Summary
- The Justice League is betrayed by Green Arrow, assisting Amanda Waller in a scheme to de-power superheroes and tarnish their reputations.
- Green Arrow’s betrayal comes after his side work for Amanda Waller, but his true intentions remain unclear.
- Despite Green Arrow’s possible double-agent status, his actions have put his friends’ lives at risk and damaged his reputation among his Justice League comrades.
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Absolute Power #1!The Justice League has been betrayed by one of their own and their actions may have permanently ruined them for future generations. After months and months of planning, Amanda Waller has finally embarked on her greatest crusade to eliminate the world of metahumans.
However, Waller isn’t alone. She’s manipulated government officials, blackmailed heroes and villains alike, and made deals with the devil to get where she is today. But one person has seemingly turned their back on everything they stood for and has gone all in on Waller’s mission. But is this Justice League member really that far gone, or do they have other plans? And what will this mean for their future?
Green Arrow Turns on the Justice League to Assist Amanda Waller
In Absolute Power #1 by Mark Waid, Dan Mora, Alejandro Sánchez, and Ariana Maher, the world goes to hell in an instant. All across the globe, civilians begin attacking any hero in sight, labeling them as threats and enemies. The reason for the public’s sudden and unexpected turn? Waller is flooding the internet and media with AI-manipulated videos of superheroes attacking innocent people all across the world. In the Hall of Order, Waller meets with her conspirator, Failsafe, and prepares the next phase of their plan.
To combat the misinformation that’s ruining the heroes’ reputations, every masked hero appears in public to counter Waller’s narrative. Unfortunately, Waller has just unleashed her all-Amazo squad, Task Force VII. The androids track down the most powerful heroes and begin stealing their abilities. Superman is de-powered just as a robber shoots at him, causing the Man of Steel to fall from the sky. Other heroes, including those as powerful as the Spectre, are de-powered in droves. Batman tries to rally his comrades on a hidden frequency until he’s interrupted by an old ally from the Justice League.
Oliver Queen reveals that he’s no longer on the heroes’ side and that Green Arrow is fully “Team Waller”. Oliver informs everyone listening to the hidden frequency that any potential escape has been blockaded. The multiverse, the timestream, the Microverse, and even space are now all off-limits thanks to Waller. Green Arrow makes things perfectly clear: There is nowhere for any superhuman to run now and the Amazos pursuing the remaining heroes are permanently de-powering any hero they come across.
Green Arrow’s Sudden Betrayal Isn’t So Sudden
While Batman may be shocked to hear this come from Green Arrow’s mouth, anyone who’s been following the Green Arrow series saw Queen’s turn coming a mile away. The Emerald Archer went missing after Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths. But during Queen’s attempts to get home, he discovered that Team Arrow reuniting could potentially lead to one of the worst disasters ever occurring. However, this turned out to be a lie crafted by Queen’s nemesis Merlyn. However, aiding Merlyn from the shadows was Amanda Waller.
Waller installed tech in various members of Green Arrow’s family to keep them separated as part of a plan to manipulate Queen. Her plan worked and as soon as Queen returned home, he tracked down Waller to her new base, the Hall of Order. After capturing Queen, Waller leveled with the hero and told him that she was planning a war against metahumans and needed strong allies on her side. In exchange for working for her, Waller promised Green Arrow that she would keep his family together and safe.
Oliver agreed and Waller immediately put him to work, using him to break into an old Justice League base and recover the Sanctuary files on the DCU’s greatest heroes. When asked about his decision to aid Waller, Green Arrow told his allies that he was simply working the ‘long con’ against Waller. However, when breaking the mother of his child out of prison, Arsenal was caught by Green Arrow, who renounced his superhero identity and gave everything over to Team Arrow.
Con or Not, Green Arrow Has Completely Tarnished His Rep
Those who haven’t been keeping up with Green Arrow may read Absolute Power #1 and be completely shocked at Oliver’s decision to betray his friends and allies. But Queen’s ongoing has helped rationalize his choice and even implies that this is all just part of a plan he’s got in secret to stop Waller from achieving her ultimate endgame. To be fair, it’s pretty hard to believe the DC Universe’s most infamous leftist hero actually wants to work with a fascist like Waller (at least, without any sort of mind control influencing Green Arrow).
And yet, the question must be asked. Even if Green Arrow hasn’t gone full villain, do his intentions matter when he helped coordinate one of the biggest attacks on the superhero community? Without telling anyone, not even his friends and family, Oliver helped Waller gain sensitive information and use that info to de-power heroes on a scale that’s never been seen before. Batman caught hell from the Justice League when his contingencies were stolen in “Tower of Babel”, but that’s nothing compared to the damage Green Arrow’s done.
Sure, Green Arrow is very likely a double agent and maybe he figures he can stop Waller by sticking close and waiting for his right moment. But by not telling anyone, especially his closest allies in the League, he’s put everyone’s lives at risk. Superman was nearly killed and if the last chapter of Absolute Power #1 is any indication, Jon Kent’s troubles are just beginning. The DC Universe is a nightmare right now and while things are certainly going to go back to normal, many of Green Arrow’s Justice League comrades aren’t going to forget this anytime soon.
Can Green Arrow Come Back From This Betrayal?
Granted, Green Arrow isn’t the first person to betray his team. Batman was let back in after “Tower of Babel”. Zatanna came back after her mind-wiping scandal was revealed in Identity Crisis. As pissed as his comrades might be, they might ultimately forgive him. Of course, that depends on how Absolute Power shakes out. No one’s died so far. But if deaths do occur, then Green Arrow is going to have blood on his hands. Either way, it’s probably going to be a long time before Oliver Queen is in the Justice League’s good graces again.
Absolute Power #1 is available now from DC Comics.
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