Obsidian (comics)

Obsidian
Obsidian. Art by Mike Machlan.
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	All-Star Squadron #25 (September 1983)
Created by	Roy Thomas (writer) Jerry Ordway (artist)
In-story information
Full name	Todd James Rice
Team affiliations	Justice Society of America Justice League Infinity, Inc.
Partnerships	Ian Karkull Eclipso Mordru
Abilities	Merge his body with his own shadow, giving him enhanced strength and vitality As a shadow: Flight Envelop enemies, showing them their dark side Ability to enlarge himself and cover the world in darkness

Obsidian (real name Todd James Rice) is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in All-Star Squadron #25 (September 1983), and was created by Roy Thomas and Jerry Ordway. According to an Infinity, Inc. letter page, Obsidian was named "Todd" after a friend of Thomas.

Obsidian is the codename of Todd Rice, who is the biological son of Alan Scott and Rose Canton, respectively the Golden Age superhero Green Lantern and villain Thorn. Todd was raised in an abusive adoptive home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He finds out in his late teens that he has a twin sister, Jennie-Lynn Hayden, alias Jade. They meet, discover they both have superpowers and, operating under the assumption that Green Lantern was their father (which they did not know for certain at the time, but did eventually learn to be true), decide to follow in his footsteps.

As Obsidian and Jade, they were founding members of the superhero team Infinity, Inc., a group composed mainly of the children, grandchildren, and protégés of members of the Justice Society of America. Obsidian also serves with the Justice League in a space-station based headquarters. He has many various adventures there, including helping the League deal with dozens of aliens who are the last members of their species. During his tenure with the League, he undergoes therapy. For a time, he also has to deal with seemingly permanent injuries to his shadow form.

Obsidian apparently inherited a potential for mental illness from his mother, Thorn. Corrupted by Ian Karkull, Obsidian turns evil, using his shadow powers to first steal all shadows from an entire city, then to spread darkness over the entire world. It is during his time as a villain that he attacks his foster father. His biological father, as Green Lantern and with the aid of other JSA members, defeats him. Obsidian retreats to the Shadowlands, the otherdimensional plane from which he derives his powers. Later, he joins the mystical villains Mordru and Eclipso to seek vengeance (unsuccessfully) on Green Lantern and the JSA. Following his defeat, Obsidian is cured of his mental imbalance.