Poisonous Princesses Versus Roses and Thorns

Rose and Thorn, two women with two conflicted alter egos, making them four times the threat. On on world, the Thorn persona was a force for good, on the other, she was an agent of evil. On both worlds, Rose was an innocent bystander overwhelmed by her more dominant dormant personalities, which came out when injustice lurked. The catalyst for the Earth-One Thorn was avenging her police detective father's death at the hands of the Metropolis crime gang known as the 100. The catalyst for the Earth-Two Thorn was to feed her insatiable greed, forming a gang operating in Keystone City.

Each Thorn had a various adversaries, and met costumed crusaders such as Superman and the Flash who were either a friend of a foe. Two lethal ladies proved particularly dangerous when facing Thorn and Rose. These lasses were Pamela Isley aka Poison Ivy and Princess Maru aka Doctor Poison.

Poison Ivy was recruited by the 100's leader Vince Adam, using an alien computer known as K.A.R.L., into implement a scheme to capture his arch-foe the Thorn. Then computer suggests that Ivy seduce a sculpture named Malyun into inviting the Thorn to be use her body as a mold for his latest sculpture, for which he will donate a sizable amount to a local charity. Agreeing to do this, Thorn is tricked into becoming immobilized, and then her body is dumped into a nearby river. The computer begins feeling remorse, and when it too is dumped next to the Thorn, it radiates heat the melts her gold encasing. Freed, Thorn swimmed to the surface to find Poison Ivy and decisively defeats Ivy.

Doctor Poison was held captive, along with several other supervillianess, on the Amazon's Reformation Island. Freed of a training girdle by the criminal mastermind of Saturn known as Eviless, Princess Maru joins her new Villany, Inc. as Maru once more wears her Doctor Poison disguise. After initially capturing her arch-enemy, Wonder Woman, the Doctor and her fellow allies Cheetah, Blue Snowman and Eviless are overpowered by the heroine will rowing away from their prison. Quickly, the quartet once more subdues Wonder Woman, and return to the island. Once there, fellow female prisoners who have reformed... which at this point would've included the evil Thorn's alter ego of Rose... helped to recapture Maru and all except four remaining female felons.

While Poison Ivy used this occasion to reintroduce herself into the criminal community some time after her two capers which Batman and Robin thwarted, this was the last time Princess Maru appeared as Doctor Poison. 

Maru apparently grew content living among the Amazonian from then on, although around this same time another femme fatale would take her place in tormenting Wonder Woman, when the Huntress fought the heroine and her Justice Society allies. This golden age Huntress had seven separate battles versus her arch-enemy Wildcat, which mirrored seven separate encounters between Poison Ivy had with Batman.

Meanwhile, the Huntress of Earth-One followed the example of Doctor Poison of Earth-Two, reforming of her evil ways after just three appearances, unlike the Earth-One Poison Ivy, who joined the Injustice Gang just as the Earth-Two Huntress joined the Injustice Society (and Secret Society of Super-Villians).

Corrupt Criminal Cartels Confound Crimefighters

Metropolis was known for more than their greatest hero, Superman, and greatest newspaper, the Daily Star on Earth-Two and the Daily Planet on Earth-One. They were also known for attracting some of the most dangerous criminals on either world... the Luthors, the Toymen, the Pranksters... to name a few. 

Then, there were their criminal gangs, with sophisticated networks fueled by seemingly endless manpower and resources including state of the art technology. On Earth-One, the predominant syndicates were Intergang and S.K.U.L.L.... on Earth-Two, it was named the Future Gang. Still, there were other equally deadly gangs, such as the One-Hundred and Little Bohemia. Who???

The 100 consisted of one-hundred criminal heads, centering their operations in Metropolis of Earth-One. Originally ten gang boses connected to Inter-Gang, their organization grew to become a rival to them. The first leader of the 100 was Vince Adams, a consigilere who operated a front business as a funeral parlor. He would find consistent opposition in the heroine known as Thorn, the subconscious manifestation of Rose Forrest's anger towards the 100 due to their role in her father Detective Forrest's death. 

When Thorn along with Superman and Lois Lane helped bring down the known members of the 100, it was thought that this was the end of the gang. In fact, it continued to function behind the scenes, returning a few years later under the leader Tobias Whale, the albino skinned crime boss who became the arch-enemy of Black Lightning. There would be other operatives such as Joey Toledo and the assassin named Syonide who also assisted the 100 from time to time.

