John Black arrived in Salem with selective memories about his shady past. He turned to Dr. Marlena Evans for help in sorting out his identity. Together they pieced together the idea that he was in fact Marlena's long lost love, Roman Brady. Years later, the "real" Roman returned to Salem, knocking both John and Marlena for a loop. Eventually, John determined that he was Forrest Alamain - heir to the Alamain fortune. John began a romance with Isabella Toscano. John and Isabella had a child, Brady, before Isabella died tragically from cancer.