Alan Scott in the Green Lantern 80th Anniversary *spoilers*

[andersonh1]

While I'm always happy to showcase diversity in any field, let alone comic books, I did want to say a quick word about Alan Scott and his marriage with Molly Mayne: To those who feel that Alan and Molly never had a convincing romance, I direct you to writer Roger Stern's touching 1992 "Old Friends" story in Green Lantern Corp Quarterly issue number three. This story alone makes me lament the loss of Alan and Molly's relationship in 2020.

GLC Quarterly was a book I bought mainly because Alan had a solo feature in it, and he had a number of scenes with his wife that showed how close their love was. It's yet another reason I'm casting a skeptical eye on any attempt to retcon his sexuality.

This is Alan and Molly, and I honestly find myself resenting DC attempting to change this:
Alan and Molly.jpg

[andersonh1]

And there's the time Alan literally went to Hell and fought Neron, essentially the devil, to rescue Molly's soul during Underworld Unleashed. He tells the Phantom Stranger she's "the woman I've loved for forty years."
Alan 2.jpg

[krazijoe]

GLC Quarterly was a book I bought mainly because Alan had a solo feature in it, and he had a number of scenes with his wife that showed how close their love was. It's yet another reason I'm casting a skeptical eye on any attempt to retcon his sexuality.

This is Alan and Molly, and I honestly find myself resenting DC attempting to change this:
Alan and Molly.jpg

Different Earth not the current DC Universe. And just an FYI, a Gay man can love a woman the same way they love a man. I am sure at one time my Father loved my mother like that. My mother gave my father, my sister and me, how could he not love her like that?

[Ascended]

Well there's two references to how much Allan loves Molly in the last forty years.

I don't think there's many more.

[andersonh1]

Well there's two references to how much Allan loves Molly in the last forty years.

I don't think there's many more.

How many does it take to make it an established part of who the character is? There are indeed more, but I doubt more examples would change minds. Suffice it to say, Alan Scott did indeed love his wife, and I enjoyed seeing a loving, long-term marriage depicted in DC comics.

[andersonh1]

Different Earth not the current DC Universe.

It's still in continuity as far as I know. Alan returned at the end of Doomsday Clock with the implication being that his history was restored after Dr. Manhattan had removed it.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Unless I am mistaken, Obsidian wasn't originally intended to be gay either, right? Nor was Pied Piper.

Was John Constantine originally intended to be bisexual by Alan Moore? We're Wonder Woman, Catwoman, and Harley Quinn created to be bisexual?

Would any of these characters benefit from not being LGBT?

The only gay characters at DC that I know for sure were created as homosexual are Extrano, Apollo, Midnighter, and Bunker. Is this correct?

Given how fluid DC continuity has been since nearly the beginning, I have no problem with making tweaks to decades old stories if it benefits Alan Scott as a character and creates more ways to tell stories with him.

If someone could make a compelling argument why this makes Alan less interesting, I would love to hear it though. Otherwise, the argument that it contradicts a handful of old stories isn't a very strong one.

[andersonh1]

Otherwise, the argument that it contradicts a handful of old stories isn't a very strong one.

It contradicts eight decades of the character's history, not just "a few stories." That's the point. My preference is for continuity of character, rather than retcons.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

How many does it take to make it an established part of who the character is? There are indeed more, but I doubt more examples would change minds. Suffice it to say, Alan Scott did indeed love his wife, and I enjoyed seeing a loving, long-term marriage depicted in DC comics.

Alan being gay doesn’t preclude him from loving Molly or even being a good husband to her. The world is very complicated, particularly for gay men born in the early 20the Century.

How this new revelation changes how we view that marriage will be interesting to read about. Hopefully, it will be handled well.

I am sure DC is well aware these stories are going to be under heavily scrutiny

[andersonh1]

Alan being gay doesn’t preclude him from loving Molly or even being a good husband to her. The world is very complicated, particularly for gay men born in the early 20the Century.

Indeed. But it would make far more sense to create new characters for representation than to try and work around decades of established continuity in a convoluted way to change an existing one. This has been my opinion for some time now. This whole thread boils down to "Yeah, Alan did this, but.... it could still work." I don't have any enthusiasm for such an approach.

To each his own. I prefer the existing character and don't like this potential change. Others are free to feel differently of course.

[Noodle]

Indeed. But it would make far more sense to create new characters for representation than to try and work around decades of established continuity in a convoluted way to change an existing one.

People don't buy new characters, LGBT or not. DC just did a huge publishing initiative of new, original characters after Metal. They didn't sell and have all since been cancelled.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

Indeed. But it would make far more sense to create new characters for representation than to try and work around decades of established continuity in a convoluted way to change an existing one. This has been my opinion for some time now. This whole thread boils down to "Yeah, Alan did this, but.... it could still work." I don't have any enthusiasm for such an approach.

To each his own. I prefer the existing character and don't like this potential change. Others are free to feel differently of course.

I can respect this view, but how far back do you take this stance? Should Superboy not exist because it was contradicted older stories? Or is that OK because Superboy was retroactively placed on a separate Earth?

[andersonh1]

I can respect this view, but how far back do you take this stance? Should Superboy not exist because it was contradicted older stories? Or is that OK because Superboy was retroactively placed on a separate Earth?

To be honest, I'm not very fond of the original Superboy for that very reason, that he does not seem to fit in with Superman's life as depicted in the early comics. I don't lose any sleep over it, but it's one of those things that irritates when I think about it.

These things have to be taken on a case by case basis, and I understand a lot of you are evaluating this case and are fine with it. I get that. I just prefer consistency and forward growth and dislike backwards revisionism. The longer a character's been around, the more I dislike it.

[andersonh1]

Consider what Mark Andreyko said about the decision to portray Obsidian as gay:

I didn't want to make a character gay unless it felt organic. So, the list was pretty short. Then I remembered when Obsidian was in the JLA years ago and Gerard Jones, the writer, danced around the issue. I went back and read all my Infinity, Inc.'s and although Todd dated women, it was always a mess.

Andreyko said that DC was supportive, wanting a "visible gay character" and that it was "a general void in the DCU that needed exploration". Geoff Johns, longtime writer of JSA, also stated his support for the idea.[23]

That is a retcon that worked better, I think, because the character apparently had very little history that had to be worked around to make the change succeed.

[Bored at 3:00AM]

To be honest, I'm not very fond of the original Superboy for that very reason, that he does not seem to fit in with Superman's life as depicted in the early comics. I don't lose any sleep over it, but it's one of those things that irritates when I think about it.

These things have to be taken on a case by case basis, and I understand a lot of you are evaluating this case and are fine with it. I get that. I just prefer consistency and forward growth and dislike backwards revisionism. The longer a character's been around, the more I dislike it.

Interesting, have there been any revised continuity you've liked?