Adrian Chase is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics . He is the second DC character to bear the name Vigilante .
119-526: The character made his live-action debut in the Arrowverse series Arrow , portrayed by Josh Segarra . In the DC Extended Universe television series Peacemaker , he is played by Freddie Stroma . Wolfman stated the genesis of the character began when writing Daredevil in the 1970s "In issue #127, I staged a typical comic book battle between Daredevil and another quasi herp named
238-548: A cage match fight, with Black Canary and Arsenal vs. Dark Archer, Arrow vs. Ra's al Ghul, Flash vs. Captain Cold and Heat Wave, which is interrupted by Reverse-Flash, until Firestorm intervenes and the Atom makes an appearance at the end. In September 2016, The CW released the promo "Superhero Fight Club 2.0" to promote the start of the 2016–17 season with the addition of Supergirl to their lineup, as well as their new mobile app, where
357-452: A multiverse to allow "everyone to make the best possible product, to tell the best story, to do the best world." The second season of The Flash began to explore this concept of the multiverse, by introducing Earth-2, which features doppelgängers of the inhabitants of Earth-1. Supergirl was confirmed as an alternate universe, later designated Earth-38, with The Flash crossover episode "Worlds Finest" (2016). Freedom Fighters: The Ray
476-432: A "weird moment" that shows "the cracks [that] form when it's just two shows that have to work together on the regular." Tassi then noted the further complications of adding Supergirl , saying, "The more shows you have, the more heroes you introduce, the harder it is to keep explaining away why they're not constantly around to help each other. Supergirl already has that problem built-in with Superman, who it seems will not be
595-465: A 2020 crossover would entail, with Guggenheim revealing in January 2020, that a general idea had been approved by Pedowitz and Berlanti. Guggenheim confirmed they had "no intention of trying something [as] ambitious" as the previous year's "Crisis on Infinite Earths", hoping "to really go back to the basics". He felt a crossover like "Crisis on Infinite Earths" was something "you've got to build to" and
714-526: A bloody swathe of bodies in the name of justice. He breaks into Charles McDade's limousine and shoots McDade and his lady friend Mona Simpson to death. That evening, the Vigilante learns that the Electrocutioner is back in town and is, in fact, targeting the same criminal element that the Vigilante himself is. The Electrocutioner is eventually killed by the Vigilante. When S.T.A.R. Labs opened
833-645: A criminal and a mercenary. Overly reliant on his ability to generate electricity , the Electrocutioner III has faced (and been defeated by) Batman , Robin , and Nightwing . In at least one scheme, working with the Cluemaster to steal an armored car full of money, the Spoiler works to oppose him. The Spoiler turned out to be the Cluemaster's daughter. The stupidity of Lester's second partner,
952-683: A demon impersonating Etrigan the Demon , exchanging their prisoners to gain temporary mortal forms and preparing to return to Earth. They were opposed by the Hawk , the Dove , and the Titans West . The battle was fierce, but the tide turned when J.E.B. Stuart came down from Heaven and gave the Hawk his Haunted Tank . The false Etrigan offered them a way out through another portal, but he was merely toying with
1071-421: A fictional universe where all of The CW series exist together. On September 22, 2020, it was announced that Supergirl would conclude after its sixth season. A backdoor pilot for a potential spinoff based on Painkiller was in development, directed by Salim Akil , and aired as the seventh episode of the fourth season of Black Lightning with Jordan Calloway reprising his role from the show. On November 16,
1190-517: A five-part crossover with episodes of Supergirl , Batwoman , The Flash , Arrow , and Legends of Tomorrow . Additional crossovers include " Worlds Finest ", an episode which sees Barry Allen travel to Supergirl's Earth for the first time, and " Duet ", a musical crossover with The Flash and Supergirl . For the 2021–22 season, the eighth season of The Flash began with a five-episode event known as " Armageddon " that featured additional heroes and actors from other Arrowverse series. Pedowitz said
1309-542: A good time, but veteran viewers were rewarded with major storyline motion." Following the release of the first trailer for Supergirl , Paul Tassi wrote for Forbes about why he felt that series should be kept separate from the Arrowverse: He called the moment in the Arrow third-season finale where Barry Allen appears briefly, but abruptly leaves since " Arrow needs to let its own characters solve its problems",
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#17327943781711428-602: A hooded vigilante known as the Green Arrow. Crime-scene investigator Barry Allen awakens from a nine-month coma after being struck by lightning due to the S.T.A.R. Labs ' particle accelerator explosion and finds himself with superhuman speed. Barry vows to use his new powers to protect Central City as the Flash, a masked superhero, while he pursues his mother's murderer, the Reverse-Flash . Kara Zor-El , who
1547-628: A hulking brute with delusions of intelligence calling himself Czonk the Baffler, would also hamper their plans. For a time, Lester was frequently seen in the employ of Blüdhaven crime boss the Blockbuster II. In Infinite Crisis , Lester became a member of the Secret Society of Super Villains . During the 34th week of the series 52 , the Electrocutioner III appeared as part of a Suicide Squad operation against Black Adam . In
1666-424: A larger multiverse. Andy Muschietti , director of The Flash (2023), revealed that Gustin had been considered to make a cameo appearance in the film, but was ultimately cut. In The Flash episode " Welcome to Earth-2 " (2016), glimpses of the multiverse are seen, including an image of John Wesley Shipp as the Flash from the 1990 television series , implying that the series exists on an alternate Earth within
1785-448: A live-action appearance on The Flash and/or Arrow as well. The next month, it was reported that another spin-off series, described as a superhero team-up show, was being discussed by The CW for a possible 2015–16 midseason release. Berlanti, Kreisberg, Guggenheim and Sarah Schechter would be executive producers of the potential series, which would be headlined by several recurring characters from both Arrow and The Flash . That May,
