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"The Sign of the Green Lantern": In Metropolis, Commissioner of Public Works Gorson awards a construction bid for a new library to Muller Contractors. Also vying for the contract is Alan Scott and his employer, John Hall. Hall knows that Gorson is corrupt and is se

Quote1 I cannot rest in my watery grave... till I have finished my original mission! I must appear before you, night after night, until you do as I say! Only then can I return whence I came! Quote2
Green Lantern

All-American Comics #17 is an issue of the series All-American Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of August, 1940.

Synopsis for "The Sign of the Green Lantern"

In Metropolis, Commissioner of Public Works Gorson awards a construction bid for a new library to Muller Contractors. Also vying for the contract is Alan Scott and his employer, John Hall. Hall knows that Gorson is corrupt and is secretly business partners with the disreputable Muller. Alan publicly accuses both men of being grafters and threatens to expose their racketeering schemes.

Expecting some sort of retribution for his brash statements, Alan returns home and recharges his power ring. That evening, he goes for a stroll in his civilian identity only to become the victim of a drive-by shooting. Green Lantern is impervious to bullets, however, and follows the gunmen back to their hideout as Green Lantern. He follows them to the Muller Contractors and Builders complex and walks through the walls into the meeting room. He finds Gorson conspiring with Muller. Muller sends his thugs after him, but the Green Lantern uses the power of his ring to melt a pile of steel girders, intimidating the goons into retreating. As he enters Muller's office, however, Muller uses a ceiling trap door to incapacitate him. Unwittingly, Muller constructed his trap door from wood - the only thing that can defeat Green Lantern.

Muller has GL bound in chains and tossed into the Metropolis Harbor. The sudden shock of cold water awakens him, and Alan uses his ring to break free. Knowing that the killers believe him dead, he flies back to their lair and pretends to be a ghost. His spectral visage threatens to haunt Gorson every night of his life unless he goes public with his underhanded business practices. Gorson is terrified and agrees to Green Lantern's demands, but Muller turns on his business partner and shoots him dead. Alan backhands Muller and telephones the police to come pick him up.

The following day, John Hall reads the newspaper account of the incident and tells Alan about this mysterious Green Lantern. Alan scoffs at the notion, declaring such fantastic beings only exist in comic books.

Appearing in "The Sign of the Green Lantern"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • John Hall

Antagonists:

  • Commissioner Cyrus Gorson (Dies)
  • Muller

Other Characters:


Locations:

  • Earth-Two
    • Metropolis
      • City Public Works building
      • Metropolis Harbor
      • Muller Contractors and Builders complex

Items:

Vehicles:




Synopsis for Adventures in the Unknown: "The Infra-Red Destroyers (Part 5 of 6)"


Appearing in Adventures in the Unknown: "The Infra-Red Destroyers (Part 5 of 6)"

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Synopsis for Hop Harrigan: "The Plane Hater"


Appearing in Hop Harrigan: "The Plane Hater"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

Antagonists:

  • Trampas

Other Characters:

  • A town mayor
  • Barney and a group of young boys
  • Clancy (a police officer)

Locations:

  • Earth-Two
    • unidentified small town near the border

Items:


Vehicles:

  • Hop's airplane

Synopsis for Gary Concord, the Ultra-Man: "The Peace Treaty"


Appearing in Gary Concord, the Ultra-Man: "The Peace Treaty"

Featured Characters:

Supporting Characters:

  • Alec

Era:

Synopsis for Scribbly: "Dude Ranch, Part 4 of 4: The Stray"


Appearing in Scribbly: "Dude Ranch, Part 4 of 4: The Stray"

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Supporting Characters:

  • Widow-Maker, a horse
  • Gus Hunkel
  • Mr. Macklin

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Synopsis for Red, White, and Blue: "The Propaganda Battle"


Appearing in Red, White, and Blue: "The Propaganda Battle"

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Notes

  • Green Lantern:
    • "The Sign of the Green Lantern" is reprinted in The Golden Age Green Lantern Archives Vol. 1.
    • This issue's Green Lantern story establishes that Green Lantern's original base of operations was Metropolis, the same city where Superman operated. Secret Origins (Volume 2) #18 establishes Metropolis as Alan Scott's birth place. Alan Scott moved from city to city for his first few adventures, from Metropolis to New York to Capitol City, and eventually to Gotham City.
    • At the end of the 1930s and the beginning of the "golden age" of superheroes, as shown in several early Superman stories and at least one Green Lantern story, the municipal and state governments of Metropolis were riddled with corruption.
    • Secret Origins (Volume 2) #18 establishes that the events from "The Sign of the Green Lantern" take place only a few weeks after the events of All-American Comics #16.
    • This is the first time that Green Lantern leaves a ring impression on his victim's faces following an attack. This tactic becomes one of Alan's trademarks in the early part of his career.
    • Alan Scott also creates an invisible wall to block attackers, demonstrating that not all of the ring's effects are necessarily green in color.
  • Also appearing in this issue of All-American Comics were:
    • Mutt & Jeff/Cicero's Cat (newspaper strip reprints), by Bud Fisher
    • Daisybelle (newspaper strip reprints), by Gene Byrnes
    • Ben Webster (newspaper strip reprints), by Edwin Alger
    • Popsicle Pete, by Art Helfant
    • "Murder in the Classroom" (text story), by Evelyn Gaines



See Also


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