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Three times shall I flame green! First - to bring death! Second - to bring life! Third - to bring power! 
All-American Comics #16 is an issue of the series All-American Comics (Volume 1) with a cover date of July, 1940.
Synopsis for "The Origin of Green Lantern"
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.
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 speak, "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 its past.
- 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 by flaming and killing Chang's murderers.
- 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. The second of three prophecies had 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. Scott at first plans to exact vengeance, but stops and realizes he can't sink to his enemy's level if he's to be worthy of such immense power. Glowing like a green phantom, he phases through the walls of Dekker's office. A fight quickly ensues between Scott and the villain's henchmen, where he realizes his protective glow wards off metal weapons like knives and bullets, but not a wooden club. With Dekker's henchmen seen off, Scott 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 names himself after the source of his power, the Green Lantern.
Appearing in "The Origin of Green Lantern"
Featured Characters:
- Green Lantern (Alan Scott) (First appearance) (Origin)
Supporting Characters:
- Jimmy Henton (First appearance; dies)
Antagonists:
- Albert Dekker (First appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
- Green Flame of Life (First appearance)
- Green Lantern Ring (First appearance)
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Hop Harrigan: "The Rescue"
Appearing in Hop Harrigan: "The Rescue"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Canvasback Kelly
- Lem Brown
- Mrs. Brown
- Brown's baby
- Doctor Trent
- Doc Stevens
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
- Hop and Ikky's light planes
Synopsis for Red, White, and Blue: "Sealed Orders"
Appearing in Red, White, and Blue: "Sealed Orders"
Featured Characters:
- Red, White, and Blue
- Red Dugan, USMC
- Whitey Smith, USA
- Blooey Blue, USN
Supporting Characters:
- Doris West, G2
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Adventures in the Unknown: "The Infra-Red Destroyers (Part 4 of 6)" or "The Exploding Buildings"
Appearing in Adventures in the Unknown: "The Infra-Red Destroyers (Part 4 of 6)" or "The Exploding Buildings"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
Antagonists:
- Professor Jurghens
- Venusmen
Other Characters:
Locations:
Items:
Vehicles:
Synopsis for Scribbly: "Dude Ranch, Part 3 of 4: Goodbye Widow-Maker"
Appearing in Scribbly: "Dude Ranch, Part 3 of 4: Goodbye Widow-Maker"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Widow-Maker
- Ma Jibbet
- Dinky Jibbet
Antagonists:
Other Characters:
- Mr. Macklin
- "Dopey-D" ranchers
Locations:
- New York City
- Morning Dispatch
- Morning Dispatch
Synopsis for Gary Concord, the Ultra-Man: "The Power Plant Failure"
Appearing in Gary Concord, the Ultra-Man: "The Power Plant Failure"
Featured Characters:
Supporting Characters:
- Ginger (First appearance)
- Alec
Antagonists:
- Garoo (Final appearance; dies)
- Garoo's Fish-Apes (Single appearance; dies)
Other Characters:
- Dr. Marman (Final appearance; dies)
- Senator Jones (First appearance)
Era:
Synopsis for Popsicle Pete: "Stamps"
Appearing in Popsicle Pete: "Stamps"
Featured Characters:
- Popsicle Pete
Notes
- This series was published by the All-American Publishing company.
- This entire issue was reprinted as Facsimile Edition: All-American Comics #16.
- Green Lantern:
- The Green Lantern story from this issue is reprinted in The Golden Age Green Lantern Archives Vol. 1, Green Lantern: A Celebration of 75 Years, Green Lantern: 80 Years of the Emerald Knight: The Deluxe Edition, Secret Origins of the Super DC Heroes and The Great Comic Book Heroes by Jules Feiffer.
- This is the first appearance of Alan Scott, the original Green Lantern. The character of Green Lantern was created by graphic artist, Martin Nodell in 1940. Alan will become a recurring character not only in this series, but also in All-Star Comics and Green Lantern (Volume 1) and Comics Cavalcade.
- 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.
- 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 first version of his oath is not recited until his third adventure, in All-American Comics #18.
- Aside from the stories above, this issue contains:
- "Mutt & Jeff" and "Cicero's Cat" (newspaper strip reprints), by Al Smith
- "Daisybelle" (newspaper strip reprints), by Gene Byrnes
- "Ben Webster" (newspaper strip reprints), by Russell Cole
- "Traitor's Treachery, pt.3" (text story featuring Jimmy Stone)
Trivia
- 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.
See Also
Recommended Reading
- All-Star Comics
- Green Lantern (Volume 1)
- JSA
- Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe XIX (Green Lantern biography page)