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Green Arrow AKA Oliver Queen is a vigilante from the city of Star(ling) City, California who uses archery and a Robin Hood gimmick. He is occasional super-heroic partner to Batman. He teamed up with him when they were members of the Justice League of America.

During his original golden/silver-age appearances, Green Arrow was created to serve as an analogue to Batman with a very similar modus-operandi to the Dark Knight. Over time, he developed more on his own as a modernized Robin Hood figure who uses vigilantism to enforce revolutionary leftist movements outside the law.

History

Background

Oliver Queen was a billionaire just like Bruce Wayne who was born into the wealthy Queen family of Star(ling) City, California. While he was the heir of the family's wealth and company Queen Industries, Oliver's life was changed when his cruise ship crashed and stranded him on the Pacific Island of Starfish Island.

On the island, Oliver learned to fight, hunt and master archery while developing a green suit for camouflage. When he finally managed to escape the island, he returned to his home city where he inherited Queen Industries and used it to develop high-tech archery supplies. Assuming the Robin Hood inspired alias of the Green Arrow, Oliver began to fight crime.

Green Arrow would come to become a more modern-day Robin Hood who fought institutional injustices used to harm the homeless, minorities and working-classes. He is also partners with and is married to Black Canary.

Relationship to Batman

Character Similarities

Oliver Queen was originally depicted as being a billionaire vigilante who owns his own weapons/tech-development company which he uses for supplies.

He also operates out of a lair known as the Arrowcave (obviously based on the Batcave) in the caves underneath of his family's ancestral mansion. In addition to having an arsenal of gimmicked gadgets, Green Arrow also had an Arrowcar, an Arrowboat, and an Arrowplane (analogues of the Batmobile, Batboat and Batwing respectively).

Green Arrow's sidekick Roy Harper AKA Speedy was also originally a replica of Robin, right down to his red costume. Additionally, Green Arrow's original arch-nemesis was Bull's Eye, a psychotic criminal clown who was clearly made to replicate the Joker.

Shared Mythos

Oliver Queen's most notable connection to the Batman mythology is his relationship with Dinah Laurel Lance AKA Black Canary, and ally of Batman and a member of the Birds of Prey.

Additionally, Green Arrow and Batman share certain enemies in their rogues galleries. Both vigilantes are regular enemies of the super-villains Clock King, Bronze Tiger, Onomatopoeia and Prometheus (the latter of whom he killed with an arrow to the head). Additionally characters are also enemies to Deathstroke and Green Arrow has made himself an enemy to the Riddler, Solomon Grundy and Killer Moth. Batman has been depicted as fighting Green Arrow's enemy Count Vertigo in both Batman: The Animated Series and in The Batman.

Green Arrow's original sidekick, Roy Harper would go on to become close with Jason Todd and a member of his team, the Outlaws alongside Starfire. Roy was originally Oliver's sidekick, "Speedy" who fought using archery-skills and engineering abilities he learned growing up on an indigenous American reserve. As a young-adult, he suffered from a drug-abuse problem and quit being Speedy to become the violent vigilante Arsenal. Roy additionally was a member of the Teen Titans alongside Dick Grayson who he held a friendly rivalry with.

The Dark Knight Returns (Earth-686)

In the Dark Knight Returns, we learn that following the US's ban on super heroics, Green Arrow was one of the heroes to refuse and continue his vigilantism. This lead to an encounter with the government-supporting Superman where Superman was believed to have murdered Queen but in-reality only tore off his arm, leaving Oliver to fake his death and garner a lust for revenge on the Man of Steel.

Years later when Batman comes out of retirement to fight crime in Gotham, Oliver comes into contact with his old ally. After Superman travels to Gotham to stop Batman, Green Arrow uses a cybernetic arm and a Kryptonite arrow to assist in taking down the Man of Tomorrow. Following this, he becomes a regular member of Batman's resistance.

Powers and Abilities

  • Master Archer: Oliver Queen's archery skills are top tier, he is considered to be one of the World's greatest archers in the DC Universe.
  • Superior Athleticism: Oliver's athletic skills are at peak human conditioning levels matching or even surpassing some of the best Olympic athletes.
  • Master Martial Artist: He is a master in several forms of hand-to-hand combat including Judo, Kickboxing, Boxing, Escrima and Karate. Proclaimed as a martial arts master, he has shown the ability to take on seven people at once. He spent several months dedicated to making himself a better fighter and trained with many of the world's finest martial arts teachers and even went through training from Natas, the same person who trained Deathstroke.
  • Exceptional Swordsman: His skills the art of swordsmanship are top notch, he started out by mastering fencing.

Paraphernalia

  • Bow:
  • Trick Arrows: Uses a variety of trick arrows like explosive arrows, net arrows, tear gas arrows, flash bang arrows, cryonic arrows, grappling hook arrows & even a Kryptonite arrow etc. Oliver's arsenal is very extensive.

In Other Media

DCAU

Smallville

See: Green Arrow (Justin Hartley)

Due to the embargo that prevented Batman appearing on the Smallville TV series, Green Arrow was used in a way that resembled the classic Superman and Batman relationship.

Arrowverse

See: Green Arrow (Stephen Amell)
In his respective TV series, Green Arrow once again appears as an analogue for Batman (in this case, from the Christopher Nolan movies) rather than a direct faithful adaptation of Green Arrow from the comics. Additionally, he is predominately given members of Batman's rogues gallery rather than members of his own, most notably with the League of Assassins and Ra's al Ghul.

The Batman

See: Green Arrow

Batman: The Brave and the Bold

See: Green Arrow (Batman: The Brave and the Bold)

Batman Arkham Video-games

Batman: Arkham Origins

Green Arrow's company Queen Industries is referenced by a container of their cargo being found aboard a ship owned by the Penguin. Queen Industries weaponry is also utilized by Deathstroke and the Joker (disguised as Black Mask).

Batman: Arkham Knight

A Queen Industries employee named Christina Bell is infected with the Joker's blood causing her to be a reincarnation of him. The company also has a building in Gotham on Founders Island; its architecture resembling a green arrow-head imagery. Jack Ryder also comments that he's writing a piece on the company's owner, calling him "a real sharpshooter".

Young Justice

See: Green Arrow (Young Justice)

Injustice: Gods Among Us

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