So we’re ranking every hero that has debuted within the Arrowverse so far. So before we get into the list, here’s the criteria. They have to be superheroes or vigilantes. Keyboard warriors or everyday heroes need not apply. We’re talking masks, spandex, capes, and superpowers. Characters will be evaluated on individual basis. Some characters are going to be tweeners, good with shades of evil, but no flat out villains. So no Captain Cold, Mick Rory, Cupid, etc. Just flat out good guys, or anti-heroes.
We’ll count future heroes too, like Mon El, but not characters who might become an original hero sometime down the line. However if they’ve already become their own hero, ala John Diggle becoming Spartan or Jimmy Olsen as The Guardian, they’ll be included. So if Julian Albert returns and becomes Doctor Throws Things at Bad Guys, he won’t be on this list.
Length of time as a hero won’t hurt but can help the placing. Characters who have been around for a while won’t necessarily be given preferential treatment, because that could just mean we’ve seen more of them to dislike them. So longevity and frequency of appearance is immaterial.
Here’s what we’re looking for;
– Comic Character Accuracy: How one portrays the character in relation to their origin.
– Unique Handling of the Character: Making the character their own, while embracing the origins.
– Efficiency: Are they able to handle themselves.
The Suck
53) Citizen Steel
– The character Geoff Johns created is one of the most sympathetic, heart breaking and enduring characters of the Justice Society of America relaunch of the mid ’00s. Nate Heywood? He sucks. He’s suck incarnate. He’s suck supreme. He’s DC’s Colossus, with out the heartbreaking backstory or fun accent. Citizen Steel in the comics can’t feel anything. He’s forged into the hero he is through the steel plasma of a Nazi. No longer able to judge how much force he’s using, and no longer able to feel, he’s forced to live inside of a suit that’s constantly restraining his muscles, just so he can care of his nieces and nephews, all of whom were left orphaned by the same Nazi gang that accidentally gave him his powers.
This Steel just pines after a woman he knows he can never be with. FUCK HIM.
52) B’Wana Beast
– Technically not a superhero in this universe, and not even a meta. Though the fact that he is a comic-based superhero, has a pristine costume, and could easily pop back up, gets him on the list at 52.
51) Breacher
– Being Gypsy’s father, and apparently a lawman gets him on the list, but the fact he’s actually bragged about killing people who don’t deserve it means he’s still in the shit pile with the rest of the suck. Seriously, why hasn’t Gypsy or someone arrested him for murdering all those innocent boyfriends? He’s murdered innocent people for fun….WHAT THE FUCK!?
50) Zari
– Some may hate this, but so far she’s shown to be someone you can’t trust. When she was tasked with taking Helen of Troy back to her time, Zari made sure to not follow the protocols of time travel and do her own thing. Seeing as how this was her first real time travel mission, and the fact she chooses not to care about the ramifications of messing with time travel, she’s in the suck as well. We’ve had three seasons of “Legends” and two seasons of “The Flash” that really highlight that even one minor change can prove to be catastrophic. So Zari will live in the suck for now.
49) Hourman
– He shows up, without a mask, gets the Legends into a fight they’re not ready for, and then dies like a bitch without ever once using his powers. Hourman’s only redeeming quality is that he has good taste in women. Maybe next time don’t show up and immediately die after. The JSA were bastardized in Legends….yikes.
48) Dr. Midnight
– Speaking of showing up just to die. I love the JSA but don’t even remember why Midnight was killed. I think it was just Reverse Flash being his dickish self, but don’t quote me on that. He barely did anything relevant, I think he had prosthetic eyes, thus negating the purpose of his entire gimmick, and like Hourman – died like a bitch. (*Correction: It was ‘Evil’ Rip that killed him. Still don’t care*)
47) Stargirl
– I fucking love Courtney Whitmore as a character. A newer member of the JSA in modern times, the high school Courtney joins up after finding out her stepfather is the former sidekick Stripesy. This version of Stargirl is from the past, goes to Camelot and fucks King Arthur. Seriously, anyone who fucks with history that much goes into the suck list, no matter how much I like them.
46) Sara Lance/ White Canary
– Be thankful I remember her from Season 2 of “Arrow” where she was awesome. But since joining “Legends”, she’s been awful. She constantly fucks with time, she’s allowed her sexual proclivities to endanger all of time; sleeping with one royal figure on her wedding day, before trying to make it with King Arthur’s wife, Guinevere. Let’s not even talk about the way she chased after a drunk and heart broken Alex Danvers, just so she can get her rocks off. That’s not even to point out she’s by far the most sexist character on the show, constantly hitting and demeaning her male comrades for no reason, while spouting off sexist and deplorable gender-biased rhetoric. Can we kill her off again, please?