1904-527: A new sense of purpose — to seek justice his own way as the anti-hero Vigilante : "I go after those proven guilty of crimes who are then released because of some stupid technicality." Chase was initially shown as taking pains to make sure he did not kill his enemies (unlike Marvel 's the Punisher ) and would regularly use non-lethal weapons to disable his opponents. Throughout the Vigilante series, Chase
2023-575: A nightmare to try and do both shows. We had to facilitate one." Gustin was optimistic that the crossover in 2016 would allow another crossover the following year with the rest of the Arrowverse shows. In May, it was announced that Supergirl would move from CBS to The CW for its second season, and that production would move from Los Angeles to Vancouver, where the CW Arrowverse series film. The second season premiered on October 10, 2016. It
2142-499: A police officer and Winston dies at the hands of Peacemaker , Chase once again assumes the Vigilante role, believing it is the only way to protect his loved ones. However, his experiences with Welles and Winston have damaged his fragile psyche beyond repair, causing him to adopt more vicious tactics in his war on crime. Seeking revenge on Peacemaker, the out-of-shape Adrian gets beaten in a fight and unmasked on live TV, thereby ending Chase's secret identity and forcing him even further into
2261-676: A portal to Limbo in Operation Zeppelin, they did this as various deceased criminals wished to return to the earthly realm through the portal. These criminals included the Electrocutioner, the Icicle I, Clayface II, El Papagayo, the Iron Major, and the Top . When Operation Zeppelin's creator Director Jeffrey Simon disappeared, a rescue party went through the portal and the villains captured them. They bargained with their demonic jailer,
2380-531: A potential Supergirl / Arrowverse crossover, so "Watch and wait and see what happens." The following month, it was announced that Gustin would appear on the Supergirl episode " Worlds Finest ". Berlanti and Kreisberg, also Supergirl executive producers, thanked "the fans and journalists who have kept asking for this to happen. It is our pleasure and hope to create an episode worthy of everyone's enthusiasm and support." In "Worlds Finest", Supergirl
2499-494: A prestigious university, with Diggle overseeing their education and training. Ramsey would also direct the pilot if ordered, with Berlanti, Schechter, David Madden, and Johns executive producing alongside Narducci and Clack. In March 2022, The Flash and Superman & Lois were both confirmed for a ninth and third season respectively, carrying them through the 2022–23 television season . In April 2022, Batwoman and Legends of Tomorrow were both canceled. On August 1, 2022, it
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#17327943781712618-422: A regular fixture on the show, and I'm sure there will be many excuses as to why he's too busy to help Supergirl fight her latest battle. Add in Arrow , The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow mythology, and it's probably too much to juggle....I think Supergirl deserves to launch without Arrow and The Flash on its shoulders, and be allowed to find itself before being assimilated into an existing universe." With
2737-725: A series centered on the Yara Flor version of Wonder Girl was in development from Gerg Berlanti and Dailyn Rodriguez. On November 20, 2020, Black Lightning was announced to conclude after its fourth season. The CW officially passed on the Arrow -spinoff Green Arrow and the Canaries in January 2021, passed on Wonder Girl in February 2021, and passed on the Black Lightning -spinoff Painkiller in May 2021. In February 2021,
2856-409: A series regular across any of the shows in the Arrowverse. The deal was initially focused on Miller and his characters of Leonard and Leo Snart appearing on The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow . Berlanti stated that Miller's deal was "the first contract not applicable to just one show," adding "In success we hope to continue with other characters finding their way across all the shows." Barrowman signed
2975-519: A shared fictional multiverse much like the DC Universe and DC Multiverse in comic books, it was established by crossing over common plot elements, settings, cast and characters that span six live-action television series and two animated series. The franchise began with Arrow , based on the character Green Arrow , which debuted in October 2012. It was followed by The Flash in 2014, and
3094-458: A similar deal to Miller in July 2016, allowing him to continue being a series regular on Arrow as well as The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow , followed by Cassidy for her character Laurel Lance. List indicators Yearly crossover events in the Arrowverse began in the 2013–14 television season , when Barry Allen was introduced in the eighth episode of Arrow ' s second season ahead of
3213-955: A special kind of hero and turned it down. The storyline was concluded in 2022 in The Flash ' s season 8 episode " The Man in the Yellow Tie ". After the revelation that Superman & Lois is set in an adjacent universe, the Diggle appearing in that series was confirmed to be an alternate version of the Arrowverse character. In the Superman & Lois episode, Diggle is seen in Smallville aiding Superman and Lois Lane. In October 2014, Johns explained that DC's approach to their films and television series would be different from Marvel Studios ' cinematic universe , stating that their film universe and TV universes would be kept separate within
3332-547: A through-line between each appearance. The Batwoman , Flash , Superman & Lois , and Supergirl episodes explore what Diggle has been up to since the end of "Arrow" when he encountered a glowing green box. Ramsey spoke to the grounded nature of Diggle as a character, and given that, "he refused the invitation of whatever was in the box" since the last thing he would want to do is "receive an invitation from something otherworldly". However, there are consequences for Diggle with that decision. His appearance on Superman & Lois
3451-416: A video about the production of Vixen ' s first season, Guggenheim referred to the series' shared universe as the "Arrowverse". Kreisberg confirmed that this was the name the producers used for it. The universe has also been referred to by the media as the "Flarrowverse", "Berlanti-verse" and "DC TV-verse". In September 2020, The CW released a trailer for the various series that would be airing on
3570-466: A world in the multiverse where the Nazis won World War II. This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in at least two series and as a member of the principal cast for at least one of those, or appearing across at least three series. After Miller's exit as a series regular during Legends of Tomorrow ' s first season, it was revealed he signed a deal with Warner Bros. to become
