Why the weakest member of the Justice League is secretly Superman’s worst enemy
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Dark Knights of Steel # 2, on sale now.
Green Arrow has never been the most powerful member of the Justice League, but that doesn’t mean he’s less dangerous. In fact, Oliver hurt Superman more than Batman ever did. Granted, the majority of these events take place in alternate or future worlds, but even then it’s quite often Oliver Queen who causes Superman the most lasting damage.
It might be a coincidence that it’s the Green Arrow that ends up hurting Superman the most when the heroes find themselves on opposing sides, but it could also be a deliberate decision. While Batman may be considered the most ordinary member of the Justice League when considering the mainstays of his roster, there is one aspect of the character that dehumanizes him. He stands alongside Superman and Wonder Woman on an equal footing. In contrast, Green Arrow is much more human, interacts more easily with people, and is seen as significantly less threatening than Batman. So really, it’s perfect for the role to deal some really devastating blows on Superman. This is a classic case of David versus Goliath. The most recent example can be found in Dark Knights of Steel # 1 (by Tom Taylor, Yasmine Putri, Wes Abbott).
The most recent attack on the Man of Steel took place in Tom Taylor’s alternate world Dark Knights of Steel. Set in a medieval fantasy setting where Superman’s parents traveled to Earth and formed a kingdom to raise their son, Green Arrow found himself in the service of the opposing Storm Kingdom, ruled by Black Lightning.
Fearing what the Kryptonians might do to the world, Green Arrow was sent on a mission to assassinate King Jor-El, a mission he completed. Here, Green Arrow managed to deliver a lasting blow, but it may have been one of the few times his attack was not provoked, at least from Kal-El’s part. It’s not even the first time that one of his arrows has penetrated Superman’s father.
In the Injustice universe, also of Tom Taylor, Green Arrow accidentally shot Jonathan Kent, Superman’s foster father, with an arrow that ricocheted off Superman. The reason he shot his old friend was because Superman was getting more and more tyrannical and even developed a way to improve his soldiers with Kryptonian durability, a perk that would have seen Batman’s growing resistance slain in his early days. . Green Arrow has infiltrated the Fortress of Solitude to steal a sample of the miracle pill to aid his allies. Unfortunately, Superman found him.
The resulting stalemate saw Green Arrow shoot Superman. His shot didn’t hurt the Man of Steel, of course, but he made his way all the way to Jonathan Kent. Although the blow was not fatal, Superman was enraged, having only recently lost his wife and unborn child. Despite his father’s pleas to stop, Superman beat Green Arrow to death, one of the most unforgivable things he has done in this alternate universe. Even then, Green Arrow still had the last laugh, managing to send the pill he stole to safety and give his friends a weapon to use that would be a big part of the defeat of their friend who died a few years later. .
Then there was the time when Green Arrow purposely wanted to hurt the Man of Steel. In The return of the dark knight (from Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, Lynn Varley, John Costanza), After superheroes were banned by the government, Green Arrow continued his vigilante activities, waging a one-man war against government oppression . At the same time, Superman aligned himself with the United States government to seek legal permission to continue protecting people. The two clashed at one point, causing Green Arrow to lose his arm, for which he blamed Superman. So, to tie the score, when Batman fought Superman, Green Arrow shot a kryptonite dust arrow at him, weakening his old friend and allowing Batman a fairer fight.
Sometimes Green Arrow didn’t have to physically hurt Superman or his family, he could just take him off the field himself. In Green arrow # 100 (by Chuck Dixon, Jim Aparo, Gerry Fernandez, Lee Loughridge, John Costanza), he was trapped in a precarious situation. His hand was on the trigger of a man who died from a mutagen bomb on a plane destined for Metropolis. If he let go, the bomb would explode, killing him, but sparing everyone. If he didn’t, the plane would crash into the city and the bomb would still explode, killing everyone. That’s when Superman arrived, but even he couldn’t find a clear way out.
The only solution he could find was to sever Oliver’s arm, leaving his hand holding the trigger, but crippling Oliver to save his life and the lives of millions of people. It was a deliberate tribute to The return of the dark knight, but Oliver didn’t want to lose his arm and chose to refuse Superman by letting go, sacrificing himself instead to save the city.
There are a number of minor offenses Green Arrow has committed against Superman, such as spying on him for kingdom come (by Mark Waid, Alex Ross, Todd Klein), but overall, Green Arrow has done lasting harm to Superman both physically and emotionally just by getting in his way. In no case could he stand against the Man of Steel afterwards, but his determination and guts would see Oliver making choices that Superman couldn’t be prepared for, allowing him to beat Superman in a way that even Batman would. never could.
It also takes into account how everyone underestimates their skills. Oliver is never really considered one of the most dangerous members of the Justice League, but it gives him an edge of his own. He’s unpredictable for most people, especially someone like Superman, who never considers the outcome of a fight because he can’t envision Green Arrow winning. In this regard, he is right. Green Arrow would lose a direct fight, but he could lose an eye or a father in doing so.