45) Wildcat
– They done did the JSA wrong! While not a member of the Arrowverse’s JSA, Wildcat was a founder of the actual comic JSA back in the day. When they introduced him in season three of “Arrow”, he was inferred to be the first masked crime fighter in the universes’ history. He even is credited as training and help remold Laurel Lance into the hero she’d become. However, his own combat skills were shit, as Danny Brickwell beat him so badly the character was never seen again. For someone who was supposed to be the Green Arrow before The Green Arrow, it sure didn’t make a lick of sense that he was so pathetic. Oh, and he was a championship boxing legend too. So yeah. Welcome to the suck!
44) Accelerated Man
– While the rest are in the suck portion of the list due to what we know, Accelerated Man is in here because of what we don’t know. He works with Gypsy and hasn’t taken down Breacher for his hunting of Gypsy’s boyfriends, so we know he’s not that honorable. We can give a pass to Gypsy for this due to her relationship with Breacher, but what’s Accelerated Man’s excuse?
43) Hawkgirl
– She was largely ineffective. Her, and Hawkman were the key’s for the second DC Crossover, which saw that serve as the spin off for “Legends of Tomorrow” but during her time with Team Flash and on the Waverider, she essentially did everything she could to not be who she could be. Part of the issue is that she was supposed to have a second season arc, but the actress playing her bailed due to the fans of the series’. So with that, Hawkgirl will be more of a whiner than the awesome version we got in the “Justice League” cartoon.
42) Hawkman
– So the comics version of Hawkman is angry, violent, destructive, intimidating, and a threat to anyone. He once took on the entire Fifth Reich on his own. Hawkman is a BEAUST! Hawkman though in the Arrowverse was…..disappointing. He was soft, weak, a non-threat. He was the only member of the team to die in season one of “Legends of Tomorrow” and then came back as a villain known as Scythian Torvil. As mentioned, the Justice Society of America became bastardized by the writers, and he was no different. He gets a mark higher than his love interest due to him being slightly less disappointing.
41) Rip Hunter
– Rip Hunter is actively fighting against his best interests. He forms the Legends, then he leaves them hanging. He returns to them, but then quits to form the Time Bureau to keep the Legends in check, only to use them behind his own organizations back. He then gets fired from his own group. Outside of that, he embraced Sara Lance as his replacement, despite her breaking time, and well…the rest of the issues she had. Oh, and he resurrected Damian Darhk. While that gave us “Return of the Mack”, in regards to the storyline it was a dumbass mistake.
Solid Complimentary Heroes
40) Miss Martian
– I’m just kind of….trying to figure out her deal? She’s got a thing for J’onn J’onzz but she’s been just kind of a love interest for him. They missed the opportunity to make her a younger version, like what we’ve seen in “Young Justice”, where she was a teenager by Martian standards. That would of made her version more compelling, and gave us a different dynamic. Plus it would of given Kara someone to mentor, like Rip Hunter, Green Arrow and The Flash have all done. Huge wiff on that idea but on her own she still has some merit.
39) The Guardian
– I give them credit for doing what they did with Jimmy Olsen. Turning him into The Guardian, instead of Jim Harper (Eddie McClintock), was interesting and a way to misdirect the audience. For me, I love McClintock, especially with his work in “Warehouse 13”, so to see him get passed over for Olsen was rough for me personally. That being said, Olsen as The Guardian at least works. He’s in shape, a man of morals, and friends with someone who inspires him (Supergirl), it makes sense he’d pick up the shield. In a lot of ways he mirrors Steel in the Superman comics with the way he’s inspired to do something, despite not being powered by super abilities. That said his role as Guardian shouldn’t of fallen by the wayside in season three like it seemingly has.
38) Mon-El
– Ugh. So he’s not terrible, but he’s not great. He’s barely anything more than just a love interest for Kara, but he did bring in the idea of the The Legion, so we can’t completely dismiss him. He’s a solid fighter, but he’s a bit of a bitch. He was useless on Daxam, hid on Earth, took forever to stand up to his family, and then got sent off planet to save his life. Not exactly top hero marks. That being said he’s heroic-ish now, despite his lack of skills, and he’s returned to Earth after some time away in order to help Supergirl and others. So at least he’s done running from fights.
37) Ragman
– During his brief time with the team, he was useful with his magical rag suit (not being mean, but that’s literally what it was). His rag suit saved him from a nuclear blast, but then stopped working after a second nuke was contained by his rags. So I guess they had a one nuke limit. Ragman wasn’t much of an athlete or fighter, making him a liability on the team without the Rags. So when you think about what he offers sans the suit, you can’t argue that he’s not a top hero, or even close.
36) Saturn Girl
– While she just debuted on the series, she’s capable of time travel without fucking anything up, she (presumably) was able to cure Mon El, and even helped return Mon El to his time period. That right there makes her not shit. So, we’ll see if she stays there.
