hundred and eighty dollars.
Seven hundred eighty dollars.It's not that highly valued.No, but it was a heritage auction.So like it's slabbed, it's graded.
Let's get on this issue is also quite notable for Alex totes doing the interior are luminary luminary artists so If they ever do an Alan Scott adaptation, I'm betting streak is gonna be gonna be part of it fun facts streaks Name was quickly changed in his bi-monthly series Not a monthly series twice a month to Rex to a normal dog name So as a result, there's this canon that Rex is his like government name and streak is his superhero name
I like it wait does he also wear a mask what he's good.
He wears a cape Oh, but you should wear a mask because the otherwise the otherwise the dogs will know what he looks like It's look if you were kind of wondering like this is this feels like a soft launch for crypto I'm not gonna lie, but an ace the bat-hound dogs.
Yeah pets are popular in common
I literally didn't know that Alan Scott, A, had a sidekick, or B, had a dog.Streak the Wonder Dog!This was truly delightful to me personally.
All American comics is all about dogs, you see.
I get it.Dogs are very- Eat your hot dog.Except they picked a German shepherd.They literally picked a Nazi dog during the height of Nazism.Well, I mean, come on.
Step on next, you know, dogs.
I mean, he should be a Golden Retriever, but Alan Scott remained popular until 1948, when post-World War II superheroes declined in popularity, only to be replaced by Westerns as the most popular storytelling tropes across pretty much all mediums.
His final appearance throughout the Golden Age was an all-star comics number 58, published in 1951. Alan Scott was then completely gone from all publication for 12 years.
Most of the Golden Age people.
He took a 12 year nap and did not get another solo series until this year, until October 2022 at the time of this recording.
Then in 1959, so eight years after, Julius Schwartz, luminary DC editor, reinvented Green Lantern as a science fiction hero named Hal Jordan.He's a pilot.The two characters are not tied together or interconnected in any way, shape or form.
Alan Scott has nothing to do with Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, or Hal Jordan's story when he debuts. Because this is only nine years later and Alan Scott is asleep for 12 years.
This is the thing that kicks off the Silver Age of comic books is actually when they renamed the Flash.Yeah.And they just took all the names of the previous characters and just assigned them to do.
So that's why you have a Green Lantern that is now a space cop.He's not a magical guy.You have a speedster in a red suit that doesn't look like the guy with the helmet.It was smart.It's smart business idea.
I just think it's so interesting that they created legacy characters.Just make Alan Scott, the Green Lantern, young and different.They made it a completely different character.
Yeah, I think they maybe just didn't want any time.
I don't want to pay no royalties.
Weirdly, again, they created this weird legacy in the universe of these like so ragey characters.
It's actually kind of surprising that it hasn't happened again, like that, like 20 years down the road from how Jordan's introduction, they just didn't like completely just take the name and make a brand new character.Now we have 75 Green
And now we have 75 Greenlanders and Alan Scott.
Yes.Alan Scott actually doesn't re-enter the DC Comics game until The Flash number 137 in 1963, the year of the Avengers, the year of Doctor Who, big nerd year in 1963.
In order to avoid confusion between Alan Scott and Hal Jordan from this point forward, all of his previous stories are retconned as having taken place on Earth. Two, because DC loves a multiverse.
He kind of bums around the Silver Age, relegated to annuals where the Justice League and the Justice Society crossover and cameo appearances kind of as editors and writers see fit.
And it's not until 1981 with the launch of the All-Star Squadron title that Alan Scott kind of gets up to very much.One All-Star Squadron, all time great name for a super team, I think.I really think that name is underused.
I would love to see it pop up more in the D.C.universe.I just think it sounds so cool.
Are we also going to mention Infinity Inc.anytime in here?
I was not planning to mention them at all, so if you would like to bring them up, you're welcome to.Infinity Inc.
is sort of like a team of a lot of the Golden Age heroes' kids, including Jade and Obsidian, Alan Scott's son and daughter.
Yes, I am gonna get to Jade.I'm not gonna talk about Jade very much at all, because I don't like her, and this is an Alan Scott lesson, and people can request a Jade lesson if they want to.
The other thing I want to say particularly about Alan Scott and the Golden Age characters throughout the Silver Age,
What's interesting about the Silver Age is if you are not one of the mainstay Justice League characters, you are sort of relegated to like you kind of show up and you do a thing and then you maybe go away for three years or five, like Black Canary this happens to.
So don't feel too bad for Alan Scott.This is like fairly typical treatment of supporting cast DC characters at this time. Now, Jason, yes, you're in charge of DC Comics.I am.
You're going to completely erase these Golden Age characters and you're going to bring in these new sexy Justice League characters.So my question is, and we've sort of alluded to this, why bring them back at all?
Should Julie Schwartz have just left Alan Scott and Jay Garrick and Wesley Dodds back in the World War Two era?Like, should they have been revived or is it confusing?
So here's the reality of it.
It's not confusing at all.The problem is, is that every, the idea that he initially did was the idea that like on Thanksgiving, the Justice League was going to have a hangout with their Earth 2 buds, which was the Justice Society.
Now for a once in a while thing, great idea.It'll boost sales.And if anybody remembers those older heroes, they'll come by it.
Or you could get new fans interested in either side of that equation.
The problem is... Is that again?I don't know who it is But eventually a writer came along and was like what if these characters were around all the time?Oh, well, I will tell you exactly when that happened.
Um And that's that's where we start getting into territory of oh, they should have stayed dead.Yeah, they should have gone away again showing up once in a while like It's very similar to if you watch doctor who yeah Yeah
you don't want to see the previous doctors in every single episode.You want to see them when it matters and when it's special, because if you see them in every episode, then it doesn't matter.And it also becomes super convoluted.
So That is my opinion on these characters.And I kind of think like what they are currently doing in the comics at the time of this recording is the right move to be like, no, we're just going to publish stories with them.
But if they're set back in their original time with the new golden age.
But they are not alive or around in the modern day.
So that's another reason why I picked to talk about All-Star Squadron instead of Infinity Inc, because All-Star Squadron was the first- They're kind of the same team.They are.
I just also like the name All-Star Squadron, but All-Star Squadron- I like Infinity Inc.
Specifically keeps these characters in World War II, tells their stories during World War II.It's one of DC's first kind of modern forays into historical fiction.And that is where because I do like Alan Scott.I do like Jake.I do like Wesley Dodds.
I do like the original Black Canary, which gets confused because there's a mom and a daughter and they look the same.
But I do think that there is something about them versus some other characters where they just work better as part of this period in history.Yeah.
And I think this was a really smart thing to have done with them at the time.And it's an odd thing for them to just be palling around with Superman.
Yeah, it's like think about the losers.You're like, well, I want the losers in modern day Gotham.
Well, it would be I hate to say, even though, again, I know Superman and these characters are, you know, from the 60s or Superman is an old school.Batman's an old school Wonder Woman's an old school, but.
I'm just saying it's and I know that they have sort of transcended, right?
And actually, the argument should be, well, why are Batman and Superman remembered in Wonder Woman?Remember, because they're the same age as Jason.
As you know, the old versions of them are living on Earth, too.Yes.There's a whole other can of worms from a different, different episode.
I understand.I understand.You know, and I'm also trying not to bring up any ageism, but of course, you know, because I've just said my preferred method would be to just that they they redo these names or 20 years.That seems to make the most sense.
But, you know, I don't know.I just I don't like them in the modern day. I just don't.I just don't.
I don't.It's just not the vibe, right?Like they are a time period in a way that not every other character is.
But this sort of JSA core group very much is like my favorite version of them is there is a version that you'll get to is where they start teaching the younger heroes.And that's the version where I'm like, oh, this works.
Yeah, that's actually one of my favorite Jake Eriks is when he kind of takes on a professorial tone.Then Crisis on Infinite Earths happens.Jason, what's Crisis on Infinite Earths?
Well, Crisis on Infinite Earths completely ruined Alan Scott.No, I'm just kidding.
It's going to complicate Alan Scott quite a bit because this was the storyline where the DC editors in the role of the fictional character, the Anti-Monitor, came throughout the DC multiverse and basically destroyed every DC multiverse because it was confusing.
Yeah, they claimed it was confusing.And them in the role of the anti-monitor ate all the universes until there was only one universe.And now it was the thing to say that everything that happened in DC Comics only ever happened on this earth.
And guess what that does to all the World War II characters.It basically says you can't exist.
Yeah, so post-crisis Alan Scott suddenly lives on the same earth as Hal Jordan for the first time since Hal Jordan was introduced in publication history up to this point.
And it's so messy that DC publishes a book the next year called The Last Days of the Justice Society, which basically exists so that DC can say that the JSA are forever trapped in an extra dimensional realm that will never ever come back for real, for real, for real, forever, forever.
Until they come back.And it's comics so that you know that's not true or this geek history lesson would be over right now.
But that was them trying to correct the how the hell are these characters around?
Instead of them just simply saying,
Which is what they should have done, and I know our Alan Scott stans are gonna be mad They should have just said like oh the JSA characters don't come to the new universe like they are like blipped out of existence See I'm gonna be even worse on this go for it.
I think the solution is They're dead Yeah, I mean I hate to say but to just be like at the time of our universe now
They old, they were old then, they're old now.
They've retired or they're dead.
They lived in World War II.
Well, we don't, yeah, we don't let, well, that's why we come, we're gonna get, we're gonna get to Alan Scott's powers.It's the same, it's the same problem.
But this is how they say Alan Scott has like anti-aging or he's, at this point he's gotta be immortal.If he's an adult in World War II.
It's the same with Nick Fury.
Nick Fury fought in World War II with Captain America, but he's still palling around modern day.Yeah, but they, Marvel teases that out with Nick Fury and Nick Fury Jr. I know, I know.But he also has like an immortality serum thing.
Everyone's a G.D.super super soldier.
It's a problem of we never in ongoing mediums and storytelling perpetual second act.
We don't want to we don't want to sideline any character in case we could use them again.
Um, and the problem is putting them in this hell dimension, but that was them to be like, okay, if we put them off the board, they can still be around for stories, but they won't be piling around because the big thing after Christ on infant earth was DC said, Superman is the first superhero.
It is Superman.Um, so like if these characters existed, people don't remember them because they got shunted off this other dimension that like, changes memories, I think is what they said or something like that.
Yeah.And Alan Scott is one of the only characters who kind of has memory bleed throughs.Alan Scott is one of the only characters who seems to have easy access out of this extra.
So this is just sort of adding to that cavalcade of powers that we talked about in the Tencent origin.So they're in this extra dimensional pocket universe forever.They're never, ever coming back for real, for real, forever, forever.
Jason, how long do you think that lasts for?
I knew it wasn't long.I knew it wasn't long.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.So before we move on from that, I do wanna fill in a little bit of something else that Alan Scott did in the 80s.
In the 80s, Alan Scott married his reformed former nemesis, Molly Main, also known as the Harlequin, which if you're a Harley Quinn fan, feels a little prophetic.They reconcile and he has a son and a daughter.Jason, who is his daughter?
Do you know Jade's government name? Jenny Jennifer Lynn Hayden, that's right.Yeah.Yeah, you said it earlier.
So I knew you at least her brother's Todd Yeah, and he's obsidian.
Yeah, we're mostly gonna talk about Jane So she so you see it's interesting.They're twins.So her powers are Bright lights.Yeah, like Sheila like she basically has Green Lantern powers naturally.Yes almost.Yeah, and his powers are darkness
Yeah, as twins, they're a well-constructed duo.
Yeah, so he turns the light off of places.
But I think they kind of do nothing.I think Obsidian's kind of a wasted character.
They do a lot with Obsidian in the Kyle Rayner run, but the problem is that Obsidian very quickly becomes an unstable villain, so he's best for own.
I know, well, that's what I mean.Like, I still think he's a cool character you could do cool stuff with.
He's got a cool costume.He does.Very George, cool George Perez costume.
Well, I mean, all George Perez costumes are cool, it's just the law.So Jennifer Lynn Hayden, AKA Jade, is the daughter of Alan Scott.
Future girlfriend of Kyle Rayner.Future girlfriend of Kyle Rayner.
Todd Rice is Obsidian.Alan, I'm sad to tell you, is a bit of an absentee father.
Of course he is, yeah, I knew that.
Because he's a superhero.Most superheroes are absentee fathers, except for Superman, who's a great father.And the best father.You know, that's- Everybody wants Superman as a dad.Everybody.
I mean, yeah, you make a really solid and upsetting point.Sorry.Batman's not a good dad.Let's think about this.But Batman's got more children.
Batman got like 12 progeny.
Do I think Superman's a good dad?
I think Superman's a better dad than Batman.I know, but Batman made Dick Grayson, you know? Accidentally, yeah, you're right.You're right accidentally like Superman is a very present father.
Yeah, yeah so Alan Scott sad face bit of an absentee dad, but I'm Like, don't fear, because in the middle, it's when Jeff Johns kind of gets in charge of the whole Green Lantern universe.
He steps up into more of a mentorship role with Jade and a lot of other youngsters coming up.And he I would say he does make up for lost time.But it is worth noting that he's not the best daddy at all times.Jade does die.
But in fairness, in fairness, Alan Scott has also died more than one among DC Comics.Superheroes hasn't died more than one.Yeah.
At this point, more than once.
That is all I had planned to say about Jade and Obsidian.That's fine with me.Okay, I didn't know if there was anything else you wanted to bring up before we move on.
She's a nice, she's Kyle Rainer's true love, 100%.
That is so wrong and I don't like that she's green.Nope.Makes me so mad.
Nope, she's Kyle Rainer's true love.
Serana Knatsu is right there.He'll never fall in love with a brood of Sinestro.How?A brood?That is so rude.That's what they call him on Korugar.Cancelable.It's the year.She's fictional.How can I be cancelable for that?
She's also an alien.Look, we have an action figure of one of those two ladies and it's not Jade.
It's because they've never made a Jade action figure.
Okay, they have absolutely not in a green light.
This is far too far down the rabbit hole.
We're not doing this They have absolutely made not in her cool costume.
That's probably not they've made at least I can look at four right now Just move on 1990.It's the year of our Lord Loki 1990 fans missed the Golden Age characters.
They've been away for three whole years They're clamoring for Alan Scott Jake Eric and Wesley Dodds to be brought back from wherever it is They've been shunted off to guess I think like eight people wrote letters.Yeah.
And in order to do this, the editors miss them.I think that's usually how it goes.Alan Scott is brought back into mainstream.Hey.And he's hello.Quite old compared to a lot of a lot of the contemporary D.C.superheroes are young hot guy.
He is stamped as a veteran of World War Two for the first time.
And it is stated that he has a prolonged lifespan through the power of his particular Green Lantern Ring, which is different than Hal and Scott and everybody else's Green Lantern Ring.Jason, how do you feel about Alan Scott retconned as a veteran?
Because for me, I would say until the current run, he doesn't give soldier boy vibes, really.
It's just because they, it's again, it's the trope of we have to give him some relation to the big war to make him tough.I'm gonna, sorry, I'm gonna ask this question here.I don't know how, where did he get his Green Lantern ring?
Have we covered this?Did we talk about this?We're pretty far into this lesson and we have not talked about how he made this thing.
This is the time where I would like, my notes literally say, I would like to take this time to explain to everyone how Alan Scott's brand of Green Lantern powers work.
I was like, we waited quite a long time into this lesson, so please tell us.
Yes.So here's the thing.It depends is the answer to all of this.Yes.
So I am trying to I wanted to give you a little bit of a flavor of who Alan Scott was before I got into I'm trying to cover as I'm trying to give you the most comprehensive explanation of his powers as possible because they're really,
It's been changed a million times.
Yes, so the official and I quote from DC Comics explanation is quote Scott uses his ring to fly walk through solid objects and to move through the fourth dimension paralyze or blind people temporarily Hypnotize them create rays of energy melt metal as a blowtorch and cause dangerous objects to glow among other things It could allow him or others to time travel that is the official explanation for how
That's his powers.How Alan Scott's powers work.Unlike other characters named Green Lantern, Alan Scott's power does not come from the guardians of the universe.It comes from the Starheart.
We joked about that at the beginning, and I mentioned it briefly in the Tent on Origin.The Starheart is, through a series of retcons and complicated explanations, a magical entity that was once imprisoned by the guardians of the universe.
So it is tied to Green Lantern lore, but it is not, It's not part of the Hal Jordan brand of DC Green Lantern lore.Starheart mysticism.Okay.The mystical power of the Starheart, an ancient artifact trapped by the guardians of the universe.
Starheart is capable of many mystical powers that include, but aren't limited to the following, eternal youth.The artifacts and mystical properties also imbue one with seemingly eternal youth.So,
He has this green lantern ring and this green lantern battery that are powered by the Starheart as opposed to the big battery on Oa.It's a magical thing, which means it can kind of do whatever they want.
Depending on your continuity of choice, where the green lantern ring- Yeah, how does he get this thing?Comes from either, it's usually he finds it somewhere.
See, I always understood that he found it inside a meteorite.
So usually he finds it somewhere.It's usually inside a meteorite or a piece of a star or something that fell from the sky, which is kind of different, but similar to how Jordan got his ring.But it did not like fly to him or choose him.
He finds it, he finds the battery and he kind of has to stumble through integrating with the star heart.
And he weirdly fashions it into a lantern and into a ring.
There's Alan Scott calling right now.
It's Alan Scott being like, you're getting this mostly correct.Like Hal Jordan and the other Green Lanterns, Alan Scott's Green Lantern abilities do have a weakness.
So Hal Jordan's weakness is the color yellow, because in that version, yellow is fear.Jason, do you know what Alan Scott's?
It is wood.So canonically.
Yep.You can shoot him with an arrow and he'll die.
Alan Scott's weakness to wood stemmed from his subconscious belief that his power couldn't affect this material.Why?That is the in canon reason.I don't accept that.Mama, I'm afraid of trees.Mama, I don't think I can block a tree.
The way that I've always justified it in my head canon is because I've always known that his Green Lantern, and specifically his Green Lantern battery design.
No, because it's based on a train.That's a piece of technology.So I've always assumed that he has a harder time fighting organic material because his powers come from inorganic sources.But there's really like it's it's kind of one of those.
It's always like that way.
And it's it's kind of a goofy version, to be honest with you.
Yeah, I think I think it's something that that we should that we should sort of wrap up.So now I'm going to talk to you about Alan Scott's era as Sentinel.Jason's been waiting this whole episode to talk about it.