Their equivalent on Earth-Two resided in a location within Metropolis known as Little Bohemia. Consisting of artists supporting their creative endeavors through larcenous activities, the first of these was Rainbow Man. Obsessed with basing crimes around various colors, his top lieutenants were the verbose Billy Deegan aka Dictionary, and the misguided poet known only as Shakes. Immediately, they were opposed by Vigilante, the crimefighting alter ego of country singer Greg Sanders, and his sidekick Stuff the Chinese Kid.  

Shortly after first appearing, Rainbow Man's contemporary crook the Benjamin "Fiddler" Bowe took up the reigns of power of this local gang. On one occasion, even Shakes operated as the gang leader before ultimately returning to Rainbow Man’s gang once more.

While these two gangs plagued Metropolis off and on for years, they never rose to the infamy of their more famous bad-blooded brethren. Still, they were notable for their unique approaches to lawlessness and the strange characters who enlisted with them.

Rose and Thorn: How Many Were There?

Rose Forrest of Earth-One and Rose Canton of Earth-Two were counterparts who themselves had twins... evil twins to be precise. 

While Forrest experienced a psychological split when her father, a police officer, was murdered by the criminal gang known as the 100... for Canton it was a childhood affliction that manifested when she became infected by a toxic thorn which imbued her with superpowers.

While the former became a heroine of Metropolis, even garnering the respect and admiration of Superman, the latter was a villain in Keystone City, bringing her into repeated conflict with the Flash.

We've previously considered the history of these two women, and a twice-told-tale of the Thorns, as well as the romance that one had with the golden age Green Lantern, now we consider another dynamic of these femme fatales.

On Earth-Two, Rose and Thorn were actually separate women as Thorn's physical form manifested when Rose was unconscious, and visa versa. She had oscillated from Rose's blonde self into a red-haired and brunette version at different times. Eventually, she was captured and taken by the Flash's friend Wonder Woman to Reformation Island, where over a period of two decades Rose regained mastery over herself, with Thorn purged.

At least, for awhile. Eventually returning to America, she sought out the man who had brought her to that Island, Flash's other ally Green Lantern, whom she fell in love with. Assuming a new alter ego of Alyx Florin, she gained the trust and love of Lantern's alter ego Alan Scott, whom she surmised was his secret identity. However, on their wedding night, her intense feelings for him awoke the Thorn, who nearly killed him. Deciding to "kill" Florin, Canton retreated until one day the Thorn grew dominant in both Rose's body and her own. After a defeat at the hands of Flash, Green Lantern and the Justice Society... Thorn was captured although Rose somehow escaped and retreat to the island where her sister was born. 

There was another women slated to be the Thorn on Earth-One, years earlier. Outfitted by a costume maker by the name of Albert Talbot, who had been working for the 100, he initially wanted the lady to rob from them as his cut from his bosses wasn't big enough. However, he soon became more prominent in their organization, and withdrew his offer to her. 

Years later, captured by Rose's Thorn, Talbot summoned his former ally to visit him in prison to tell her his story. Apparently, Forrest obtained his weaponry and one of the Thorn costumes. Seeking retribution, the woman enlisted her daughter Pythona, a local dancer, to steal from Thorn as the newer and wickeder Thorn,

However, a hit man sought out Pythona while wearing the Thorn costume, thinking she was the 100's arch-enemy. Saved by her opposite number, Pythona parted from her "twin" seemingly abandoning her claim on the Thorn identity. This mysterious woman, with no other name, is the doppleganger to Alyx Florin who had been born on Reformation Island, the civilized version of the villainous Thorn. And as for Canton/Florin, this amalgamation of conflicted women perished saving her family from the Thorn's attack on Alan and their two children, Jade and Obsidian.

Lanterns Love Ladies! Part 1 - Brunette Bombshells

Although other women would be that which inspired a light within the Green Lanterns of twin Earths, it was these two lovely lasses that first impelled them to walk down the alter.

After months of courting with Hal Jordan and Alan Scott, Kari Limbo and Alyx Florin developed an attachment that deepened in a manner that hadn't with the guy's earlier loves who were unaware of their alter egos. What would cause the Lanterns and their loves to part after such sweet bliss? Twin tales of tragedy.