3689-560: Is approached at his wife's grave by a hooded woman named Lynn. In an origin story that he related to his associates Jonathan "J.J." Davis and Theresa "Terry" Gomez, Chase claimed that Lynn drove him West in a van and forced him to walk for four days through the desert. In a cavern underneath the desert sands, he was greeted by three spirits — "victims of evil who were not content to gracefully die" — named Bloody Knee, Chaka, and Chastity. Chase spent six months with them, enduring incredible physical and spiritual trials. He emerged with new powers and
Adrian Chase - Misplaced Pages Continue
3808-483: Is capable of dying if the injuries are severe enough. As described by comics critic Donald D. Markstein , upon his introduction Vigilante represented a familiar trope in American comics: By the 1980s, the guy working in law enforcement, who becomes a superhero because he doesn't want to deal with the silly legal impediments that hamper the pursuit of justice was old hat. Not only had readers seen endless iterations of
3927-604: Is established as being in an alternate universe where the Flash helps Kara fight the Silver Banshee and Livewire in exchange for her help in returning home. The events of the episode intersect with the events of the eighteenth episode of The Flash season two, "Versus Zoom". The crossover required "a lot more logistical trickery" than the usual Arrowverse crossovers, due to Gustin filming The Flash in Vancouver alongside Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow , while Supergirl
4046-406: Is set on Earth-X. The 2019 crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths", inspired by the comic of the same name , destroyed all of the universes within the Arrowverse multiverse, both on- and off-screen. At the time, the highest-numbered universe to be referenced was Earth-898, (later 1938) though the multiverse contained an infinite number of universes. The end of "Crisis on Infinite Earths" saw
4165-517: Is tormented over the justice of his actions and the pain brought to others. Chase flirted with abandoning his Vigilante identity after he savagely beat an ex-convict who turned out to be innocent. Eventually, Chase abandons his Vigilante identity, believing that he could be both more effective and happier as a judge. But during his absence, the Vigilante identity was assumed by two of his friends (fellow judge Alan Welles and then bailiff Dave Winston respectively) without his knowledge. After Wells kills
4284-655: The 2019–20 television season . On March 6, 2019, it was announced that the eighth season of Arrow would be the final season of the series, with an abbreviated ten-episode season. On May 7, The CW ordered Batwoman to series. Discussing a potential Black Lightning crossover with the Arrowverse in July 2019, Cress Williams revealed that "there's been lots of talk [...] nothing official, but at this point, I wouldn't be surprised." Two weeks later in August, Williams confirmed reports that characters from Black Lightning would appear in "Crisis on Infinite Earths". Also in August, it
4403-442: The Arrowverse franchise: Arrow , The Flash , Supergirl , Legends of Tomorrow , Black Lightning , and Batwoman . All series in total amount to 699 episodes across 37 seasons of television. Billionaire playboy Oliver Queen returns home after being stranded on a deserted island for five years. Upon his return to Starling City , Oliver rekindles his relationships and spends his nights hunting down wealthy criminals as
4522-591: The Batwoman characters in this crossover after she "was really protective of them in 'Crisis' because it was like blowing open a whole genre world to our characters, but now people are a little bit more integrated" to the larger Arrowverse. In August 2020, Berlanti reiterated that "aspirations aren't quite as large" for the crossover, particularly with the COVID-19 pandemic necessitating additional safety precautions and guidelines for filming. However, by January 2021,
4641-465: The Black Canary stops him during their argument. The Black Canary then realizes what the Green Arrow did; thus, the Electrocutioner III escapes from the Green Arrow's attempt to bring him down. Although the Electrocutioner III was defeated and horrifically injured by Speedy , the Green Arrow's arrival convinces Speedy that killing is not the answer and the two archers take him into custody. Once
4760-525: The DC Universe , all minor enemies of the superhero Batman . The first Electrocutioner (known only as Buchinsky) appeared in Batman #331 (January 1981) and was created by writers Marv Wolfman and Michael Fleisher and artist Irv Novick . The Electrocutioner II first appeared in Detective Comics #626 (February 1991) and was created by Wolfman and artist Jim Aparo . Lester Buchinsky,
4879-645: The Rise and Fall storyline, the Green Arrow is still hunting the Electrocutioner III and those who worked with Prometheus ; keeping secret his murder of the man as the rest of the Justice League tries to track him down. The Green Arrow confronts the Electrocutioner III, who set off the device that devastated Star City in Justice League: Cry for Justice . He was close to killing the man when
Adrian Chase - Misplaced Pages Continue
4998-579: The Spectre mantle, Jim Corrigan appeared briefly on Earth, stating that the efforts of Chase and other heroes in Purgatory had earned an appeal in the shining city. It was revealed that Adrian is the brother of Dorian Chase . As the Vigilante, Adrian Chase is a superb hand-to-hand combatant & a brilliant marksman. He also possesses the ability to heal quickly and regenerate his body from injuries as serious as stabbings or gunshot wounds, although he
5117-508: The Torpedo , as the fight progressed, it moved off the street and into a house, only to come to an abrupt estop when the owner of the house a mother who was protecting her kids screamed that DD and the Torpedo were destroying her home, the two heroes looked at the damaged around them and realized that their thoughtless aggression had real world consequences...years passed I moved back to DC and
5236-439: The Arrowverse multiverse; Shipp reprised his role as Barry Allen / The Flash from the 1990 series in the annual crossover events " Elseworlds " (2018), and " Crisis on Infinite Earths " (2019). His native universe was designated Earth-90 in the pre-Crisis multiverse. By May 2015, Amell had had discussions with DC Entertainment about portraying Queen on NBC ' s Constantine , starring Matt Ryan ; saying, "The reason that I