And we're going to do that right after this. Geek history lesson, we were back talking about Sentinel.Wait, what?A.K.A.Alan Scott, who's sometimes a Green Lantern.So in the 90s, they brought back Alan Scott and he was very, very old.And D.C.
editors had the perpetual fear of their audience not understanding their increasingly confusing continuity.They simply could not have too many Green Lanterns.Kyle Rayner's on the horizon.So they call Alan Scott Sentinel.
As Sentinel, Alan Scott doesn't channel his power through his ring.Instead, his hands glow and the power of the Star Heart is inside him.It's in his own heart.
Well, I always understood this as the idea was that, similar to how Lex Luthor got cancer from his kryptonite ring, the idea is that Alan wore this piece of the Star Heart meteorite for so long that he just absorbed it.
That he didn't need the ring anymore.
Yes, exactly.But also, it's because DC didn't
Want well this was to be a green lantern this was around the time where hal jordan murdered the green lantern corps and at the time They went down this line, which I think he's really smart that Kyle was the only green lantern Yes, so they didn't want alan scott out there also being called green lantern.
Yes, and he was already removed enough from continuity.Um I think he should have stayed sentinel.
I agree.It's a cooler name uh throughout the also fits in with his railroad engineer background
Yeah, it's also sort of vaguely militaristic, right?So you kind of get to nod back to that.But it's also just a name that not 85 other dudes don't have in DC continuity.
And if you're going to celebrate these Golden Age characters by keeping them in your continuity, why would you not let them stand alone as individual?
Well, it starts to invalidate the idea of a secret identity, because then it's like every time you get in one of these meetings, if you have multiple Green Lanterns, multiple flashes, they're just going to call each other by their names out in public.
They're going to be like, hey, Jay Garrick.Hey, Alan Scott.
People are going to go, hey, Flash.They're going to go, hey, Wally.And he wears a mask.Yeah.
He wears a mask, he wears a domino mask, Alan Scott.So if he didn't care about his identity, he wouldn't wear a mask.
Yeah, he clearly cares a lot about his identity.He remains Sentinel until JSA number 50 in 2003, when he simply becomes Green Lantern again and gets his Green Lantern ring back.Throughout the aughts, Sentinel does appear in both JSA and JLA books.
He appears a lot in the Kyle Green Lantern series, which Jason's already talked about. But he, you know, doesn't get a solo series.He doesn't lead a team.He's a co-leader of the JSA.
So he's kind of in the 90s and the aughts falling back into the role that he fell into during the Silver Age, where he's just a cameo character.But I do want to talk about his involvement in Blackest Night. Dun, dun, dun.
You know, the big, uh, suddenly there's Black Lantern rings and zombies are being brought back and stuff.
Well, there's black rings that bring heroes back from the dead and there's zombies.That's the event.
Uh, we have a six episode podcast series and a 12 episode video series on Patreon called the Blackest Night Club.So I thought, I thought we could just talk.
And episodes, little episodes on this podcast actually are called that.And you just got to go back and look for them.
That's why it's six episodes of the podcast.They're called Blackest Night Club.So I thought we would just talk about him in Blackest Night.
He is unfortunately very much a supporting character in that as well, because only the mainstay editor-approved Green Lanterns are kind of out there doing stuff.
But Alan and the rest of the JSA battle against the reanimated Cal-L, and that's L just the letter L. He's the Earth Two Superman.He's the old golden age Superman with the Reed Richards hair.
And the Black Lantern versions of the dead Justice Members Society. He also is one of the heroes who adds his power to the Black Lantern bomb, which is designed to destroy all the Black Lanterns in New York City.
And in the final battle of the event, Jade is resurrected by the power of white light.His daughter, she was dead at the time, and Alan's there to witness.It's kind of his best moment, I think, is when he gets to see Jade come back to light.
And then we open up the doors to Brightest Day, but we're not going to talk about that because it's awful. The next thing that Alan Scott does of importance is in the New 52.So, Jason, what's the New 52?
The New 52 is where, you know, just like in 1985, when the D.C.editors popped up this time, the D.C.editors popped up as Barry Allen Flash and he wiped the D.C.universe out of existence.
And they basically started from scratch with the exception of Green Lantern.But in this version, they reintroduced the multiverse.So now we're Alan Scott is back on Earth, too, because Alan Scott doesn't exist on Earth one anymore.
Yeah, Alan Scott's punted back over to Earth 2 where he's the only Green Lantern.
But this version, he's young and sexy and he's blonde.
He's always been blonde, even when he was old.
Well, but eventually he gets, like when he's Sentinel, he gets white hair.
No, he keeps his blonde hair because of his aging.
Doesn't he have gray hair?
No, he never has gray hair.The idea is that the Starheart like basically keeps him ageless.
I thought he had gray hair.
No, he always has yellow hair.
Yeah, blonde, gray, who can say, every blonde listening to this is livid right now.This version debuts in Earth 2 number three in 2012 with a sick new suit.Can I have an action figure spotlight, please? action figure spotlight.
They made this like the entire Earth 2 line of action figures.Most of them.Which one continues to baffle me to this day.Two, they're great looking action figures.And three, it's the coolest Alan Scott action figure that's ever been.
I agree.It's a cool costume.
I wanted to mention it because there is shockingly a lot of Alan Scott action figures, but I'm going to be a little rude here and say I don't think there's a lot of good ones.
I used to have the classic one too.
Yes, you did.Yes, you sure did.What is most special and notable about Earth 2 New 52 Alan Scott besides the fact that he's a stone-cold hottie Is that this version of Alan Scott is the one who comes out as queer?
So Alan Scott becomes our first openly gay Green Lantern.
He's a railroad engineer again
Which I love, because it ties back into what's unique and special about him and the inspirations for the character in the first place.
Jason, I want to ask you, is the only reason that DC Comics allowed Alan Scott to be gay because it was happening on Earth 2, thus it didn't really matter to mainstay DC continuity?Yep. It's not a bummer.
Yes, cuz he was not the main Green Lantern.
Yeah, so that's why they did it follow-up question.Yep from a storytelling point of view sure What do you think about Alan Scott being gay?
I don't mind it because I guess I'm not a huge I'm not a big Alan Scott fan So like he is a character like you said that like keeps being shunted to the side So I don't mind if you rewrite his history My only problem with the retcon is the fact that and I understand is the fact that his children have such a legacy in the DC universe as well and
So like that is a thing where I'm like hmm that there's complications with that I'm not saying that's not solvable, and I'm also not saying that I just know from my perspective and when I came to comic books that his Marriage and his kids were like a very important part of the character yeah, and so it's interesting that they were like no No, that's all shunted to the side
Yeah, my headcanon for, because I like Alan Scott being gay.Yeah, I don't mind it either.I don't have a problem with it.
I think it makes him, just from a storytelling perspective, more interesting than the 85 other Greenlanderns who are rolling around at any other time.The way that I've sort of like make it make sense is that she's the person that he loved.
Like she's like the woman that he really fell for and that's why he had children.
But again, like I said, it's just like that, but I don't have any problem with being gay and I don't have any problem with it, to be honest with you.
It is interesting because again, we're talking about this is- Well, I thought it was interesting enough, they punted it back over to mainstream continuity.Bingo, this is not the main continuity, Alan Scott.
No, this is Earth 2 relegated to a pocket dimension, Alan Scott.
It was enough of a thing that they were like, well, let's make the main universe, Alan Scott, queer as well.
Yeah. Earth 2, which was a really, really good book.It was a good book.With phenomenal art throughout, eventually canceled.And then for kind of the rest of the new 52, the same thing happened, Alan Scott, that happened in The Silver Age.
The same thing happened, Alan Scott, that happened when he was reintroduced in the 90s and the aughts.He kind of just farts around and makes a bunch of cameo appearances.
Well, actually, no, he doesn't exist for a very long time.He's not in continuity for a very long time.
Until we got our other soft reboot, DC Rebirth. And the current at the time of this recording movement of the new golden age and the new golden age is basically an event going on right now.
I'm going to try really hard not to spoil any of it because it is literally being published at the time of this recording.
where Justice Society members, most particularly Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, and Wesley Dodds are being brought back into the forefront.They've all been given their own series.They are trying to uncover a mystery surrounding Johnny Thunder.
And from a photo that Dr. Fate had taken, and that's subsequently given him a vision of lost children.So for any of you Jade stans out there, you know, Keep looking for that.And now we're getting standalone series.
So in the main series, Alan Scott miniseries, The Green Lantern, we see Alan Scott's version of his current timeline history.
So we see flashbacks to him as a veteran, as a young man during and post-World War II, including J. Edgar Hoover finding out about Alan's sexuality and some of his relationships.
And I think this is where I'm going to wrap up this episode, because like I said, this is what's happening right now.We try not to do as many spoilers as possible.
And we are about to speak to a man who is, dare I say, intimately acquainted with Alan Scott.We revealed him at the top of the show, but we'll do the official intro and reveal right after this break.
Please welcome to Geek History Lesson, the architect behind Alan Scott, the Green Lantern writer of movies, TVs and comics, including Netflix's Masters of the Universe, Tim Sheridan.Hi, Tim.
Hi.Hi.Thank you so much for having me.Now, I'm not going to do this all through the show, but I and I tend to try to not criticize the hosts for their wonderful, generous introduction.
However, since it is the Alan Scott episode to introduce me as the architect, it seems like a missed opportunity when you could have introduced me as the engineer.
You know what?Here, take two.
Architect is Jon Stewart, yes.
Please join us in welcoming to Geek History Less, and the engineer behind Alan Scott, the Green Lantern writer of movies and TV and comics, including Netflix's Masters of the Universe, Tim Sheridan is joining us.Hi!
Thank you.I'm very good at picking up on subtle hints.
I feel like, just like Alan Scott, I went through a ripple of the time change of the multiverse.
We had a retcon right there on the show.
We literally experienced a retcon.
That's the way that right there was the closest thing you're going to get to a retcon in my book.That's when I that's how I that's how I see it.I don't think of any of it as a retcon.I think, you know, I have a million reasons why.
But we'll talk about that later.
Well, Tim, you've probably told the story a million times, but I'd love to hear this for our listeners.What are your origins in comic books?Like what what was like some of the first comic books you picked up?
And then how did that transition into you writing comic books?
Well, it was a long time before I got into writing comic books.But when I was a kid, you know, I've been thinking a lot about this lately, because I often say, you know, oh, the first comics I read were Batman comics.I don't think that's true.
And then I've often said, oh, no, wait, it was the Marvel's Transformers comics.Those were my first comics.And then I realized, you know what?That's actually not true.
The first comics I ever read was, it was a trade paperback that my brother's friend had left.It was like a hand-me-down.He gave it to us. And it was son of origins of Marvel Comics.
And it had a ton of, you know, black and white reprints of just pencils, you know, reprints of all kinds of stuff.And I read and reread and reread Iron Man's origin story just over and over and over again as a kid.That was the first.
And he also he also gave me a comic book and it was a Thor comic that had Beta Ray Bill on the cover.And I will remember that always.
Is it the one of him smashing the logo?
I think it was.Yeah.Yeah.I have to pull it up, but I think that's what it was.It's a very famous cover.Is it Walt Simonson?Yes, it is.I believe that's Beta Ray Bill's first appearance too.Oh man, I wish I'd kept that.
As the anti Beta Ray Bill member of this podcast, this conversation distracts me.Hey, how dare you.
You should always love a big space cow.
Now, the important thing, I think, to take away from this is sort of how not exactly Marvel literate I am compared to DC, although I feel completely DC illiterate all the time, too.But but, you know, when I say, oh, yeah, Iron Man's origin,
Like, I could not tell you the number.I could not tell you like off the top of my head.
I couldn't tell you that that book was Beta Ray Bill's origin story, because I was absolutely a DC kid in terms of comics when I started really religiously reading comics, which was Batman.Batman became the gateway for me there.
Although cartoons, which, you know, was where kind of I started, not only as a kid, before comics, but also in my career as a writer, I was all about Spider-Man and his amazing friends, or as I called it, Spider-Man and his amazing furniture.
Wait, what?He had that amazing furniture in his apartment that the couch turned over and it was a computer.He was a bachelor in the 80s in New York.Wow!
But I actually, I actually thought that was a slight towards Firestar and Iceman, which I was going to kind of agree with you.They are.Oh, not true.Not true.
I fell in love with those characters on that show.Oh, my God.
So how did what was the transition from you talked about?Like all people don't realize, like you, you co-wrote or you you wrote the Batman The Long Halloween animated features.You wrote this amazing.Well, I claim this.
I think it's one of the best Superman animated films, Superman Man of Tomorrow.I think it's a lot of fun.A lot of people slept on that film.
And it's great.But but they've all been coming around, which is so cool.They've all been discovering it on Max.Yeah.And I get messages from people all the time that this just brightens my day.
They took the name of that universe that they call the Tomorrowverse now from your film.But how did you go from writing these DC animated films to, you know, coming on board with, you know, Teen Titans and and Alan Scott?
Well, first of all, let me tell you the weird thing about my life is that I was a little bit aimless.I was not aimless, but I just wasn't I was successless in so many ways.And that's not true.
Well, no, at a certain point, I was it was just kind of like floundering, trying to figure out I was too old to have to try to figure out what I was going to be when I grew up.And I was kind of in that place.
I went and sat in the back of Ballroom 20 at San Diego Comic Con, which I'd been attending for years as a fan.And I watched the premiere of the Flashpoint Paradox movie.
that James Tucker made, that Jim Krieg wrote based on Geoff Johns' Flashpoint book and Andy Kubert.And I walked out of that and I said to my friend who sat with me and watched that movie, I said, that's what I want to do.
And I didn't know what that meant.I had no idea what that meant.But within, I would say, a few short years later,
I was adapting Reign of the Supermen for James Tucker and with Jim Krieg and these people who were responsible for the thing that made me sort of pivot my whole life and change my goals to go down that road.
And so that's incredibly lucky and just incredibly fortunate, charmed, people would say.I worked really hard to get there and I worked even harder to keep the door open once it was open.But
But things don't happen like that all the time for everybody.That's why I like to talk about it, because it does feel wild and miraculous that I ever got here.Now, because of that work, I've worked on a show called Justice League Action.
And the producer of that show is Butch Lukitsch.Butch came up on, you know, with Bruce Timm on Batman the Animated Series, Superman Animated Series, Batman Beyond.You see Butch's name is all over that show.His fingerprints are all over that show.
And Butch produced Justice League Action.And he was after that show, he was going to make a movie for Warner Brothers Animation and the lowest of the low hanging fruit at of stories to adapt.
for Warner Brothers Animation was the one that nobody wanted to make because they didn't know how to make it.And that was the Long Halloween.
Butch, who's just an amazing guy, was just like not intimidated in the least.He said, I'm going to do it.Let's do it.We're going to do Long Halloween.And and I had I had Jim Krieg, who was producing it, knew that I had a real affinity for that story.
I also had an affinity for Hush and My friend Ernie Altbacher got the job writing, adapting Hush for James Tucker.And so when it came time to sort of dole out the assignment, Butch and Jim decided to bring me in on Long Halloween.
And I'm very, very grateful they did.It was an incredible experience.And that led to writing Man of Tomorrow.We ended up releasing Man of Tomorrow before the long Halloween because of a trick of Hollywood fate.But then all of that work that I did,
led to my getting in the door at DC Comics as a comic book writer.
And what happened was, and I don't know if you've talked about this on the show before, but I know you know about Dan DiDio's 5G initiative that he was putting in place and famous or infamous, depending on how you would say it. Listen, I was there.
I was in the room.I heard the pitch and I thought it was bold and exciting and it would have done some really cool stuff.And I would have gotten to do some of it, which would have been really cool.
But here's the most important part, I think, of what Dan was trying to do.He brought in a whole room full of TV writers and TV writers who had had experience working with DC characters before.And he said,
what the way I want to approach 5G is different than the way we create story in the rest of the DC universe right now.
I want to have a group of writers who are accustomed to working in a room together, you know, not and not even just a bullpen, but a real writer's room where we would all break the overarching story for the year of
all the titles that would be coming out over the course of the year.
We would all work on that together, and then we'd all go off and write our individual comics, and we would have connections with each other to figure out where we were going to end up interweaving our stories and having them meet each other.
And sort of in a way that with writers who are accustomed to that kind of system, like TV writers, where we would check our egos at the door and be excited about working together and telling a story together.And give the universe a real synergy, too.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.And I think that for all of the, when we say infamy that went along with 5G, that's the piece of it that nobody knows about, that nobody ever talks about. is that that was the way he wanted to have the stories be conceived and told.
And that is really exciting.And we didn't get to do it.You know, Dan was like, oh, Bob Harris, you know, and and things kind of, you know, you know, continued in a similar way at D.C.to the way they've always kind of been done, except when.
Jeremy Adams, who's currently writing the Hal Jordan Green Lantern book and wrote a very famous run on The Flash, which was his first job in comics.
Jeremy Adams and I came up with a story that would have incorporated the concept of the Flashpoint timeline.And DC was excited about doing a miniseries with this idea.
And when it got to be real, it got to the point where I said, I really feel like we need to call, somebody needs to call Jeff Johns and make sure that he's cool with us doing this. Flashpoint is his thing.It's his baby, yeah.
Yeah, but that's kind of courtesy in licensed comic books.Honestly, usually characters or concepts just kind of pop back up because somebody said so.
Yeah.And we didn't have a certainly there.I don't think there was any official obligation to do it.But I think everybody knew that it was kind of the right thing to do.I mean. Flashpoint is a big deal.
I mean, look, Jeff is responsible for a lot of big swings and a lot of big stuff that's historic now to DC canon.But I felt better knowing that.And then our editor had a great relationship with him called Jeff.
Jeff was on board with the very idea of doing a sort of sequel to Flashpoint. said he would immediately volunteer that he would write issue zero to kick us off.And then when we all met for the first time, by the way, I'd never met the man.
But when we all met, everything was just going so well and we were so excited and everything was working and firing and we were all throwing story at each other.
We ended up Jeremy and I threw out the story that we were going to do because Jeff said, hey, I want to just co-write this with you guys.And, you know, we were like, this is the greatest
opportunity that has availed itself is like because it's a masterclass from someone who's been doing this a while, who's who's who arguably knows a thing or two about writing comics.
And so we just saw it as a great learning opportunity, but it turned into so much more.It turned into a great friendship and a great working relationship.The reason I tell that story is because that Jason's like, please get to know.
If you're following along, if you were following along, What we may have gleaned is that that is basically the way that Dan DiDio was pitching that we write comics.