Flash of Two Worlds: Wherefore Art Thou Wives Part 4

Traveling 1000 years into the future, the Flash of Earth-One... Barry Allen... was finally able to locate his wife Iris. Having been negatively charged with radiation that would react to the Flash's superspeed aura in a dire way to their universe, Iris had been kept from her husband first by first being transported to Earth-Two where that Flash... Jay Garrick... and his ally Doctor Fate tried to cure her. Failing in that, Iris ended up in her parent's era of the 30th century, still plagued with the toxic energy implanted in her by Professor Zoom... the Reverse-Flash. Zoom's ploy was to end up marrying Iris in another time... however his arch-foe Barry- Flash succeeded in finding the means to rectify the situation. Nevertheless, Zoom would not stop in his schemes to obtain Iris.

Just as the case of Iris Allen's disappearance had wrapped up, another threat occurred to Jay-Flash's wife Joan Garrick. His old opponent, the Thorn, had attempted to use Joan as a hostage to lure the Scarlet Speedster into a trap. Like Zoom, the Thorn possessed both cunning and superspeed in the form of a spinning technique. However, also like Zoom, she was easily vanquished by the Fastest Man Alive on her Earth. Nevertheless, a greater danger laid ahead for Joan as well.

Twice-Told-Tales: Ferocious Floral Femme Fatales

After a series of confrontations with the Metropolis-based gang known as the 100, the heroine known as the Thorn drew the attention of Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane. Together, the two young women team up with journalist Dave Steven to expose the 100s to manipulate a riot by planting men on both sides of a conflict, with the intent of profiting this criminal syndicate. Thorn was unleashed from the buried psychological trauma of her split persona, Rose Forrest, having lost her father due to the 100’s actions.

About the same time as that had transpired, over on Earth-Two the original Thorn came out of retirement leading her own gang of Thorns as well as villains-for-hire Sportsmaster and his wife the Huntress in a takeover of Keystone City. The Justice Society of America quickly became embroiled in a conflict with this nefarious nemesis, and despite nearly losing Wildcat's life in the process, succeeded in vanquishing Thorn’s adversarial alter ego. The villainess’ split persona Rose Canton had a tortured love for her ex-husband Alan “Green Lantern” Scott while sadistic revenge she sought for her old foe the Flash.

Rose Canton and her split persona Thorn would return later to bedevil Infinity, Inc. in Los Angeles, while her Earth-One counterpart Rose Forrest and her split persona Thorn continued battling the 100 and later the 1000, until she ended their insidious influence  in Metropolis. While Forrest’s alter ego had more chronicled adventures than had her Earth-Two cosmic two, Canton’s alias made up for this with her gang of Thorns in Keystone City.

Green Lantern Week: How Many Girls Were There?

Similar to their vagabond occupational histories, the men known as the Green Lantern had a few females from who their fomented fondness for. Of course there was Carol Farris and Irene Miller, sa well as the femme fatales of Star Sapphire and Harlequin who were Carol and Molly's alter egos respectively.  

There was also Eve Doremus and Irene Miller who for a time captured our heroes' hearts. While neither woman made as notable an impace as other ladies in the Lanterns' lives, they still had a residual influence.

Eve first met Hal Jordan at a campsite, when her brother Buddy provoked a bear which Hal courageously scared away. The couple then dated for a short time while Hal was employed in Evergreen City, having moved there to get away from memories of Carol once their romance ended. However, there was no last bonds between the two, with Hal and Eve eventually breaking up.

Irene likewise first met Alan Scott when the life of her own brother Danny was threatened by a gangster who framed the lad for the murder of a woman, After intervening in Irene's attempt at ending her life, Alan as Green Lantern exonerated Danny by confronting the gangster. Soon after, Irene was employed as Alan's secretary at Apex Broadcasting, wherein she shared several adventures with Green Lantern, never suspecting that he and Alan were one-in-the-same. Apparently, when Scott moved from Capital City to Gotham City once he was hired at WXYZ Radio, Alan and Irene parted company.

Later they would encounter women they'd become engaged to in the form of Kari Limbo and Alyx Florin (in reality an alias for Rose Canton, who was the alter ego of the evil Thorn). Mysterious madams indeed! Both nearly claimed the heart of the Green Gladiators, although in the end life pulled them in opposite directions.

Rose Canton fell in love with Green Lantern after meeting him, when he flew her to Paradise Island at Wonder Woman's request to help rid her of her evil Thorn persona, which had bedeviled the Flash and Keystone City on multiple occasions. Once she discovered his alter ego as Alan Scott, she left the Island, adopted the identity of Alyx Florin. Alan and Alyx quickly wed, yet immediately after her Thorn identity exerted herself once more, and now pregnant she pretended to perish in a fire to protect both the man she loved, and their unborn children whom she later gave up to adoption.

