Alain Johns

] The first mention of Alain by his full name occurs in "Wizard and Glass". Alain is the most sensitive member of Roland's original "ka-tet", possessing a psychic ability known as 'The Touch.' In these ways he is closely paralleled by Jake Chambers in Roland's later travels.

Childhood

Alain was part of Gilead's last class of gunslingers, along with Roland, Cuthbert and Jamie. Alain had blonde hair, blue eyes and a round, open face. This combination of features led some people to believe he was slow, but he was in fact quite clever. Alain's father is the gunslinger Christopher Johns who in his youth was nicknamed 'Burning Chris' because of his savage youth.

After Roland's early manhood challenge, Alain was chosen to travel to Hambry with Roland and Cuthbert under the guise of counting assets for the Affiliation. Alain's cool head and sensitivity caused him to act as a mediator between Roland and Cuthbert when their relations became strained due to Roland's budding relationship with Susan Delgado. While in Hambry, Alain went by the alias 'Richard Stockworth' and rode a horse named 'Buckskin.' Alain acquitted himself well in his first battle at the end of their time in Hambry, and spent much of the journey back to Gilead attempting to 'touch' Roland after he fell under the spell of Maerlyn's grapefruit.

Death

Alain did not travel with Roland to the Dark Tower. On the eve of the battle at Jericho Hill, Alain was riding back to inform Roland and Cuthbert of enemy movement when they opened fire in the dark, not knowing it was their friend approaching.

Comics

Alain appears in every issue of "The Dark Tower" comic books, closely following the events already established in "Wizard and Glass." He has blond hair, and a stocky build.

References