Oliver Queen's Bucket List

[skjam]

Have you ever contemplated what you would do if you were diagnosed with lethal radiation poisoning?

Here's a look at how Green Arrow answered that question, in "The World's Three Most Dangerous Arrows", reprinted in The Brave and the Bold #113, originally appearing in Adventure Comics in 1956. 2 2/3rds pages of eight.






We open with Oliver Queen and Roy Harper taking off their shirts (no nipples) to participate in the annual community x-ray drive. As they do so, Ollie smacks his watch against a cupboard handle, breaking the crystal. He decides to get it fixed later.

That night, Green Arrow and Speedy are called in by the Arrowsignal to capture jewel thieves who've hijacked a truck. When they attempt to board the vehicle, the driver slams on the brakes, sending GA hurtling to the ground.



Fortunately, 50s era Green Arrow was less heterosexual than Batman, so there's no women to worry about telling. Instead, GA goes to a safe in the Arrowcave, one labeled ""DANGER! Never remove the contents of this safe! Green Arrow." Which brings up the question of who this sign is meant to warn, but whatever. Inside are the Electronic Arrow, which will electrocute the archer, the Satellite Arrow, which will kill the one who fires it with a jetstream, and the Super-Boomerang Arrow, which doubles in speed as it returns to the place it was fired from, making it nearly impossible to dodge. Since he's dying anyway, GA thinks this is a good time to try out these dangerous missiles.

Oh wait, a radio message comes in--there's been a mistake, and Green Arrow's x-rays have been mixed up with another person. GA is pleased to learn that he won't have to follow through on the tests...



Sadly, the skycar turns out not to be Plastic Man in disguise.

Green Arrow and Speedy show up, and GA prepares to use the Electronic Arrow. He uses his feet to launch it, and his insulated boots prevent injury from the discharge. It causes an EMP, making the skycar grind to a halt. The crooks are forced to flee empty-handed.

But GA isn't satisfied with that, he wants the criminals in custody before he dies. So he rigs up a "remote-control" firing setup for the Satellite Arrow, staying well out of its jetstream. It contains a small TV camera, with a miniature receiver controlled by Speedy. The crooks have split up, paired around the corner, and then in the next street. Green Arrow can hit both groups with the Super-Boomerang Arrow, but what about its fatal drawback? He fires, and the arrow disarms the first pair of robbers...



What a twist!



Your thoughts and comments?

Suggested tags

char: Green Arrow/Oliver Queen
char: Speedy/Roy Harper
creator: George Papp
era: Silver Age
publisher: DC Comics
title: The Brave and the Bold

Comments

[inexpediency]

I've never read any 50s Green Arrow. He's kind of adorable.

[skjam]

There's a Green Arrow Showcase that covers the tail end of this period and up to the point where he started wearing a beard.

[megami18]

I love how it was "merely" some radium that rubbed off a watch. Nice.

Also, I love GA here. I guess this era is where the version in Batman: The Brave and the Bold was inspired from.

[skjam]

The radium paint of a watch was much diluted, and would not have poisoned a person with radiation sickness nearly as much (plus it could be washed off.)

And yes, this version is more or less the one B:TBaB uses--though in the comics of the time period, they never crossed paths with Batman or any of the three other active superheroes.

[jkcarrier]

True...it was the people working in the watch factories who were really screwed: http://www.roger-russell.com/jeffers/radiumdials.htm

[keeva]

... this is about the time that Green Arrow thought he had testicular cancer or something, isn't it?

[icon_uk]

So how DID you get the small radium burn on THAT part of your body?

"Well, we were time travelling (remembering that the Green Arrow motto is "If it's good enough for Batman, then it's quite good enough for me") and happened to meet with Madame Curie in 19th Century France and, well, one thing led to another and...."

[ar_feiniel]

I like the boxing glove arrows, lol.

[q99]

The Superboomerang arrow I get. Electric too, I'm guessing he was hoping it wouldn't have the side effect when he made it.

Satellite Arrow? I'm disappointed we didn't get to see it :) I'm having trouble picturing what it does.

[skjam]

Yeah, there's almost always something cool that has to be cut (I know a few of our members would have wanted to see shirtless Ollie and Roy.)

The Satellite Arrow has a miniature rocket engine--once it reaches a certain height, it levels off and starts circling the neighborhood in an "orbit", presumably until the rocket fuel is exhausted.

[cainofdreaming]

Plays the award winning German song "Satellite", while puncturing your lungs like a sharp object shot from a bow is intented to.

Ollie - "It was damned hard fitting a record player into an arrow with 50's tech, not to mention getting a song from fifty years in the future, but in the end it was totally worth it. Right, Speedy?"

Roy - "And they wonder why I started taking drugs?"

[fungo_squiggly]

Later that same incompetent doctor was fired from his job, and had to move to Metropolis.

"I'm sorry, Superman, but you are dying from lethal kryptonite poisoning..."

"Superman? It's me again. As it turns out, I mixed up the x-rays. But perhaps if you could warn a certain Clark Kent that he will soon die an agonizing death from..."

"Superman? Hi, yes, it's me. I have some good news for you. It turns out that Clark Kent's 'kryptonite poisoning' was just some guacamole I spilled on the x-ray machine. But I should also tell you that Batman stopped by, and he left before I could warn him of his impending lethal brain hemorrhage..."

[sunaya]

Bwah! to this whole post.

Also, this comic made me feel strangely happy inside. I have no idea why, but it's a good thing nonetheless. :)

[psychopathicus_rex]

Except that Superman could X-ray HIMSELF, so he wouldn't need to go to the doctor. Batman, on the other hand...

[jarodrussell]

Have you ever contemplated what you would do if you were diagnosed with lethal radiation poisoning?

In the DCU? Finding a Lazarus Pit would be #1 on my list.

[fredneil.livejournal.com]

But if comic book science has taught me anything, it's that radiation doesn't kill you, it just gives you super powers.

[sarno001]

A few years later, that doctor's going to have to tell Ollie that all those X-rays ended up giving him cancer. Whoops.

[autohobbs]

I'm still laughing about boxing glove arrows. lol

[leorising]

"Sadly, the skycar turns out not to be Plastic Man in disguise."

You're so right, though, that would've been awesome. :D