List of distinct versions of Green Arrow's origins

[bat39]

Since Green Arrow's the talk of these boards again (in no small part because of the recent announcements in change of creative team), I thought it would be a nice time to take a look at the various versions of the Emerald Archer's origins in the comics...what changed, what stayed the same.


Golden Age version: This one will be practically unrecognizable to most people, given that it was only told once and thereafter completely forgotten and subsequently replaced by the more familiar island origin. In this version, Oliver Queen is a renowned archaeologist and expert on Native American history (as a result of which he's a skilled archer). When his museum exhibits are destroyed in a burglary, he goes on an expedition to the Lost Mesa in search of fresh Indian artifacts. While on the Mesa, he meets Roy Harper, who'd been stranded there years ago after surviving a plane crash, along with his late father's Indian manservant Quang (who trained him in archery). A bunch of criminals followed Oliver to the Mesa, and Quang is killed. Ollie and Roy fight the criminals using bow and arrows and earn their nicknames 'Green Arrow' and 'Speedy' (Ollie is called 'green arrow' because he shoots a 'mean, green arrow'...not kidding!) They then find some Indian gold which they basically steal and decide to use it to fund their crime-fighting careers.
Despite being radically different from what came later, its interesting to note how there are some elements of this story which survive into the later versions - namely, the idea of someone being stranded for a prolonged period of time somewhere (except here its Roy on the Mesa rather than Oliver on the island), and Oliver getting the idea of becoming a crime-fighter after fighting criminals in that location.

Silver Age version: This is the familiar island origin, first told by Jack Kirby, and later retold in the first Green Arrow solo story in the early 80's. In this version, Oliver Queen is a millionaire playboy who falls overboard from a yacht during a storm and washes up on Starfish Island. He fashions a bow and arrow and uses it to hunt food to survive. In time, he develops various 'trick arrows' to make his tasks easier. He develops the first version of his 'costume' out of leaves, to use as camouflage while hunting big game. One day, Oliver notices a fishing boat passing by, so he swims to it only to discover it was taken over by pirates. He rubs some soot over his face to blend into the darkness better (inspiring his domino mask), and attacks the pirates with his archery skills, defeating them. Because of his arrows, and his outfit, he's dubbed 'Green Arrow'. He uses the pirate ship to return home, and begins his crime-fighting career.

Mike Grell version: This version was initially hinted at in the 'The Longbow Hunters' before being more comprehensively expanded upon in a Secret Origins issue and 'The Wonder Years' miniseries. In this version, Oliver Queen is still a billionaire, but more of a workaholic than a playboy, going on his first vacation in years with the yacht trip. He was apparently a Howard Hill fan as a kid and so has bought a Howard Hill bow to rediscover his love for archery. Drunk, he falls overboard (with the bow in hand, if I recall correctly) and washes up on a desert island. He spends around three months on the island, using his nascent archery skills to hunt game, until he encounters a couple of marijuana dealers growing pot on the island. He busts them and the stoned men hallucinate about him being 'green', calling him 'Green Arrow'. When they all return to civilization, the dealer keep mumbling about the 'Green Arrow' busting them and the media dubs him a Robin Hood. Weeks later, Ollie, inspired by the Robin Hood comment, wears a costume inspired by Robin Hood's (which looks a lot like his Neal Adams design) to a costume ball. While there, he foils a robbery dressed in that outfit and is considered a hero. Inspired by these experiences, and fed up with the sheer boredom of his life, he begins his career as Green Arrow. In 'The Longbow Hunters', Oliver tells Dinah that he apparently made up the Silver Age story about pirates on the island to make his origins sound impressive (thus giving a nod to the original story).