35) The Huntress
– Her run in the “Arrow” comics are more impressive than her run in the series, but you have to give some respect to the character. She’s a formidable assassin with her crossbow and didn’t need too much training from Oliver Queen before she became a real threat. Yet, her lack of appearances has hurt her standing when there’s so much to evaluate form other characters.
34) Firestorm I
– Oh boy. What can we even say about the Ronnie Raymond version of Firestorm? Sure, he and Ra’s Al-Arrow helped Barry take on The Reverse Flash, so that’s a huge point. However he spent most of his run on “The Flash” either not knowing who he was, or doing relatoinshipy things with Caitlin. So again, much like previous members on this list, he doesn’t have the same body of work as others. Also, with how often people “die” and come back in this universe, the fact that he died – twice in two different universes – is a huge bitch move.
33) Vigilante
– When I assembled this list, I didn’t know he was going to turn heel like he did and join the “Ensemble to Take Down Oliver Queen”. He’s been more of an anti-hero like Huntress, and went up against Prometheus, so that does help to a point. (Yes, I know it was actually Prometheus who was saving the life of Oliver Queen, but still.) His combat skills are fine, but nowhere near the level of some others.
32) Obsidian
– He’s the only member of the JSA to live for 40 plus years after they debuted. He was still alive in the late 80’s, and even showed he still had the ability to deal with villains. His powers include the Umbrakinesis, and no that’s not made up, which is some kind of shadow dimension he can control. That’s pretty fucking cool. Considering his abilities alone, he’s not to be taken lightly. However, little time to showcase what he can do. No fun.
31) Jonah Hex
– He’s constantly about to die, but his grit, his hatred of all things awful and his cool gun slinging mentality has him at #31. He’s also seen very fondly by Rip Hunter, who named his son after him (Jonas) due to Jonah’s renowned heroic work in the 1800’s. If you name your son after someone, that person probably didn’t suck at life.
Great Complimentary Heroes
30) Jessie Quick
– Jessie Quick, or Jessie Wells is the daughter of Earth 2’s Harrison Wells. The young scientist was blasted by a wave of energy from the particle accelerator and was gifted the powers of the Speed Force. She proved herself to be a viable hero on her own Earth, after her father helped her assemble a team of her very own; much like Barry Allen had on Earth 1. She became so proficient that she was able to let her father go from the team, due to his over bearing ways. It became obvious though that it wasn’t much of a loss for Team Quick, who thanks to her leadership were able to carry on without him. When you can surpass your parent, that is total proof that you have surpassed expectations. She’s shown to be a character with flaws, but also has a sense of unique strength. With “The Flash” being on Speedster overload, it’s not surprising that she hasn’t appeared on the show this season yet.
29) The Ray
– The Ray is a gay superhero on Earth X, which is an Earth ran by Nazi’s, who hunt down people like The Ray. He’s essentially a block of cheese at Lambeau Field; everyone’s out to get him. The Ray proved his prowess against the Nazi’s, lead by the new Führer Oliver Queen, engaging in numerous battles against them across two different universes. Born on Earth 1, the Earth X immigrant gained his powers after his Earth X counterpart came to Earth 1, transferred his Ray-powers to the Earth 1 version and then died. With the Earth-X counterpart now dead, Ray left for Earth X to help take up the fight against the Axis. He’s not just a man who helps the helpless but he’s the man who willingly went to the worst known universe in order to help those like him, who were being hunted. A hero by every definition.
28) Speedy
– Thea Queen followed in her brothers footsteps almost too well. Much like Oliver, Thea began her brush with adulthood by drinking and partying to the point of excess, getting arrested and forced to do community service. After falling in love with Roy Harper, she began seeing that her influence could have a better effect on the world. Eventually she was used as a pawn by her father, and that prompted her to learn to fight back and to stop being a victim. She took up the banner of Speedy as an homage to her brother’s nickname and took up arms against Damian Darhk and his group. She not only became a viable fighter, capable of taking on just about anyone, but she’s beaten death…TWICE. Once where she was brought back from a stab wound thanks to the League of Assassins, and another where she survived an entire island blowing up. She may not ‘hero-up’ anymore but she still remains a viable asset to her brother and Team Arrow, providing a sense of perspective whenever her brother feels lost along his way. She’s one of the best examples of character development over the history of the Arrowverse; going from a whiny brat to a likeable co-star alongside the best of the best.
27) Katana
– Katana is the ultimate sympathy character. Her son was killed by a malicious military group, her husband betrayed everything they stood for and took up arms with the League of Assassins, only for the two to be forced to battle in order to save Starling City. After ending her husband’s suffering in battle, she went back to a life of solitude. A character like this, who’s so devastated by her grief and shows the strength to battle against impossible odds is truly one that should be focused on more. Unfortunately it appears as though her run on the show ended in part due the character popping up in the “Suicide Squad” film. However her last scene with Nyssa al Ghul opened up an interesting possibility with her returning to the series to deal with an ‘Oliver-situation’.
