Justice Society / Starheart
Alan Scott
The original Green Lantern, powered by a magical flame.
Alan Scott was the first hero published under the Green Lantern name, debuting in 1940. A founding Justice Society member, he channels the mystical Starheart through a ring and lantern. His Golden Age legacy is a distinct branch of the mythology, alongside the spacefaring Green Lantern Corps.
Continuity: This profile centers on the Golden Age / Justice Society Alan Scott. The New 52 Earth 2 Alan is a separate incarnation. Starheart magic and Corps rings are not interchangeable power systems.
- Affiliation
- Justice Society / Starheart
- First appearance
- All-American Comics #16 (1940)
Story history — Origin and later reinterpretations — spoilers for Alan’s origin and alternate incarnations
Alan Scott survives a sabotaged train wreck through the protection of a mysterious green flame. He fashions a ring from the lantern that holds it and begins a career as Green Lantern. Later stories call that magical power the Starheart and connect its origin to the Guardians, but Alan’s original heroic identity is not a Corps recruitment story. He becomes one of the Justice Society’s enduring figures and a mentor to later generations. His earliest adventures began in All-American Comics #16 (1940); his history subsequently crosses several versions of DC continuity. The younger Alan of the New 52 Earth 2 series is a separate incarnation, an avatar of the elemental Green rather than simply the same Starheart hero at an earlier age. Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey’s Alan Scott: The Green Lantern (2023–2024) instead revisits the Justice Society hero’s past, exploring his hidden personal life and a mystery linked to his first love. Treat those retellings and alternate-world versions by their own series labels rather than merging every origin into one biography.
Signature: A ring and lantern that channel the Starheart’s magical green flame.
Reference scope: The linked publisher material supports the origin, continuity distinctions and reading recommendations. Later developments are kept in the closed history.
Profile reviewed 2026-11-04.