That we had three writers in a room, in a writer's room, working on that story together and writing or going off and writing and then sharing our stuff and rewriting with each other and then making the thing come to life.And that
Ended up being such a joyful experience.It led to the stuff that I'm doing now.But now I'm saying, yeah, Dan DiDio had a had a had a good idea with the writers room of TV writers.
I can't wait for all the news articles after this podcast comes out to where Tim Sheridan, Tim Sheridan says, Dan DiDio has a great idea.
Which, by the way, Dan DiDio has many great ideas.
I mean, that is no fun because Dan DiDio, I have mad respect for the man.
And I do think he's brilliant.
But let me tell you, If that is the worst thing they write about me, then have at it.Lately, it's been a real don't don't dare.
I mean, I know hopefully you searched for this on YouTube by looking for geek history lesson for Tim Sheridan, because you don't want to see the hits that come up under Tim Sheridan right now.Oh, no.People are coming after me.Hardcore.
OK, well, let's let's get into why.So it's been 70 years since Alan Scott's had a solo series.So almost 75. Yeah, 74 years.Why now, Tim Sheridan?Why now?Why now?Why now?
Well, everybody, I think, you know, who's around comics knows that Alan Scott, first Earth 2, Alan Scott came out of the closet.And then Alan Scott came out in the mainstream timeline and a few years ago.
The thing is, Alan has only that story hasn't really been told yet.It's he's sort of had a couple of pages here and there in other people's books.
And and so it's you know, it's like it was kind of inevitable that there was going to be an Alan Scott miniseries, at least that would talk about, you know, him as a closeted gay superhero in the 1940s.At least that would be part of his story.
Flashpoint Beyond, we set up a bunch of cool concepts, very Geoff Johns type of concepts.
One of them was that a bunch of characters had been removed from the DC timeline that we all know and love, and that we reintroduced them, we put them back into the timeline.
Essentially, arguably the conceit of that is that everything we've seen up to this point is the retcon, and that, you know,
You said there were no retcons, Tim.You said there were no retcons.
Not in my book, because technically then, if you follow it through, our story is supposed to be the way it was supposed to play out if the character of the Golden Age Red Lantern hadn't been removed from the timeline.
This is a character who is Alan Scott's as the Green Lantern's arch nemesis that we never knew about because, again, removed from time.
But now reinserted back in time, there are going to be some effects on Alan's life and his story that, you know, it might play out a little bit differently than that we've seen before.
Having said that, I am not in the business of retconning, throwing out an entire life story of our character and just changing everything.
What I see it as is and what we're trying to do is just as an opportunity to add more layers to Alan's character.I mean, when you go back and read the Golden Age books, it's not like they're really deep, like there's not a lot of
you know, there has been in subsequent years, we've gone back and revisited and added more layers to those characters in that time period.
This is just doing that again, based on the layers that have been created in the last, you know, decade or more for for Alan.
But, you know, those people that I'm talking about on YouTube, I mean, they I don't a lot of them, I don't think are really they don't really keep up with comics.You know, they they have a political agenda and they're going after
They're the streak, the wonder dog super fans who want to know when Alan's dog sidekick is going to be coming back in a couple of days.
It's a good question.It's a good question.Another good question for us.Spoilers.Another good question they ask, though, is they ask about Jade and obsidian.Yes.Yeah.Alan's kids.Like, how can he like?
Unfortunately, the question that a lot of people ask, bless them, is how can he have kids if he's gay?And I'm like, well, yeah. Yeah.I don't want to explain biology, but it does still work.It's not just working.
So so like they ask that they ask about Molly Maine Harlequin and his marriage.And and there's there's two parts of that.One is, you know, first of all, my story The you know, as far as we're going is really 1941.
You know, Molly Main didn't show up till 1947.And so, you know, we still have World War Two and everything to deal with.So there's there.Unfortunately, I don't have the real estate to sort of get into all those details in my story.
Until it becomes an ongoing which which it will.
That would be fun.But same thing, you know, with with what is it about the Wonder Dog?
Is that the Wonder Dog who eventually got his own series and was renamed Rex?I think Rex is supposed to be his government name and Streak is supposed to be his superhero name.
I like that he has a spirit identity. But I didn't remember the Wonder Dog part of it.That's the thing.
I don't know if the Wonder Dog is the official name or just sort of what people have been calling him online in sort of a crypto fashion.
I love it.But yeah, so that's kind of the thing.And those are great questions, but just know from my perspective, even though I'm not necessarily addressing it like head on, because we're not setting the story in those timeframes, from where I sit,
everything happened.It all happened.We're not changing.The only thing that changed in Alan's history is something that I didn't do, which was something Jeff did, which was bringing the red lantern back into the timeline.
So that's going to color and shade things maybe a little bit differently.We have some new layers to look at.But the major events of Alan's life are what they are, as far as I'm concerned.Somebody else may come in and have a different opinion.
What was your relationship with Green Lantern Alan Scott before you got assigned this book?Like, were you a fan of this guy or were you kind of like, he's kind of sitting in the background.There's not enough Rex the Wonder Dog.
How did you feel about Alan Scott before, again, writing words in this character's mouth?
Let me take you back to the beginning.First of all, growing up in the 80s, in a small town in the backwoods of Rhode Island, where we didn't have a comic book shop.I didn't know much about the JSA.And I didn't know much about Alan Scott.
They weren't on my TV every day or every week.So my introduction came a little later.And it was sort of, you know, I knew who, I knew who Hal Jordan
was I even knew who Jon Stewart was, I think, before I really got a handle on Alan Scott, which is stuff I had to kind of put together, piece together myself.Again, we didn't have the Internet either.
You know, it wasn't like you could just look this stuff up back then.So so so my exposure to Alan was so minimal as a kid and as a teenager.But I came to.
no Alan from the comics, but mostly from from brief appearances in like, like we've seen in recent years in other people's books in, you know, as a side character and other stories.
He fascinated me in that respect, but he was never like my was it the costume on the Cape, the Phantom of the Opera.So it's the color.It's the color in those movies. Those boots!That collar on the cape is like, unreal.It's so cool.
Has so much hairspray.If somebody makes one.Starch, starch.Put those out.I've always wanted to bring back capes, and if I did, it would be that one.
Okay, somebody who's listening, who's a cosplayer, make Tim the cape, and he will, I'm gonna volunteer you, he will wear it to a major convention next year.I will make it happen.
I'll wear it to every major convention. I will make you this offer live on the air because I'm with you.I think capes should come back.There's a Seinfeld episode all about this.Not just for the opera, not just for the opera.
I'll tell you what.Everyday streetwear.
I'll make you this promise.If you go to a convention next year and you're like, I'm wearing a cape, tell me if it's a nice cape. I'll wear a cape with you.
We will.We will.We will double cape this up.I was just going to ask because it sounds like you sound like a man who has at least one cape.Of course I do.
I have a I have a Robin.It's a Superman cape.I have a Robin yellow cape too.
But I think I think it needs to be big and cloak like like Alan Scott.It needs to be like neutral.It needs to be a cape only for Tim or a cape only for Ashley or a cape only for Jason.It's almost like a Dracula thing, though.Yeah.
It's a collar and, you know, it's so cool.It's the it's the original, you know, like, you know, how Wall Street managers, you know, they dress to the nines so that they can intimidate in capes.That's what this is.
But with capes, the higher your collar, the more intimidating, the more your peripheral vision or the higher status you are.It's good.
I think that's right.I do.We also, by the way, we kept the same style cape for the Red Lantern. I like the red lantern.He's such a cool design.He's so cool.I mean, it's the same essential costume with a different color scheme.
But but he's just so so cool.
In your a lot of your like public discussions about Alan Scott Green Lantern, including some of my very favorite videos that people might see if they're watching this clip on a familiar looking set.
You've talked about how everybody deserves to see themselves in comics.Tell me why that's become your mantra with this project.
Oh, man.Well, I mean, look, you know, I try not to dwell on this stuff, but I mostly look.
There are a lot of people out there who have what I consider to be very backwards opinions about inclusivity and about diversity, you know, and representation in all forms of entertainment.
And they, unfortunately, they're a very loud group of people, especially on certain social platforms.And, you know, the previews for Alan Scott No.1 came out, and this particular group just started making stuff up, like they hadn't read the book.
They were taking stuff and twisting the context to, you know, match an agenda that just is not what the story is.And it's not what the book is.And that stuff drives me wild, because like, you know, at least read the story.
If you want to have a problem with the story, read it.And then, you know, we can have a discussion about it or you can just voice your opinion about it.
But it seemed like it was done in bad faith as a as an attempt to tank the sales of the book before it ever hit shelves.And that's just the kind of thing that I in the past I have
I felt didn't necessarily have to do with the characters of the story, but had to do with the fact that I, the guy who's created it, that I am queer.
And I think that that's their problem is who I am and who other queer creators are or other diverse creators.And so in the past, I have said, you know, stay quiet.They'll go away.They're not really the real fans anyway.So who cares?
I have tried to live and let live and move on.And I have come to a place right now where I feel that that strategy doesn't work. I think, unfortunately, the only thing bullies understand is bullying or at least standing up to bullies.
And I said, I got to throw a punch.If I'm getting punched, I'm going to throw one.That's the kind of I don't love that that's the world we live in, you know, but I think sometimes it's warranted.
So, yeah, I did go out there and make a couple of videos saying, hey, here's what's happening.
And if we want to prove that there's a market for these kinds of stories, that that we are a real sort of force to be reckoned with and that people want these stories, then we need to buy this book, get out there and buy it, you know, buy the heck out of it, buy as many copies as you can and give them to people who need them.
But it was also important to me, like when I go out there as a guy who participates in the success of the book through royalties, I didn't want it to look like I'm just trying to get people to buy the book so I can line my pockets, you know.
So I said, you know, it's for me, I'm I'm very fortunate.My life is is, you know, I like I was saying earlier, I feel charmed to be able to live the life that I live.And it is absolutely, you know,
not only doable, but for me, it was essential to promise and pledge to give every dollar in royalties that I make off of these six issues of Alan Scott, the Green Lantern to charity.So it's not me out there trying to line my pockets.
At least the money is going to charity.And and we're making a point, I think we're taking a stand and we're standing up to bullies and voting with our wallets.That's what we should do.
Also, by contrast, when we announced that you were coming on this podcast, we had really, really positive comments from our listeners.And when you came on Enter the Popverse with me, we debuted a page from issue one, a very sexy page from issue one.
Everyone was very excited.So there is good.There is good, too.
Oh, absolutely.I mean, I am so heartened by, I mean, I'm going to cry if I start talking about it, but the number of people who have welcomed, welcomed the book before it ever came out and reached out and have supported the book.
Big name creators in comics, too, got out there, hadn't read the book yet, but knew what I was doing, knew what Kian was doing.And, you know, we're out there talking about it and in a positive way. But the fans and the reaction has been incredible.
Now, see, the the book came out of issue one came out.And, you know, I was after I, you know, made my video talking about the haters.And the worst thing in the world would have been for that book to come out.
And I think for people to be like, you know, man, you know, we don't really find whatever.But that was not happily that was not what happened.I mean, it It the reaction has been overwhelming.You know, it's been overwhelming.
And the reviews have been so good that I'm terrified because I'm like, how can you possibly, you know, keep going, keep that energy going?So there will be ebbs and flows.
But yeah, it was even better because I got to read it early and I texted Tim and I told him how good it was.
I really appreciate that.DC did something really smart.I think they sent to reviewers issue one and two.And when they sent issue one, they sent issue two as well.And I think what I've been getting, I get a lot of feedback.
I've been hearing a lot of stuff, also a little just rumblings here and there.Someone will say something.If you read some of the reviews, you'll see they're like, we can't talk about issue two yet, but.
it's really exciting and you should keep reading.So, it seems that it's been really welcomed in a big way.
I know, you know, I don't have any information on sales numbers, but I was asking my contacts at DC a couple days ago, I said, you know, just like, How are we doing?Are people picking it up?
You know, because I I keep anecdotally hearing about stores selling out, which is great on one level, but also, you know, I want this book in the hands of as many people as possible.So, you know, you you you almost don't want it to.
sell out you if you do sell out, you want more copies to get printed and and to have them get into people's hands.But lots of places have sold out, certainly of certain covers.Some of the great we have incredible covers on this book.
I mean, I almost feel like we could I could just stop working and put blank pages inside the book covers. alone would sell it.
Kian and I would go sit and sip cocktails on a beach and not have to worry about people buying the book because of those covers.But yeah, it's it's it's it's been you know, those anecdotal stories have been great.
But then hearing from DC that like, you know, it's been doing pretty well.I can't quote anything.I won't say anything, but it's been doing well.So.
So, Tim, I wanna end this with getting it back into writing Alan Scott, because this is a character, I know you've teased that, you tried to ask DC that on the cover, you tried to make the tagline, there's no retcons inside, and they said, no, no, we're not gonna do that.
They said, we're DC Comics, we simply cannot say that.
We can't promise that, we're DC Comics.
No, there's probably a retcon inside, we're DC Comics.
But Alan Scott, he has a lot of retcons, He has a very complicated history, you know, he's been married, he's not married, he was an Earth-2 character, he's not an Earth-2 character, he's old, he's young.He was Sentinel, he was not Sentinel.
He's Sentinel, he's partly magic, he's not magic, maybe he owns a broadcasting channel, maybe he's a railroad engineer.
For you, you're diving into this, and I know, you know, you're diving with his early years, you're dealing with, you know, this is early Alan Scott, early in his heroic career, but for you as a writer,
What helps you when you're dealing with a character with such a complicated continuity that you sort of have to tiptoe around in and also serve?
I mean, I just come to guys like you.You tell me everything I need to know.I said Rex the Wonder Dog, you didn't listen.You know, here's the great thing about Alan Scott and a lot of these, you know, these JSA characters.
They have such a long lifespan and this long history in publication that it's not outside the realm of possibility that it's all true, that everything is true, that all the pieces that maybe didn't seem to fit together, that they can fit together.
And I've always looked at it, maybe to answer your question, I've always looked at it not as a challenge, but as an opportunity to maybe have some fun with making a connection that wasn't made specifically before.
It's a kind of a thing that we've seen Jeff Johns do a lot.I think maybe I sort of learned that from him.You know,
Alan Scott's power set is when you read All-American Comics, number 16, which, by the way, DC put out a reprint facsimile edition the same day it came out as our issue one.And it's so it's on shelves.
And I encourage everyone to pick it up and read it because there's so much in there that is referenced and is a part of issue two. which is out this week, issue two.So please, if you're picking up issue two, maybe there's copies of All-American 16.
It's gonna be a fun thing to kind of read both of those together.They, you know, when you look at his power set, it's very bizarre and it's not what you expect from a Green Lantern.
And there haven't been very satisfying, I think, explanations for why that is throughout the course of his history and throughout the canon.
Don't talk about our podcast like that, Tim.
So I'll say what I want.That's been it for Tim Sheridan, everybody.Thank you so much.
So, one of the things that I thought was important and that I really wanted to do, because it's fun, is to maybe try and use the twist in time that brought us to this miniseries.
The twist in time that brought the Red Lantern back into continuity and into Alan Scott's life.
to use that as a platform to try to make some connections between that weird power set and the rest of the Green Lantern Corps and what all that means and what it could mean for the future.
And I think when we end this series, what I hope is that people will think about the Green Lantern, the Green Lanterns and the Green Lantern Corps a little bit differently.
We're going to leave you with some stuff that maybe other creators will pick up and run with in the future, or if we get to continue, we'll play around with some more.
But there are some big things that we're going to put out there that I think help make sense out of a lot of the questions that have existed for so long. Nice.
Well, Tim, GeekHistoryListener here.We are so proud of your success.We we give Alan Scott Green Lantern number one, this GHL seal of approval.So if you haven't read the issue, go buy it digitally.
We give number two, the seal of pride.
And number two is in stores and available digitally right now.
Tim, can you tell our listeners where they can find you online in case they want to, you know, give you a mad shout out to be like, hey, when is Rex the Wonder Dog going to appear in the series?
If you want Streak or Rex or whoever he is, yeah, you can reach out to me that way.But, you know, if you want to say nasty things, just don't find me.There you go.You can find him at Elon Musk on Twitter.It's called X. Oh, sorry.
I will never call it X. You can find me, you can link to everything off of TimSheridan.com.How's that?That's easy, right?
That's very simple.That's very simple.Well, Tim, I'm so happy to read more Emerald issues and thank you for joining us here on Geek Extra Lesson.
Thank you so much to Tim Sheridan for joining us here on Geek History Lesson.Thank you, Tim.That's the only reason I was here.
All right, Ashley, I'm out.See you later.
All right.Goodbye.I can't wait to wrap this episode up on my own.Please pray for me.All right.Bye bye.
So your recommended reading, which is if you go over to GeekHistoryLesson.com slash recommended reading and you want to read anything to continue your knowledge of Alan Scott, you can click on your widgets and pick them up in your format of choice.
I just forgot my phone.Sorry.
Oh, okay, bye.Thanks, I appreciate your contributions.You have to get this first one secondhand, but it is well worth getting into the DC Archive Edition Golden Age Green Lantern Volume 1.
It is the only complete Alan Scott from his Golden Age debut series of stories.I'm also gonna recommend Justice Society of America, a celebration of 75 years.It's all of your best hits of your JSA characters, including some great standalone issues.
I'm gonna recommend Earth 2 Volume 1, The Gathering.That is where you get the introduction Queer Alan Scott that inspired my final recommendations.This is a pre-order at the time of this recording.
Alan Scott, The Green Lantern, Volume One by Tim Sheridan and Kian Tormey.That is a collection of his new Golden Age miniseries.
What'd you say about Tim Sheridan?
You're gonna have to listen back to this to get there.
No, no, no.Okay, well, I'll stick around.If you're gonna still talk about Tim Sheridan, the amazing maestro, I'm gonna stick around.
Absolutely.So I'm gonna read Tim Sheridan's honor roll right now.Oh, wow!
I should have planned that.I should have asked him to write one.
Oh, that's so funny.Well, listeners, you know what the honor roll is.If you want to hear your name and your review read, live in the air, go write a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you are listening to this podcast right now.
If it's on Apple Podcasts, we'll screenshot it, we'll talk about it, and we'll thank you for boosting us into the Apple algorithm.Or if you're somewhere else, take a screenshot and send it to geekerslesson at gmail.com.
So Ashley, who's joining the honor roll this week?
Joining the honor roll today is Daoud F., who says, two experts in stuff teach each other and us.In stuff.That's accurate, very accurate.
I love it when an informative podcast pairs up an expert and a noob, so they represent both endpoints of the audience.The topics are on trend and relate to something that's about to happen in real time, and it's still fun even when they don't.