Year One Annual version: A little known retelling from the Year One Annual published in 1995. As with the previous versions, Oliver falls overboard and washes ashore an island. The twist in the tale is that here, after spending weeks on the island using his archery skills to survive, he ends up encountering another man. The two build a raft together, preparing to leave the island, until Ollie comes across some bodies in a cave and realizes that his companion is a notorious serial killer, Nikolas Koteros. He knocks out Koteros, leaves him tied up on the island and takes the raft and leaves. But he ends up getting stranded on another island where he lives for six months until he busts the drug dealers and leaves (similar to the other version). Its suggested that Oliver's confrontation with Koteros is what leads him to become a crime-fighter.
What's striking about this version is how the Ollie-Koteros story is reminiscent of Oliver and Slade's story arc on 'Arrow'...the idea that Ollie does meet someone else on the island who is initially a friend but later turns out to be a foe (who incidentally, later attacks Oliver as Green Arrow).

Year One version: This story by Andy Diggle is apparently what inspired the 'island' flashbacks on the show. Oliver Queen in this version is a drunk, reckless and arrogant playboy, utterly dependent on his man-friday Hackett. He goes on a yacht trip to the South China sea to spend some time away from Star City after a PR disaster when he makes a drunk speech at a benefit dinner, using a Howard Hill bow he bought to take up archery as a hobby (he's no real good though). Hackett however turns out to be a traitor, who planned to steal several million from Oliver as part of a drug-dealing business he had with China White. He throws Ollie overboard and plants a bomb destroying the yacht before escaping. Oliver washes up on an island where he fashions a bow and some arrows and slowly develops archery skills in order to survive, while wearing his green hoodie to shield his face from the sun. He then discovers that the island is populated, and that the natives are being used as slave labor by China White's drug cartel. Oliver leads a rebellion of the natives against China White and Hackett, earning a title from the natives that translates to 'Green Arrow'. He even discovers his Howard Hill bow amid the wreckage of his yacht (which also washed up on the island), and uses it to finally defeat Hackett and China White. Later the authorities arrive and Oliver returns to civilization, intending to cover-up what happened on the island by claiming it had something to do with 'pirates' (a nod to the Silver Age story), and having finally found something worthwhile to do with his life, becomes Green Arrow.
This is the first version of the origin to really show Oliver spending most of his time on the island fighting villains and having adventures, and to really highlight the personality change Ollie undergoes due to his ordeal. Its also the first version which shows Oliver being stranded on the island not just by chance, but because of an attempt to kill him. All of these make it to the show in some form or the other.

New 52 version: The story Jeff Lemire has gradually revealed in his 'The Outsiders War' arc, which gives a totally new dimension to Green Arrow's origin. Oliver is a reckless, irresponsible party-boy who's partying at a Queen Industries oil rig (which he's supposed to be running), along with his friend Tommy Merlyn, while also practicing archery with a Howard Hill bow. The rig is attacked by terrorists and Ollie attempts to fight back but fails, and the rig explodes, seemingly killing everyone aboard (Merlyn survives though). Oliver washes ashore the island, along with his bow. He slowly develops his archery skills to survive there for months, until he's eventually captured and tortured by unknown assailants. Oliver however withstands the torture, and succeeds in killing his captors and escaping. He then confronts a mysterious masked man whom he engages in combat and succeeds in defeating, before being rescued from the island by a fishing boat some time later...having spent a total of around three years on the island. Oliver first puts on the hood to rescue his mother from Killer Moth in Gotham City. Later, he becomes the costumed vigilante, Green Arrow, back in Seattle. Its only years later that Oliver learns the truth about his origins - his stranding on the island was deliberate! The island actually belonged to his long-missing father Robert Queen, who knew it was the location of the fabled 'totem' arrow. Knowing that Oliver would be in danger from his nemesis, Simon Lacroix/Komodo, Robert, with help from Shado and Magus, arranges for Oliver to be 'brought' to the island, so that he could be secretly trained. The torture was part of the training to turn Oliver into a warrior, and Robert himself was the masked man who fought Oliver. Only when Oliver defeated him did Robert decide that he was ready to return to civilization and so he arranged for his rescue.

