Jean Loring

Jean Loring is a character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, formerly associated with the Atom, for whom she was a supporting character and primary love interest. She first appeared in '' Showcase'' #34 (October 1961), created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Gil Kane. The character appears continually in minor roles until the 2004 storyline ''Identity Crisis'', where she suffers a mental breakdown and orchestrates the deaths of Sue Dibny and Jack Drake. This would later lead her to assume the mantle of the supervillain Eclipso.

Jean Loring appears as a recurring character on the CW Arrowverse television series ''Arrow'', portrayed by Teryl Rothery.

Fictional character biography

Lawyer and wife

Jean Loring's career as an attorney in Ivy Town began at almost the same time that her boyfriend, Ray Palmer, became the Atom. Jean encountered the Atom who often helped in her cases many times before learning that he and Ray were the same person. Ray proposed to Jean often, but she rejected him, wanting to make it as a lawyer before becoming a wife. Only when Ray was thought killed in a car accident (engineered by the Bug-Eyed Bandit) did she accept his proposal.

In ''Atom and Hawkman'' #45 (November 1969), Jean was abducted and driven insane by the sub-atomic Jimberen race. Although quickly freed from the Jimberen by the Atom and Hawkman, Jean remained insane until ''Justice League of America'' #81 (June 1970), when she was cured by the equally insane alien the Jest-Master.

After Jean was kidnapped by T. O. Morrow, Ray embarks on an interdimensional search to find her. This event direly affected Jean, and also led to the end of their marriage. For a few years, they were happy – but Ray’s adventurous life began taking its toll on their marriage. Ray caught Jean having an affair with another man and they divorced.

Despite the occasional high-profile case, notably her defense of the Justice League of America in ''Justice League of America'' (vol. 1) #19 and #77, Jean did not truly come to national prominence until the divorce. Jean soon remarried and with her new husband, Paul Hoben, opened up a law office in Calvin City. She eventually returned to Ivy Town without him and established the firm of Grabemann, Loring and Ross. In general, Jean was not involved in criminal law anymore and attended to more mundane matters such as the administration of the estates of Carter Hall and David Clinton. She made exceptions, though, as in her defense of Risk of the Teen Titans.

Mental breakdown

Jean suffered a mental breakdown as revealed in the 2004 miniseries ''Identity Crisis''. Wanting to resume her relationship with Ray, she came to believe that the surest way to do this was to endanger the loved one of another superhero. She believed that this would send all of the superheroes, including Ray, running back to their spouses and other relatives. Jean uses one of Ray's old costumes to shrink down and enter the brain of Sue Dibny, the Elongated Man's wife. She attempts to cause a minor stroke, but accidentally applies too much pressure and kills Sue.

Jean attempted to divert suspicion away from herself by faking an attack on her own life. She then sent out several mysterious death threats to others such as Lois Lane to make everyone think that there was a serial killer on the loose who was targeting the loved ones of superheroes. These events caused the superhero community to launch a massive investigation to identify the killer. In the final stage of her plan, Jean sends Captain Boomerang to attack Jack Drake, who kills him before dying.

After her plans are exposed, Jean is imprisoned in Arkham Asylum.

Becoming Eclipso

During her time in Arkham, Jean is possessed by Eclipso, who manipulates the Spectre into killing various magical beings. However, Black Alice temporarily absorbs Spectre's powers and uses them to defeat Eclipso.

''52''

In '' 52'', Ralph Dibny approaches the Spectre as part of his quest to restore his wife Sue to life, promising to fulfill any bargain demanded of him to accomplish this. The Spectre, desiring revenge on Eclipso, but rendered incapable of taking it owing to his then-lack of a host, orders Dibny to punish Eclipso in return for his wife's life; Dibny, temporarily granted the power of the Spectre, takes Eclipso back to the point at which she (as Jean Loring) murdered his wife and, restoring Jean's sanity, intends to trap her in a permanent time loop and force her to watch herself murder Sue Dibny over and over for all eternity. But the now-sane Loring tearfully begs for forgiveness and Dibny - affected by her pleas, his sense of compassion, and his own feelings on watching his wife's death - finds himself incapable of completing his pact with the Spectre. He thus returns Eclipso to her orbit around the Sun.

''Countdown to Final Crisis''

In ''Countdown to Final Crisis'', Eclipso unsuccessfully attempts to corrupt Mary Marvel. She is defeated and stripped of her powers, after which she falls into the waters around Themyscira and is killed by a shark.

''Blackest Night''

In ''Blackest Night'', Jean Loring returns as a Black Lantern. She kills Damage and helps bring Nekron to full power before Ray Palmer becomes an Indigo Lantern and kills her.

DC Rebirth

Following the "DC Rebirth" event in 2016, it was revealed in ''Justice League of America'' #17 in late 2017 that the elements established in ''Identity Crisis'' had been retconned away, and Jean Loring was mentioned as being married once again to Ray Palmer.

In ''The New Golden Age'', Jean Loring is depicted as a former host of Eclipso who is imprisoned in an Ivy Town prison.

Other versions

Jean Loring appears in ''Justice''.

In other media

Television

* Characters based on Jean Loring appear in series set in the Arrowverse.
** Loring herself appears in ''Arrow'', portrayed by Teryl Rothery. This version is a defense attorney working in Starling City as well as a friend and lawyer to the Queen family.
** Anna Loring appears in ''Arrow'' and ''Legends of Tomorrow'', portrayed by Barbara Kottmeier. She was Ray Palmer's fiancée who was killed during Slade Wilson's soldiers' attack on Starling City.
** A male character named John Loring appears in ''The Flash'' episode "A Girl Named Sue", portrayed by Silver Kim. He is an arms dealer who Sue Dearbon targets for a diamond in his possession.

Film

* An alternate universe variant of Jean Loring appears in '' Justice League: Gods and Monsters'', voiced by Andrea Romano. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information. This version is engaged to Ray Palmer.
* Jean Loring as Eclipso appears in the ''DC Super Hero Girls'' franchise, voiced by Mona Marshall. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Loring, Jean
Characters created by Gardner Fox
Characters created by Gil Kane
Comics characters introduced in 1961
DC Comics female supervillains
Fictional American lawyers
Fictional female murderers