The hosts alternate who gets to play professor each week, so they both get to have fun, and we reap the lion's share of the benefits. I think I'm mixing metaphors here, and I hope that that makes sense.
Bottom line, come listen to this podcast, learn something, and you'll have some fun and laughs along the way.You won't be sorry.So thank you so much, Dawoud F., for your very, very kind five star review.Welcome into the teacher's lounge.
And Professor Jason, what's going on in there today?
Mr. Scott?He's not a professor?
I don't trust this.Is he an adjunct?No, he's not a professor.He's an engineer.He's a railroad engineer.
You heard it here first, folks.Railroad engineers can't be professors.
Jason Edmond, how dare you.
How dare you disparage me to the fine, upstanding railroad engineers out there.
If you're a railroad engineer, please email us, GeekHistoryListenerGmail.com and send a cool photo.
They have a lot of time to sit in a cab.So, like, I hope you have a railroad engineer listener out there.
I mean, they have a lot of they would have a lot of time for podcasting as they're enjoying the rail.
I would surely be honored.I love a trade.
I would, too.So if you want to join them, go over to any of the podcast.Lovely places.Download, subscribe.Tell your friends about this podcast.That is the greatest way for this to grow, especially on your friends on Reddit.
Posts are everywhere on Reddit about GeekyHistoryLessons, especially this episode.
Ashley where can they suggest future lessons like some of the fine listeners of stress that you can be beautiful sexy people like our TAs on this episode by going to geek history lesson comm facebook.com such geek history lesson on twitter at ghl podcast and on Instagram and Tick-tock at geek history lesson too many things Where where should they follow you on the on one social media?
What's the one social me that you'd like them follow you at?
I would like you to follow me on Instagram, but you can find me on all the things that Ashley V. Robinson, the V is very important.
How about you, Jason?You can go follow me on Instagram at Jawan, J-A-W-I-N.I'm also on threads with the same exact place.And now it's time for stick around.Yeah, that's right.When you suck through all the plugs, you get to hear more.
Ashley, what are we talking about?Hashtag stick around.
Is it time to bring back Streak the Wonder Dog?
Well, he hasn't been in continuity since... No, I mean, in our hearts.
Not in our hearts.In the hearts of the DC editors.
He's obviously left your heart if you think he's got to come back.
I've replaced him with Streaky the Wondercat.What can I say?How dare you?Streaky the Supercat.
It'd be funny to have a reference to him.
It'd be funny to put him on, like, the League of Super Pets or something like that. Yeah, but he's like the old dog.
Well, we're gonna make a streak in his name Rex.
This is like government name.
I think he has to be Rex Yeah, cuz we have streaky we can't so now I mean I'm the wonder dog I'm looking at an action figure of a streaky.
Yes in this various room, so Yeah, I think he has to be Rex Rex the Wonder dog it won't work with Emerald Rex the Rex the Emerald dog.Oh
Yeah, doesn't work.Would you buy a Rex action figure to go with your various and sundry?
I want, I want Rex.I want Kanga.I want, um, give me a tiny gorilla Grodd, whatever you want.
A tiny girl, you know, give me, give me, you know, tiny baby gorilla Grodd.Give me all those weird DC animal people.I'll take them.Yeah.
Well, some of them are like, I don't know what you call them.Anna, Anna, Anna Humanoid.Anthropomorphic.Well, you know, they actually call them like animoids or humanoids or whatever.
And then there's Buddy Baker.But that's a story for another time.
Yeah, we've never done a Betty Baker.No, you can request it, though.Please don't.Please don't.I'm not great.I mean, what is wrong?What is your problem with blonde, white male DC superhero?What's up with my problem with blonde, white men?
Well, how much do you have?
Blonde, white DC superheroes?I'm talking about Aquaman.I'm talking Buddy Bakers, I'm talking about your Alan Scott's.I'm talking about your booster gold like Jason.
I'm talking about your booster gold Your Alan Scott's there's only room for one Aryan blonde Superhero from DC Comics in my heart and Michael John Carter has has really old Yeah has really short that I could I could tell your your derision against Alan Scott.
Actually, I will say I learned a lot of really fascinating things during this episode I really enjoyed doing this episode and I'm so grateful that people wanted to hear it.
All right, cool Well, thank you all for listening.And this has been geek history lesson I am Jason bring back Rex the Wonder Dog in man.
I am Ashley Victoria Robinson, actually Will you please close out this emerald episode classes now dismissed?Oh
He's one of the most solid dudes in the DC universe.It's time to talk about Jon Stewart, the Green Lantern, because your Geek History lesson is now in session. Hello and welcome to Geek History Lesson.I am Jason Emerald Inman.
I am Ashley Victoria Robinson.
Welcome to your Mind University because you have stumbled onto the podcast where we take one character, team, or hard light construct from popular culture and teach you everything you need to know about them in about an hour.
That was really hard for me to say.
Sounds like Ashley has forgotten what this podcast is.
And this week we are talking about a great Green Lantern character.Who's that, Jason?
We're talking about Jon Stewart, Green Lantern, or 2814.2, actually.
In my opinion, probably the most well-known Green Lantern.
Well, that is an argument to be had.I don't know if that argument will happen in this episode or not.Probably not. This episode was suggested by a couple of people, specifically Patrick McMillan and Ethan Isaiah Mackey.
So thank you to both of you gentlemen for suggesting the Jon Stewart Green Lantern episode.Ashley, if they want to suggest future episodes, where can they go?
If you want to be as awesome as our TAs and request future episodes, you can go to geekhistorylesson.com, facebook.com slash geekhistorylesson, or on Twitter at GHL podcast.There's a whole bunch of ways to contact us in all those places.
And we're going to go right into the first section of our podcast, the 10 cent origin.Ashley, what is the 10 cent origin?
Well, that is all of the basics.Who's it's and what's it's and creators in case you go to a two eight one four themed cocktail party and someone doesn't know who Jon Stewart is.
John Stewart is also known as Green Lantern, the Master Builder, or Dark Star.He was created by Denny O'Neill and Neil Adams, and his first appearance was in Green Lantern No.87 in December of 1971.
His team affiliations are the Green Lantern Corps, the Justice League, the Guardians of the Universe, the Dark Stars, the U.S.Marine Corps, the Indigo Tri, and the Ultraviolent Marine Corps.
His abilities, of course, all come from his Green Lantern power ring, which include abilities like flight, force field, space travel, space travel again, space travel in warp speeds, hard light constructs, or translation of all languages.
I just wanted to make sure you knew that he travels in space a lot. And, of course, he was portrayed on the Justice League The Animated Series by Phil Lamarr.
Now, before we get into the main lesson here for Jon Stewart, I just want to say that Jon Stewart is kind of a special character to me because some university students might know that I wrote a book called Super Soldiers.
a salute to the comic book heroes and villains that served our country.Now, this details my military career in relationship to comic book superheroes that also served.And I have a Jon Stewart chapter in my book.And I thought it was OK.
I could read a little excerpt from my book right now from the Jon Stewart chapter.
I think you should.It's one of my favorite chapters in the book.
OK, so here we go. But who is Jon Stewart?How would you describe him?He's more than simply Hal Jordan's partner.He's more than a cartoon character.He's a Green Lantern of change.I'm not just referring to his skin color either.
Sure, he's the first Green Lantern main character who was African American, but Jon Stewart is not simply a character defined by his ethnicity.He's defined by change.When he was first introduced in comics, John was an architect.
His occupation was later changed to Marine.With the Red Klan in place, John went from one military organization to another, trading the Marine Corps for the intergalactic policing of the Green Lantern Corps. He later went from sidekick to leader.
During his first adventure, John is Hal Jordan, the main Green Lantern sidekick, basically a trainee.Eventually, John Stewart ascends the ranks and leads the Green Lantern Corps and its thousands of members from across the galaxy.
Could this be attributed to a military attitude from his time in the Marines?Switching from base to base and mission to mission is common for anyone in the armed forces.Are service members like John at ease with that?
I doubt it, especially since John's military service was a change to his already established character history.John went from authority-questioning architect to order-following, rule-abiding Green Lantern pretty quickly.
When he was introduced, he yelled at Hal Jordan constantly.When he was transformed into a Marine, he yelled orders at Hal instead.In many ways, this shift turned his entire character into the stereotype of a good soldier. Marines listening.
A character steeped in the rules and methods of a service member, it's now Jon Stewart's most defining trait.
Now, I have more to say about Jon Stewart, but you can read it all in my book, Super Soldiers, a salute to the comic book heroes and villains that served.
It's available on Amazon, or you can get signed copies personally from me at JasonInman.com slash store.
I also think you just proved your bona fides in case anyone was wondering why you're teaching this lesson.
Well, because you're obviously an authority on Jon Stewart.You have a lot to say about him.That's very thoughtful.
I like old Johnnies.Let's move straight into the old me cute of old Johnny.
Which is where we stole a term for romantic comedy writing and we are going to tell you where we first met this character and how cute it was.And I'm pretty sure Jason can guess mine.
Justice League the Animated Series.
Yes, like many people of my generation, that was where I first met Jon Stewart.I was not much of a Green Lantern reader until I got a little older.And that's, you know, that's why I think he's probably the most well-known Green Lantern.
Jason, where did you first meet and cute Jon Stewart?
in the 90s during Kyle Rayner's Green Lantern run.Now, during this, I knew a lot of Jon because Jon was sort of an architect to Kyle, but he was also the leader of this group called the Dark Stars.
And during a certain battle in Green Lantern, specifically Green Lantern 75, Jon gets injured and he gets put in a wheelchair and he ends up dating a cool alien babe.So this is the Jon Stewart that I knew.So that's it.
Cool. Shall we move into the History 101?Sure.That is the main meat of the lesson where Professor Jason is going to lay down everything we need to know about Jon Stewart.
Now John, there's a little bit of publication history here.John was created from the need for a substitute Green Lantern in the book.
Now Neil Adams later claimed in an interview in Back Matter Magazine in December of 2010 that he and Julie Schwartz, the editor at the time, had the following conversation.
We ought to have a black Green Lantern, not because we're liberals, but because it just makes sense, end quotes. Jon Stewart is one of DC Comics earliest black superheroes in publication history, but he's not the first.What?Who is the first?
Ashley, we have talked about this gentleman on this podcast.Do you know who the first DC Comics superhero is?Black DC Comics superhero?
That is correct.It is not Jon Stewart, like many people believe.So it's Black Lightning.Old Jefferson Pierce.
He's the first Black Green Lantern.
Well, true, but he's also only the third Green Lantern in publication history, so.
Well, I'm just saying, if people want to.
So, into the fictional history.According to the ancient reader in the Tower of Talos, on the day of John Stewart's birth, an immortal guardian of the universe prophesied that John would grow to become the legendary hero known as the Opener of Doors.
And we might reference that later, but we'll find out.
Jon Stewart is an architect, later retconned into a veteran U.S.Marine from Detroit, Michigan, who was selected by the Guardians as a backup Green Lantern to the then current Green Lantern Hal Jordan.
Yeah, because there's a lot of crossover with when Green Lanterns become Green Lanterns because Hal's kind of always around.
Yep. Now, after the previous backup, Guy Gardner was seriously injured after getting hit by a car while trying to save a civilian.Because if there's one thing we know about Guy Gardner, he gets hit by things a lot and has a lot of hand injuries.
And we'll learn more about him maybe in an upcoming Geekish lesson.
Although Hal Jordan initially objected the decision after seeing that Stewart had a belligerent attitude to authority figures, the Guardians stood by their decision and chided Jordan for his supposed bigoted outlook on the issue.
Jordan explained that he just felt that even though Stewart might have the integrity for the task, he obviously would have a chip on his shoulder bigger than the Rock of Gibraltar.
Yes.Now, John was trained in the usage of his power ring by Katmatui, the Green Lantern on the planet Koragar.Now, Ashley, what is important about the planet Koragar?
Hmm, you know, that's a really excellent question Jason.What's important about the planet Coragar?
Do you not know?No, it is the home planet of Sinestro.The biggest green lantern villain of all time.
So the duo went on to have many adventures together, and eventually fell in love.
Cat and John went on to serve with the Green Lantern Corps on Earth, including alongside Hal Jordan, Arisa, Kellawag, Salak, and other Green Lanterns, and soon they were married eventually.
Now, Jon Stewart went on to fill on for Hal Jordan in a lot of missions when Hal Jordan was away with the Justice League.
And during the time when Hal Jordan gave up being a Green Lantern in the 1980s, the Guardian selected Jon Stewart for full-time duty, and Stewart served that role for some years.
Fun fact, it was during this time that Jon was actually employed as an architect for Ferris Aircraft Company, which of course is Hal Jordan's, you know, company that only hires him after he has a few drinks.So there you go.
During his first few years of publication, John even appeared on Crisis on Infinite Earths.Of course, you want to know more about that.You should check out our Crisis Club episodes on Geek Hustler Lesson.What are the numbers of those episodes?
282 to 287.Ashley knows.I don't.That's OK.That's what I'm here for.
Jon Stewart soon faced tragedy when Sinestro managed to depower his Green Lantern ring, and Cap Matui was murdered by a Star Sapphire, leading Jon to be falsely accused of killing Carol Farris in Retribution, because Carol Farris was obviously a Star Sapphire many times over.
Jon Stewart next appeared in a storyline called Cosmic Odyssey.Great title.Written by Jim Starlin and Mike Mignola, who is famous for drawing Hellboy and creating Hellboy, of course.
Having left Earth and Hal Jordan's ear for space, during the storyline, Jon Stewart came upon the planet Xanchi and was unable to save its citizens from destruction as the planet blew up.
And this decision would haunt Jon for the rest of his career, because, of course, he thought that he could save Xanchi.
And you write a lot about that in your chapter, actually, and how that affects him.
Indeed, because John was so distraught by his failure that he actually contemplated suicide, which is never the answer.Now, when John was able to finally forgive himself, he was featured in his first solo title titled Green Lantern Mosaic.
This is written by Gerard Jones and drawn by Cully Hamner, who is astounding.
Now, John grew into a stronger, more complex hero by taking on the role of caretaker of the mosaic world, which is actually a patchwork of communities from multiple planets have been brought to Oa by an insane guardian who had invaded John's mind.
Now, We're going to talk about the series a little bit because this is, quite honestly, one of the greatest Greenlander books of all time.We're not going to talk about the writer a lot because you can go Google and you'll see why.
And we're just not going to mention him anymore.
But it's an important John story.
So we're going to actually have you heard about this book.What do you know about Greenlander mosaic?
I know Mosaic is not collected.No, it's not!And that makes me so bad.So for a long time, children, before trade paperbacks were commonplace.Trade paperbacks were rare.
And so if you're as old as Jason and I, there were certain runs that were not collected.
Well, they didn't collect everything in runs like they do now.
Exactly. But there were certain runs that people sort of lauded or really recommended checking out and Mosaic was always one that I had heard about that you had to go hunting in quarter bins for.
Yep.Now you can find it digitally. Can you?Well, you can find it.Let's hope.But it's a really great story.In my opinion.Have you read it?I have.
I have.In my opinion.I didn't know that.It's quite dated now, as one might expect for something written decades ago.But this exemplifies the type of stories that Green Lantern can do that no one else.This is why Green Lantern can be special.
I think it's a great example of that.So tell me about Mosaic.
Well, I'm not going to give you everything about Mosaic because I do think that people should hunt it down and read it, but I'm going to give you enough to hopefully whet your appetite.Okie dokie.
This book is Deep Space Nine Green Lantern, if you understand that reference.I remember reading this back in the day in the $10 comic packages I would find in Walmart and it blew my mind.So, let me tell you about the Mosaic world.Please.
It is a patchwork world of different aliens being put together.They are initially distrustful of each other, and the various communities sometimes come to battle, even leading to fatalities.
Some of the cities had lifeforms hostile to each other, others had life that liked each other.Stuart deals with the less fatal problems as overpopulation and the fact that some of the cities are only inhabited by two people.
and assisting Stuart in his efforts are the citizens of the evergreen city, including several youngsters whose parents are suffering severe mental problems due to their unique situation.
John gives these children less powerful green lantern rings and they help assist them in future conflicts. He tries to build roads between the cities, and that is a big thing because he's an architect.
And he also views him taking care of Mosaic World as a penance for the destruction of Zanshi, which he which he blames himself for making.He tries to make the Mosaic World the best it could be.Then at the end of the series,
John eats his Green Lantern ring and becomes the first mortal guardian of the universe.He gets his wife, Kat Matui, back.
And the issue, the series ends with him playing piano in a very surrealistic way because Relander Mosaic, excuse me, was canceled at 18 issues, not 19.
However, in an unusual move, Green Lantern Mosaic was cancelled at issue 18, and Cully Hamner later said in an interview, and I quote, As I was told at the time, Greenlander Mosaic didn't fit with the DC editorial vision, whatever that means.
Sales also didn't matter, fan support didn't matter.The first issue sold about 210,000 copies and my last issue sold about 70,000, so there was plenty of support for the book.It was marked for cancellation when issue 5 came out,
and they allowed Jerry Jones a year to wrap it up.But there was no doubt that it was being canceled because somebody upstairs just didn't care for it.
So I had a feeling after a while of creatively being against the wall, it got it out before the end.So he's like, you pay your money, you take your chances.That's the comic biz.
And he's absolutely true, ultimately.
It actually says in the letter column of the final issue of Greenlander Mosaic, because I've read it, that the writer, who I will not name, says that he had planned it being 25 issues.So we had to wrap everything up early.
18's pretty close, though.It's not bad.We've seen great stories cut off far sooner than that. as well.Can I interject with a really quick action figure spotlight?
For Green Lantern Mosaic?
There is a DC Universe Classics Cat Matoui figure where she has her little feathered haircut.
That's cool.I didn't know there was a Cat Matoui.
Soon after Mosaic, tragedy struck.
Hal Jordan became possessed by Parallax.That is a tragedy.And he destroyed both the Guardians and the Central Power Battery.So, how does this affect Jon?Well, he'd finally fixed Mosaic World, right?
And it all fell apart when Hal Jordan destroyed the Green Lantern Corps at the Nijigian Parallax.Jon was rendered powerless because he lost his Green Lantern Ring.
Hal literally ruins everything.Yep.
He became human again and Cat Matoowee died.
Later, it was revealed that most of the Mosaic world was evacuated by a multi-species coalition in anticipation of the battle, and the survivors of the experiments were actually taking back to their original home worlds.
