HBO Max Rewrites Alan Scott’s Comic Book History While Promoting Upcoming Green Lantern Series
John F. Trent
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HBO Max decided to rewrite comic book history while promoting their upcoming Green Lantern series.
In revealing new details about the previously announced series, HBO Max revealed the show will be helmed by Seth Grahame-Smith and will follow the adventures of a number of Green Lanterns including Alan Scott, Kilowog, Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz, and others.
However, in the logline describing the show, HBO Max attempts to erase the history of the first Green Lantern, Alan Scott.
As reported by ComicBook.com, the logline begins, “From HBO Max, DC, Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. Television comes a bold adaptation of the iconic comic book franchise, a saga spanning decades and galaxies.”
Related: Rumor: Sinestro Corps War Coming To HBO Max’s Green Lantern
It then tries to erase Alan Scott’s history by claiming the character is gay as seen in the comics, “Green Lantern will depict the adventures of a multitude of Lanterns, including Guy Gardner, Jessica Cruz, Simon Baz and Alan Scott — Earth’s first Green Lantern, who, true to the comics, is a gay man — and many more.”
The logline concludes, “The series will also include fan favorites such as Sinestro and Kilowog, and will also introduce new heroes to the ranks of the Green Lantern Corps.”
Alan Scott was retconned into a gay man by DC Comics in 2012.
In a press release they announced, “Last week, you heard rumors coming out of KAPOW! Comic Con that a DC Comics character would be gay when reintroduced to readers in DC COMICS-THE NEW 52.”
They added, “Today, we are pleased to announce that the mystery about the identity of the character in question is over. Appearing in next week’s EARTH 2 #2, Alan Scott is the only Green Lantern of Earth 2.”
“A team leader with a Type-A personality and an appetite for justice, Alan also happens to be homosexual. And while his origins won’t be shown in full detail until issue #3, we can tease that a traumatic event will serve as the catalyst for him assuming his superhero identity as The Green Lantern,” they added.
In the press release they claimed this retconning of Scott’s sexuality was a “commitment to taking a fresh look at its characters.” They also claimed this change was part of “an update for contemporary times to reflect the world we live in.”
In the actual comic, Alan Scott is shown kissing Sam Zhao.
Scott had previously been a straight man and a straight man for decades. The character was first introduced in All-American Comics #16 by creator Martin Nodell in 1940.
In Scott’s third appearance as the Green Lantern in All-American Comics #18, it’s implied he’s attracted to women as he’s seen flirting with Irene Miller after helping to get her brother out of prison, who had been framed for murder.
Related: A New Rumor Details Which Green Lanterns Will Star In The HBO Max Series
Scott would again show his interest in Irene Miller in All-American Comics #20.
He tells Irene, “Why not — I like it! And what’s good enough for me, oughta be good enough for any old Green Lantern!” His comment came in response to Irene wondering if the Green Lantern would be attracted to her.
Scott would continue to share his affections with Miller in the first issue of Green Lantern back in 1941.
He tells her, “If you were to look at me like this all the time, I’d down every gangster I met!”
By the end of the story, Alan Scott actually asks Irene Miller out on a date.
He tells her, “That guy sure gets around. He’ll be asking you for a date next! But until he does, how about you and I stepping out tonight?”
In Infinity Inc. Annual #1, it would also be revealed that Alan Scott was married and had two children. First, Scott tells the superhero Jennifer-Lynn Hayden aka Jade that he had been married.
Later in the issue it would be revealed that Jade and her twin brother Obsidian are actually his children with the villain Thorn aka Rose Canton. However, at the time of her marriage to Alan Scott she was using the identity of Alyx Florin.
So, while Alan Scott was retconned into a gay man during DC Comics entire reboot of their DC Universe during the New 52 in 2012, the character has a long history of being attracted to women and expressing it repeatedly.
HBO Max neglecting the fact that Alan Scott was originally a straight man and was retconned by DC Comics in 2012 appears to be par for the course with Hollywood as they try to score woke points with the media rather than actually trying to promote good storytelling.
What do you make of HBO Max’s decision to attempt to rewrite the history of the first Green Lantern, Alan Scott?
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