The CW's Arrow is a bona fide hit and has developed into the network's most watched show. The leads are modernized interpretations of DC Comics character Green Arrow (Stephen Amell) and supporting characters based on Black Canary (Katie Cassidy) and Merlyn (Collin O'Donnell). But just sixteen episodes in, we've already been treated to a host of DC Comics guest stars such as Deathstroke, Deadshot, China White, Yao Fei, Manhunter, Firebug, Huntress, Count Vertigo, Roy Harper and many more. It may seem like Arrow is burning through non-powered DC characters faster than Batman burns through sidekicks but there's still plenty of characters who could drop by Starling City for a visit. Here are ten options that would fit in perfectly in the Christopher Nolan-esque Starling City.
The Question Once upon a time, Vic Sage fans were the hardcore of the hardcore but an exceptional run on the animated Justice League Unlimited show put him in the spotlight as a paranoid, Mulder-esque loner who sees conspiracies everywhere (Aglets anyone?). Fans of JLU might not know that his romantic ties to The Huntress go beyond the JLU and are firmly rooted in comic book lore. That's significant as most fans know that Green Arrow and Black Canary are all but fated to end up together and Sage would be a nice consolation prize for a heartbroken Helena (Think Éowyn of TLOTR who loses Aragorn to Arwen but finds love in Aragorn-clone, Faramir). Through The Question, the door is also opened to such characters as Richard Dragon, Lady Shiva and Aristotle Rodor.
Sportsmaster Another character that's seen a sudden rise in fame thanks to animation. An incredibly lame character suddenly became pretty badass in Young Justice. Writers often look for challenges and I can't think of a bigger challenge than making Sportsmaster look cool. The writing team has already shown that they're not afraid to take a risk, previously tackling the incredibly campy Royal Flush Gang.
Katana Tatsu Yamashiro is at the forefront of DC Comics right now with a new solo series and central spot on Geoff Johns' Justice League of America team. Johns recently wrote the "Dead To Rights' episode on the show and he wrote the JSA episode of Smallville. We're probably still a ways away from seeing such things on Arrow but the show is already heavily vested with martial-arts practitioners so a katana-weilding female samurai would fit right in.
Black Spider Sometimes thought to be DC's answer to Marvel's Spider-Man, Black Spider is a 1976 creation from comic book writer Gerry Conway. Black Spider's origin story is that he had a drug habit that was so bad, he knocked over a drug store and killed the owner. In his drug-induced haze, he didn't realize the man he killed was his own father. Upon realizing what he had done, Eric Needham swore vengeance on the drug trade and became a costumed vigilante. However, his methods were too ruthless and eventually he ran afoul of Batman. Their confrontation would subsequently morph Black Spider into a full-fledged villain. With the prominence of the drug Vertigo in Arrow, his story could easily be reworked to fit the show.
Nightwing Frequent visitors to CBM know I make no effort to hide my love of the character! The DC Trinity are out according to the showrunners but does that include sidekicks and proteges? Probably, so I'd wager the entire Bat-family is off the table (although we did get a Bludhaven reference) but I'm still going to stomp for my man Grayson. As I always say, Nightwing's a great way to have Batman without actually having Batman. Plus, Richard has ties to just about every nook and cranny in the DC universe making him readily adaptable to fit into just about any storyline.
Hush Another way to have Batman without actually having Batman, but in this case, it's more like having Bruce Wayne without actually having Bruce Wayne. We're probably still two or more seasons away from a character so closely mired in the Batman mythos but Hush is a character on the outer fringes of that inner circle (moreso than say a Riddler or Penguin) making him a more ideal choice.
Wildcat At this juncture, Ted Grant would probably be a tricky character to weave into the show. The character has deep ties to Black Canary and through her, Green Arrow. Primarily, the brawler is Black Canary's trainer and one of the biggest influences upon her developing into one of DC's premiere martial artists.
Onomatopoeia A creation of Kevin Smith and Phil Hester back in 2002, this deranged killer hunts costume vigilantes for sport while maintaining a normal civilian life as a loving husband and father. His family has no clue about his murderous activities in his double-life. He keeps trophies of his victims in a private shrine room and holds empty spaces for the two characters he's infatuated with, Batman and Green Arrow.
Ted Kord Can we please get some love for the original Blue Beetle (technically, the second)? After repeated tries to push the character, DC has to admit that the Jaime Reyes experiment is a bit of a failure, right (lets see if Vibe fares any better)? Facts are facts, the teenage Blue Beetle simply can't carry a solo title. But imagine the fervor if Ted Kord returned....A cameo spot on Arrow would go a long way towards helping that come about.
Natas It's entirely possible that an appearance from Natas is in the works already. The master martial artist is most prominently known for training Deathstroke and being one of the many, quasi-evil residents of Nanda Parbat. The mystical city was mentioned by Malcolm Merlyn in the last episode of Arrow. Is Natas the person who trained Malcolm? Did Natas train Manu Bennett's Slade Wilson? That would make a neat ending circle for some of the show's revolving mysteries.
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