So Joan Garrick and Molly Mayne have past away, right?

[Digifiend]

She's treated as Arrow family, and not currently in the JSA (and neither JLA nor Birds of Prey, her other two teams, have a book right now), so I'd say it's Joshua Williamson's call, as he's the Green Arrow writer.

[Triniking1234]

I don't really get the Thorn and Harlequinn being "beards" suggestion. Who was going around accusing single people of being gay when Alan was active as Green Lantern?

[CaptCleghorn]

I don't really get the Thorn and Harlequinn being "beards" suggestion. Who was going around accusing single people of being gay when Alan was active as Green Lantern?

No one then. However, DC has retconned Alan into being gay and aware of it during the Golden Age years. The suggestion is meant to keep as much of Alan's history intact as possible and his relationship with Molly Mayne was a major part of his life. Why would a woman actively pursue and marry a gay man?

[WonderScott]

Honestly, I’m less concerned about the logistics and “how” they bring back the JSAers, their supporting characters, Infinity Inc members, their collective villains, etc. just as long as they do. Too many interesting stories to tell with all of them for me.

Until then, I’ll plot out my own Thorn, Green Lantern, Harlequin, Jade, Obsidian and Harlequin’s Son reunion.

[astro@work]

Honestly, I’m less concerned about the logistics and “how” they bring back the JSAers, their supporting characters, Infinity Inc members, their collective villains, etc. just as long as they do. Too many interesting stories to tell with all of them for me.

Until then, I’ll plot out my own Thorn, Green Lantern, Harlequin, Jade, Obsidian and Harlequin’s Son reunion.

Actually, bringing in Harlequin's son might answer a lot of the Molly & Alan questions. I had kinda forgotten about that angle.

[astro@work]

I don't really get the Thorn and Harlequinn being "beards" suggestion. Who was going around accusing single people of being gay when Alan was active as Green Lantern?

It was less about "who?" than it was about the consequences if you were found out for being gay. Lives were ruined. Careers were ruined. Children were disowned. Adult children were disowned.
The environment was very different and things didn't begin to change until long after Alan's heyday.

[achilles]

I don't know if they've past away, but they might in the future. Yes, I haven't looked through to see if anyone's bothered with that one, but I am unambitious.

[ducklord]

I don't really get the Thorn and Harlequinn being "beards" suggestion. Who was going around accusing single people of being gay when Alan was active as Green Lantern?

For Molly, it could go a little something like this:

- During the McCarthy era, Alan Scott, a prominent media mogul who's just a little too liberal in his convictions, is standing up bravely for his employees (something similar to his issues in the Golden Age Elseworlds).
- Alan and Molly realize that he's in a delicate position - even though he's very discreet about his homosexual life, if rumors start to take hold, the government could go after him.
- Molly offers to make an honest man of Alan until the Red Scare blows over. They have a very public wedding, and Alan makes sure that pictures of them canoodling on their honeymoon are widespread.
- The marriage of convenience lasts as longs as is deemed dramatically necessary.

If you want to get weird with it, you could go the HBO Perry Mason route and simultaneously retcon Molly into being a lesbian, but that might just be silly.

Thorn wouldn't be a beard. The more I think about it, the less I think she's necessary to the story at all. Just make Jade and Obsidian the descendants of an as-yet unnamed woman who was Alan Scott's unfortunate first wife, back when he was still figuring himself out.

[MajorHoy]

For Molly, it could go a little something like this:

- During the McCarthy era, Alan Scott, a prominent media mogul who's just a little too liberal in his convictions, is standing up bravely for his employees (something similar to his issues in the Golden Age Elseworlds).
- Alan and Molly realize that he's in a delicate position - even though he's very discreet about his homosexual life, if rumors start to take hold, the government could go after him.
- Molly offers to make an honest man of Alan until the Red Scare blows over. They have a very public wedding, and Alan makes sure that pictures of them canoodling on their honeymoon are widespread.
- The marriage of convenience lasts as longs as is deemed dramatically necessary.

If you want to get weird with it, you could go the HBO Perry Mason route and simultaneously retcon Molly into being a lesbian, but that might just be silly.

