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The Historical Aladdin Revealed In The DC Universe As An East Asian Green Lantern

Published Thu, 13 Jul 2017 12:00:18 -0500

Yesterday, we reported on Doctor Endless, a new Suicide Squad character being introduced by Jai Nitz and Scot Eaton for Suicide Squad: Black Files #1. Something that, it seems, had ignored Neil Gaiman's claim on all characters based on his Sandman comics at DC. Today, we noted that after executive intervention, the character had been amended to not reference Sandman at all. But there are other, possibly less (possibly more) contentious characters making their debut in that issue.

This includes the DC Universe incarnation of the historical version of Aladdin, revealed as a new Green Lantern character. No magic carpet, but he's got both a powerful lamp and ring, and he's a new East Asian male lead character for the DCU.

The original Aladdin stories see a homeless young man in China recruited by a sorcerer from the Maghreb, who passes himself off as the brother of Aladdin's late father, Mustapha the tailor. The sorcerer convinces Aladdin and his mother of his good will by pretending to set up the lad as a wealthy merchant, but his true motive is to persuade young Aladdin to retrieve a wonderful oil lamp from a booby-trapped magic cave.

After the sorcerer attempts to double-cross him, Aladdin finds himself trapped in the cave. Fortunately, Aladdin is still wearing a magic ring the sorcerer had lent him. When he rubs his hands in despair, he inadvertently rubs the ring and a jinnī appears, who releases him from the cave so that he can return to his mother, fortunately still carrying the lamp. When his mother tries to clean the lamp so they can sell it to buy food for their supper, a second, far more powerful genie appears who is bound to do the bidding of the person holding the lamp.

With the aid of the genie of the lamp, Aladdin becomes rich and powerful and marries Princess Badroulbadour, the sultan's daughter (after magically foiling her marriage to the vizier's son). The genie builds Aladdin and his bride a wonderful palace, far more magnificent than the sultan's.

The sorcerer hears of Aladdin's good fortune and returns; he gets his hands on the lamp by tricking Aladdin's wife (who is unaware of the lamp's importance) by offering to exchange "new lamps for old." He orders the genie of the lamp to take the palace, along with all its contents, to his home in the Maghreb. Fortunately, Aladdin still has the magic ring and is able to summon the lesser genie. The genie of the ring cannot directly undo any of the magic of the genie of the lamp, but he is able to transport Aladdin to the Maghreb, where, with the help of the "woman's wiles" of the princess, he recovers the lamp and slays the sorcerer, returning the palace to its proper place.

The sorcerer's more powerful and evil brother plots to destroy Aladdin for killing his brother by disguising himself as an old woman known for her healing powers. Badroulbadour falls for his disguise and commands the "woman" to stay in her palace in case of any illnesses. Aladdin is warned of this danger by the genie of the lamp and slays the imposter. Everyone lives happily ever after, Aladdin eventually succeeding to his father-in-law's throne.

Mustapha for Sinestro, anyone?

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