[Factor]

Great post. I had no idea there were so many different versions of GA's origin. I think Year One and Lemire's are the ones that I like the most.

[md62]

Great job. I would love to see one for Aquaman.

[Blueferret]

Good post. I had no idea about the Golden Age origin.

[Herowatcher]

Thanks for taking the time to do this thread.

I'm partial to the Silver Age origin, but like Grell's and Diggle's retellings.

[ReverseReverseFlash]

He didn't really hit his origin until the Year One series.

The 1995 annual was hilariously bad. He spent most of his time on the island acting like he's on vacation crab hunting, and then busted up a pot ring. A pot ring? really?

[bat39]

He didn't really hit his origin until the Year One series.

The 1995 annual was hilariously bad. He spent most of his time on the island acting like he's on vacation crab hunting, and then busted up a pot ring. A pot ring? really?

Its true, the true psychological and emotional potential of the origin wasn't mined until Year One.

Prior to that, the origin was basically a rationale to explain how a billionaire playboy/industrialist got so good with arrows, and why he decided to put on a suit and fight crime.

Year One really delved into Ollie's psyche, what he was before and how he transformed into a hero...basically giving him a character arc for the island that he'd never really had before.

[PiercedMonk]

Personally I prefer the Grell origin. Busting a couple dudes growing marijuana and then getting mixed up in a political corruption case involving an ex-girlfriend from his protest days seems a lot more in keeping with the character that I like reading about than any of the others.

However, I do think the fluid nature of Oliver's origins speaks to the almost mythic quality that a lot of these older comics characters have started to embody. The fact that the essentials of Green Arrow's origin has remained more or less the same since Kirby, but the specific details can change to suit the story I think is a testament to the enduring nature superhero fiction. The same is true of a lot of the older characters. It allows them to touch multiple people.

When I say Oliver Queen is my favourite superhero, even though I've enjoyed a variety of takes on the character, I'm thinking of both Mike Grell's run on the comic, and Ollie's appearances in the JLU cartoon. Even though those characters have a lot of superficial differences, I discovered both interpretations at roughly the same time, and there's a core to both of versions that forms the basis of "my" Green Arrow. That's really cool.

I'm not a big fan of the New 52 origin -- having Oliver feel responsible for the deaths of everyone killed in the attack on the oil rig seems like a needless effort to darken the character -- but at least it gets rid of the ridiculous nonsense about his parents being eaten by lions from the 2002 SECRET FILES & ORIGINS.

[Flash Gordon]

Let's not forget the zero issue one where Cable, from the X-MEN, blows up an oil rig and kills everyone 'cept for Ollie who washes up on the island.

[John Venus]

One day, I would like to see someone do a modern day retelling of the Golden Age origin.

[bat39]

Personally I prefer the Grell origin. Busting a couple dudes growing marijuana and then getting mixed up in a political corruption case involving an ex-girlfriend from his protest days seems a lot more in keeping with the character that I like reading about than any of the others.

However, I do think the fluid nature of Oliver's origins speaks to the almost mythic quality that a lot of these older comics characters have started to embody. The fact that the essentials of Green Arrow's origin has remained more or less the same since Kirby, but the specific details can change to suit the story I think is a testament to the enduring nature superhero fiction. The same is true of a lot of the older characters. It allows them to touch multiple people.

When I say Oliver Queen is my favourite superhero, even though I've enjoyed a variety of takes on the character, I'm thinking of both Mike Grell's run on the comic, and Ollie's appearances in the JLU cartoon. Even though those characters have a lot of superficial differences, I discovered both interpretations at roughly the same time, and there's a core to both of versions that forms the basis of "my" Green Arrow. That's really cool.

I'm not a big fan of the New 52 origin -- having Oliver feel responsible for the deaths of everyone killed in the attack on the oil rig seems like a needless effort to darken the character -- but at least it gets rid of the ridiculous nonsense about his parents being eaten by lions from the 2002 SECRET FILES & ORIGINS.