Thorn wouldn't be a beard. The more I think about it, the less I think she's necessary to the story at all. Just make Jade and Obsidian the descendants of an as-yet unnamed woman who was Alan Scott's unfortunate first wife, back when he was still figuring himself out.

By the way, Alan and Molly were never wed back in the Golden Age. Molly had eyes for Green Lantern, but I don't know if the comic books ever showed her figuring out that Alan was Green Lantern back then. (Plus, Alan seemed to be a bit oblivious about Molly's infatuation in the Golden Age stories I've seen.)

Alan and Molly got married in Infinity Inc. Annual #1 back in late 1985.

[ducklord]

By the way, Alan and Molly were never wed back in the Golden Age. Molly had eyes for Green Lantern, but I don't know if the comic books ever showed her figuring out that Alan was Green Lantern back then. (Plus, Alan seemed to be a bit oblivious about Molly's infatuation in the Golden Age stories I've seen.)

Alan and Molly got married in Infinity Inc. Annual #1 back in late 1985.

Yeah, I'm totes plugged into their previous continuity. I'm proposing a full-on retcon, given that it'd be pretty darned silly for them to get hitched in the 80's/90's in the current timeline.

Of course, now that I'm thinking about it, Alan and Molly's marriage in general seems rather pointless in the modern continuity.

[MajorHoy]

Yeah, I'm totes plugged into their previous continuity. I'm proposing a full-on retcon, given that it'd be pretty darned silly for them to get hitched in the 80's/90's in the current timeline.

Of course, now that I'm thinking about it, Alan and Molly's marriage in general seems rather pointless in the modern continuity.

That's unfortunately true.

They can just leave it as Molly had goo-goo eyes for Green Lantern but never figures out he and Alan are the same. When Harlequin started working for the Feds, she had a temporary rebound fling with some other guy that was a mistake but that left her pregnant with "Harlequin's Son", who Molly didn't even raise herself.

[ducklord]

That's unfortunately true.

They can just leave it as Molly had goo-goo eyes for Green Lantern but never figures out he and Alan are the same. When Harlequin started working for the Feds, she had a temporary rebound fling with some other guy that was a mistake but that left her pregnant with "Harlequin's Son", who Molly didn't even raise herself.

They could very well go that route, but dang if that doesn't make Molly an even sadder character. Not only does she get the full "Lois Lane never figures that the love of her life is standing right in front of her all along" treatment, but she also gets slapped with the "and she never realized he was gay, either" fish, as well.

Personally, if we're going to have a full-on retcon to their relationship, I'd rather that she be in on the joke. As Alan's secretary, she'd be an invaluable asset in keeping his secrets (both of them) from leaking out to the public. You could still keep a couple of the initial "became Harlequin to get GL's attention" stories intact, but have her more quickly move over to the FBI once the comical situation had been resolved. Also, her being in the FBI would allow her to keep tabs on whether Alan was being investigated by the government.

[dornwolf]

Only somewhat related but I was always anoyex that New 52 Earth-2 ball wrote Joan out basically and never followed up on it

[The Cool Thatguy]

There’s also Golden Age Black Canary and giving birth to currently 30 something Dinah.

Isn't that the problem with most of Infinity Inc? They're all baby boomers, technically and their kids are pushing 40, lol.

[CaptCleghorn]

They could very well go that route, but dang if that doesn't make Molly an even sadder character. Not only does she get the full "Lois Lane never figures that the love of her life is standing right in front of her all along" treatment, but she also gets slapped with the "and she never realized he was gay, either" fish, as well.

Personally, if we're going to have a full-on retcon to their relationship, I'd rather that she be in on the joke. As Alan's secretary, she'd be an invaluable asset in keeping his secrets (both of them) from leaking out to the public. You could still keep a couple of the initial "became Harlequin to get GL's attention" stories intact, but have her more quickly move over to the FBI once the comical situation had been resolved. Also, her being in the FBI would allow her to keep tabs on whether Alan was being investigated by the government.

If Harlequin was working for the FBI, there must have been heavy positive feedback from Alan. Even accepting her antics as merely mischievous, that would not look good on an application to work for the FBI.

And I am with you totally on this story for Molly. Smart woman, initial crush on Alan, discovers lack of interest on his part, surmises he's gay maybe due to friends she knew trying to hide their sexuality. It's really not a stretch of the original stories.