So, Mosaic world is not another Xanchi.Just to understand.Xanchi's the big disaster.Although, if I was writing Jon Stewart, I would have him talk about Mosaic all the time.
Having lost everything, Jon is recruited by the Controllers to join and lead the Dark Stars, which is kind of a low-rent Green Lantern Corps, which is needed now more than ever now that all the Green Lantern Corps is gone.
To increase his ranks, Jon set out many veteran Green Lanterns to become Dark Stars.
He also met his new love and fellow Dark Star, Meryn Dathalos, and in a battle with Graven, who is an illegitimate son of Darkseid, Jon suffered severe injuries that left him crippled and lost the ability to walk.
He soon left the Dark Stars and returned to Earth with Merrin. During the events of Final Night, when the sun went out, HAL visited Jon and used his near-limitless power to grant him the ability to walk again.
This also resulted in Jon having the power to unleash blasts of green energy for a time.However, all this faded and Jon found himself unable to walk again.
Now, when Kyle Rayner first absorbed the power of Ion, he was able to diagnose Jon Stewart's condition.What's Ion, Ashley?
Ion is all the power of the of light in the universe.
It's the power of will.It's the spirit like parallax is a spirit representation of fear.Ion is a spiritual representation of will.
Kyle's been so many things.
Apparently, there was an energy blockage left over from what Hal did during the final night that was preventing John from walking again. Kyle removed it.However, John found that he could still not walk.
It was then that John's psychologist helped him realize why.And for a long time, he had been repressing the memories of the car accident during his childhood that killed his sister and subconsciously he was punishing himself.
Once John realized this and accepted the truth, he was able to walk again because he was no longer punishing himself for the loss of his sister. That's kind of cool.I don't like that.
I like that they didn't physically disable him, even though there's tons of incredible disabled people and there's incredible disabled characters.We scream that about Oracle all the time.
But it feels like a really mean thing to do to this incredibly important character to be like, you just can't walk.By making it psychosomatic, you are able to give him his powers back.And I respect that.Sure.
Now, after Terry Berg, who was Kyle Rayner's art assistant, was brutally beaten for being homosexual, Kyle lost the will to stay on Earth.And he needed to get away from Earth for a while.And he left Jon Stewart a letter explaining this.
With the letter, he also left a duplicate of his power ring.And Kyle had trusted Jon to protect things while he was gone.And Jon was glad to have the opportunity because it had been years since he had taken to the sides as a Green Lantern.
And he would later rejoin the Justice League of America. Unfortunately, after this, John only pops up here and there, and he never really gets his own series like we saw with Mosaic.He just gets a series of standard Green Lantern adventures.
We're going to go through that, but we're going to kind of these aren't really John stories from here on out.They're all Green Lantern stories that John appears.Yes. Which is a bummer.
Now, Jon faces some pretty heavy consequences during the Sinestro Corps War.After Bedovian, a Sinestro Corps member, takes out several Green Lanterns, Jon Stewart uses his power ring as a scoped sniper rifle to track the nearby sectors.
He eventually discovers Bedovian's hiding spot and shoots him, killing him, as a Green Lantern Corps members were all given the ability to kill Sinestro Corps members.But don't worry too much, Bedovian is resurrected in Blackest Night.
And if you know anything about over a patron, you know, everything about black is not right.Check out the lanterns on dot com slash John.
Now, that is also the issue where it is first referenced that Jon Stewart is a Marine Corps member, which was the thing that was a retcon from the Justice League cartoon.I want to talk about it a little bit right now.So
John Stewart was later approached by the Guardians to become one of the Alpha Lanterns, which is a new division of Corps devoted to the internal affairs of the Corps.
Stewart, desiring more information about the secrecy of the forbidden prophecies, declined the offer to the extreme disappointment of the Guardians. As I said, a lot of the stories during this time were showing that John was a Marine.
This was a retcon from an episode of the Justice League cartoon where John meets Metamorpho, and they call each other Jarheads, and that's the first place that John was ever referenced to be a Marine.
If you look at John Stewart's design in the Justice League cartoon, he has the Jarhead haircut.So at this time is when it was started to show up in the comic books.
During a storyline called Green Lantern Secret Origin, where we retconned Hal Jordan's origin, they say that he was in the Air Force and he meets a young Jon Stewart in a bar who is a Marine. Back to the comic books.
During the Rage of the Red Lantern story arc, Jon Stewart is one of the guards assigned to escort Sinestro to Koragar, his home planet, to face execution.
However, the Green Lanterns are ambushed by the Sinestro Corps and the Red Lantern Corps under the charge of Atrocitus, but they are saved by Saint Walker of the Blue Lantern Corps.
John, however, is infected with the Red Lantern's rage, and Saint Walker, the Blue Lantern, has to conjure up a blue energy construct of his dead wife, Katmatui, who heals John and calms him down by showing him a vision of him flying in the past with Katmatui.
In the same issue, Fatality is converted into a Star Sapphire and orders her ring to locate John Stewart.Now, you may be asking, like, why does that matter? Fatality is a survivor of Zanshee.
Hey, that planet that John didn't help save, or he did and it didn't work.
When she tracks down John, she tells him that she forgives him and kisses him.Before departing, she encouraged John to forgive himself for what happened to Zanshee.Now, she's a Star Sapphire, Ashley.Why is that a big deal?
Well, Star Sapphires, I think most people probably know them as being the core that Carol Farris is sometimes a part of, but they worship and are powered by love.
That's correct.So that when she says the forgive himself and love himself, that kind of makes sense.
Love doesn't always mean romantic love.And that's a powerful idea.
And then we get to Blackest Night. Blackest Night, of course, we're going to talk about that over Blackest Night Club or at patreon.com slash Jollin.Yeah, it's a Green Lantern episode.I'm going to say it a lot.Get ready to it.Get used to it.
Well, there's lanterns all over the place.Every lantern.
Buckle up.John actually takes a leave of absence from Earth. to go back to Xanchi and to help into an attempt to help to rebuild the world.
So when John visits the grave of the planet Xanchi, thousands of black rings fly into the planetary debris and reconstitute the entire planet. Zanshi himself then speaks to John, telling him, I can help you save them.
When he goes down to the reconstituted planet surface of Zanshi, he finds himself confronted by Katmatui and the entire population of Zanshi are now black zombie lanterns.
And while battling them all, Kat Matui tries to weaken Jon by claiming that he caused Zanshi's destruction.
However, Jon, spurred by Fatality's words, believes finally that he was not the cause of it and successfully fights off all the Black Lanterns.Nice.Now, after the Blackest Night, we're going to skip ahead again to the War of the Green Lanterns.
And Krona, the guy who is very integral to Christ, Son, and Earth, and one of the original guardians of the universe, who actually created the Green Lantern Rings, he controls, or gets control, of all the emotional entities of the different colored core.
Now, that includes Ion, that includes Parallax, and a bunch of the other ones who I don't remember the names.
Doesn't that include basically everyone?
That's what I said, he controls all the emotional allies.Yeah, yeah, yeah.The entities, he doesn't control the core, he controls the entities. Oh, I see.
The spirits.Oh, okay.Thank you for clearing.I was like, that's just a bunch of people.
No, he controls the spirits.Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool, cool.Okay?So, he defeats the guardians of the universe with that power, and he installs Parallax back into the central power battery of the Green Lantern Corps.
Now, Ashley, Parallax was in the Green Lantern power battery for a long, long, long time before it took control of Hal Jordan.Yes.How did that affect the Green Lanterns?
What did parallax do back in the day that modern Green Lanterns don't have anymore?Like, what is the thing that parallax affected that modern Green Lanterns don't have a problem with anymore?
Didn't it make them susceptible to yellow?
That is correct, because Parallax is yellow.So he puts Parallax back into the central power battery.Bad news bears.
Which also gives them the weakness yellow again, but also allows Parallax to take control of the vast majority of the Green Lantern Corps to infect them with fear.In order to have the power to fight,
Hal Jordan proposes that the earth lanterns all take off their power rings and use power rings that he has collected from the other colored lantern cores.So he gives Jon Stewart the indigo power ring and Jon becomes an indigo lantern.
What are the indigo lanterns, Ashley?
They are the lantern core that is powered by empathy.
Yes.Compassion.Compassion.Sorry.Yeah.
Now, the four earth lanterns, Hal Jordan, Jon Stewart, Guy Gardner and Kyle Rayner.Can you do by the way, do you want to take guesses on what they all picked as their colors?Oh, they picked.So, you know, so, you know, John is Indigo.
Mm hmm.Kyle.Kyle becomes a white lantern.
I know his orange or red.
It's always red.So what color does Pal pick?
Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.
No, yellow, because he's faced, he's been a Sinestro Corps member before.
Oh, I would have thought he was.
And because he has Parallax, so he can control Parallax.
Their plan to stop the War of the Green Lanterns was to free Mogo.Now Ashley, who's Mogo?
Mogo is the sentient Green Lantern planet.
Yes.Who's super cool.Yes, indeed.I like Mogo.And at this time, Mogo is sort of the homeworld of the Green Lanterns.Yeah.But now he's being controlled by Parallax, so he's kind of evil.Oh right, because of the power battery.
So on the way, Jon attempts to stop the flow of tainted rings sent out by Mogo, because Mogo is the one who sends and controls the Green Lantern rings.
And Mogo's possessed, so Mogo don't know any better.
Well, Mogo's sending them to evil people.
As John and Kyle head for Mogo's core, they discover residual Black Lantern energy in Mogo's core.Now, because sentient beings were dying and Cronus forces were growing these tainted gray lanterns with every second, John made a difficult decision.
He harnessed the power of a Black Lantern and he killed Mogo. Whoa.Now, Kyle is horrified by John's actions and attempts to gather pieces of Mogo back together to restart the core of Mogo and bring him back to life.
But I kind of think John Stewart made the soldiers the soldiers decision and kind of the you know, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
Well, it's kind of also like Davey, like putting down a sick animal.
Yes.And it's in its hardest form.Also, a genius move for Jon because it echoes Xanchi, but it's his choice instead of his failure.
That's right.Now, during the storyline, the rise of the Third Army, Jon and Fatality, the Xanchi survivor, begin a romantic relationship.
While they attempt to collect all the scattered pieces of Mogo until it's revealed that he really wasn't romancing Fatality, but he was actually romancing a Durlin clone. Now John vows to search for the real Fatality.
He locates and reunites with her on a Durlin prison planet, but Fatality attacks him and she reveals to him that the Zamorans had influenced her into becoming a star sapphire, forcing her to love him when she actually hates him and still blames him for the fall of her planet.
Then DC Rebirth happened and John was put into a leadership position of the mixed Green Lantern and Sinestro Core Alliance when the two decided to unite and both exist on Oa, an alliance which he proposed.
And that basically brings us into the modern day.
Yes, and we don't want to spoil anything.
Well, I mean, I'm not going to get too current because John isn't doing a lot.
Yeah, which is a bummer.So, all right, that's it.
That's it for the lesson.Let's go into the recommended reading.
Yes, where if you liked anything that Jason laid down here about John Stewart, he is going to recommend stuff that if you go to geekhistorylesson.com slash recommended reading, you can click on a little widget, you can purchase it and get it shipped to your home.
And a little bit of support comes back our way so that we can reconstitute the core of the Mind University.
Look, Green Lantern Mosaic has not been collected.So, none of these are that.So, book one is War of the Green Lanterns.This is where Jon becomes an Indigo Lantern and he kills O-Mogo.
Book two, I'm gonna recommend for Jon Stewart, is Green Lantern Corps, Blackest Night.Nice.This is where Jon has to deal with Cat Matui.This is where Jon has to deal with Black Lantern Xanchi.
And then book three, I'm gonna recommend you, it is about Jon Stewart, even though it's called Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps Volume One Sinestro's Law.
Now, Jon Stewart's a big part of this book, and I don't want to spoil a lot of stuff, but this is the book where Jon proposes the idea of the Sinestro Corps and the Green Lanterns teaming up and that.
Instead of having two Green Lanterns for every sector, you have one Green Lantern and one Sinestro Corps member.I think it's an interesting idea.
I think it's a it's an interesting way to play with the idea of to use the Star Wars reference, bringing balance to the force.
Yes.And now we're going to go into the discussion and we're going to be joined by our dear, dear friend who has appeared on our top 10 era episode series.And he's appeared with Ashley to review Black Lightning season two.You know him.
as an incredible standup comedian, a panelist of Collider Movie Talk, the host of the Mad Titan podcast and a leader of the supervillain squad.Please welcome Mr. J. Washington.
Jay Washington, welcome back to Geek History Lesson.Thank you, man.I'm glad to be back.I'm glad you decided to hit me up.I was like, hey, you want to do this again?You actually like me.You know what I'm saying?You like me.Watch your head.
Don't hit it on that light.I know.
We're recording Jay's secret supervillains.Layer.Layer of Legion of Doom.But we're not here to talk about any villains, because I know that's the Mad Titan podcast.Your whole brand is about villains, but we're here to talk about a hero.Yes.
Jon Stewart, Green Lantern. I have some personal connections to Jon Stewart, Green Lantern, because, you know, he is a service member and marine and he's a great, great Green Lantern.And he was great in the Justice League cartoon.
What is your connection to Jon Stewart?How much do you love him?Let's hear some of your Jon Stewart bone if he did.
Well, again, you have a character growing up when you hear superhero characters.I will always say this.Growing up, you didn't hear of that many African-American characters and that many African-American characters in a forefront leadership role.
So then, you know, time goes around and then you still get into comic books and whatever, and then you hear about a black green lantern.And you're like, what?OK, let's see.And so you read a story and you start reading.
You're like, wait, this dude is not just a sidekick.He's not an offshoot.He's at the forefront.He's a leader. He's a leader leader.You know, a lot of people have that title of he's a leader, but he's a leader leader.
And so to see that has been like so dope and to watch the evolution and the different adventures he's had and what they've had him do and how he's never played a backseat to any of the other lanterns.
Now let me ask you this question, because it's a big thing that we talk about in this episode.The fact that John's marine background is a retcon.When John Stewart was originally introduced in the comic books, he was an architect.
He was an architect, yeah.And it didn't come until the actual Justice League cartoon.Now let me ask you, when you encountered John Stewart for the first time, was he always a marine?I was a marine.
was it the cartoon?Yeah, it was the cartoon.That was my introduction to the cartoon.Yeah.So, because again, some comic books you stop reading and then you see cartoons.The Justice League cartoon was like, wait, what?Justice League cartoon was great.
Yeah, because it was like, it was something you had to see.And so that was the introduction.He's a Marine, you know, and sometimes I know people will be like, oh, well they had to make him a soldier and stuff like that.But there's a reason for this.
There's a reason for the retcon.There's a reason you went back and said, we need this military leadership role because it's going to play out heavily throughout his arc.
Let me talk about this.So it's funny.Um, we talk about this a little bit in the episode, but I talk about this a lot in my book, super soldiers.You can get a Jason emin.com plug plug anyways.Um, in the Jon Stewart chapter, I break down that.
I think the reason why they made him a Marine is that if you look at everybody else in that team, including Superman and Batman, none of them are the clear leader.They're actually, when you break them down, vigilantes to their core are rebels.
Yeah, and making John Stewart the Marine makes him the leader of that team because he's the one that knows about teamwork.He's the one that knows about planning.
He's the one that can tell them all what to do and they might listen and it gives them organization.
Yes, like they they're together collectively as the Justice League, but like you just said at any moment, they can split off and say we all secretly hate Batman.They're not gonna listen.They're not gonna listen to Batman.They're not gonna listen.
You're not gonna listen to that dick.He's a dick.Look, you you billionaire bitch like
Nobody's gonna listen to but that's the thing like so when you have John Stewart you have a dude who can rally the troops Yeah, you know for figuratively speaking and realistically he can fit rally the troops and so to do that is a smart move and granted You're always gonna have that pushback.
Yeah, you're like, how is he the leader?But then when you look at it, he's one of the most powerful Green Lanterns.Mm-hmm He has unbreakable will like he can't be tested and that again goes back to the retconning with his military and
So it's like you gotta look at all the positives they've made with this character and why they do it.
So when they made him a marine in the comic books, they brought in some of his architectural background and they say the idea that John's Constructs his Green Lantern constructs are more detailed because of the architect than everybody else.
Do you like that?Do you think that's a good character trait?Yeah, because every Again, we know the power of the Green Lantern is the power of will, so whatever you will yourself to have, you can just make anything.
Granted, I hate going to this, the Green Lantern movie, we saw some of the wacky things Hal Jordan would do, but again, go into the comic books, wacky things Hal Jordan would do, reckless things Guy Gardner would do, you know, and Kyle Rayner's just there.
No, Kyle Rayner actually is funny in in the comics They he's sort of the one that is the anime Greenlander and like he makes giant mech robots and monsters, you know So you have that but then you have somebody who everything he builds out of his mind He sees it and it's structurally sound so it will work That's the architecture the architect in him, but also that's that leader.
Yeah, I need to make sure this works to this specificity this give me the exact thing we needed to do and I think that's That's so dope with that.Also, Jon Stewart brought together the Green and Yellow Lanterns.
That is true.Okay, so that is a great point.It's a very recent addition, and that's actually a great... Actually, to be honest with you, I really liked that.
I thought it was a great idea.Because you take sworn enemies in a sense, and now make them work together for a common cause.And it's like, okay, no one else could do this? Even the Guardians, in a sense, couldn't make this happen.Not even Hal Jordan.
Not even Hal Jordan, but Jon Stewart can do this.And so that speaks volumes about it.Also, he was the first man to be a Star Sapphire.Like, come on now.Oh yeah, that's right.He's the first man to be a Star Sapphire.
So it's like, there's so many things that are, for lack of better words, historic with him that you don't hear with other characters.
And that speaks volumes to the belief of the character, the backstory, and where you, like I said before, that arc, where you want it to go.
Jon Stewart has had his own solo title in the past.Actually, I talked about it on this podcast.I love that there was a title in the 90s called Green Lantern Mosaic, and I think it's one of the greatest Green Lantern stories of all time.
It's 20 issues and it's Jon Stewart's tale.It's about him living on this mosaic planet.Do you think currently do you think Jon Stewart could support a solo book?No Green Lantern core.It's Green Lantern Jon Stewart.It's his book.
Yeah, because I believe, again, the leadership, the military qualities he possess, that can be applied to different missions throughout the entire DC universe.Again, without the core.
Him having to do things on his own, him having to use his mind, using that indomitable will, that unbreakable will, him using that architect from what they've given him to be able to build and solve his way out of problems that are more complex than others, where he won't,
break, if you will.He's able to stay through it.I think, yeah, you could do that.I think you definitely could.
