Summary
Warning! Contains Spoilers For Green Arrow #12!
AsGreen Arrowstruggles to defeat his greatest enemy he reflects on who he has become – and the conclusion he draws will change how longtime fans view the character. The trajectory of Oliver Queen’s life was forever changed due to a random accident that stranded him on Starfish Island. Instead of growing up entitled, Ollie became a true hero.
Green Arrow#12 – by Joshua Williamson and Phil Hester – showed readers the real reason Green Arrow turned his life around, as the issue focused on how Green Arrow’s life was forever changed after becoming stranded on Starfish Island.Ollie felt like he had been spared from death and given a second chance at life.
This was the exact kind of shock Ollie needed to turn his life around. Previously, he’d been nothing but a belligerent, rich kid who cared only for fun and pleasure, but after that moment, Ollie was pushed to become a legitimate hero.
Green Arrow Returns to the Island for His Final Story
Oliver Queen returns to the island that transformed him in “The Last Green Arrow Story,” facing a mysterious foe in his final mission.
Green Arrow Revisits The Moment That Forged Him Into A Hero
The preview forGreen Arrow#12 emphasizes that his shipwreck experience forced Oliver Queen to develop the survival skills that he would later adapt upon becoming a superhero –including forging his first primitive bow and arrow.
As the preview forGreen Arrow#12 depicts, a pivotal point in Oliver Queen career as a superhero has led him to reflect on the life-changing shipwreck that forged him into the man he became. “I remember feeling like I had lived a life of stupidity,” he narrates, “and the universe was teaching me a lesson.” Oliver Queen belonged to one of the most wealthy families in America. He spent his teenage and young adult years simply going to extravagant parties and doing whatever he wanted. Oliver really didn’t care if his actions hurt other people, all he wanted was to have fun.
That all changed when he was stranded on Starfish Isle. It was there that Ollie was forced to fend for himself without the wealth and luxury he was used to, which also showed Ollie just how difficult life could be for those without wealth. The preview forGreen Arrow#12 emphasizes that his shipwreck experience forced Oliver Queen to develop the survival skills that he would later adapt upon becoming a superhero –including forging his first primitive bow and arrow, a major milestone in the character’s lore.
The Green Arrow Family Is Everything Oliver Was Missing Early In Life
Money Can’t Buy What Being A Superhero Gives
It was only when Ollie was stripped of everything that he saw how much more there was to life…What would’ve been a traumatic event for anyone else ended up turning Oliver Queen into the hero Green Arrow.
It was this experience that pushedOllie to pick up a bow and become Green Arrowwhen he returned to Star City. Oliver had realized just how truly selfish he’d been and how he was wasting his life only caring for himself. He fully understood on that island that he’d never have friends or family, but after he changed and became a better person,the Green Arrow Familyquickly built around him.Ollie went from an indulgent brat to someone who’d do anything for the ones he loved, becoming surrounded by people who loved him in turn.
If Oliver Queen hadn’t been stranded on that island, he would’ve continued as a spoiled entitled billionaire. He likely would’ve made the world a worse place, in pursuit of his own enjoyment and financial gain. It was only when Ollie was stripped of everything that he saw how much more there was to life. Ollie even mentions how he could see the stars on Starfish Island, a view that he never had from any of his penthouses or mansions in Star City. What would’ve been a traumatic event for anyone else ended up turning Oliver Queen into the heroGreen Arrow.
