PHILADELPHIA --Green Lantern, one of DC Comics' oldest and enduring heroes no matter what parallel earth he's on, is serving as a beacon for the publisher again, this time as a proud, mighty and openly gay hero. The change is revealed in the pages of the second issue of "Earth 2" out next week, and comes on the heels of what has been an expansive year for gay and lesbian characters in the pages of comic books from Archie to Marvel and others. But purists and fans note: This Green Lantern is not the emerald galactic space cop who was, and is, part of the Justice League and has had a history rich in triumph and tragedy. Instead, said James Robinson, who writes the new series, Alan Scott is the retooled version of the classic Lantern whose first appearance came in the pages of "All-American Comics" No. 16 in July 1940. And his being gay is not part of some wider story line meant to be exploited or undone down the road, either. "This was my idea," Robinson explained this week, noting that before DC relaunched all its titles last summer, Alan Scott had a son who was gay. The thought had occurred to Robinson after DC's relaunch of its entire superhero line last fall removed Alan Scott's gay son Obsidian from the picture. Robinson made the suggestion about Alan Scott to DC co-publisher Dan DiDio, and "there wasn't a moment's hesitation," the writer says. Batwoman is an openly lesbian superhero in the DC Universe, and twice in the last three years the company has won the "Outstanding Comic" award from GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) for stories featuring the character. But having a gay Green Lantern, one of DC's most visible heroes, is a big step. "What I really want to do with this character is make the fact that he's gay to be a part of who he is and not to be the one identifying aspect of him," Robinson says. "And have his humor and his bravery be as much or more a part of him as his sexuality." The Green Lantern most readers know is Hal Jordan, the man with the green power ring in DC's main Green Lantern series and the hero Ryan Reynolds played in the Green Lantern movie. He and Alan Scott will meet one day, Robinson says, but in the meantime the writer's making sure they're completely different characters, both in personality and powers. "When they're firing their rings at the same time, you'll be able to tell which energy is which," he says. "That's a very important thing so that it sets them apart." Artist Nicola Scott's orders were clear, too: Make Alan Scott a big, strapping, handsome man that everyone would instinctively follow and love. "No short order but right up my alley," she says. "Alan strikes me as an incredibly open, honest and warm man, a natural leader and absolutely the right choice to be guardian of the Earth. His sexuality is incidental. Every time I draw him I love him even more." By the time readers get to know Alan Scott more, he will have already come out as a gay man, but it isn't a huge deal for him. Keeping the world safe is higher on his priority list. "He's someone you would want to watch over your children," Robinson says. "Presenting that kind of a heroic role model hopefully will be a good thing and help to show gays in a positive light for people who might be a little more small-minded." The character's sexuality isn't a major issue for Robinson either. He wrote what he believes was comics' first gay kiss, to in an issue of Starman. The writer understands, though, that in some circles a mainstream gay superhero is not all that welcome. DiDio had made an offhand comment a couple of weeks ago at a London comic-book convention that a DC character would be gay, and last week Marvel Comics announced an upcoming X-Men gay wedding. In response, the group One Million Moms prompted readers on its website to send both companies "an email urging them to change and cancel all plans of homosexual superhero characters immediately" and to "ask them to do the right thing."
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