JEAN LORING

Real Name: Jean Loring

Class: Human

Occupation: Supervillain, formerly lawyer

Group Affiliation: formerly Black Lantern Corps

Known Relatives: Paul Hoben (ex-husband), Ray Palmer (Atom, ex-husband)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Ivy Town

First Appearance: Showcase #34 (September–October 1961)

Powers: Jean was a skilled lawyer, but became increasingly mentally unstable over the years.

History: 

(Atom #1) - Jean Loring was trying to clear Henry Chalmers, who claimed he saw Dryads and plants robbing a bank, but was charged with the robbery himself. Atom knew that once Jean was a successful lawyer she'd marry his civilian identity, so he helped her on the case. the real culprit was Jason Woodrue, who had a mastery of plants and kept the flower-spirit queen Maya as his prisoner. Atom freed Maya while Woodrue used his plant army to march on Washington, and planned on taking over the U.S.A. With Maya's help Atom defeated Woodrue and sent him to prison, clearing Chalmers.

(Atom #2) - Jean and Ray drove through the Ivy Town farm-belt when an improbable fire broke out. Ray he met Mr. Odd, who thought he was responsible. Odd described how probability went out the window because of his lucky silver dollar.  It was actually a fragment of a white dwarf star on Odd's person that wrecked havoc with mathematical probability, and as Atom he took care of it.

(Atom #3) - Ray presented Jean with a watch, and was about to propose to her when it broke. He brought it to watchmaker David Clinton, who turned out to be the villain Chronos. Atom defeated Chronos, and as Ray presented the fixed watch to Jean.

(Atom #4) - Jean Loring took the case of Tom Parks, who confessed to a robbery even though witnesses saw him give a speech at a locksmith convention at the same time. She asked Atom for help on the case, and he learned Elkins, the convention photog, was using a mesmerizing camera to have others commit crimes while he took their place during the robberies.

(Atom #5) - Ray and Jean were invited for a weekend at the lakeside residence of Don Morgan, a client of Jean's. His house was by the fabled 3000-Moons Lake, which was supposedly haunted by the ghost of Indian medicine man Tall Trees. Around the town there was evidence of the ghost wrecking havoc, but Ray changed to Atom and discovered it was a ruse by Fred Harris, who posed as the Specter to pull off robberies. Atom uncovered the charade and captured Harris.

(Justice League of America I #15) - Jean and Ray enjoyed a boat ride when he was called away on Justice League business to deal with Untouchable Aliens.

(DC Comics Presents #15) - Jean and Ray were walking home from a movie when they came across a mugging. Ray tried to intervene as the Atom, but failed because a psychological block brought about by a nightmare about shrinking left him unable to use his powers. Jean told him it was a sign for him to leave his superhero life behind, but Ray wouldn't quit, and sought out the help of Superman, who restored his confidence.

(Identity Crisis #7 (fb), 1-5) - Jean Loring was desperate to reunite with Atom, so he devised a plan to attack Sue Dibny, and hopefully bringing the superhero community closer to their loved ones. She used Atom s suit to shrink down to microscopic size and cut off the blood supply to Sue s brain. This killed Sue, and Jean panicked, so she burned the body to cover the real cause of death. Later Jean signed over Atom s patents she d gotten in their divorce settlement back to him as a way of showing her independence. Ray learned of Sue Dibny's death and went to investigate. He later came back to give Jean one of Hawkman s crossbows to protect herself should Sue s killer go after her. To make sure she wasn't a suspect in Sue s death she hung herself from her apartment ceiling. Atom saved her, and she claimed to have been attacked at home. Atom nursed her back to health, and they shared a moment and kissed.

(Identity Crisis #7 (fb), 6, 7) - Loring had Calculator hire Boomerang to break into the home of Jack Drake, father of Robin. She wanted the superhero community to think it was Boomerang who was the threat to their loved ones. Jean also sent Jack Drake a gun and a note saying  Protect Yourself  in hopes that he would kill Boomerang. Drake and Boomerang killed each other, and Jean was satisfied. She and Atom once again became lovers. Jean was careless in her pillow talk with Atom, and he figured out that she killed Sue. She told him to be grateful; that she did it so they would get back together again. Atom had no choice but to commit her to Arkham Asylum.

(Superman II #216) - The black diamond housing Eclipso was drawn to Jean at Arkham, because it sought people full of rage. Eclipso possesed Jean.

(JSA #73-75) - Jean Loring/Eclipso went with the Spectre-Force to confront the Crimson Avenger, yet another magic-user. She attacked them with her mystic guns, but Eclipso shot her own with black light. Eclipso made it known that she wanted revenge on Black Adam, who used her power for his own sense of heroism when Alex Montez had Eclipso imprisoned in his body. The Spectre razed Khanaq despite the defense of Black Adam and the JSA, and Eclipso animated the memorial statue of Alex Montez to attack Stargirl. Spectre only stopped his attacks when Atom-Smasher told him he d accept the Spectre s judgment, and allowed the Spectre to stop his heart. Black Adam restarted his heart with his magic lightning, and the JSA took Atom back to America after warning Black Adam to stay far away from him in the future. Eclipso was satisfied she d satisfactorily punished Adam, who was now completely alone without his brother-in-arms. Jean hoped Eclipso would let her rest once she d finished helping the Spectre destroy the world s magic.

(Blood of the Demon #6, 7) - Jason decided to forever imprison Entigan, and Spectre and Jean Loring/Eclipso saw it as an opportunity to take him out. Spectre told him he could restore his human form, but there would be a cost. Jason accepted and was restored to full-human form, but the centuries of sharing a body with Etrigan left his human form ancient and withered. With Demon in their control, Spectre and Eclipso tortured him and drained his magic until Harry Matthews used Merlin s magic to restore the balance between the Demon and Jason.

Comments: Created by Gardner Fox & Gil Kane.

Jean Loring had a cameo in JLA #27.