"The Origin of Green Lantern!" is the title to the first story featured in the sixteenth issue of All-American Comics. It is the first appearance and origin of Alan Scott - the original Green Lantern, who will become a showcase feature in the series throughout most of its run. The story was written by Bill Finger with artwork by Martin Nodell (credited as Mart Dellon). The cover art for this issue was composed by Sheldon Moldoff and the issue was edited by Sheldon Mayer. This book shipped with a July, 1940 cover date and carried a cover price of 12 cents per copy (US). Other features in this issue include "The Rescue" - a Hop Harrigan tale by Jon L. Blummer, "Sealed Orders" - a war-time adventure featuring Red, White and Blue, "The Sinister Mansion" - a Ben Webster story by Russell Cole (writing as Edwin Alger), the third chapter in the "Traitor's Treachery" Jimmy Stone illustrated text story by Sheldon Mayer, an "Adventures in the Unknown" vignette by Carl H. Claudy and Stan Aschmeier, a four-page Scribbly tale by Sheldon Mayer entitled "Good-Bye Widow-Maker" and "The Power Plant Failure" featuring Gary Concord, the Ultra-Man by Jon L. Blummer.
Engineer Alan Scott and his colleague, Jimmy, travel aboard a train across the American Midwest. Alan is present to inspect the recently designed Trestle Bridge. Alan recently outbid a rival engineer named Alert Dekker for the Trestle Bridge contract, and Jimmy is concerned that Dekker might try to sabotage the bridge's test trial. Alan assures him that there is nothing to worry about.
As fate would have it however, a bomb explodes beneath the bridge derailing the train. Everyone on board is killed in the explosion – everyone but Alan Scott. Alan awakens and finds a strange emerald lantern resting near the wreckage. The lantern begins glowing and an eerie voice begins to chant, "Three times shall I flame green! First - to bring death! Second - to bring life, and third - to bring power!" Known as the Green Flame of Life, the disembodied voice infuses Alan with visions of the past.
Flashback:
Two-thousand years ago a green meteor came to Earth and landed in the provinces of China. An aging occultist named Chang discovered the meteor and listened to the same spectral promises of death, life and power. Cutting away a portion of the alien rock, Chang fashioned it into a small lantern. The neighboring villagers distrusted the sorcerer and before long, a mob gathered together and killed him. The Flame of Life fulfilled the first of its prophecies.
The lamp traveled across the globe for centuries until it eventually fell into the hands of a mental patient named Billings. Billings remolded the lamp into the shape of a train conductor's lantern. The Green Flame of Life flared again and mystically restored Billings' sanity – granting him a new lease on life. As promised, the second of three prophecies has been fulfilled.
Now the Green Flame of Life flares for a third time granting the gift of power to Alan Scott. Following the lantern's instructions, he cuts away a small piece of the lamp and molds it into a ring. The Flame of Life instructs that in order to effectively wield his power, he must charge his ring with energy from the lantern, once every twenty-four hours.
With this fantastic new power under his command, Alan sets out to find Albert Dekker – the man responsible for blowing up the Trestle Bridge. Glowing like a green phantom, he phases through the walls of Dekker's office and forces him to take responsibility for the bridge's destruction. Moments after Dekker confesses to his crimes, he falls away dead from fright.
Alan decides to use his new-found powers and tools to fight crime as a man of mystery. He becomes... the Green Lantern.
Green Lantern's origin is retold in Secret Origins, Volume 2 #18. Albert Dekker, Billings, Chang and Jimmy reappear in the revised history. Secret Origins places Billings, the mental patient, at Arkham Asylum in Gotham City. Jimmy's last name, Henton, and Dekker's first name, Albert, are also revealed in that issue.
Green Lantern, Volume 3 #19 reveals that the Green Flame of Life is actually the spirit of a deceased member of the Green Lantern Corps named Yalan Gur. This significant detail tangentially links Alan to the Green Lantern Corps. Historically, he has always been treated as a completely separate entity.
Originally the incident at the Trestle Bridge took place in an undisclosed location. JSA Classified #11 provides a slightly revised origin of Green Lantern, and places the incident in Arizona.
Green Lantern's trademark oath, "And I shall shed my light over dark evil, for the dark things cannot stand the light. The light of... the Green Lantern!", is not recited until his third adventure, which takes place in All-American Comics #18.
"The Rescue" is largely a promotion for Hop Harrigan's Aviation Club.
