The Birth: Many of the costumed heroes have all taken up the job as a vigilante because something affected their normal life. In the case of Rose Forrest, her father; Phil Forrest was one of the best officers on the force till he was gunned down by the 100 crime family some years ago. Rose was there when the rescuers pulled Phil's body from the river and it left a lasting impresion on her. She was angered but couldn't do much as Rose Forrest. She was a kind and fragile girl who'd never hurt a soul. To deal with the trauma, she developed another personality altogether. This wasn't an alter ego, in medical terms it would be classified as split personalities. She became The Thorn to avenge her father's death. Credits are due to Robert Kanigher and Ross Andru for creating this new kind of hero.

The Alter Ego: The Thorn's real name is Rose Forrest, daughter of the late Phil Forrest.

The Legend: Whenever there is a major crime problem in Metropolis, Rose Forrest starts hearing voices in her mind that tell her to go through the wardrobe into the secret room which is The Thorn's hideout. It is when she puts on the costume that she becomes The Thorn. Since the personality change into The Thorn is triggered only by extreme cases like a rise in the crime rate and other such situations, her appearance on the streets is a rarity. Owing to this, The Thorn seems to be more of a myth to many who have not already seen her. She has helped Superman a number of times and took to the streets once again after his demise. Gangbuster has also witnessed her work first hand while chasing some goodfernothin' punk thief.