5355-597: The Arrowverse's longest crossover, and that the five parts would not air on consecutive nights, as with previous crossovers. Instead, three episodes would air in December 2019 and two in January 2020. It would also include Batwoman and Legends , which were not part of the "Elseworlds" crossover. In January 2019, Batwoman received a pilot pick-up from the CW. On January 31, 2019, the four series already running on The CW were confirmed for further seasons, carrying them through
5474-408: The Arrowverse's name, that fans and the media would not "suddenly start" using the name, and if The CW kept using the term, could "lead to a situation where the universe is called one thing officially, but another entirely by the majority of people who watch it". In May 2021, when discussing the 2021–22 season of shows, Pedowitz referred to the series as the "CWverse". Six television series make up
5593-574: The Arrowverse, but because a lot of the other shows are sadly no longer going to be on the air, it felt like the right thing to do." In April 2015, to celebrate the season three finale of Arrow and season one finale of The Flash , The CW released a short promo titled "Superhero Fight Club". The short features characters from Arrow and The Flash battling each other in a hero vs. villain showdown. Characters include The Arrow, Flash, Arsenal , Black Canary , Dark Archer , Reverse-Flash, Captain Cold , Heat Wave , Firestorm , Ra's al Ghul , and Atom in
5712-480: The Arrowverse, that were slowly removed. Once they were, it "became a can of worms" to try to tie into the universe, with Helbing discussing with DC during the first season that the series would instead be on an alternate earth, which he could not reveal publicly until the end of the second season, which concluded in June 2022. At that time he said, "I totally understand DC's position... This wasn't meant to alienate us from
5831-410: The Arrowverse. He said the two were the same character with "the same DNA", and likened each appearance to that of different comic book writers and artists working with the character: "He has the same outline, but he looks different. The hair is slightly different. He has a slightly different cadence sometimes. Different artists and different writers write him in different ways." Ryan also noted that while
5950-568: The CW officially confirmed DC's Legends of Tomorrow for a January 2016 premiere. Pedowitz later stated, "There is no intention, at this point, to spin anything else off" to add to the universe, though after Vixen was renewed for a second season he said, "Hopefully, that character could actually spin itself out, if not, maybe join as one of the Legends" in Legends of Tomorrow . In October, additional Arrow showrunner Wendy Mericle revealed that
6069-535: The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) in "Crisis on Infinite Earths" opened up more possibilities for crossovers between the DC films and Arrowverse. DC Films president Walter Hamada revealed prior to "Crisis", DC had been structured in a way that the television division had to clear the use of characters with the film division. Now, the company could "really lean into this idea of [the multiverse] and acknowledge
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#17327943781716188-493: The Electrocutioner III awoke from his coma , Roy Harper vowed revenge. He broke into the jail and killed the Electrocutioner III, despite the Green Arrow's protests. All of the Electrocutioners wore a special costume lined with built-in circuitry that allows them to project bolts of electricity for either stunning or killing their targets. They even have expertise in weaponry. An unidentified Electrocutioner makes
6307-497: The Electrocutioner III, first appeared in Detective Comics #644 (May 1992) and was created by writer Chuck Dixon and artists Tom Lyle and Scott Hanna. Buchinsky (first name unknown) is a self-appointed executioner of criminals in Gotham City who uses an electrically charged suit and goes by the name "Electrocutioner". Batman has three encounters with him. In the first, the Electrocutioner murders killer Mike Caine; in
6426-565: The God of War " and " Daddy Darhkest ", with the appearance taking place chronologically after "Haunted", revisiting the setting of Arrow ' s fourth season and the events following that season's final episode. Klemmer described the tone of the episodes as " The Exorcist meets One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest ". Ryan was made a series regular for the fourth season of Legends of Tomorrow . Jesse Schedeen of IGN felt in October 2018 that none of
6545-469: The Vigilante role. Eventually, Chase becomes ever more conflicted over the violence he engaged in and the harm he has caused to those around him. He also becomes increasingly mentally unstable — alternating between bouts of enraged violence, paranoia and terrible remorse for his actions, even resorting to murdering innocent police officers who get in his way. His mounting guilt culminates in Chase contemplating
6664-406: The actor cast as Raymond "Ray" Terrill would appear in the live-action series, much like Mari McCabe / Vixen. In May 2017, The CW ordered Black Lightning to series. The series had previously been in development at Fox , at which point Berlanti had stated Black Lightning would not crossover with his other DC Comics television properties on The CW, nor would it exist in the Arrowverse. With
6783-459: The animated web series Vixen in 2015. The franchise further expanded in January 2016 with the debut of Legends of Tomorrow , starring characters who previously appeared on both Arrow and The Flash . Later that year, the CBS series Supergirl , having already crossed over with The Flash , moved to The CW for the remainder of its run. A second animated web series, Freedom Fighters: The Ray ,
6902-407: The animated web series, Freedom Fighters: The Ray , and featured characters and concepts from that series. The 2018–19 crossover, " Elseworlds ", included Supergirl , The Flash , and Arrow and saw the introduction of Batwoman ahead of her debut in her own series. At the end of "Elseworlds", it was revealed that the 2019–20 television season crossover would be " Crisis on Infinite Earths ",
7021-437: The chance to extend Matt Ryan's run as Constantine by at least one more hour of television. I think you'll see he fits very neatly into our universe. It never feels forced". In July 2017, Guggenheim indicated that "really good conversations" had taken place with Ryan to appear again in the Arrowverse, and in October 2017, it was revealed that Ryan would appear in two episodes of the third season of Legends of Tomorrow , " Beebo
