“Crisis On Infinite Earths” returns for its two-part epic finale tomorrow, and a new TV spot has now teased the destiny of Oliver to take on the mantle of the Spectre, clarifying the “something else” that Arrow episode voiceovers in the run up to the commencement of “Crisis” have teased he needs to become.
One of the most powerful beings in the DC multiverse, the Spectre is a nigh-omnipotent cosmic entity bound to a human host and tasked with visiting vengeance upon those who perpetrate evil – typically murderers – and has battled the likes of Darkseid, Parallax and Ares. The shot of a green cloak dropping to the ground references the spirit’s comics costume that typically sees the character in a green cowl, although the appearance of Oliver on a poster wearing it has divided fans over its suitability.
Having Oliver become the Spectre allows the best of all worlds for the character’s destiny. It erases any cheapening of his sacrifice caused by his prompt resurrection in a Lazarus Pit, it allows Arrow to come to a definite conclusion without the permanent death of its hero, and it leaves the door open for the possibility of Oliver making future appearances in the Arrowverse shows without placing any commitment burdens on Stephen Amell while also justifying why he was never called on for help in the interim, as his cosmic duties would make him unavailable and inaccessible.
The life Oliver has led, being born with everything only to lose it all, the brutality of his years on and off Lian Yu, and the flat-out murder that drove his mission’s origin that eventually developed into something more unambiguously heroic, have turned him into the ideal host for an entity literally created as a cosmic arbiter of retribution and justice. As the trailer states, “Every punch you’ve thrown, every arrow you’ve fired; they have all led you here to this moment,” and we’ve all been along for the ride.