26) Vibe
– Cisco Ramon may rub you the wrong way at times, as he’s essentially fallen into the trap of the “funny one”, which doesn’t guarantee longevity from fans on these shwos (just look at Felicity). However Ramon is still likeable, thanks to his growth over the last few years. Blaming Barry for the death of his brother, and resenting Barry for learning lessons (that Barry should of known before hand…just saying…) was weak. However, his eventual growth, his desire to help Caitlin keep her powers in check, and his blossoming romance with fellow breach-powered hero Gypsy has his character back on track have helped balance the scales in his favor. Watching the scenes where he has to deal with Gypsy’s murderous father are something special because we also got to see just how well he handles stress, pressure and adapting to situations without the use of his powers. When you have a hero who’s willing to die for the woman he loves, that’s not something to just dismiss. It is the ultimate sacrifice. Just pray he doesn’t forget 1-1-1 Day again.
25) Commander Steel
– While his grandson is at the bottom of the list due to his….just awfulness….the grandfather is a man of honor and respectability. Having served with the Justice Society of America, Nate put defending his country and time ahead of his family, and left to go to the 1970’s to protect the Spear of Destiny, under the impression he’d be able to return when his mission was done. His strong sense of duty and desire to do the right thing often lead to him having conflicting emotions, especially when it came to his son and eventual grandson. Ultimately though, Heywood sacrificed his life to save the Waverider; asking his grandson to tell his father that he was sorry for not being there for him. When you think of his sense of duty and honor, and realize that unlike the rest of his JSA team that he didn’t have any powers or special weapons, it becomes clear just how much he wanted to help people. That’s a damn find trait and a big reason why he got on this list as high as he did.
24) Vixen (I)
– Vixen-I or Mari McCabe, was the first Vixen to be introduced in the Arrowveres, but is just one in the long line of many. A former fashion designer, Vixen got her powers from a totem and became a part time member of the Arrowverse Super Team, helping The Flash and Green Arrow stop a natural disaster near a city. She’s proven to be combat effective, defeating her sister in battle; as well as being quite the sleuth when she helped Oliver find out that Damian Darhk was powered by a totem, not all that dissimilar from hers. She even showed off her true strength, beating Damian Darhk and destroying his totem. She’s shown to be aware of her limitations, but has the ability to raise her game up when needed against the most elite of criminals and villains. Her heritage and linage helps increase her profile even higher when you realize that her grandmother, Amaya Jiwe, is even more powerful due to her time with the same totem. McCabe is still fairly new in comparison to Jiwe and if she has the same training, and time with the totem that her grandmother had (Has? Will Have Had? Have has had will have? Fuck time travel) then it becomes pretty obvious that McCabe is only going to get better and more prolific with her abilities.
23) Citizen Cold
– While not much about Citizen Cold is known, he along with his life partner Ray Terrill (The Ray), have picked up arms against the Nazi’s on Earth X. His desire to do what needs to be done at the risk of his own life is commendable but it was his ability to go up against an entire Nazi Death Squad that got him on this high on the list. Unlike his Earth 1 counterpart, Leo Snart is all about the planning, the respect and the funnies; which isn’t too far off from Earth 1’s Snart. Though, Leonard doesn’t care about plans, that very idea annoys Leo. He ends up putting the war efforts (which has swung in the favor of the Allies after the death of Nazi Leader Queen), and his relationship with The Ray on hold in order to help his former friend Mick Rory cope with Leonard’s passing, as well as the Waverider as a whole cope with Martin Stein’s passing. The compassion in him is a big reason why he’s so high as well. And frankly, while Leo may be a hero, his Earth 1 counter part Leonard isn’t that far off from being a hero either. It seems to be a trait for Snarts; constantly stepping up when people need them the most, and that didn’t hurt his placing either.
22) Wild Dog
– Driven by the murder of his wife and his desire to make his daughter proud, Rene Ramirez became Wild Dog to stop the flow of crime in his city. While recently revealed as an informant against Oliver Queen, he did so only to get his daughter back. The time he put in on the team has to be respected, as he constantly went up against the Arrowvere’s most imposing villain; Prometheus. While battling Prometheus and his legion, Wild Dog showed a unique skill set, while serving as Oliver Queen’s Chief of Staff for a stint during Queen’s time as mayor. The former Navy SEAL is constantly trying to show he’s worthy of being seen as a hero, even if he won’t admit it and just wants to live a life his daughter can be proud of. Even though he, Black Canary and Mister Terrific have left Team Arrow for now, it seems likely that with Canary’s leadership skills and Terrific’s tech, will compliment Wild Dog’s skill set and the trio should be able to make a dent in Star City’s criminal underbelly.