I think I definitely think it would work.And I kind of think it's it's kind of like what I've been always proclaiming, that there should be a Lois Lane book.OK, we need to talk about that eventually.There should there should be a Lois Lane book.
There should be a Daily Planet book.There should be a Gotham Central book starring Commissioner Gordon.Anyways, the DC universe, the DC universe bench is so deep.Final question for you, as it stands currently in the DC comic books world,
There are too many damn lanterns from Earth.There are too many damn green lanterns from Earth.There are, I think at this time of this recording, 75.It's probably not right, but anyways, you only get to keep two.
I'm going to ask you, Jay, does John make those two?And who's the other person?So you only get to keep two of all.And it's just like there's there's Hal Jordan.There's Jon Stewart.There's Guy Gardner.There's Kyle Rayner.There's Simon Bass.
There's Jessica Cruz.And there's now the new woman from far sector who I cannot remember her name either right now.But she has she has a really dope Janelle Monáe Greenlander costume.
Hmm.Stuart is one of mine.
John, because you need a leader.Yeah.You need a leader no matter what.The question of who follows how get kicked out.So that that's that that automatically like you've been kicked out before.
Yeah.Multiple times.Yeah.You've been kicked out.To be honest, you all of them have been kicked out multiple times.
This is true.Even John.John, they're like, yeah, we can't.
It's a recurring trope in their stories that like you, you're a lantern, but you're not, you're not, you know, you're not.Yeah.
Who is it, though, for me? Is it like, would you throw Guy Gardner in there with John?Because they have shown to work in the past.But also, Jon Stewart, for a long time in the 90s, was a supporting character of Kyle Rayner solo run.
And he was a great character in that run.So I don't know.You think Kyle gels with it better?
Again, you're a Kyle fan.
I love Kyle, man.You're a Kyle fan.Kyle is the torchbearer.He saved the Green Lanterns.
I want to see if this is me just to see what type of story you can come up with. Because Jessica Cruz was a cop, right?Or was it Simon?
I don't think either one of them are cops.No, I don't think either one of them or they weren't.Okay.I'm the new far sector.Greenlander is a cop.That's what it is.I'm sorry.
Uh, again, I know I didn't mean to make this the far sector podcast, but, uh, that book's great.The book is really good.
So you're like, Jay, who are you picking?I know some of you all listen to screaming.No, I'm not picking how.No, I'm not picking guy guys out.Okay.All right.Guys out for me is between two right now.All right.Who are the two?
It's between Kyle and Jessica. Oh, interesting.OK, I like I would like the better partner.Yeah, I want to see the dichotomy.We've seen the dichotomy, like you said, would die.I mean, with Kyle and John, I think it would be interesting to see.
Jessica and John, because the expert and the rookie.Yep. to watch the two of those.The rookie who is high strung, who knows she can do this.She's got to prove herself where John is like, you don't have to do too much.You know what I'm saying?
Like, as a Marine, he's steadfast.He's focused.Like, listen, I get what you want to do.I get what you want to be.But it's like reeling them in and not having her take a back seat, but training her in a sense to be that leader he is.
So I'd like to see that one.
All right.Well, I look forward to reading G.L.J.J.Squared, DC Comics by Jay Washington.Jay, thank you so much for joining us.Thank you always for having me on here.Man, you're lovely.You're such a great guest.
Where can people find you on the Internet? He's the ginger Green Lantern.He's the bowl cut Green Lantern.It's time to talk about Guy Gardner, because your Geek History lesson is now in session.Hello and welcome to Geek History lesson.
I am Jason Emerald Inman.
I am Ashley Victoria Robinson.Welcome to your mind university, because you have stumbled onto the podcast where we take one character construct or.
We ring bearer from popular culture and teach you everything you need to know about them in about an hour.And this week we are returning to the Green Lantern Corps, a group from which we have taught many lessons for in the past.
We have taught many lessons in the past, but a lot of people, three exactly, have suggested that we need to do a geekish lesson on Guy Gardner.
Guy Gardner, the Green Lantern, and the people that suggested that are Katie Campbell, Eric Oberholzer and at Hinkleman Mitch.So thank you so much for suggesting that.
If you want to suggest a future Geek History Lesson like them, you can go to where, Ashley?
You can go to GeekHistoryLesson.com, Facebook.com GeekHistoryLesson or on Twitter at GHL podcast.There is a whole bunch of ways to be in touch in all of those places.
Yes, and if you're wondering, you know, I've never heard of this Guy Gardner guy before.Well, don't worry.That's exactly what this episode is going to teach you.
So also, just let you know if you're looking for you like this podcast, you like GHL, you like podcasts from us.Maybe you want more podcasts from us.
Don't forget, you can go check out some extra podcasts that we have, including the personal and fun Jason and Ashley's Excellent Adventures. That podcast you can only hear if you support us on Patreon.com slash Jawan.That's J.W.I.I.N.
And now to the Tencent Origin, the first part of this podcast, not a personal podcast that you can only hear on Patreon.
Yes, the first part of the podcast where Professor Jason is going to lay down all the who's it's and what's it's and important facts in case you go to a cool Lantern Corps party and someone asks you, what's up with that guy?
Gardner guy guy is known as Guy Darren with an I Gardner. a.k.a.Warrior, a.k.a.The Grinder, a.k.a.Green Lantern, a.k.a.The Crazy One, a.k.a.Green Lantern of Sector 2814.3, a.k.a.The Red Lantern, a.k.a.The Gardener, a.k.a.Sharia Tomei, a.k.a.
Guy Joseph Gardener, oh yeah, they've changed his middle name a couple of times, a.k.a.Honor Guard of the Green Lantern Corps. He, of course, is a DC Comics character.He's half-human and half-Voldarian, depending on the retcon.What is a Voldarian?
Well, I'm glad you asked, because they are a humanoid race of elite warriors with shape-shifting abilities similar to the Durlins.Ashley, do you have any idea who the Durlins are?No.
They are the race of Chameleon Boy from the Legion of Superheroes, the little orange guys with the antennae.
That's so funny, because in my brain I was like, don't say that you don't care who the Durlins are, and then you made me care, because Chameleon Boy's dope.
Yeah, now the Voldarians, which is what Guy is half of.Not dope.They can fashion their limbs into weapons, as well as project internally generated energy into munitions.They can basically make mind bullets.Or skin bullets.
Honestly though, Seems like someone whose inherent power sets would be very, very conducive to wielding a Green Lantern, right?That is correct.With the hard life on his tracks.
Well, you see, the Green Lantern Guy Gardner was born a Terran-Voldarian hybrid.He was the first known case of a successful human-alien offspring of this species.
However, his extraterrestrial gene was remained, rendered dormant by means of genetic alteration.The full side effects will remain unrevealed.And if that sounds like I got a gobbledygook, don't worry, we'll get into it, because dear God.
But we're still in the Tencent Origin. Guy Gardner, of course, was created by John Broom and Gil Kane.His first appearance was in Green Lantern, volume two, issue number 59.In March of 1968, he, of course, was born on Earth.
His team affiliations have been the Green Lantern Corps, the Justice League, the Red Lantern Corps, the Dark Stars, and the Justice League International.
And, of course, his abilities are all derived from the powers of the Green Lantern Power Ring, including his uniform, his flight, his force field, his space travel, and most importantly, his hard light constructs.
Now, he's been portrayed by Matthew Settle in the Just League animated series, and also, more importantly, Diedrich Bader in the Green Lantern, the animated series.
We're big Diedrich Bader fans.
It's actually one of my favorite Guy Gardner appearances.Nice.
All right, now we're gonna move into the meet cute.Where we stole a term from romantic comedy writing, and we are going to tell you where we first met the character and how cute it was.
Ashley, I need to know.I must know.I am dying to know.How do you know Guy Gardner?When did you first meet this guy?
I honestly don't know, because I hate him.I don't like Guy Gardner at all.I think he's terrible.I would assume- Well, this isn't gonna be, not be a fun lesson.You taught Damien, we did fine.
I assumed it was probably Justice League, the animated series, because that seems to track, but like, I have no memory of the first encounter with this character.
I've just always been like, ugh, this guy should, the Green Lantern with the vest, great. So not a Guy Gardner fan over here, but that's okay.Jason, where did you first meet cute Guy Gardner?
I met Guy Gardner in the first trade paperback I ever bought, The Death of Superman.Yes.Because Guy appears in it.He's one of his periods where he is not a green lantern.He wears a leather jacket.He has a big bowl cut.
He has a giant G on his belt and he has a yellow power ring and he has a bowl cut. and he gets his ass kicked by Doomsday.And at that time, I hated him, but to be honest with you, now I actually really love him.So, yeah.
There is one version of Guy Gardner that I like, but I think we're gonna get to it in a little bit, so we'll talk about it then.
There's one version I like.
Hey listeners and MIND University students, let me interrupt the podcast really quickly to tell you about our new comic book, Jupiter Jet and the Forgotten Radio.
Yes, we have finally made a sequel to our Ringo nominated all ages adventure comic book series co-written by myself and Ashley Victoria Robinson and the sequel is now on Kickstarter.You can go to jupiterjetcomic.com and support the sequel.
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Does Jupiter Jet have the courage to save her entire planet?Well, we'll soon find out in the second volume of the Ringo Award-nominated series, By Ourselves.
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You can get some prints by Teen Titans artist John Boy Myers, and a whole array of comic book professionals.So if you know independent comic books are a love for the heart, and we need your help over there at jupiterjetcomic.com to make it happen.
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Also, really quickly, I wanna welcome any of our new listeners that might be listening to this episode over at the Collider Factory slash Collider Podcast little area of the internet.If you're new to this podcast, welcome.
We hope you stick around and you can go find our whole back catalog at geekhistorylesson.com.All right, now I gotta throw it back to myself.Back to you, Jason.All right, now we're to the History 101.
the main meat, the main soy product, vegan meat of the lesson, where Professor Jason is going to teach you everything about the rowdiest Green Lantern, Guy Gardner.
Although Guy Gardner was created in the 1960s, he was reinvented by Steve Englehart and Joe Stanton as a parody of the red-blooded American male. and that has remained his main identity into the modern age of comics.
He's now sort of been adjusted to Dude Bro Football Jock by Geoff Johns, very similar to a Steve Lombard of the Superman supporting cast member, if you know who I'm referring to.
Now, per Steve Englehart, in a 2016 magazine article all about Guy Gardner, he said that Stanton's design for Guy Gardner was based on the character Major Ronald Merrick from the TV series, The Jewel in the Crown, you know, that famous one, as Stanton saw Merrick's entitlement and resentment as a parallel to Guy Gardner.
Now, Stanton also designed Gardner's famous you know, his sort of collar vest uniform.He also designed that as well.
Cool.So they they basically made Guy Gardner, who we know and love.Exactly.
Now to the fictional character biography.Let's do it.Guy was born and raised in Baltimore to Roland and Peggy Gardner.Roland, of course, was an abusive alcoholic and beat his son regularly.Guy also had an older brother named Mace.
We're not really going to be talking about Mace that much.OK, talk about the worst names for kids, right?Mace and Guy.
Maybe it's just advice to Mace Guys.
Think that was a stretch, but sure.Like many of us, Guy sought escape in the pages of comic books, and his favorite was a comic book named General Glory.
Now, fun fact, General Glory's sidekick Ernie's haircut directly inspires the high and tight sort of bowl cut thing that we're used to see Guy sport.And another fact, this was actually the General Glory-ness of it all.This was a Keith Giffen and J.M.
DiMatteis Justice League International retcon.
I didn't know that, that's very cool.
When you think about it, it actually fits really into Keith Given's sort of goofier writing.
Which I actually really like.Guy eventually became a juvenile delinquent before going on to play football at the University of Michigan.That's why he says go Wolverines sometimes.
Until he gets too injured to continue, and he wound up graduating with a degree in psychology.
Yeah, Guy Gardner holds a bachelor's degree in psychology, Ashley.
I was going to say something unkind, but I'll keep it to myself.Yeah.
Now, his football injuries actually mentioned repeatedly throughout many Guy Gardner stories.So it's obviously something that really stuck with Guy.Excuse me.I almost said Kai.
Now, Ashley, I have to ask you, at the University of Michigan, Guy actually became good friends with a fellow student there, a fellow student by the name of John Henry Irons.Do you know who that is?Yes.John Hinckley.Yes.
I like that little sort of retcon a lot, also because Guy is very involved in the death of Superman storyline.I didn't know that they were friendly.And so is John Henry Irons.
Well, yes, as he is one of the reign of the titular Superman.
Yes, I'll be honest with you.I don't know if they're very friendly once they became superheroes, but they knew each other before.
That's cool.So I can accept that.
I don't know if there's ever been a story where they're like, you're still your guy.
Well, then there should be.DC Comics can hire us to write it at any time.
If there is, I haven't read it. So, some of Guy Gardner's early career choices, including being a social welfare caseworker for prison inmates as they adjusted to life on the outside, and he was also a special education teacher.
Now, you might be like, wait a minute, this doesn't sound like the guy I know.
I definitely do feel that way.
We're getting there.OK.Also, if you remember from our Hal Jordan Geek History Lesson episodes, there are episodes 202 and 203 specifically.Taught by Jason.
Where a lot of times you're like, I'm a pilot.It's one of my favorite jokes.
Now, that joke was because of the Emerald Dawn Hal Jordan retcon, where Hal was a drunk and Hal went to prison for driving drunk.Well, guess what?In prison, Guy Gardner was his caseworker.Shut up.It was the first time they ever met.God.
Now, because of this job and how hard it was, Guy lost his temper and he was fired from being a a caseworker for prisoner inmates.
Yes, because one must be calm and understand.
But that is the first time that Guy Gardner met Hal Jordan.Interesting.Very interesting.Soon, Abin Sur crashed to Earth.Who's that, Ashley?
He's a pink alien who crashes to Earth and gives Hal Jordan his power ring.
That is correct.But he didn't mean to give Hal Jordan his power ring.But Jason, that's what happens.I saw the movie.Incorrect.And the less said about that movie, the better.
So Abin Sur in his last act as Green Lantern used his Green Lantern power ring to scan all of the people of Earth.The ring was to search for one that was honest, as well as a being without fear.And the ring found two who were worthy of the ring.
It's first choice was Guy Gardner.
What are these sound effects?I don't know.His first choice was Guy Garner, but Guy Garner was too far away.
So the Green Lantern Ring is lazy.
No, actually, if you remember the storyline, Abin Sur was grievously wounded in about moments from death.So he only had as much time to get a replacement, although typically the ring just automatically finds a replacement.
So the ring was too lazy to fly to Guy Gardner.
It was.OK, Abin.So it went.Abin Sur wanted to show the guy how the job works.He wanted to be like, the donuts are over there.This is where the good coffee is.
Don't ever go to Vega three. So he had to make sure he had to tell these people this.
All right.So closer and drunker.So he picked out.
So how was closer.So the ring chose how now how eventually found out about Guy.And he actually always kept Guy in the back of his mind in case he ever needed a replacement.
And there's actually a great Dan Juergen storyline in his booster gold run, the second volume,
where Booster Gold travels back in time and convinces Guy to go visit his dying father, so that Hal would get the ring first, intentionally making sure that Guy is further away from Avon Sir.Shady.It's a great storyline, actually.
This will not be in the recommended reading, but if you have not read that second volume of Booster Gold, you're missing out.
Yeah, Booster Gold's great.
Ashley, what is the one quality that Guy Gardner is known for.
I'll give that to you, his temper.
Yeah, being an ass.I was like, are you going literal, or are you gonna be like, no, having red hair?
Cause you do that to me sometimes.
Well, you see, as I said earlier, this guy, Gardner, isn't that bad.So let's learn how he got his famous temper, because comics decided that needed an origin story.
Did he get a kick in the head?Swift kick in the head?You're pretty close.Okay.See, Hal Jordan.I'm a pilot.
You also kind of remind me of when you do your impression of the Flash intro and you say I'm Barry Allen.
Jason does this impression of the Flash TV show introduction where he says, I'm Barry Allen and I'm the fastest man.And the way Jason says it is very similar to the way he says I'm Violet.I see.Joke only for Ashley.
See, Hal knew that Guy was his replacement.And an earthquake took Guy out of commission.
So because of this earthquake, Hal had to make sure that he had to find another replacement and he made John Stewart his replacement, who as we know is the African American architect Marine Green Lantern.
But when the time came, Hal finally came to Guy and said, you should be my replacement guy.
Yep.You're the guy, Guy.So Hal leaves him with a new power ring and Hal's old green lantern battery. What Hal didn't know, though, is that he was actually having a problem with his old lantern.And as a result of this, his power battery explodes.
It explodes right in Guy's face, causes a temporal incident, and opens the dimensional barriers to the Phantom Zone. where Guy got trapped in for several years because he got tortured by General Zod.
Ashley, in case someone doesn't know, and somebody hasn't seen Superman 1, and somebody hasn't seen Terran Stam, said, you will kneel before me one day, Jor-El.Or Man of Steel.You!Or Krypton.And your ass!What is the Phantom Zone?
The Phantom Zone is a prison dimension that I wanna say is primarily used by the Kryptonians, but it feels like everybody else in the entire, gosh darn, galaxy has access to it.
And it is, as Jason referred to, probably most popularly known for housing General Zod and his lady friend.
Mm-hmm, it was actually discovered by Jor-El.
Yep, yes.Well, you might be asking at this point, if Guy Gardner is in the Phantom Zone, then how does this lesson continue?
Well, Jason, if he's in the Phantom Zone, how can this lesson continue?
Well, I was getting to that.
See, when everybody thought Guy was dead, oh, Hal Jordan hooked up with Guy Gardner's fiancee by the name of Carrie Limbo.Yeah, her name is Carrie Limbo.Guy is literally in limbo.
Also, if you refer back to our Hal Jordan episode, Hal's a bad person.I'm a piler.
I'm a guy.Hey, I'm Hal Jordan.
Hi, I'm Miss Limbo.Ah, hey.I do a really good limbo.Do you wanna limbo with me, Hal Jordan?
I gotta finish this drink.I think, you got a dead boyfriend, right?
Yeah, I don't know where he is.
Okay, we should get married.
That's basically what happens.
Jason's actually looking at a stuffed Hal Jordan as he does the impression.
So you see, cause Hal Jordan is terrible.He proposed to Carrie and Guy Gardner could see all of these events from the Phantom Zone.So his rage built up and it's led to Guy to try to torture Carrie and Hal during the wedding using telepathy.