7140-470: The character Green Arrow and developed by Andrew Kreisberg , Greg Berlanti , and Marc Guggenheim . Stephen Amell was cast in the titular role. When developing the series, Guggenheim said that the creative team wanted to "chart [their] own course, [their] own destiny", and avoid any direct connections to the series Smallville , which featured its own Green Arrow ( Justin Hartley ). In July 2013, it
7259-425: The character debuted in the " Elseworlds " crossover event. The series, if picked up, would be written by Caroline Dries , with plans to air in 2019. In August, Ruby Rose was cast as Kate Kane / Batwoman. In December, it was announced that " Crisis on Infinite Earths " would be the fifth annual crossover, following the "Elseworlds" crossover. Further details explained that "Crisis" would run for five hours, marking
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#17327943781717378-548: The character's Arrowverse appearances thus far "really directly reference the events of the Constantine series, leaving it up in the air as to whether this John Constantine is the same character from that series or if Ryan is merely playing a different, very similar version of his character." In November 2018, Ryan spoke to the relationship between the character seen in the NBC series and the one seen on Legends of Tomorrow and in
7497-418: The comic book crossover event series Earth-Prime was released. The six-issue event features five issues focusing on each current series ( Batwoman , Superman & Lois , Legends of Tomorrow , Stargirl , and The Flash , respectively) with the sixth issue being a crossover between the series. Actors, writers, and executives from each of the series were involved in their creations, with the stories approved by
7616-465: The course of his life and then committing suicide. Before his death, he frequently battled Cannon and Saber and Electrocutioner . Chase appeared in the Day of Judgment limited series, as one of the dead heroes in Purgatory. He and the others run interference, battling the guardians of the realm, so other living heroes can escape with the soul of Hal Jordan . When the crisis concluded with Jordan assuming
7735-402: The creation of a new multiverse, most notably the new Earth-Prime, a world featuring inhabitants from the pre-Crisis Earth-1, Earth-38, and Black Lightning ' s Earth, combining all of the CW series at the time and moving forward with all of them on one fictional earth. Six additional Earths within this new multiverse were revealed in the crossover. Ezra Miller 's cameo as Barry Allen from
7854-464: The crossover episodes "fun" and said positively that "too much happened that was unrelated to one show or the other – and that's a good thing. While the crossover episodes were definitely open to new viewers of either The Flash or Arrow (or both, presumably), with each episode wrapped up tidily by the end of its hour, plenty of show-specific plot stuff was advanced without spelling it out for newbies. New viewers to either show could follow along and have
7973-419: The crossover was no longer moving forward because of the pandemic, with Dries explaining they could not have the crews of each series interact for fear of COVID-19 exposure. In December 2020, David Ramsey was revealed to be reprising his role of John Diggle on Superman & Lois , Supergirl , The Flash , and Batwoman , as well as on Legends of Tomorrow as "a historical Western character". Ramsey directed
8092-479: The dead villains: when he sent them through the portal, it turned out to be an entrance to Hell . The second Electrocutioner used a red costume rigged to generate a lethal electrical shock against criminals (including Cannon and Saber), and ran afoul of Batman, who disapproved of his extreme justice. His real name was never revealed. Lester Buchinsky is the brother of the original Electrocutioner. Originally fighting for justice just like his brother, he later became
8211-456: The debut of The Flash . The next year, the eighth episodes of the third season of Arrow and the first season of The Flash formed a two-part event known as " Flash vs. Arrow ". In January 2015, The CW president Mark Pedowitz said that there would be an Arrowverse crossover every season. In the 2015–16 television season , a two-part event, " Heroes Join Forces " between the eighth episodes of
8330-455: The detriment of the other shows involved." Walker felt that audiences knowing which characters would appear in Legends , and how, took "the thrill out of the story" of the other series as such information spoiled some of their upcoming plot twists, including the resurrection of Sara Lance or the fact that Ray Palmer "could never really pose a threat to Oliver [Queen] and Felicity [Smoak]'s relationship, or run Palmer Technologies long term, since it
8449-508: The episodes of Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl he starred in. According to Superman & Lois showrunner Todd Helbing, Ramsey's return was originally conceived as a five-episode story across the various series that was "pretty cool". However, because of the production difficulties that arose from the COVID-19 pandemic, his appearances were adjusted since it would have been "impossible to make it make sense", though there would still be
8568-427: The episodes would "not quite be a crossover, but it will have a crossover-type feel". The Flash showrunner Eric Wallace noted that these event episodes were meant to be a temporary replacement for the yearly crossovers because of the various COVID-19 production protocols, saying, "we want to deliver the same feeling to the audience [with the event episodes] that you would get with a crossover kind of story". In 2022,
8687-615: The fact there can be a Flash on TV and one in the movies, and you don't have to pick one or the other, and they both exist in this multiverse." Berlanti agreed, feeling that "moving forward, there's more opportunity to do more things like this". In February 2021, Casey Bloys, chief content officer for HBO and HBO Max , indicated that DC and WarnerMedia were working to ensure the creative decisions for their shows on HBO Max and The CW, as well as their films, were aware of each other "so that there's nobody overlapping" and everything worked to make sense together. Bloys added everything would exist in
8806-431: The five series running on The CW ( The Flash , Supergirl , Legends of Tomorrow , Batwoman , and Black Lightning ) were confirmed for further seasons, carrying them through the 2020–21 television season . Superman & Lois was also ordered to series. At the end of "Crisis on Infinite Earths", the new Earth-Prime was formed, which saw Black Lightning ' s earth merge with the former Earth-1 and Earth-38, creating