21) Gypsy
– Gypsy doesn’t need much fluffing up for her place. The only real negative is that she’s yet to arrest her father for murder; but considering it’s her father you can almost give her a pass for it. Almost. Her ability to deal with Cisco’s insecurities, her own combat abilities, and a strong sense of justice makes her a top pick among all the Arrowverse heroes. She’s shown to be willing to grow and adapt emotionally and has proven a few times that she can change up her own style, depending on her opponents. With someone who’s that self aware and that ready to do what needs to be done, you can’t argue she isn’t one of the best characters going.
Could Be on Their Own
20) Black Canary(II)
– Dinah Drake is the most recent addition to the team, making her the fourth ‘Canary’. Unlike the others, she has a meta ability that allows her to channel the Canary Cry without any type of weaponry. A cop on the S.C.P.D., she’s proven to not only be a decent detective but loyal to to her team. After the apparent death of her partner (the previously named Vigilante), she became lost and found a new purpose thanks to Oliver and his team. She’s earned the respect of the father of the former Black Canary – Quentin Lance – as he bequeathed his late-daughter’s moniker to her. She’s since split off from Oliver, forming a new team with Wild Dog and Mister Terrific, and will seemingly serve as the groups de-facto leader until the two groups reunite. Her hand to hand and meta powers make her a force to reckon with, and her detective skills and leadership ability make her a character that could stand out on her own, starring in her own series.
19) Elongated Man
– Elongated Man or Ralph Dibny, only debuted this past season. That said, his dark sense of humor, his ability to be self deprecating, and his ability to do what needs to be done to ensure the safety of the public has earned him a place among the fans as a new favorite. While Elongated Man may be at times a little dirty (in more than one way), his heart is always in the right place. If you factor his desire to right, with his near indestructible body, and his ability to mold himself into any shape; he’s a hero that would be hard to ignore. His personality though seems to be the best prat of his character. Ralph is disarming, charming and unafraid to be himself. He’s a character many can relate to or want to be more like. With Barry Allen in prison for the foreseeable future, Dibny gets to showcase what he can do without a heavy hitter in The Flash.
18) Kid Flash
– The soon to be star of Legends of Tomorrow, Kid Flash has spent most of season four of The Flash dealing with a break up and trying to find a new path in life. His speed is dwarfed by Barry’s, but his speed is still faster than just about anyone else (still alive). Include that ability with his high energy, youthful outlook and renewed optimism and you can see why he’s such a huge fan favorite. Those aspects shows he has the ability to carry a show if the folks at CW want him to. His powers are still growing and while he doesn’t have the experience or training as others ahead of him, his growth as a hero would be a fun thing to watch develop. If you factor in his developing powers, his college courses, and the fact he’s trying to fight out from the huge shadow of his brother-in-law, and you can see why Wally would do well with his own show. He may lack the big wins, but here’s hoping that his time on Legends helps him find that ability.
17) Arsenal
– Roy Harper, or Arsenal, or Red Arrow….or whatever you want to call him is one of the first super hero additions to the Arrowverse. While The Huntress came before him, his stint as Red Arrow proved that a major hero needs more than just some help from time to time. While John Diggle was Oliver Queen’s first partner, Diggle wasn’t so much his partner as he was his backup. Invaluable without a doubt, it was Arsenal though that took up a mask and followed the Green Arrow into the tunnels to fight Slade’s Mirakuru army. He’s had his issues, like being on Mirakuru himself, second guessing Oliver, having relationship issues with Thea that got in the way of his work (or vice versa), but at the end of the day he was not just loyal to Oliver and the team but was willing to make a major sacrifice. Harper took Queen’s place as ‘The Arrow’ and allowed the city and the police to arrest him, in order to keep Oliver free and clear of the police. A hero that unselfish and dedicated is always someone who can carry his own work load. His departure from the show was a blow, but his occasional cameos have become a treat. I’m sure I speak for most out there that hope Roy Harper returns to the Arrowverse via Legends of Tomorrow. He’s one of the few characters that not just earned Oliver’s respect but was able to openly challenge him when few others did.
16) Connor Hawke
– Little is known about Conner Hawke, other than that he was trained by the greatest hero of all time, and is the son of John Diggle, a major hero in his own right. Hawke is the Arrow of a dystopian future, where Slade’s son is running lose with his gang. His sense of justice and strong morals echoes his father and segregate uncle, even if he’s impulsive more along the lines of Roy Harper. He’s got a chip on his shoulder and a desire to do his father justice and those two factors make for some interesting character development. He might of been higher if he had more than one episode and if his future was guaranteed. After all, his future is no longer likely after the Legends of Tomorrow defeated Vandal Savage and saved the timeline. Though, that all being said, legacy heroes are always fun to watch.
