IRENE MILLER

Real Name: Irene Miller

Class: Human

Occupation: Secretary

Group Affiliation: None

Known Relatives: Gerald Davis (cousin), Danny Miller (brother, deceased), unnamed grandmother (deceased)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Gotham City, 1940s era

First Appearance: All-American Comics I #18 (September, 1940)

Powers: None

History

(Green Lantern I #1) - Irene Miller inherited an estate and the racehorse Jersey Queen. Alan Scott visited her and chased of the racketeer "Scars" Jorgin, who was trying to force her to sell the horse, worried it would beat his own star. That night "Scar"'s thugs tried to hobble the horse, but Green Lantern gave them a sound beating. "Scar" enlisted Irene's jealous cousin Gerald Davis, and he convinced her to enter Jersey Queen in a claiming race, where the losing horses could be bought. Queen lost and Davis bought her, so Alan Scott slugged him for tricking Irene. Geral entered the Queen in a number of races in which he won, making "Scar"'s horse Pegasus a bit of an underdog, and they planned on betting on Pegasus and sabotaging Jersey Queen. Green Lantern stole Queen from their stable, so they painted up another horse and entered him as Jersy Queen. "Scar" and his men broke into Irene's estate, and Green Lantern trapped them with a wall of light, blinding "Scar" and forcing him to sign a confession. Irene, turning out to be a skilled jockey, won the big race with her horse, and thanked Green Lantern with a kiss.

(Green Lantern I #1) - Irene read a newspaper story about how Boss Filch and his ward heelers had misappropriated funds meant to combat the pneumonia epidemic in the city. She thought it was awful that there wasn't enough evidence to convict them, and told Alan so, so he swung into action. Irene swooned at news of GL saving the day and hoped to meet him again soon.

(Green Lantern I #1) - Irene read a news report about fires in the Third District tenements that were suspected arson cases. GL took the case and exposed Murker, the owner of the buildings, as an arsonist trying to convince the city to take the property off his hands for an exorbitant fee.

(Green Lantern I #1) - Irene said farewell to Alan when Apex sent him down to South America to cover the goings on in Landovo.

(Green Lantern I #2) - Alan Scott helped lawyer Frank Benton set up a low-cost law clinic for people who lost their savings and property to the Jeffers Loan Company, and Irene insisted on serving as a secretary. The criminal Baldy was hiding behind Jeffers, and Irene and Doiby investigated Jeffers secretary Delber as a suspect, but it turned out to be a dead end. GL brought Baldy to justice, and got justice for the people ruined by Jeffers.

(Green Lantern I #3) - Apex's chief wanted Alan Scott to head to Australia to supervise the construction of a new radio station, and said it would be dangerous because the Axis as well as the Allies had interest in the country. Irene would accompany him, and when the chief protested about the danger, she said she wanted to help her country. Doiby was broken-hearted that he wasn't invited on the adventure, so when their ship left from Canada he snuck aboard. A U-Boat spotted the ship and torpedoed it, sending Nazi planes to finish the job. Alan changed into Green Lantern and downed a number of aircraft by sending their bombs back at them, and when casualties mounted they flew off. GL used his ring to calm the passengers, and with Irene and Doiby helped them into lifeboats. Alan and company boarded the lifeboat of the Sprigs, a socialite family, but the oars snapped, and they drifted helplessly until they got stuck in the Sargasso Sea, littered with centuries of trapped seafaring vessels. The Sargasso was inhabited by the descendants of the original seafarers, and despite their different history and culture they formed a utopia. Alan and his friends quickly became an asset to the community, but the Sprigs refused to work. Mr. Sprigs and his son attacked their benefactors, stole some gold, and rowed off. GL prevented the Sargasso people from rioting, and saved the Sprigs from a kraken, making them realize how wrong-headed they'd been. The damaged U-Boat floated into the Sargasso, and while GL and Doiby beat them senseless, they had to capitulate when the Nazis trained a submachine gun on the others. The Nazis built an autogyro to alert Hitler to the discovery of the Sargasso Sea, which they planned to make into a Nazi outpost. GL pretended to be on the Nazi's side until a fleet arrived from Germany, and he burned the top of the seaweed barring their way, but they were trapped by the vegetation underneath the water. Doiby and Irene had rallied the peaceful residents, and they shot oil at the Nazi ships, followed by flaming arrows. The Nazis were vanquished, and Alan and company flew back home in one of their planes, after thanking the patriarch of the Sargasso for proving that a peaceful society could exist on Earth.

(Green Lantern I #4) - On December 7, 1941 Irene and Alan talked about the inevitability of the U.S. entering WWII, and when Irene asked Alan why he wasn't enlisted he said the army marked his job as radio engineer essential service. Irene, Alan and Doiby covered a boat wreck in the Atlantic, flying to the scene in an autogyro, and found a ship destroyed by a U-Boat. They got fogbound, and were taken in by an approaching boat. It turned out to be a Nazi ship, commanded by Captain Kortz, who was part of a coordinated attack on the U.S. east coast. Alan changed to GL, and Doiby showed off his imitation Green Lantern outfit. They decked Kortz, who was trying to force himself on Irene, and GL downed the bomber planes that took off from the carrier before sinking the ship. GL took the letter Kortz' had as an introduction to America's fifth columnists and their commander Dr. Zapt, and infiltrated the Nazi organization. The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and the U.S. officially entered WWII. On December 11 Doiby tried the same trick as Alan to infiltrate the Fifth Columnists, but both the heroes were undone when Kortz showed up and labeled them spies. Alan changed to GL, but was knocked out by a wooden chair. The Nazis tried to kill former anti-war man of industry Townsend Clay, who was being interviewed by Irene Miller. GL escaped his captivity, and foiled the Nazis, a number of whom died in an explosion caused by Kortz. Doiby had carelessly bragged about GL being immune to everything except wood, and thought Kortz and Zapt were on the run they had a new advantage. Irene berated Alan for not enlisting, so he did, alongside Doiby. Lieutenant Sowers tried to cut in on Irene, and Doiby told Alan he'd look in on them. Irene was eager for some spy-smashing, and told Sowers she'd picked up a radio transmission that indicated some Nazis were hiding in a nearby car yard, but they were captured by Kortz. GL came to the rescue, having to deal with a green shield the Nazis invented to deflect his power beams, but Kortz escaped with Irene, taking her on a plane to Germany, where they planned to force her to act as a radio broadcaster. GL rescued her, Kortz perished, and Irene gave him a passionate kiss.

(Green Lantern I #5) - Alan, Doiby and Irene were at a military dance, and they welcomed Princess Valla, ally of the U.S. and leader of a refuge government. Vallas was captured by saboteurs, and when Alan went into action as Green Lantern to save her. Lieutenant Sowers was still pursuing Irene, but she was more interested in the mysteryman. When Alan got a special assignment he dropped by Irene's as GL to talk up his alter ego.

Comments: Created by Bill Finger & Martin Nodell.

In the pre-Crisis on Infinite Earths DCU Irene lived on Earth-2.

All characters mentioned or pictured are ™  and © DC Comics, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Please visit The Official DC Comics Site at: http://www.batman.com