8925-428: The fourth season of Arrow and the second season of The Flash was used to set up a new team-up series, Legends of Tomorrow . For the 2016–17 television season , the " Invasion! " crossover included The Flash , Arrow , and Legends of Tomorrow , with the event beginning at the end of Supergirl . A true four-part crossover occurred in the 2017–18 television season with " Crisis on Earth-X ", which also tied into
9044-605: The fourth season of Legends of Tomorrow mentions the Astra storyline from the NBC series, it would not explore the Brujeria storyline, though Constantine "still carries that baggage around with him". Although initially conceived as a spin-off of Supergirl with many of the cast in the universe reprising their roles, the series' second-season finale established it as set in an adjacent universe. Showrunner Todd Helbing explained his initial pilot script included multiple references to
9163-469: The goal of the next crossover was to "return to the roots" of the Arrowverse crossovers. In May 2020, Pedowitz revealed the crossover would be two hours, occurring on episodes of Batwoman and Superman & Lois , with an expected air date in Q1/Q2 of 2021. Pedowitz added that the event would also see other Arrowverse characters appear. Batwoman showrunner Caroline Dries was excited to integrate more of
9282-700: The idea of a law abiding district attorney named Adrian Chase, who was really good at his job but kept having his court victories overturned on minor technicalities due to a corrupt legal system" Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez , Adrian Chase first appeared in his civilian identity in The New Teen Titans #23 (September 1982), before debuting as Vigilante in The New Teen Titans Annual #2 (August 1983). Chase later appeared in his own Vigilante series, initially written by Wolfman. Paul Kupperberg took over as
9401-413: The latter, in addition to continuing storylines from the former series. In 2023, the franchise concluded with the ninth and final season of The Flash. The 2018 and 2019 crossovers, " Elseworlds " and "Crisis on Infinite Earths", saw multiple DC television series and films retroactively added to the franchise's multiverse. "Crisis on Infinite Earths" also rebooted the multiverse, with Supergirl joining
9520-449: The live-action series of the Arrowverse have taken place, beginning with " Flash vs. Arrow " in 2014 and concluding with " Crisis on Infinite Earths " between 2019 and 2020. Additionally, Matt Ryan has reprised his role as John Constantine from the NBC series Constantine , initially in guest appearances in episodes of Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow , before becoming a series regular for
9639-433: The main universe of Arrow , The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow , and would continue to exist in a parallel universe. The Earth the Supergirl series inhabits is Earth-38 in the broader multiverse, and has been informally referred to as "Earth-CBS" by Guggenheim, named for the network where Supergirl first aired. In August, the CW announced the animated web-series Freedom Fighters: The Ray for CW Seed, intending that
9758-417: The move to The CW, Pedowitz said the series "at this time, is not part of the Arrowverse. It is a separate situation." Showrunners Salim Akil later clarified that they were not ruling out eventual crossovers, but wanted to establish the series and its own world first. In July 2018, it was revealed that the CW was developing a script for a potential series centered on Batwoman , intending to launch it after
9877-430: The network in 2021, which featured the name "The CWverse" in it. Many outlets felt the change was due to Arrow having ended and the character no longer a part of the shared universe. However, Matt Webb Mitovich of TVLine felt that with the inclusion of Stargirl in the trailer, which exists on a parallel earth to the Arrowverse, the name was perhaps a way to discuss all of the superhero series airing on network at
9996-420: The other live-action series on a new Earth-Prime along with the series Black Lightning , which had been separate up to this point. The franchise has been successful, creating a large fandom around the world, and has received positive reviews; critics have praised the themes, acting, action sequences, direction and character development. In January 2012, The CW ordered a pilot for Arrow , revolving around
10115-486: The pieces are in place, except for that one final piece, which is what's the fate of Constantine ? That's the tricky thing. But it comes up in the writers' room constantly—we have a number of ideas, one idea that's particularly exciting to me. We're in a little bit of a wait-and-see mode". In July 2015, Mericle added on the subject, "It's something we've been talking to DC about and it's just a question of some political things, but also [Ryan]'s schedule." In August 2015, it
10234-476: The powers of animals, using them to fight as Vixen to stop threats like those that claimed her family. Raymond "Ray" Terrill is a reporter who gains light-based powers after being exposed to a genetic light bomb. Ray discovers the bomb in his investigation of a secret government project attempting to harness the power of light and weaponize it. The Ray is a member of the Freedom Fighters on Earth-X,
10353-477: The premiere of Legends of Tomorrow , Screen Rant's Alice Walker discussed how the series "has hurt Arrow and The Flash ", noting that the latter required minimal setup when it was spun-off from the former and had an element of mystery surrounding its quality with "a "wait and see" attitude" from audiences, while Legends was instead met with much excitement long before its release leading to each piece of news concerning it being "publicized and met with fanfare – to
10472-433: The producers and considered in-canon to the series. The Batwoman issue, released on April 5, was written by show writers Natalie Abrams and Kelly Larson, and actor Camrus Johnson, with art by Clayton Henry. The Superman & Lois issue, released on April 19, was written by show writers Adam Mallinger, Jai Jamison, and Andrew Wong, with art by Tom Grummett and Norm Rapmund. The Legends of Tomorrow issue, released on May 3,
10591-505: The producers for replicating the success of Arrow but with "a lighter tone" and "a hero with genuine super powers" in The Flash , and calling the crossover an appropriate moment for everyone concerned to take a short but well-deserved victory lap." Lowry also said that the crossover "does a nifty job of bringing the two series together, although probably not in a manner likely to boost the shared audience between them much more than already exists." Meredith Borders at Birth.Movies.Death. called