No joke, Silver Age comics are fun, friends.After being released from the Phantom Zone, with the torture he suffered there, coupled with having been hit recently by a bus after he gets out of the Phantom Zone.I'm not joking.
So you get out of those little silver phallic things that they send people to the Phantom Zone in, or that Saran Wrap shield-y thing.You step onto the street of, insert fictional DC City here, and you get slammed by a bus like Tony from Skins.
It's not immediate, but it's pretty close.It's funnier if it's immediate.
Aw, I almost feel bad for him.
And he goes into the coma for an undisclosed number of years, where it was then discovered that he had brain damage.
And then, Crisis on Infinite Earths happened.
Ashley, what's that?Hey, well, if you really wanna know, you can go back and check out our Crisis Club episodes.
Basically, DC was like, there's too many Earths.We only want one Earth.So they created the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor, and the Anti-Monitor ate it and Harbinger waved, and he pooped out one universe.
Basically, it was a giant cosmic event that got rid of the DC multiverse.So during this event, the Guardians of the Universe, the little blue guys that are the bosses of the Green Lanterns, split into two factions.
The Guardians of the Universe, they detected this terrible crisis and six of the Guardians felt that they should not interfere. And then the other one said, no, we should.
So the ones that decided to interfere in the crisis, they created their own power battery separate of the giant Green Lantern power battery.And they began assembling a small Green Lantern strike task force.
The first Green Lantern they chose was Guy Gardner.It was so funny.You said, like, I don't know, Sirach, not to know and ship.
So Gardner's brain damage at this point had manifested himself into an arrogant, violent, unstable, and often childless new personality.
And he also believed himself to be the last true Green Lantern, superior to all the other Green Lanterns, including Hal Jordan.So Guy was given the task to recruit this task force.
and the members of his task force were basically powerful villains of the DC Universe.And both Hal Jordan and Jon Stewart, the other Green Lanterns, prevented Gardner from completing his mission.
because 2814 is the sector of Earth, 2814.1 is Hal, 2814.2 is John, three is Guy, four is, oh Kyle Rayner, we're gonna get to him.
I don't know if there is a six.
No, it's actually Jessica.
No, Simon beats Jessica.What are you confused about here?
He comes before Jessica.Yes.So six would be Jessica.
Yeah, I said six, Mrs. Jessica.Whatever.What are you getting confused about here?Math.Are you trying to do a joke that I'm not getting?No, I'm not.No, I'm just, I think I said six and I did five.
I feel like I have Guy Gardner's brain damage right now.
You know, I'm really restraining from making a joke about brain damage because it's really serious.It's really not a laughing matter. but they kind of use it as an excuse to turn Guy into a butthead.
They used it to make him a retcon into an ass, yeah.
Yeah, in a way that with other characters, they just retcon them and they get new person.Like New 52 Superman is a little angrier than the Superman that we're used to up to that point.
Look, I'm gonna say this, at this point, Guy Gardner has been, you know, He was suffered an earthquake and went into a coma.He was thrown into the phantom zone and tortured by a Kryptonian.And also, he was hit by a bus and went back into a coma.
At this point, I- You were lucky he's not a serial killer.At this point, I think his anger is totally justified. You know what?
You know what?Fair.You've given me a new appreciation for Guy Gardner.
Yeah, there you go.I think we'd all be this mad if those things happened to us.
Yeah, and he lives in a country without socialized medicine.
I think we'd be mad if only one of those things had happened to us, but he had all three hit the trifecta of crappy deals.
He was getting hit in the head.Yeah.
Now, after the crisis, the Guardians, along with the Zamorons, who are basically the controllers of the Star Sapphires, they left the universe to create the next generation of Guardians, and Guy Gardner was placed under the care of the remaining Guardian-turned-mortal Apa-Ale-Apsa, who later went on to become the Mad Guardian.
Spoilers for a story that happened in the 80s. Now, on the planet Maltus, in order to teach Gardener the way of the Core, a situation with Gardener resented.
Now, Guy Gardener eventually escaped and returned to Earth, but was recaptured by Appa'ali Apsa with the assistance of two Core honor guards intending to reclaim Guy Gardener's power ring.
At the request of his old fiancee, Carrie Limbo, Hal Jordan pleaded on Gardener's behalf for his freedom and was granted with no return of gratitude from Gardener.So, Hal Jordan sort of saved Guy Gardener and Guy Gardener was like, Eh, buzz off.
I mean, honestly, though, like if one of your close buddies slept with your girl and proposed to her while you were trapped somewhere, would you ever forget?Would you be nice to him?No.I don't feel bad for him.
Yep.Then I was hit by a bus.I especially wouldn't forgive him.
Now, after the defeat and death of the Mad Guardian, who, of course, as I said, was Appa Ali Apsa, I keep saying that name because it is an important guardian character in Green Lantern lore.
And so few of the guardians have names.
The Guardians returned and assigned Guy Gardner to be the official Green Lantern of Sector 2814, while they assigned Hal Jordan to recruit new core members in the universe.So Guy's on Earth and he's the big Green Lantern at the time.
So Guy Gardner became a founding member of the Justice League International. Yes, now this happened after the JLA disbanded in the 1986 Storyline Legends, which was by Len Wein, John Ostrander, and John Byrne.Talk about a power hitting.
Wow, murderous row of talent.
Now, Ashley, we call this the Mwahaha League.This is sort of the Keith Giffen run where they took the league a little bit sillier.I know this is a league that you are very fond of.
Yeah, in fact, I have a collage of postcards of famous comic book covers, and one of them is a Bwahaha Desley cover, and Guy is front and center on that.
So I wanna ask you, Ashley, can you name how many?
How many of the original members?Of the original members?The issue one members, because there are plenty that added, can you name?And just to let you know, there are one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine.
Well, the traditional jazz league is only seven.
This is the Boa Ha Ha League.Guy Gardner.That is correct.Ted Kord. Blue Beetle, that is correct.Booster Gold.Booster Gold is not in the original lineup.Okay.He comes in like I think issue four or five.Fire and Ice.
Fire and Ice are not in the original lineup.
Not in the original lineup.
You're missing a whole bunch of them.They're all on that cover you're talking about.
Batman is the team leader.
Batman's on that cover.Give me a hint.
Correct.Oh yeah, she is.You have four of the nine.Give me another hint.His costume is yellow and blue.Booster Gold?No, not in the original timeline.He is a magic-y guy. Booster Gold.He's a magic-y guy.Booster Gold has nothing to do with magic.
All about time travel and sci-fi.John Constantine?Nope.Blue and yellow.Wears a big helmet.
He wears a helmet, he's blue and yellow.
And he's magic.And he lives in a giant tower.
Oh, Dr. Fate.I was like, how many more clues could he give us?
He's not yellow, he's gold.He's yellow and blue.
This is a character that was first introduced in Crisis on Infinite Earths.It was a female version.Harbinger.Nope.
Yep, there you go.You have two more.
This character, this superhero loves cookies. Oh, Martian Manhunter.That is correct.And this last person recently had a son in a recent storyline.Superman?No.Lois Lane?No.Why would Lois Lane be a member of the Justice League International?
I don't know, you love her, she could do anything.I would, but she's not a superhero.This character is a new god.Oh, Scuffery. Yep, Mr. Miracle.So there you go.That is the original funny.
So just for everybody, as we figured them out, I could see the poster like coming in.
That is Batman, Black Canary, Blue Beetle.Oh, I forgot one.Captain Marvel.I'm sorry, Captain Marvel, Dr. Fate, Dr. Light, Guy Gardner, Martian Manor, Mr. Miracle.That is the original lineup.All those other characters you mentioned come later.Yes.
So I wanna ask you this, Ashley, even though we went in a big roundabout and probably lost half of our listeners.
I think people liked it.I hope so.What do you think the legacy of the Justice League International is?Oh man.
I'm not gonna talk much about the Justice League International because I almost feel that that should be a Justice League International geek history lesson.
Love to teach, by the way, everybody.We love the just international.We have the omnibus of volume one.
Actually, what do you think the legacy of this league is?This league is very memorable in comic creators and writers and fans still talk about this run now.
I mean, I think if you're sort of looking at the current sphere or currently what we're doing in pop culture, I think the legacy of it is very much blue and gold.
Like the thing that everyone loves that comes out of this specifically is the tone shift for Booster and Beetle.
But I think that happens for all the characters here.
It does, but they're the breakout stars of it.Sure.
Like if you if you if you took this question to anyone who would know what the wrestling international is, the first two people everyone's going to think are Booster and Beetle, like they are the faces of this team.
I think what this does in terms of like if we're looking at it from like a more meta perspective and in terms of what it does for storytelling and Justice League stories in particular, it makes it OK to bring back some humor because this was the first like humorous run.
Brawn's age of comics is very much a shift away from the silliness of the silver age.And it's where we start to get, where we edge into what's considered modern comics.Which Matthew Peterson likes to call, I'm gonna armor my head.
And most of that is through the auspices of Alan Moore and Frank Miller.And this is very much a rejection of that. But it is still taking everything that is happening to them as seriously.But we're allowed to have a couple punchlines here and there.
And I think that's where the real legacy comes from, because I think there's a lot of books that are striving to be this balance. and they can't do it.
And I actually think Giffen and Dematias are a big part of that because if I was to sit here and think of tonally what do I think is closest to that, it's Scooby Apocalypse.Which is kind of.Which they also write.
Which they also write, which is kind of the same thing.
You should explain what Scooby Apocalypse is just in case anybody doesn't know.
Scooby Apocalypse is an excellent book with questionable art the later on.It's a great book.It goes how important is the art in the beginning and it's truly stunning.If it weren't digital I would have bought a page from it.
where it imagines what if the Scooby gang came together in their adult life during a zombie apocalypse, an actual real zombie apocalypse?And it is set in a more modern, less 50s idealized world.They all have real jobs.
They're not friends going into this, but it takes itself very seriously.These stakes are real.It is life or death.People die constantly.It's a very mature audience book, but there's a joke every few pages.And I think
And it's written very much, I think, in the Boa Ha Ha style.
I agree.I agree.And I think that's why we call it the Boa Ha Ha Justice League, because it reminded us that we could have jokes and still tell a really incredible story, because JLI at its best, I think, can go toe to toe with any Justice League.
Yeah, and it's worse, it gets a little bit silly.So I'm sorry, that was a really long-winded answer to your question, but I just really like this team.And I think this is the best team for Guy to be on.
Yeah, sure.All right, let me tell you a little bit about it.In his time with the Just League International, Guy Gardner resented Batman's obvious leadership of the group.Of course he did.
Going so far to challenge the Dark Knight to a fist fight, and Batman downed Guy with one punch after Guy took off his ring.And actually, I think we should share a panel from that on the Twitter, because if,
Right, I'm making a note of it.I've seen it before, it's funny.
It is one of the most famous panels in all of comic books.The other members left him lying on the floor, and when Guy woke up, he banged his head on a console and knocked himself out.
So this is like two more instances of probable brain damage?This is two more.So we're up to five?
We're up to five. obvious, grievous wounds to his head.And at this point, his personality changed to where he would be kind and gentle until he hit his head again.Six.Six.
At a later point, and Guy became kind, sweet and boyishly innocent and a perfect gentleman to the female members of the group.
You know, I'm tempted to when I post this episode before it goes live to say, take a drink every time Guy Gardner suffers brain damage.
Now, at this point, he's going to hit his head for a seventh time.I'm not exactly certain when that happens because he goes back to being the ass.
So when that happens, I don't know.It's fine.Guy became romantically involved with his fellow leaguer Ice, even learning some rudimentary Norwegian because she's she's from Norway.
I mean, she is for all intents and purposes.What if Elsa from Frozen was a superhero?
Yeah, before we even knew what Elsa was.
Yeah, but it's the same mythos that they come from.
But he's actually callous to her and slow to admit his feelings, although they basically stay together until the mid 90s, which is going to happen.I'm kind of skipping ahead on ice is all I'm going to talk about it.
They actually stay together until the mid to late 90s to win.Ice is eventually killed by Overmaster, which is something that happens, I think, in certain relationships.Am I right?
I mean, if I had a nickel for every one of my exes that were killed by the Overmaster, then I'd have about 55 cents. You have 55 Xs?I don't know what you mean.Now, after Hal- Hank, what is your little black book looking like?
After Hal was reassigned to sector 2814, Gardner's response was to challenge Hal Jordan to a fight where the loser would have to quit the Green Lantern Corps.
Do you think if you're a Green Lantern of section 2814 that just every six months, the Guardians are like, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, come in for a performance review?
Yeah, just like every corporation.
Alright, you've been great.You're crushing it.You've cheated a lot of foes.Yeah, I'm Hal Jordan.No, you can't be Hal.You have to be anyone except Hal Jordan.Why?Because we're going to replace you with Hal Jordan.Oh, OK.Oh, God.I'm a pilot.All right.
God, this goes better when it's not Hal.Let me bring it into the room.
But do you think that, do you think every, like it feels like Hal is, he's the gardener of Earth, he's not, do you think it's disappointing to be literally any other Green Lantern except Hal Jordan?
Yep.They're a giant space corporation.I bet you they replace them all left and right.
They're space AT&T, that's who owns Warner Brothers at the time of this recording.Okay, so guys, like we're gonna fight and the losers gotta quit forever, except we know that won't happen.
Guy Gardner lost and he had to surrender his ring.That's what happened.
Did he surrender his ring or was he like, screw off?
Well, I mean, Hal Jordan sort of took it from him.OK, I'm kind of greasing those wheels.Sure, sure, sure.
Now, before we get to the yellow ring period of Guy Gardner's life, I thought it would actually be fun to introduce you to some of Guy Gardner's brashest quotes in comic books. I don't think he is.
Because he's basically lipped off to everyone in the DC Universe.So Ashley, I'm going to give you a Guy Gardner quote, and I'd like you to identify or guess who you think he's saying it to.
Okay?I'm gonna help you out here.None of them are to Dr. Fate, okay?Okay.Okay, here's the first one.You know, I'll be honest with you, I'm not even certain what Guy Gardner should sound like, so.
He should have a Boston accent.
Oh dear God, no.So here we go. Too late, Bug.One soon-to-be corpse coming up.Now, who do you think- Bug?Yes.Too late, Bug.Ted Kord.You are correct.It was Guy talking to Blue Beetle in Justice League America, number 69.
All right, I'm doing real good so far.
Yeah, you're one for one.Okay, here you go.Take your pick.Burial or cremation?Obviously a villain.Yeah.But it's a villain that you know.
I mean that don't narrow the field too much.Dark Side.
Incorrect, it's actually Doomsday.Doomsday.And then here's the other one.Don't wuss out Boy Scout.Superman. Let me finish the quote, please.Don't wuss out, Boy Scout.
Put this doomsday guy in a pine box or I'll crawl off of this gurney and kick both of your butts.Definitely.Superman is Superman.These are all these quotes are from the death of Superman storyline.Interesting.
That was actually from Adventures of Superman.Number 497.Nice.Yeah. So now, if you liked some of that fun, weird, non-Boston accent speaking, you get to enjoy this free to you podcast.
Then maybe you should check out Geek History Lesson Extra, which is our exclusive podcast where we break down the topic of each week's GHL podcast a little bit more only. on our Patreon over at patreon.com slash John.That's J.W.I.
And this week on that extra podcast, we're going to talk about where should Guy Gardner appear in live action?We're going to give some pitches, give some thoughts about where we think he should pop up, because I think we both think he should pop up.
And if you know anything about our past pitch episodes, they get pretty good.
Yeah, sometimes they come true.
Yeah, we'll debate that.You'll get some extra and exclusive content only on Patreon, and you get sneak peeks to some of our comics only at patreon.com slash Jonathan.
Thank you to all our patrons who keep the show going, and thank you for all the support over there.Thank you so much.Now, Guy eventually gets a solo series, and in it, he had a yellow ring.
Ashley, do you know how he got that ring?He was fearful.Sinestra was like, hey, it didn't work with Hal Jordan.Maybe it'll work with this second Ray Green Lantern. No, I have no idea how he got the yellow ring.
Well, his yellow ring is the real yellow ring of Sinastro.It is actually Sinastro's original yellow ring, because Sinastro at the time was dead.Oh.
Now, Sinastro's ring was kept inside the crypt created by the guardians of the universe, and using his Just League connections, Guy contacted the intergalactic bounty hunter Lobo.Oh boy, your favorite.
He's the big white and black bounty hunter guy, Lobo here.
He's your best stitches inexplicably Irish on Krypton.
It's a little.The actor does a great job.
By the way, I know you all know this Lobo.
I know you all know Tex Willerman.Good old Pat.
When it was me and Guy, I helped Guy into the crypt.So the two eventually found the crypt, and Guy discovered exactly what he came for.He battles the very spirit of Sinestro, because he was dead, to get the ring.
And when Guy won, he donned the ring, and he discovered that it had no power.What?Because this yellow ring, this is pre-Sinestro core, did not use a battery to recharge.
Instead, it needed to be used against the power of green lanterns so that it could suck their residual energy to restore its power, which Guy Gardner actually discovered when he fought Killuaq.
So another flaw of this ring was that the ring's language was Corrigarian, which is actually the Sinestro's language.It's Sinestro's native language.
So actually, this ring would talk to him in Corrigarian and Guy had no idea what this ring was telling him.
Right, because previous to this, his Green Lantern ring had acted as a universal translator, so he never had to learn any languages.Yes.
So Guy Gardner returned to Earth to pick a fight with Superman, but eventually rejoined the Just League right at the time to battle the monster Doomsday, who is the big bony, scaly guy who kills Superman.
Fun fact, during the reign of Superman storyline, when four different versions of Superman appeared after Superman's death, Guy fought and later became allies with the last son of Krypton, Superman, who was actually one of my favorites, the Eradicator.
Then Emerald Twilight happened.Coast City, Hal Jordan's hometown, was destroyed.And Hal asked the guardians of the universe to bring it back.They said no.And Hal went bonkers and murdered every Green Lantern in the universe.
Cause I'm a pilot!Emerald Twilight is my favorite title for a Green Lantern book.I think it's such a beautiful title.
So eventually, as I said, this power hungry Hal Jordan is killing Green Lanterns left and right, going crazy.Gant that one of the oldest guardians of the universe.Yes.
Came to Guy Gardner to offer him the last Green Lantern power ring that was made before Hal Jordan basically murdered everybody on the home planet.
Gardner refused, which led Ganthet to decide to entrust it to Kyle Rayner, which you can learn more about, because he's my favorite Green Lantern, in Geek and Short's episode 64.Early days.Yeah.