15) Black Canary (I)
– Dinah Laurel Lance makes it this high alone off of her character growth and evolution. She’s so far the perfect example of how you build and develop a character throughout a series. Starting off as a do-right attorney, she grew from an ex-girlfriend of Oliver, to an advisory to The Hood, and into an eventual hero in her own right. Unlike others on this part of the list though, she’s unable to have her own series or showcase due to her death in season four. Before Damian Darhk killed her, The Black Canary had become one of Oliver’s most consistent partners, alongside John Diggle. Her growth and training also ended up coinciding with the first of the JSA originals debuting in the form of Ted Grant’s Wildcat; something that would be a trend throughout the Arrowverse. Laurel’s character will forever go down as a fan favorite, and one that fans still wish was still around.
14) Killer Frost
– Now, we don’t include Heatwave but we’ll include Killer Frost? Why? Well, that’s simple – Mick Rory was a murderer since his childhood. He’s a genuine bad guy, who just so happens to like some of the good guys. Killer Frost is a second person entirely, residing in the subconscious of a genuine hero; Caitlin Snow. The duality of the Killer Frost/Caitlin Snow dynamic has the potential to mirror what made a character like The Hulk so great in the 70’s. Only instead of being a brainless beast, Frost is conniving and intelligent, making her more of a threat to the welfare of the civilian populous. Frost seems to have fallen in line, for now, with the rest of the heroes; though she does remain a wild card. A spinoff featuring Snow trying to control her darker urges with Frost and still finding a way to her powers would be a very interesting and powerful drama. Who knows if we’ll ever get that though. For now we’ll just have to hope that The Flash uses her better.
13) Jay Garrick
– Jay Garrick seemingly debuted in the start of season two, running along with Barry to re-create a classic comic cover. However we’d soon find out that was actually Zoom in disguise. The real Jay Garrick was found out to be from Earth-3’and resembled Barry’s late father, Henry. Since being freed from Zoom’s custody, he’s been an occasional ally and mentor to Barry Allen, giving him advice and a shoulder he can lean on. In season three of the Flash, Jay gave up his race to replace Barry in the Speed Force’s prison. When he was finally freed, he sided with Kid Flash and The Flash in their fight against Savitar. He’s willing to sacrifice for the greater good, a good team player and someone that can be relied on. If DC and CW ever did a JSA series, Garrick would obviously be the star, trying to keep the younger pups in line as they try to come together as a team. Garrick is a fun throwback character causing fans to get giddy with excitement every time we see that silver helmet make an appearance. That fact makes him a character that could carry a show whenever DC and CW wants him to.
12) Mister Terrific
– The JSA has kept the Arrowverse fresh for years. Adding Curtis Holt’s Mister Terrific character has really solidified a unique character type on “Arrow”. Unlike the rest of the team, Curtis constantly has this aura of child-like amazement. He’s filled with wonder and excitement about so many things that it becomes infectious. While not the combatant like the rest of Team Arrow or Team Canary, he’s far more valuable when it comes to his tech. In his time on the show he’s helped develop a chip to let Felicity walk again, his T-Spheres and another chip that seemingly cured John Diggle of his nerve damage. He’s also proven to be the most moral of any character in the Arrowverse, seemingly taking umbrage with some of the teams plans, including Felicity and her behavior. He’s currently on the outs from Team Arrow but has formed a new group with Dinah Drake and Rene Ramirez. His Olympic level athleticism, genius I.Q. and his desire to save lives would make his series stand out above some others. He’s found a major role on “Arrow” for now and continues to be one of the more well written characters going.
11) Human Target
– Imagine a series where the main character almost always changes his face. It’d be like iZombie on steroids. The Human Target isn’t a well established DC character, though he’s had a few series revolving around him. Just none of them were successful or part of the Arrowverse. He was brought in the series in season five of “Arrow” to help keep Oliver Queen safe from an assassination attempt from Scimitar; who was working for Tobias Church. As a character who can impersonate anyone, his ability to infiltrate any organization would make for a hell of a series. While his character is underdeveloped as of right now, the potential for a new series is high and if you’re able to connect it to the Arrowverse, even better. Beyond being a high potential character, with a useful skill that allows for genuinely dynamic story telling, his in-universe abilities are astounding. He’s skilled at combat, his spy work is unmatched and his ability to predict and prepare for his advisories is second to none. The man literally let himself get shot, knowing full well where a trained assassin would aim. Someone that skilled would be a treat to watch over a series.