10710-540: The producers had begun having someone track all the characters and plots used by each series, in order to make sure everything lines up, but the following April, The Flash executive producer Aaron Helbing noted that "sometimes the schedules don't line up exactly...and that stuff is out of our control", such as when Barry was shown using his abilities on Arrow , while not having them the same week on The Flash . In January 2016, Tassler's successor Glenn Geller said "I have to be really careful what I say here" in regards to
10829-401: The promo "Suit Up", featuring the various heroes putting on their costumes in order to promote the return of Arrow , The Flash , Legends of Tomorrow , and Supergirl from their first mid-season break, as well as the premiere of Black Lightning . After the first Arrow / Flash crossover, Brian Lowry of Variety talked about the spin-off series and the crossover, applauding
10948-423: The promo could exclusively be viewed initially. The new Superhero Fight Club sees Green Arrow, Flash, Atom, Firestorm, White Canary , and Supergirl go up against a new fight simulator created by Cisco Ramon and Felicity Smoak , while John Diggle and Martian Manhunter observe. After defeating the simulator, Cisco releases Gorilla Grodd into the arena for the heroes to face. In January 2018, The CW released
11067-411: The same universe as Arrow and The Flash , and in January 2015, The CW president Mark Pedowitz revealed that he was also open to a crossover among the series and networks. However, CBS president Nina Tassler stated that month that, "those two shows are on a different network. So I think we'll keep Supergirl to ourselves for a while." In August 2015, Tassler revealed that while there were no plans at
11186-581: The same way he'd dealt with others. In the 50th issue (Feb 1988), he brought his series to a close by shooting himself dead. Arrowverse The Arrowverse is an American superhero media franchise and shared universe that is centered on various interconnected television series based on DC Comics superhero characters, primarily airing on The CW as well as web series on CW Seed . The series were developed by Greg Berlanti , Marc Guggenheim , Andrew Kreisberg , Geoff Johns , Ali Adler , Phil Klemmer , Salim Akil , and Caroline Dries . Set in
11305-475: The second, Batman rescues Dane Whitney; in the third, the Electrocutioner falls through a window, grips a metal railing, and shocks himself so that he lets go and plunges off a cliff into the river below. The Electrocutioner later goes to Manhattan . He encounters two muggers in Central Park and attacks them with lethal doses of electricity from his gauntlets. The Vigilante , meanwhile, continues to cut
11424-477: The series writer with issue #21 (Sept. 1985), scripting it until the series' conclusion with issue #50. Adrian Chase was a New York City district attorney working in partnership with the resident superhero team, the Teen Titans . Tragically, his wife Doris Chase and their two children are killed by a bomb meant for Adrian, planted at the direction of mob boss Anthony Scarapelli. Shortly afterward, Chase
11543-603: The streets of Gotham as Batwoman and becoming their symbol of hope. From the second season onward, after Kate's plane mysteriously crashes and she is believed to be dead, Ryan Wilder takes up the mantle of Batwoman . Two television series make up the Arrowverse web series franchise: Vixen , and Freedom Fighters: The Ray . All series in total amount to 24 episodes across four seasons of television. After her parents were killed in Africa by local corruption, Mari McCabe inherits her family's Tantu Totem, gaining
11662-649: The theme (such as the Black Hood , the Blue Beetle and the Woman in Red ) — it had also become recognized, even within that simplistic, action-oriented genre, that greater injustice results when such restraints are removed. Markstein continued: Writer... Wolfman... and artist... Pérez... were fully aware of the ramifications when they introduced the character.... That's why Vigilante was the first such character in which
11781-515: The three remaining series that were not set to conclude at the time ( The Flash , Legends of Tomorrow and Batwoman ) were confirmed for further seasons, carrying them through the 2021–22 television season . In March 2021, Superman & Lois was renewed for a second season. In January 2022, Justice U was in development from Michael Narducci and Zoanne Clack. It would star David Ramsey reprising his role as John Diggle, in which Diggle recruits five young meta humans to live undercover as freshmen at
11900-481: The tie, the shirt...the whole wardrobe is being taken out for [ sic ] storage and shipped up to Vancouver [where Arrow shoots]." John Badham , a director on Constantine , directed the episode that Constantine appears in. Mericle confirmed that this version of Constantine would be the same character that had appeared in Constantine . On filming the episode, Guggenheim referred to it as "a Constantine / Arrow crossover" and felt that "we got
12019-402: The time to do story crossovers, the three series would have crossover promotions. In January 2015, the CW announced that an animated web-series featuring the DC heroine Vixen would debut on CW Seed in late 2015 and be set in the same universe as both Arrow and The Flash . Amell and Gustin would reprise their respective roles in the series, and the character of Vixen was expected to make
12138-425: The time. Mitovich also pointed out the term had been used a year prior in a similar trailer, which had featured the Arrowverse series plus Black Lightning , which was not part of the universe at that time. Jake Abbate of SuperHeroHype also referred to the name as encompassing the "programming block" of superhero shows on the network. Daniel Gillespie from Screen Rant felt if this was The CW's attempt to change
12257-457: The true consequences of such behavior were explored.... Vigilante meted out a great deal of justice — but also, through his ruthless disregard for the legal safeguards that protect us all, innocent and guilty, from simply being railroaded into prison whenever authorities suspect we may have committed a crime — a great deal of the opposite. But Adrian was, at his core, an honest man. When he realized he'd become what he most hated, he dealt with himself
12376-436: The two shows; it now had to serve the much larger purpose of setting up an entirely new world." Walker stated that the premiere of Legends "means that Arrow and The Flash can finally stop dedicating so much time and plot to laying the groundwork for the spin-off, and start focusing on the fundamentals of their own shows again." Electrocutioner The Electrocutioner is an alias used by three fictional characters in