Now, Guy eventually led a group of heroes to Oa to find out what happened to the Green Lantern Corps.And guys in his team were ambushed and quickly defeated by Parallax.Now, Ashley, who is Parallax?Hal Jordan.Yes.
It's actually the embodiment of fear in the universe.But at the time it had possessed Guy, excuse me, Hal Jordan.And Hal Jordan had a badass Daryl Banks design costume and he looked so good.
Oh man, Daryl Banks, what a Superstar.
Oh, man.Action figure spotlight.I'm going to tell you right now, this has nothing to do with Guy Gardner, but there is an amazing DC direct parallax action figure when they started when Green Lantern came back for Green Lantern Rebirth.
They made a parallax action figure, and it is a holy grail of Jason's.I have never been able to find this action figure.
If you have a lead, send us a link.
Please do, please do.Everybody will just send me eBay links, it's fine.So Guy was defeated by Parallax and Hal defeated Gardner and destroyed his yellow ring.
Now Ashley, Guy awoke in a hospital with more brain damage?
After spending three weeks after his eighth coma, his eighth head injury.As somebody who listens to a lot of true crime and murder podcasts, he should be a full-blown serial killer by this point.
It usually takes about three too many hits to the head before that happens.
Well, this may explain a later storyline with Guy, actually. So Guy eventually, he was like, I gotta find a new way to acquire power.So he eventually found new powers embedded deep in the Naba jungle in the Amazon.
Upon exploring an ancient temple, Guy finds a chalice filled with a strange liquid.And he does what anybody would do when you see a strange liquid in an old temple, you drink it.This caused Guy to undergo a radical transformation.
And this water discovered and activated his inactive DNA from the Voldarian aliens that I mentioned in the Tencent Origin.He could suddenly and painfully change his body into a myriad of weapons.
And as he transformed, he grew to a mass of seven feet and became covered in ritualistic Voldarian tattoos.He became known as Warrior.And this is when the Guy Gardner solo title was redone to Guy Gardner Warrior.And, You sound scary.This is a period.
Actually, you probably should share a picture of Guy Gardner Warrior making a note with all the rituistic red tattoos.Oh, I've seen the covers.It is bonkers.It is bonkers crazy in this period of time is best forgotten.So that's why I'm just going to.
Move on.So, Guy Gardner during this time, he actually kept cropping up as a recurring character in Kyle Rayner's Green Lantern series.That is true.
Where, I think this is so awesome, he opened a Planet Hollywood type restaurant called Warriors that was dedicated to the Green Lanterns.
I'm gonna be honest, I also love this detail.I think if a, DC Comics really wanted to make some money, they would have a version of this on their backlot tour.
Or the one from Kingdom Come.
It was also during this time that he was thought killed during the Our Worlds at War crossover.But he was actually later discovered to be trapped in a pocket of hell called the Gorge in the DC country of Polakastan.
Yes, so Guy Garger got tortured again, probably got his ninth head injury.
Oh my God, did we get into trouble?
We, I don't know.Guy next appeared prominently in Green Lantern Rebirth in 2005, which is a mini series by Jeff Johns and Ethan Van Scriver, where his Voldarian DNA is strangely overwritten by his human DNA,
when Parallax the Entity possesses Gardner and several Green Lanterns.Hal Jordan's ring splits in two and Gardner's ring is restored to him and a bunch of other weird stuff is retconned away.
Now Parallax the Entity is defeated by the combined effort of all five active Green Lanterns, including Guy Gardner.Excuse me, all four active Green Lanterns at the time.That was a misread on my part.
The gardeners, excuse me, the guardians, which should be called the gardeners.The gardeners.
They selected Guy Gardner as one of their senior officers and made him an honor guard for the new Green Lantern Corps because all the, remember, all the Green Lanterns were killed, all the guardians were killed, so there's not a lot of Green Lanterns in the universe.
And he takes charge in the Green Lantern Corps Recharge miniseries as one of the three Green Lantern instructors on Oa to train all the new Green Lanterns.Then we get to Infinite crisis.Hey, Ashley, what's infinite crisis?
So Superboy Rhyme comes back to life and he's real mad.So he punches a hole in the universe.And Alexander Luthor is there.
Who's Superboy Prime, though?
He's the Superboy from our Earth because our Earth is Earth Prime.
That's right, he's a remnant from Crisis on Infinite Earths, which we talked about earlier in this lesson.
Now Guy takes over the main Green Lantern army and he leads the Corps in defense of Oa against Superboy Prime, creating a wall of energy to slow the rampaging team and calling a Code 54, which is the authorization of the use of extreme and lethal force against an enemy for the Green Lantern Corps.
Guy supervises the final capture and imprisonment of Superboy Prime, locking him in a red Sun Eater cage, which of course takes away his powers.
I love the phrase Sun Eater.I know it's really silly sci-fi nonsense, but I just love the way it sounds.
Now also, after Infinite Crisis, DC Comics skipped all of their comic books ahead one year later.This is a one year later storyline called 52.Now, DC also published a bunch of miniseries that told us what happened in some of the other stuff.
One of these miniseries is a miniseries called Ion.Now in this, this is a Kyle Rayner series.Ion is actually the embodiment of will.Like it is a spiritual creature that represents will in the universe, like parallax represents Fear.
Now, Ion bonded with Kyle Rayner during this miniseries.And this led Kyle to have the ability to travel the new and recently created new DC multiverse of the 52 universes.
Well, look, isn't that convenient?
Yes.He included he interacted with characters and several heroes from the Tangent universe, including the Tangent Green Lantern.Now, you might be wondering, how does guy fit into this.I'm getting there.
But first, Ashley, do you know what the DC Tangent Universe is?
Oh, boy, I know that you have two copies of the book.
I have every trade they've ever made at the Tangent Universe.
I don't.I've not read them.OK.Is this Iron Lantern?
OK, then.No, I don't know.That's Amalgam.In the 90s.
DC used to publish one-shots during their fifth week.Ashley, as a person who worked in a comic book shop, can you explain to our listeners what a fifth week is in case they don't know?
Yes, so typically a month has four weeks.When there is a fifth week, that means there is a fifth Wednesday.New comic books, if you aren't familiar, come out on Wednesday.New prose books come out on Tuesday.New movies come out on Friday.
So if there is a fifth week, Typically, books come out the same week every month.So Spider-Man always comes out the first week.Batman always comes out the second week.Jupiter Jet always comes out the third week.Things like that.
They don't tend to move them around too much in scheduling.So that means when a fifth week crops up, maybe three times, two times a year.
I think four times a year, I think, isn't it?
In a leap year, there's usually four.Yeah, but it's usually closer to three.It just depends on the year.Time is weird, kids.So fifth week, there's typically nothing scheduled.So you'll see a lot of things like annuals or a lot of collections.
Fifth weeks are weird.So actually, in the 90s, in the early aughts, publishers made a concerted effort to have cool stuff to come out on fifth weeks because fifth weeks can sometimes... That's where both the amalgam events happen.
Yes, can sometimes feel like throw away, they can kind of feel like they don't matter.Yeah.And it was cool when they matter, where then there was the potential that something cool would come out.So apparently Tangent was a part of it.
So Tangent is one of the fifth week 90s events.And Tangent actually was two of them.It was in 97 and 98.The first time it appeared, this was where they gave Dan Juergens, a Luminary creator,
the ability to take the names of the DC Universe's characters and do whatever he wanted with them.So he made Nightwing.Oh, yeah.A like 60 spy organization.The Atom became the most powerful hero in the in this universe.
The Green Lantern became like a horror book with this woman who would carry around this Green Lantern and bring dead people to life.Now, what does this have to do with Guy?
See, Kyle visited the Tangent Universe, and he actually battled the Tangent Green Lantern, and he kept the Tangent Green Lantern's power battery, the actual Tangent Green Lantern.
And when he brought it back to the DC Universe, he knew it was a super powerful object, and he left it to one person that he could trust, Guy Gardner.So Guy Gardner, in his apartment on Oa, has the Tangent Green Lantern.
Can I ask you a question, and if you don't know, it's okay.That's fine. Is the, are the Tangent characters, do they live on their own Earth in the multiverse?Yes.Okay, that's what I thought.
Yes, they do.I don't remember what.
I remember when they, the Multiversity came out, that great series about the multiverse that Jason loves, written by Grant Morrison, that there was like a guidebook that came along with it and kind of showed who lived on what Earth, because one of them is all Fawcett comics, and that's all Captain Marvel.
Because I remember you pointing.
Thank you.Oh, which is. The Earth Nine now.Which in the TV continuity is where the DC Universe shows live, Titans and Doom for short, Swamp Thing.Great, thank you for letting me derail you because I remember you describing the female Green Lantern.
Look, I will say this, the Tangent books are, They aren't amazing, but like they have.I love the ideas.Yeah, they have a lot of cool ideas.I love the idea.
Like in their in their universe, the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1963 happened and Russia bombed Florida.So like Florida is a nuclear wasteland, and that has affected American history going forward.
And actually, that is the event that creates all the superheroes in the Tangent universe.
Oh, that's kind of cool.I like an alternate history take on that.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.So it's kind of cool.So soon after this, Guy is reunited with a resurrected Ice.And although he gets back together with her, he abandons her to go fully serve the Green Lanterns and open a bar on Oa.
I kinda like the idea that he's a bar owner, that fits for me.
Then Blackest Night happens.This is the event where all the black lanterns, there's black rings all across the universe and brings all the dead heroes back to life.
And don't forget guys, we were doing Blackest Night Club over on Patreon, if you wanna go check that out. Guy and Kyle Rayner are opposed to the Guardian's decision to execute all Sinestro Corps members in their prison cells.
And they unsuccessfully convince the Alpha Lanterns and the Guardians to stay away from this path.And they're actually, because of this, they are reassigned to Earth.
They later try to return to Oa and fail to repel an invasion of a swarm of Black Rings, which leads to Oa's Lantern Crypt, where all the corpses of fallen lanterns are reanimated as black lanterns.
In the ensuing conflict, Guy is forced to crush the body of the insectoid Bzzt, which is a green lantern, and then is impaled through the leg by other dead green lantern, Keehan.But following the death of Kyle Rayner, spoilers!Oh no, my BB!
Guy flies into a rage and is transformed and given a red lantern.
He is now powered by both his green and red power rings at the same time, and Guy seeks vengeance against the Black Lanterns for killing his pal Kyle, and he's able to actually destroy them very easily because he has two different light sources.
He later turns his murderous rage on his former friends before Mogo purges the Red Lantern rage from him, and then he is told only the Blue Lantern can cure him completely, and eventually he is led into confronting the Necron, the final Black Lantern battle on Earth.
Mocha's so cool.Yes.Now, some of this gets swept under the rug when the new 52 sweeps into town and retcons Guy to being the middle child of a family from Baltimore.
And all of his family basically served as police officers now, so he follows in their footsteps.In this continuity, he's the second human to be chosen by a Green Lantern ring.
And this was prompted by now Guy rescues his older brother, who is now named Gerard, from a police shootout. And also in this relationship, his retcon is that he actually still talks to his dad, who is now named Ebenezer.Is that a Roland?
And it took a bullet.And now the job he was forced to retire.So actually, just real quick, very briefly, what is the new 52?
Barry Allen missed his mommy, so he ran back in time and reset the universe after Flashpoint, and everyone had only been superheroes for five years, except the ones Geoff Johns was writing, and Batman, and everyone got more lines on their costumes.
Yeah, no, in the New 52, Guy basically becomes a Red Lantern full-time.
Initially, Guy appeared to be the one Earth Green Lantern that the Guardians still replied on, but having expelled Hal out of the Green Lantern Corps after the War of Green Lanterns event, and expelling Kyle for working with other color Ringwielders,
It's a little racist there, guys.And they expelled Jon Stewart for being put on trial for killing another Lantern.
So Guy was actually placed into the cast of the Red Lantern series, where he was sent there by Hal Jordan to join the Red Lanterns undercover.He defeats Atrocitus, who is the leader of the Red Lanterns, and takes command of that group.
It is revealed that part of his decision to join the Red Lanterns is feeling as if he never really fit in as a Green Lantern because of his rage.
As a Red Lantern, Gardener manages to keep his rage in check, successfully leading most of the Red Lanterns, and Atrocitus leads a splinter Red Lantern group, which allows new Red Rings to cause murderous justice-based rampages to continue.
After joining with the Green Lanterns to defeat the cosmic terrorist Relic, Hal promises to give the Red Lanterns a sector for their own to watch over.
And unwittingly, they kind of trick him into making that sector 2814, which is where Earth resides.So Guy Gardner and the Red Lanterns are in charge of guarding Earth for a while.
And then DC Rebirth swoops in, which is this, you know, basically this soft reboot of the DC Universe.
Wally West comes back to life.
Wally West comes back to life.It changes Guy's backstory again, bringing back the abuse from his alcoholic father and their fights draw the attention of the Sinastro Corps.
And actually, fun fact, his dad's name is changed back to Roland during the D.C.rebirth.And that's where we're going to end this lesson, because there's two things to learn about.
It's that Guy Gardner is the owner of an abusive father and grievous head wounds.
I keep thinking of the clip from Aladdin where the genie is trying to save Aladdin from evil Jafar because Aladdin has said some quip and he's like, oh, he doesn't know what he's talking about.He said one too many hits with the snake.
I just keep thinking about that every time guy gets hit in the head again.
Nice.All right, let's go into the recommended reading, Ashley.
The recommended reading is where if you have enjoyed our humorous take on Guy Gardner and you are interested in this weird character and you want to know some more about it, you head on over to geekhistorylesson.com slash recommended reading.
Professor Jason is going to recommend some supplementary material for you to pick up.You click on the widget.Amazon brings it to your house for free.And a little bit of support comes back to the Mind University at no extra cost to you.
So we can start building our own Red Lantern Corps here on campus.
Look, none of these are going to be the Guy Gardner solo series.One, because it's not great.Two, because it hasn't really been collected either.
Fair, fair, fair, fair, fair, fair.
The first choice is Green Lantern Corps Recharge.This is the series right after Green Lantern Rebirth.This is where Guy, Kyle and John are teamed up and they're training lanterns.And it's cool.
My second choice is Red Lanterns Volume 4, Blood Brothers.This is where Guy takes charge of the Red Lanterns.And also this is where Guy changes his look for the first time in years as writer Charles Soule gives him a Fu Manchu.
and gives him a haircut too, he loses the bowl cut.And my third choice is a collection of Justice League International Volume 1.They have a trade of this, it's like the first 10 issues.It's really, really worth reading.
All right, Ashley, gonna go into the discussion.
Well, we're gonna discuss stuff.
Yeah.What purpose do you think Guy serves in the Green Lantern Corps, Green Lantern mythos?Because he's a character they keep bringing back. and they've even retconned him into original Green Lantern history.
I mean, what do you think from this lesson?Because I didn't like Guy when I first met him, but I now have a strong appreciation for him.
So I mentioned this at the top, and I did it with what I hoped was humor, that I don't care for Guy.But I really think, especially if you just condense the Green Lanterns down to the human Green Lanterns,
even though there were too many Green Lanterns.
Because now there's eight.
There's way too many Green Lanterns.What I think is genius is if you look at all of them and you look at them through the lens of will, which you must because a Green Lantern is known and driven by their will.
They show the different ways that will can personify in a person.And Guy, to me, represents the anger driven will.So
This is a real fantasy trope and it's a real YA trope that a character has had a tough upbringing and they said, I don't feel anything.I'm just angry because I know what rage is and rage drives me.And that's, that's what Guy is.
Guy is all hard edges.He's all machismo.He's all big talk and hard fists, but it's because With that artifice, he's been able to muscle his way through these tough things in his life.
So I think Guy is a representation of Will through the lens of a cactus.OK.Like he's spiky and mean on the outside, but he has a good heart and he's always trying.He's honestly trying his best.He's just not good at it.
Like Guy Gardner might objectively be a better person than Hal Jordan. You know, how Jordan, like, takes, cheats on his buddy's girls while they're in a tough jam instead of going to save them, you know?He went to jail.
Like, Guy's trying to do good, but he's just not great at it.And I think that's what he adds.And I think because the Green Lanterns, in some ways, are held up in a deified position, particularly when you get to Kyle, who's my favorite Green Lantern.
He's the best. But Guy kind of grounds them and brings them back to Earth.And I think when he's employed well, I think the best Guy Gardner is in the Bwahaha Justice League.And I think it's in Green Lantern, the animated series.
Yes, because they use him as a punchline.And in the context of that show and they pair him up with Chip, It really works.And that's what I think he adds to the mythos.
And then also, if you're looking at it, you want to go to the editor brain and the publisher brain from a sales point of view.He brings in the same group of people who love Lobo and who love Venom.
He is appealing to a very specific demographic as well.
Do you have any other thoughts about sort of his.
No, he's the drill sergeant.Yeah, that's exactly who he is.He's the drill sergeant in Green Lantern.That's exactly who he is.Great.Yeah.
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I also expect you to make yourself known, because we need a place to stay if we come visit.
That's right.Hashtag stick around.That's the part of the podcast where we make sure you stuck through the plugs.And if you like it, you can hashtag stick around on Twitter.Ashley.Yo.Whole bunch of earth green lanterns.
Who is Guy's best partner?Now, if you feel that's not a green lantern. That's fine, who is Guy Gardner the best when he's partnered with?For me, it's a Green Lantern.
No, it's actually Kyle.Interesting.Him and Kyle actually complement each other very well because they're opposites.Kyle is the artsy, open-minded guy and Guy is the drink a beer and watch the game guy.But they actually work really well together.
It's really tough because I'm just not super familiar with Guy.I can tell you the character I like seeing him written with most.Who's that?I really like Guy against Batman.
Oh, that's funny, because they don't like each other.
They hate each.I mean, there's a grudging respect, of course, but because Batman is a great leader, he's a great tactician, he's a hard ass and he is a leader of men and women and non-binary individuals.But. He's kind of everything Guy wants to be.
And he's annoyed because Guy fronts with him.And then Guy is annoyed because he can't figure out why Batman is better than him.And like, yeah, it's funny that he punches him in the face.That's good for a laugh.
But I think from a writing perspective, I think pairing them against each other is very interesting.
It's an interesting pick.And I really like that pick. And that's also a perfect pick to end the podcast, because this has been Geek History Lesson, and I have been Jason.
Don't let me fall into a coma in my- I have been Ashley Victoria Robinson, and Professor Jason, before you suffer a Hendredry, would you please dismiss the class?
Class is- Oh no, a drug!Oh my God.
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