The Elite Heroes
10) Martian Manhunter
– While J’onn J’onzz is Supergirl’s second, it’s pretty obvious he’s her mentor. With the young Kryptonian finding her way in the early seasons, J’onn was instrumental in her development. Not just as a hero, but also as a young woman; always there to offer her advice. But it wasn’t just the moral or ethical dilemma’s he helped her face. A lot of times he would throw down with the same villainy that Kara did. Be it her aunt, her boyfriend’s mother or now a World Killer, J’onn has always shown to be more than ready to stand by his young friend, and show the universe what he’s capable of. If he has one fault, it’s that he’s a secondary character and you don’t get too much of his personal life as you would as a main character. The struggle’s of him being a Martian on Earth are often underdeveloped by the writers.
9) Superman
– When Superman appeared on “Supergirl” for the first time, many were skeptical. Fans were left asking questions about who would play the Man of Steel, and many wanted former “Smallville” actor Tom Welling to come in and reprise his role. He didn’t, opting to go to Fox’s “Lucifer” instead, but they found a decent replacement in Tyler Hoechlin. This version of Superman is really just a slightly more exaggerated version of the one we know. Of all the modern ones, even Brandon Routh’s, I’d say this is the least flushed out, and that does hurt him some. Though the ever present humility, optimism, and compassion are still there. That matters because those moments are the tenants most recognized within Superman in most versions. It’s fair to say that Hoechlin’s adaptation isn’t too shabby. It’s not too shabby at all.
8) Firestorm II
– Jefferson Jackson and Martin Stein weren’t just still ‘on the show’ when I started compiling this list, they were frequently the heaviest of heavy hitters on “Legends of Tomorrow”. Usually missions went bad when either one or the other wasn’t available to form Firestorm. No one on the team right now, or even with the impending Wally West addition, can make up for that kind of power. The second Firestorm far and away exceeded the first’s in not just combat, but in character development. The Jax and Stein combo was everything that the Ronnie/Stein combo tried to create. The sense of a familial bond between two men who weren’t biologically family was there. It didn’t really click the first time. I partly blame this fact on Ronnie Raymond being played by Stephen Amell’s (Oliver Queen) cousin, Robbie Amell. A fine actor in his own right, sure, but hard to take the gravity and depth of these scenes seriously when we’re all looking at how similar Robbie and Stephen are. And then that crossover episode where they were in every other shot. It was too ironically funny to take serious. But Jax and Stein thrived in that role. Strong writing and the duo’s acting propelled this version to the top. It’s hard to deny that this wasn’t the more entertaining tandem.
7) Spartan
– While Huntress was the second mask and Red Arrow the second true super hero, it was John Diggle who was the second hero in the Arrowverse. As the best friend (nay, Brother) of Oliver Queen, Diggle has been through more with Oliver than anyone else. He’s shown to be a man of conviction, often times challenging Oliver on his beliefs. Diggle also has unwavering morals, which we see in nearly every episode. Yet, it’s the most honest and true quality that makes him so great; Loyalty. The fact that he refuses to leave his best friend to the wolves for any reason shows just how much he values those in his life. As a person, he’s aces. That’s not to take away form his combat skills though. Those have him so damn high on this list alone. While not trained by elite level soldiers, assassins, secret spies, ancient killing organizations, and the Russian Mob; Diggle is a former United States soldier with a high degree of training and expertise in his own right. He’s no slouch in the field. Unlike so many on this list, Digg has never really changed from the first episode. Which is good, because he’s genuinely seen as someone who’s never had to. He’s constantly talked about in reverence by the fans, and with seasons six’s arch of him taking over the Green Arrow identity, it’s pretty obvious just how much the writers love the character too.
6) The Atom
– Ray Palmer is just the cheekiest fucker in the world. The Atom is the miniature superhero, driven to constantly explore and develop new technology in order to make the world safer. He was essentially Elon Musk before Elon. Let’s just call it what it is, Elon Musk stole The Atom’s life. Palmer is the eternal optimist in the Arrowverse, and is one of the few people that can refer to himself as a ‘pillar’ for the whole thing. While he may ‘second’ Sara Lance on the Waverider, Palmer has shown far more abilities in the field thanks to his power suit and his quick wit than people realize. He survived for weeks in the prehistoric era. How many can say they did that? He’s well aware of the issues that come with time travel and is the teams moral regulator for when things get dicey. He has one weakness, and that’s constantly falling for someone else’s girl. Be it Oliver Queen’s, Carter Hall’s or even teammate Nate Heywood’s, he’s constantly trying to find love in all the hopeless places. Maybe Zari could be the one. But for his sake, I’m sure he could do better.
