Legends Live Forever: In Memory of Barefoot Lady Jade.

Alan Scott and his son Todd Rice share their thoughts with
Barefoot Suzy on the passing of Barefoot Lady Jade.


Barefoot Suzy conducted her highly interesting interview with the men of the esteemed Golden Age Green Lantern family of superheroes today. The in-depth look into the heroic personalities of the two Scott family gentlemen and their thoughts of their seemingly lost and deceased kin, the much-beloved barefoot superheroine, Barefoot Lady Jade, brings many important topics to light.


re: Barefoot Susan Linden-Thorne-Weems II wrote:

"It brings me great pleasure to present you with this transcript exclusive of my interview with Alan Scott and Todd Rice-Scott, the heroes known as the Sentinel Green Lantern and Obsidian. The topic of our discussion was Barefoot Lady Jade, but a lot of other things came up. I hope you enjoy this bonus addition to your weblog."

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Barefoot Suzy: "Welcome, gentlemen."

Alan: "It's a genuine pleasure to attend this interview, young barefoot lady."

Todd: "It's great to meet you, Barefoot Black Orchid. You look amazing."

Barefoot Suzy: "Thank you. May we use real first names? Mine's Barefoot Suzy."

Alan: "In this information age, secrets aren't so important as the handling of known quantities. Let there be no secrets at this late date. First and foremost, my name is Alan."

Todd: "I'm keeping nothing important from nobody. Call me Todd."

Barefoot Suzy: "Let's start at the beginning. Alan?"

Alan: "The beginning? Ah, a swell time in my life. It takes me back.."

Barefoot Suzy: " How did you gain the Starheart?"

Alan: "I was an engineer on a train. There was this extraordinarily-crafted green lantern used for traffic detail. I was admiring it. We passed over a bridge a rival contractor, Dekker failed to bid. He had the bridge sabotaged so my train would fall into Slaughter Swamp, and his company would reap the benefits of having no further competition. I was unharmed, the sole survivor of the wreck. Soon after putting out the boiler fire and pulling the smashed bodies out of the muck, I learned of my magic lamp's powers and became the Green Lantern."

Barefoot Suzy: "Any complications at this earliest phase?"

Alan: "So glad you asked. Yes, the Starheart's old lamp was fueled by willpower. There was no room for motivational weakness. I had to be strong, but which way was I to go? Justice or vengeance? I fashioned my first power ring. When the job was finished, I realized revenge was not the way to go. So I became a superhero to fight for what is right. Had I chosen otherwise, I would not have become the man I am today."

Barefoot Suzy: "The Starheart altered your personality?"

Alan: "In a sense. I had to make up my mind who and what I wanted to be. In the moment I put on the ring, I devoted myself to becoming a hero. It could very well have gone the other way."

Barefoot Suzy: "Were the early years memorable for you?"

Alan: "Oh, yes. Doiby Dickles...the Justice Society...the All-Star Squadron... it all resonates within my mind. I can't help but wax nostalgic at times."

Barefoot Suzy: "Thoughts on how the time went by over the years?"

Alan: "We had no idea what lay ahead in store for us. It's all been well documented elsewhere, so I won't bore you with the ups and downs of the Justice Society over the years. It's been a stunning journey to reach the here and now."

Barefoot Suzy: "How were the Scott twins born?"

Alan: "I'd fallen in love with and married a remarkable young barefoot woman bearing an unusual curse. She had mulitple personalities. One of them, the Barefoot Lady Thorn, was dangerous. She gave up our children anonymously to protect them. I had no inkling they'd even existed at all, until the young Barefoot Lady Jade and Obsidian crashed a Justice Society meeting along with other members of the soon to be formed Infinity Inc.."

Barefoot Suzy: "That brings me to you, Todd. How did it begin for you?"

Todd: "I came from a broken home. Becoming Obsidian, my only escape. I was tracked down by Barefoot Lady Jade, the twin barefoot sister I never knew I had. Barefoot Jennie-Lynn had these crazy ideas I just couldn't argue with. Keeping her safe was my only priority. Not an easy task, seeing as how we were about to become teenage superheroes."

Barefoot Suzy: "How was the Infinity Inc. experience for you?"

Todd: "Strange and exciting. Sometimes I didn't fit in at all. Other times I was the most balanced member of the team. I had this ability to see into other peoples souls. Predict what they would eventually do. But it proved an impractical power, so I had to shut it down."

Barefoot Suzy: "Any regrets about this decision?"

