Warning: Spoilers for Green Arrow #17 aheadfrom Green Arrow role in DC Absolute power crossover was controversial but critical, with lasting repercussions on his relationship with the Justice League. But Green Arrow isn’t the only hero to pull off such maneuvers, and when Batman tries to report him for his behavior, Green Arrow throws Batman’s own actions back in his face with an absolutely brutal nickname this emphasizes how far Green Arrow would have to go to reach Batman’s level.
Green Arrow #17, by Chris Condon, Joshua Williamson, Montos, Amancay Nahuelpan, Adriano Lucas and Romulo Fajardo Jr., deals with the consequences of Absolute powerand Green Arrow’s role as a double sleeper agent against Amanda Waller. Although most of the Justice League are willing to forgive him for initially selling them to Waller, Batman is much more reticent to trust again and calls on Green Arrow for not discussing your plan beforehand.
“Yes, well. Next time, Mr. Failsafe,” Green Arrow retorts, throwing Batman’s own secret countermeasures – the Failsafe robot and its disastrous reign of terror – right in his face.
What Green Arrow’s Insult Means for Batman’s Post-Absolute Power Reputation
“Mr. Failsafe” perfectly describes Batman’s exaggerated contingencies
Failsafe first appeared in Batman #125, revealed to be a robot that Batman created as a countermeasure for himself if he violated his no-killing rule. Influenced by Batman’s sadistic “Zur-En-Arrh” personality, Failsafe quickly grew out of control, taking control of all of Gotham before Batman was able to take her down. Even so, Failsafe and Zur-En-Arrh would eventually merge into a single entity, becoming Amanda Waller’s second-in-command and feeding her vital information about DC’s superhero community in the prequel to Absolute power.
Failsafe is an incredibly powerful build, programmed with built-in countermeasures for virtually every scenario – including the Justice League. Batman #128 showcases the full power of Failsafe as he completely neutralizes a Justice League strike team of Superman, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Black Canary and Hawkgirl, using their weaknesses to shut down each hero before bringing Gotham under law martial. Being able to stop Failsafe once was a miracle; his return under the command of Amanda Waller resulted in the events of Absolute power largely unstoppable.
Our take on the traitor’s new rivalry ‘Green Arrow vs Batman’
Green Arrow’s betrayal doesn’t hold a candle Failsafe’s reign of terror
There are strong parallels between Green Arrow and Failsafe, with each of them joining Amanda Waller’s side during Absolute power. However, Green Arrow betrays the Justice League to sabotage Waller at a critical moment; on the other hand, Failsafe is Batman’s entire paranoid contingency gone rogue. Although Green Arrow was willing to sacrifice every personal relationship he had to defeat Waller, Failsafe remains Batman’s greatest weapon against himself and the Justice League – a weapon that has found a common purpose with Waller’s goals.
The comparison between Green Arrow’s betrayal and Batman’s Failsafe robot is a fascinating reflection on the differences between Batman and Green Arrow. Both heroes are billionaires with no superpowers beyond their gadgets and abilities, but Green Arrow has earned a reputation as an anti-authority rebel, while Batman is famous for his dangerous contingency plans and need for constant control. “Mr. Failsafe” is a brutal roast reminiscent of Batman this while Green Arrow temporarily worked against the Justice League for a greater cause, his actions are nothing compared to Batman secretly building a machine that almost destroyed the League twice.
Green Arrow #17 is now available from DC Comics.