5) Vixen II
– While The Atom may be the most valuable member of the Waverider, Vixen (Amaya Jiwe) is everything the writers tried to make Sara Lance. Amaya is well accustomed to combat, has staunch unwavering principals and has a depth of compassion that few in this universe has. The thing that puts her over the top though is her willingness to sacrifice everything she wants, for what she needs to do. Believe me, if it wasn’t for the enormity of #4’s save-history, these two would be switched. Amaya not only willingly went with strangers into the future to find the person who killed her love and former team leader, but she then fell for her teammate and left, all because she knew she had to return to her time and live the life she was meant to have. Amaya refused to screw with time at all, because she knew the consequences. Sara Lance claims to know these consequences but refuses to abide by that, even as the leader. It’s obvious to me that Jiwe should be the team leader, but I don’t know if we’ll ever see that.
4) The Flash
– Run, Barry. Run. Now iconic words, but at the time nothing more than a clever catchphrase for a trailer. Barry Allen has gone through many different phases. There was the “YEEEEAAAAAAAAAAA I’M THE FLASH!” phase. Then there was the “My Mommy and Daddy were murdered…” phase. Then there was the “….ANNNDDD now my future wife might die” phase. Finally, we have “Responsible Barry”, now with real checkbook balancing action. Gone are the fanboy, Joss-Whedon-level-brooding, and near-Hot-Topic-level’s-of-emo-behavior that have plagued his character. He’s been trash. Terrible.
“Barry, don’t fuck up time!” – All the Wells’
“WELLS’ I FUCK’DED UP THE TIMELINE AGAIN!” – Barry
“MOTHER-FUCKER, BARRY!” – All the Wells
“I can’t, Wells’. She’s dead!”
*Silence*
That’s loosely the first three seasons. However, and I’ve dogged him, but two of his three villains were far and away some of the best in the series. Eobard Thawne and Hunter Zolomon (Reverse Flash and Zoom), not only beat Barry badly, but taunted him in ways that few have done at all in this universe. And while Savitar was garbage, The Thinker is proving to be a truly horrific villain. Yet, Barry’s beaten (will beat) them all. He’s also reset time not just once, but like three times at this point. If not more, I don’t remember; the show is constantly fucking things up. Barry in season four has really matured, and even accepted his fate when found guilty of murder. Now, his defense (or lack there of) didn’t do anything to help him, but still. He took it like a man. That’s admirable.
3) Supergirl
– I don’t like the show. I think the show is heavy handed. It’s written in a way to over exaggerate specific issues. That being said, her character isn’t bad. She’s dedicated to her cause, she’s well prepared as a hero and has carried the expectations of being Superman’s cousin as well as could be expected. She’s the first public legacy hero in the Arrowverse. Think about that for a second. She’s the first publicly known hero to come from a family who does this often. The Flash isn’t telling everyone Kid Flash is his brother, nor did White Canary or Black Canary ever do joint interviews about their relationship. Yet, Supergirl and Superman are publicly known to be related. That’s a lot of pressure, on top of her day job, her romantic life, alien invasions and oh yeah, the multi-verse constantly puking up new cross-dimensional issues every other week. So yeah, she’s sometimes a little annoying and a little too brooding at times; but she’s more than earned her place in the upper echelon.
2) John Constantine
– John Constantine is on this list mostly because of his high success rate, and the level of his enemies. Unlike everyone else on this list, Constantine doesn’t deal with low level thugs, speedster mass murderers or aliens from outer space. No, he fights demons. Things that can torment you for all of eternity. He’s not one to fuck with. Granted, he’s had his fare share of losses, and has had struggles with other magical users; but he’s done a lot in a short amount of content. He has had one show, called “Constantine” and has been featured on a few Arrowverse series – helping out every so often. However, it’s his animated series that’s forthcoming that may showcase more of his abilities and talents. Constantine deals with forces that no one can truly comprehend and is solely responsible for Sara Lance getting her soul back (Get it?) He’s someone with a vast amount of ability and that is enough to get the #2 slot.
1) Green Arrow
– Are you even a little surprised? The whole universe is named after his show. Named after him. He’s the only person in the top five to not have powers or abilities and defeat meta’s on a regular basis. Think about that. He’s a hero that The Flash, Supergirl and even White Canary all look up to. He’s the hero Barry Allen needed to defeat The Reverse Flash. They look up to Oliver, lean on him, and rely on him to find the answers. Unlike just about everyone else, he’s been doing this stuff for over a decade. He’s seen it all. Literally. Speedsters, aliens, Nazi’s, Russian Mob Drama, and the emergence of meta-humans. He’s the stalwart. The standard barrier. The hallmark. He’s beaten the greatest killer in the DC Universe, the immortal head of an ancient assassin clan, and even the one man in all of the universe who out Oliver’ed Oliver. He always wins. He’s so unwavering and profound in his abilities, even the Nazi’s bowed to Evil Oliver, and that included Overgirl (Nazi-Supergirl). When you consider just how much respect he has in this universe and others, it’s pretty simple to figure out who is number one, and why. When Oliver Queen is the Arrowverse. So say we all.