Alain Johns is a fictional character in Stephen King's Dark Tower series.
Alain was a member of Roland Deschain's original ka-tet along with Cuthbert Allgood and Jamie De Curry. In the original version of The Gunslinger, Alain was not mentioned, although Roland recalls having a friend named 'Allen'. In the revised version of the novel, this reference is changed to 'Alain.'[1] The first mention of Alain by his full name occurs in The Dark Tower IV: 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. His 'Touch' and temperament are also mentioned in relation to Susannah who like Alain has a patient temperament and keen intuition. Like Cuthbert, Alain's family can trace its origin back to the days of Arthur Eld.
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Alain was part of Gilead's last class of gunslingers, along with Roland, Cuthbert, Jamie and Thomas. 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.[1] 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.
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.
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.