12495-409: The war against Godspeed. Cecile Horton tells Diggle she senses pain in his head from an infinite presence, and during a fight, Diggle has a dizzy spell and collapses to the ground, hearing the repeated phrase "worlds await". He leaves Central City soon after. Finally, Diggle heads to National City to help Kelly Olsen with her decision to become the new Guardian, telling her he had an opportunity to become
12614-480: The world and time itself. High school principal Jefferson Pierce, who retired from his superhero persona Black Lightning nine years ago after seeing the effects it had on his family, is forced to become a vigilante again when the rise of the local gang called The 100 led by Tobias Whale leads to increased crime and corruption in his community of Freeland. After the disappearance of Batman, Kate Kane must overcome her own demons before being able to protect
12733-406: Was also announced that Supergirl would appear on Arrow , The Flash , and Legends of Tomorrow during the 2016–17 season crossover episodes, though Guggenheim cautioned that "She is going to be coming over but we're not going to do a full on Supergirl crossover". Kreisberg also confirmed that, despite the series moving to The CW, the title character's universe would not be integrated into Earth-1,
12852-414: Was announced that The Flash would be concluding with its upcoming ninth season, which also acted as the conclusion of the Arrowverse, due to Superman & Lois having been confirmed to take place in an adjacent universe. In May 2023, The CW officially passed on Justice U . The Arrowverse concluded with the series finale of The Flash , " A New World, Part Four ", on May 24, 2023. In August 2015, in
12971-475: Was announced that Berlanti, Kreisberg, and Geoff Johns would be creating a spin-off television series based on The Flash . The character, played by Grant Gustin , was set to appear in three episodes of Arrow ' s second season. The third episode was supposed to act as a backdoor pilot for the new series, but a traditional pilot was eventually ordered instead. In November 2014, Berlanti expressed interest in making his CBS series Supergirl exist in
13090-419: Was confirmed that Ryan would appear in Arrow ' s fourth-season episode " Haunted " for a "one-time-only-deal". Guggenheim said, "This is something the fans were clamoring for," praising DC for being so "magnanimous and generous in giving us this one-time dispensation." Due to Arrow and Constantine sharing the same studio, the producers of Arrow were able to use Ryan's original outfits: "The trench coat,
13209-658: Was described by Helbing as "more of a one-off" while still touching on the overall story thematically. Ramsey appeared in " Rebirth " on Batwoman , " Stressed Western " on Legends of Tomorrow , " P.O.W. " on The Flash , " Through the Valley of Death " on Superman & Lois , and " Blind Spots " on Supergirl . While in Gotham City for a neurological exam, Diggle crosses paths with Luke Fox and gives him some advice. Diggle then assists Team Flash in Central City with
13328-479: Was going to guest star on Constantine ...was [Constantine's] an expert when it comes to the Lazarus Pit, which is now something that is a part of and will continue to be a part of Arrow ." Amell stated that, even though Constantine was not renewed for a second season, a crossover "was and is still on the table". Guggenheim revealed a desire to integrate John Constantine into the Arrowverse, saying, "A lot of
13447-480: Was produced in Los Angeles . The producers chose to use the Flash as the character to crossover, due to his ability to travel between various Earths, and because it was "a little more fun at first to bring the veteran from that show to the chemistry of a new show." Berlanti stated that "in a perfect world", the crossover would have featured both Gustin and Amell's Green Arrow, "but logistically that would have been
13566-501: Was released in 2017, which followed Ray Terrill / The Ray , who would make a live-action appearance during that year's crossover event " Crisis on Earth-X ". In addition to the live-action and web-based series, the franchise has spawned three promotional tie-in live-action web series: Blood Rush , Chronicles of Cisco and The Flash: Stretched Scenes ; released in 2013, 2016 and 2017 respectively. A fifth series, Batwoman , premiered in 2019. Six ensemble crossover events involving many of
13685-589: Was reported that another untitled spin-off has been plotted. In September 2019, it was reported that The CW was developing a female led spin-off series with Katherine McNamara , Katie Cassidy and Juliana Harkavy as the leads. The following month, Marc Guggenheim released an image indicating Green Arrow and the Canaries as a potential name for the show. The same month, a Superman & Lois spinoff series entered development with Tyler Hoechlin and Elizabeth Tulloch reprising their roles as Clark Kent / Superman and Lois Lane from Supergirl . In January 2020,
13804-480: Was sent to Earth from Krypton as a 13-year-old and taken in by the Danvers family, must learn to embrace her powers after previously hiding them. After an unexpected disaster, Kara is forced to reveal her powers, and becomes National City 's protector. Rip Hunter travels back in time to the present day where he brings together a team of heroes and villains in an attempt to prevent Vandal Savage from destroying
13923-408: Was widely known that he would be a huge part of Legends ." Additionally, the annual Arrow / The Flash crossover suffered from also trying to set up Legends , which was "too much to ask from the already crowded storylines and ended up feeling like an exercise in synchronicity, with producers planting more seeds than they could reap. The crossover event was no longer a fun way to contrast
14042-422: Was writing The New Teen Tians and for some reason I kept thinking about that story and as a result I decided that I wanted to explore the theme of real world consequences for super heroic action as the basis of an entire series rather than just a few panels at the end of a single story. I wanted to deconstruct the clichés of superhero comics and their fight scenes in a long form narrative...To that end, I put together
14161-612: Was written by show writers Lauren Fields and Daniel Park, with art by Paul Pelletier and Andrew Hennessy. The Stargirl issue, released on May 17, was written by show writers James Robinson and Paula Sevenbergen, with art by Jerry Ordway . The 2019 crossover event "Crisis on Infinite Earths" incorporated several DC Entertainment properties into the Arrowverse multiverse, including those that had already been established in previous series and crossovers. The new properties that appeared in "Crisis on Infinite Earths" included: By November 2019, Guggenheim, Berlanti, and Pedowitz had discussed what
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