Kari had previously been the girlfriend of alternate Green Lantern, Guy Gardner, who had been shunted into the Phantom Zone due to an exploding power battery. Thinking he was dead, Limbo formed a bond with Jordan that deepened in the months they became acquainted further. However, during the wedding day, Guy used telepathy to contact Kari which led Hal into the Zone to save the life of his romantic rival. Extracting Gardner led to Guy being comatose when he returned to Earth-One, with Kari attending to him and severing her relationship with Hal as a result.

Eileen flirted with Alan while his secretary at Gotham Broadcasting Company. Sadly, because Scott was so focused on his heroic and secular careers, he failed to notice her until it was to late. What became of her after Alan's business had entered bankruptcy in unknown.

A Rose by Any Other Name...Would Smell as Sweet

It was only a matter of time before we'd get around to this quirky quartet. Yes quartet, for each Rose was two "women" in one body. On Earth-Two, Rose Canton was a troubled woman battling a multiple personality disorder which fully manifested itself while she was on the island of Tashmi, studying under botony under Doctor Benton Hollis. Having the delusion of being sisters, with  blonde Rose sent to study her namesake in nature while her red haired sister studying the thorn. In reality, Rose was to have studied both but was pricked by a particular time of thorn which caused her mental break and developed within her a superfast thorn resistance physique as well as controlling her powerful Thornstalk. After attacking her employer, she embarked on a crime wave of Keystone City until she met up with the Flash, Jay Garrick. Jay was able to beat her three times, even when she unleashed her specialized thorn darts and controlled her gigantic thorn-stock. Eventually sent to Paradise Island by Flash's buddy Green Lantern so that Wonder Woman's people could reform her, she returned a cured woman under the alias of Alyx Florin. In the interim during her stay there, she developed feelings for Lantern, and have determining his secret identity she seduced him into romance until they married. On their wedding evening, she once more was controlled by the Thorn, causing Rose to conceal her infant children nine months later in an orphanage.

While not as brutal as her counterpart, the Earth-One Rose Forrest saw tragedy as she lost her father Sergeant Phil Forrest in the line of duty while he was tracking the criminal gang the 100. Her repressed anger caused her to develop a dual personality, and thanks to inheriting her father's home and attached costume shop, she located a costume and trick gadgets which she claimed as her own under the new persona of the Thorn. Unlike her cosmic sister, she was on the side of justice and helped clean up the streets of Metropolis while alongside Lois Lane and Superman, even facing down Poison Ivy on a couple occasions.

Thorn debuted in October 1970 as a crusading crime fighter in Metropolis and operated there until April 1973 when she... and her "sister" Rose... left town mysteriously. Her arch-foes the 100 may have been defeated. Then, she vanished, seemingly cured of her affliction. Or was she?

In 1978, the Thorn of Earth-Two reemerged herself in Keystone City, having succeeded in controlling Rose Forrest as well. While battling with the Justice Society alongside her Thorn henchmen and hired married masked marauders Sportsmaster and the Huntress, she was defeated and captured. A year later in 1979, Earth-One's Thorn reappeared  in Metropolis. On this occasion, it was revealed that Rose's psychiatrist had given her a necklace that had caused the Thorn identity to submerge, and this same necklace somehow effected Superman himself.  After this case, Thorn disappeared once more.

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Thorn returned once more in 1982 to twice assist Batman versus neo-Nazi forces, who was mystified by her identity which he thought somehow connected to Rose in a deeper manner. In 1985, Rose Forrest was found on the island of Tashmi by her two long lost twin children, also known as Jade and Obsidian. This led to a couple of encounters with the Thorn and her Thornstalk, leading to her death when Rose gave her life to protect her family and ex-husband Green Lantern from the Thorn's wrath.

Indeed, these two Roses and Thorns are an interesting case study in how the Multiverse works to make things that are at their core similar drastically different. Not every righteous person has a heroic twin, and decisions made in life can cause diametric directions to ensue in one's life. Would the toxin that infected Canton have turned Forrest evil and powerful? Would seeing her father murdered by criminals have motivated Forrest to turn to the good side? And who would win in a battle, the savy botonist golden age Thorn or the tech-savy silver age Thorn? Regardless, both women in the end were heroines, as each Rose was the moral compasses that reigned in the Thorn in their side.