Totally agree with you on the 'mythic' part. Its the same thing with Batman, as Snyder himself said a while back. Both Year One and Zero Year are about Bruce Wayne returning to Gotham and developing the persona of Batman...but while Frank Miller had him become Batman to fight street crime and mobsters (who embodied the fears of the American populace in the 1980's), Scott Snyder had him become Batman to fight terrorists (who embody the fears of the American populace today!)

Btw, as far as the oil rig thing goes, as per Jeff Lemire, Robert Queen would actually be the one responsible for those deaths, since its likely that he engineered the attack (though this is never stated out loud).

Let's not forget the zero issue one where Cable, from the X-MEN, blows up an oil rig and kills everyone 'cept for Ollie who washes up on the island.

Well, I didn't include that as a separate origin mainly because elements of that were incorporated into Lemire's version. The only factual differences are that instead of the random one-shot 'Iron Eagle' villain, it was just changed to terrorists, and instead of spending six months on the island, Oliver spent three years.

[PiercedMonk]

One day, I would like to see someone do a modern day retelling of the Golden Age origin.

I like that Lemire paid homage to the Golden Age origin by having Ollie travel to Lost Mesa under Magus' direction.

Btw, as far as the oil rig thing goes, as per Jeff Lemire, Robert Queen would actually be the one responsible for those deaths, since its likely that he engineered the attack (though this is never stated out loud).

Sure, but I doubt that's going to stop future writers from having Ollie continue to blame himself. Especially if New 52 Tommy Merlyn returns, all covered in burns and seeking revenge.

I really like what Lemire has done with GREEN ARROW, but not even he could completely wash away the stink of that terrible #0 issue.

[bat39]

Sure, but I doubt that's going to stop future writers from having Ollie continue to blame himself. Especially if New 52 Tommy Merlyn returns, all covered in burns and seeking revenge.

I really like what Lemire has done with GREEN ARROW, but not even he could completely wash away the stink of that terrible #0 issue.

Do we see Oliver showing much guilt though? I mean, unless its acknowledged in the present-day, it really isn't the case anymore.

Oliver certainly won't blame himself, even if he ever did, now that he knows his father was involved...

[ReverseReverseFlash]

I like that Lemire paid homage to the Golden Age origin by having Ollie travel to Lost Mesa under Magus' direction.


Sure, but I doubt that's going to stop future writers from having Ollie continue to blame himself. Especially if New 52 Tommy Merlyn returns, all covered in burns and seeking revenge.

I really like what Lemire has done with GREEN ARROW, but not even he could completely wash away the stink of that terrible #0 issue.

I'm glad he removed Iron Eagle/Raven and hasn't addressed what happened to Merlyn. We've seen Merlyn and he isn't burnt. He looks like he did in the Zero issue in Forever Evil.

[PiercedMonk]

Do we see Oliver showing much guilt though? I mean, unless its acknowledged in the present-day, it really isn't the case anymore.

Oliver certainly won't blame himself, even if he ever did, now that he knows his father was involved...

In one of the issues J.T. Krul wrote, Oliver made a vague mention of how he can't ever let his guard down, because of something terrible that happened in the past. I can't think of any other time it's been mentioned -- though I did drop the book during Nocenti's run -- but that doesn't mean some future writer won't bring it up again. Hell, Kreisberg's run on GREEN ARROW / BLACK CANARY was all about the heroes feeling responsible for harming others.

I'm glad he removed Iron Eagle/Raven and hasn't addressed what happened to Merlyn. We've seen Merlyn and he isn't burnt. He looks like he did in the Zero issue in Forever Evil.

I wasn't aware Merlyn had made another appearance, as I tend to avoid DC's books where there's a high likelihood of someone getting an arm ripped off to prove how badass someone else is. Does he do anything interesting in FOREVER EVIL?