Todd: "I literally didn't know what was going to happen next. My first and only serious barefoot girlfriend, Barefoot Marcie Cooper, who stayed with me turned out to be the Barefoot Harlequin, a murderous adherent to the Manhunter cult. It broke my heart into a million pieces. I turned my power to see the darkness in people's souls back on full time, and came to depend upon it. This turned out to be a huge mistake. I could see how Brainwave, a fellow Infinitor, would turn out to be evil because of the severe brain damage inflicted on him by his dying father. Barefoot Marcie was lost to me too, and I could have redeemed her, given half a chance. Seeing the excess baggage in everyone I met, I withdrew into myself. I spent my 20's a recluse, or as Obsidian. Growing up should have set me free, but with my powers, it only trapped me further. I wasted the time, pretending to be a person that I wasn't. I didn't care what people wanted to think. It cost me."

Barefoot Suzy: "Tell me about Barefoot Lady Jade, Barefoot Jennie-Lynn Hayden-Scott."

Todd: "Barefoot Lady Jade was--is-- the most exciting person you could ever meet. Her dynamic personality was the opposite of my brooding one. We turned out to be totally different. But we both wanted the same thing. Acceptance."

Barefoot Suzy: "Your thoughts on Barefoot Lady Jade, Alan?"

Alan: "My barefoot daughter is the most exceptional person who ever lived. There will never be another one like her."

Barefoot Suzy: "I am somewhat confused here. Is Barefoot Lady Jade dead or alive?"

Alan: "Barefoot Jennie-Lynn sacrificed herself to save my friend, Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, and he has resumed his Ion persona as a result."

Todd: "I never trusted Rayner, not for a moment. Watch him snap under the pressure within a year's time. Then we'll know if Barefoot Jennie-Lynn is really dead or not. Barefoot Lady Jade will be back, mark my words. She's not dead. If she had really died, I would have felt it."

Barefoot Suzy: "Todd, how did you become evil Obsidian?"

Todd: "I hit rock bottom. Ian Karkull, another master of darkness convinced me to give in. The darkness devoured my soul, and I wasn't me anymore."

Barefoot Suzy: "I can relate. I was possessed by a demon recently and turned evil for a while myself."

Todd: "Really? Which one?"

Barefoot Suzy: "Nebiros."

Todd: "Blue Devil's demon? That's terrible."

Barefoot Suzy: "I got better. How did you save your son, Alan?"

Alan: "The way I save anyone or do anything. By sheer willpower."

Barefoot Suzy: "How did you recover from this experience, Todd?"

Todd: "By the love and support of my family. I've had to start my life over from scratch. I was turned loose when that creep, DEO Director Bones decided he had bigger fish than me to fry. Guess the whole thing with Max Lord running Checkmate got to him. And we all know how that turned out. Anyway, I'm all better now, and I'm staying with a person who really cares. Of course, you might say that's another way I've changed."

Barefoot Suzy: "How so?"

[silence]

Barefoot Suzy: "Oh. I see... How do you feel about this, Alan?"

Alan: "Admittedly, it was a little hard for a member of my generation to swallow at first, but I've always been a reasonable man. My son makes me proud. Both of my kids do. I'm sure Barefoot Jennie-Lynn would also approve. She's the reason we go on, more than anything."

Barefoot Suzy: "Thank you, gentlemen. This has been most enlightening. If Barefoot Jade is coming back someday, what about Obsidian?"

Todd: "It's happening. It might take months, even a year, but I will be Obsidian the hero again. That should make the barefoot lady president of my national fan club, Barefoot Maxine Nelson of New Jersey, aka "Barefoot Lady Obie" very happy. I'm just taking this one step at a time. Even old Bonesy could never take away my powers, and I am going to redeem myself the way I should be. As a hero. Just like Barefoot Lady Jade, there will always be an Obsidian."

Barefoot Suzy: "Splendid news! I'm planning a festival on behalf of my mentor Swamp Thing on April 22nd, during the event of Earth Day. Will you attend?"

Alan: "Of course. I'll bring along as many of Barefoot Donna Troy's space allies for shore leave as I can. I'm sure my fellows will want to spend Earth Day on Planet Earth!" [laughs]

Todd: "And I'll be showing up too."

Barefoot Suzy: "Thanks again for the interview."

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"That's everything in a nutshell. The funeral's held tomorrow in California, and as the men discussed it, this will be more like a going-away party than a solemn final farewell to the deceased. We are all invited. Maybe we will see Barefoot Lady Jade alive again someday, who is to say? I hope you enjoyed this presentation. I know I did. Love, Barefoot Suzy."


This interview was inspiring to say the least. Barefoot Abby and I will travel with Barefoot Suzy to show our respects for Barefoot Lady Jade tomorrow.


Next:
Barefoot Lady Jade's Funeral Festival.
http://swampthingblog.blogspot.com/2006/04/jades-funeral-festival.html