Green Arrow Just Destroyed Batman with a Two-Word Nickname

Warning: Spoilers for Green Arrow #17 aheadGreen Arrow’s role in DC’s Absolute Power crossover was controversial yet critical, with lasting repercussions on his relationships with the Justice League. But Green Arrow isn’t the only hero to make such gambits, and when Batman tries to call him out on his behavior, Green Arrow throws Batman’s own actions back in his face with an absolutely brutal roast of a nickname that emphasizes just how much further Green Arrow would have to go to stoop to Batman’s level.

Green Arrow #17, by Chris Condon, Joshua Williamson, Montos, Amancay Nahuelpan, Adriano Lucas, and Romulo Fajardo Jr., deals with the fallout of Absolute Power, and Green Arrow’s role as a sleeper double agent against Amanda Waller. While most of the Justice League is willing to forgive him for initially selling them out to Waller, Batman is much more reticent to trust again and calls Green Arrow out for not discussing his plan beforehand.

“Yeah, well. Next time, Mr. Failsafe,” Green Arrow retorts, hurling Batman’s own secret countermeasures – the Failsafe robot and its disastrous reign of terror – right back in his face.

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“Mr. Failsafe” Perfectly Describes Batman’s Over-the-Top Contingencies

Failsafe first appeared in Batman #125, revealed to be a robot Batman created as a countermeasure to himself should he ever violate his no-kill rule. Influenced by Batman’s sadistic “Zur-En-Arrh” personality, Failsafe swiftly grew out of control, taking over all of Gotham before Batman was able to take it down. Even then, Failsafe and Zur-En-Arrh would eventually merge into a single entity, becoming Amanda Waller’s second-in-command and feeding her vital information on DC’s superhero community in the prelude to Absolute Power.

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Failsafe is an incredibly powerful construct, programmed with built-in countermeasures for virtually every scenario – including the Justice League. Batman #128 shows Failsafe’s full power as he completely neutralizes a Justice League strike team consisting of Superman, Green Arrow, Martian Manhunter, Black Canary, and Hawkwoman, using their weaknesses to shut each hero down before placing Gotham under martial law. Being able to stop Failsafe once was a miracle; its return under Amanda Waller’s command rendered the events of Absolute Power largely unstoppable.

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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 alongside Amanda Waller during Absolute Power. However, Green Arrow betrays the Justice League to sabotage Waller at a critical moment; by contrast, Failsafe is Batman’s every paranoid contingency gone rogue. While Green Arrow was willing to sacrifice every personal relationship he had in order to defeat Waller, Failsafe remains Batman’s greatest weapon against himself and the Justice League – a weapon that found common purpose with Waller’s aims.

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 other than their gadgetry and skill, but Green Arrow has earned a reputation as an anti-authority rebel, while Batman is infamous for his dangerous contingency plans and need for constant control. “Mr. Failsafe” is a brutal roast that reminds Batman that 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 nearly destroyed the League twice.

Green Arrow #17 is available now from DC Comics.