Richard Dragon/Ricardo Diaz, Jr.: This is about more than revenge. This is about more than a vendetta. This is about sending a message. A message that this city and this country will never forget. You see, taking Seattle from thugs like Macgowan and Tockman made me a thug. But taking it from Green Arrow... that makes me something more. That makes me a legend.
Green Arrow/Oliver Queen: This isn't a game.
Dragon: Really? Well, I guess that's good for you then... because whether you know it or not, it's already over. You want to know the problem with a bow? It can be broken. Just like ribs. No toys... man against man. I've been waiting for this. Let's see what you're made of, Arrow. Let's see if you deserve this city.
John Diggle: Gonna beat you like I did your daddy, Junior.
Dragon: Mr. Diggle. You are far too slow to talk so big... I expected so much more from you. You two have been nothing but a disappointment. First I learn it wasn't even you who took down my father, but this washed-up imposter. Now this. You made me want to become what I am, Green Arrow. You made me want to become something that could beat you. You made me the Dragon. I've done what my father couldn't. I've taken this city. Your city. I've taken everything you cared about. And in the end what do you do? You fall down. You break.
Green Arrow/Oliver Queen: This isn't a game.
Dragon: Really? Well, I guess that's good for you then... because whether you know it or not, it's already over. You want to know the problem with a bow? It can be broken. Just like ribs. No toys... man against man. I've been waiting for this. Let's see what you're made of, Arrow. Let's see if you deserve this city.
John Diggle: Gonna beat you like I did your daddy, Junior.
Dragon: Mr. Diggle. You are far too slow to talk so big... I expected so much more from you. You two have been nothing but a disappointment. First I learn it wasn't even you who took down my father, but this washed-up imposter. Now this. You made me want to become what I am, Green Arrow. You made me want to become something that could beat you. You made me the Dragon. I've done what my father couldn't. I've taken this city. Your city. I've taken everything you cared about. And in the end what do you do? You fall down. You break.
— Vol. 5, issue #34
In his crusade against crime of all forms, Green Arrow has opposed everything from corrupt businessmen to street thugs in both Star City and Seattle. Among his diverse Rogues Gallery come this group of devilishly charming foes who give him and his allies a run for their money.
This is for the comics only. Other examples for the franchise can be found elsewhere:
- Examples from animated adaptations can be found here.
- Examples from video game adaptations can be found here.
- Examples from the Arrowverse can be found here.
- Examples from Smallville can be found here.
- Examples done in crossover can be found here.
All spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned!
Pre-Crisis Only
- Professor Merlin, the "Dean of Deviltry", is the first of Green Arrow's villains to ever escape the legendary archer. As the lead professor of the "Crime College", Merlin runs a tight carjacking operation, having stolen thousands of dollars in merchandise over the years. When Green Arrow catches on to him, Merlin stays one step ahead of him, catching him off guard and even breaking his bow during their confrontation before escaping. Later recruited by the Hand, Merlin is hired to steal gold from Cactus Mike, managing to fend off Green Arrow the entire time and even letting the hero go when his goal is in his sights.
- Bulls-Eye was once Leapo, an acrobatic clown known for being able to dodge anything. Turning to a life of crime, Bulls-Eye becomes one of Green Arrow and Speedy's most persistent enemies, always pulling off genius heists and managing to escape several times. Among other dastardly deeds, he creates distractions for heists to cover up the noise, such as having his men shoot at a range; framing the heroes for several crimes; tricking them into thinking that their aim is failing; escaping the heroes by faking his death; and easily escapes from prison to continue his spree. With his skill keeping the heroes on their toes and missing their shots, Bulls-Eye proves himself one of the heroes' most determined and intelligent foes.
- More Fun Comics:
- Professor Million is a genius mathematics college professor who often turns to crime for the most understandable, kind reasons. In his initial outing, Million pulls off a brilliant crime spree planned down to the last seconds so as to amass money to pay for a new class in the college, and later carries out more heists by training a group of thugs in archery to face down Green Arrow himself, hoping this time to pay for the scholarships of poorer students. Consistently forgiven by Green Arrow thanks to his affable nature, genuine motives and refusal to harm innocents, Million uses criminal means to save men from Frame Ups two separate times and helps Green Arrow take down the true culprits, establishing himself as one of the friendliest, smartest, yet least evil villains the archer ever faced.
- Issue #79, "The Boomerang": The Boomerang, formerly an attorney named Martin Flint, is a revenger for hire who specializes in karmic vengeance. Introduced managing to have a judge's door electrocute him at the same time that someone he sentenced to death is electrocuted, the Boomerang is later hired to judge Warden Lawson, having him break rocks just like his prison's chain gangs. Managing to trick Green Arrow and Speedy into joining him, Boomerang later pulls a complex gambit to trick Green Arrow into thinking he's retreating, when in reality he's simply biding his time to "rescue" him. Coming closer to killing Green Arrow than any other villain he faced, Boomerang later falls in the water during the battle, leaving Speedy certain that he'll one day return for them.
- Issue #94, "Guardians of Injustice": "Honest" Herman earns his moniker from the many robberies he's successfully gotten away with, with no officer of the law ever able to prove he's guilty. Deciding to step up his game, Herman literally buys out an entire town, makes himself Sheriff and appoints a Kangaroo Court to reward crime and punish the innocent, making himself rich with the town as his own private kingdom. Honest Herman evades Green Arrow numerous times and forces him to contend with the court system he's built around the entire town.
- Issue #96, "The Weather Prophet": The Timer is a meteorologist who uses his supreme predictions of the weather to commit crimes, introduced doing so by robbing a loan company and driving straight into an unpredicted snow storm, surviving thanks to the skid chains on his car. Later robbing a jewelry store, the Timer then escapes from Green Arrow and Speedy thanks to a nearby river flooding, allowing him to use a boat he'd planted the previous day. The Timer then tricks a plane leaving the treasury into diverting to an airfield he's taken for himself, outsmarting the heroes along the way and even cutting the lights on the airfield when the try to land, causing their plane to crash.
- Issue #106, "Consultant in Crime": The Specialist is the titular "Consultant in Crime" whom every villain goes to in order to ensure a perfect caper. Hired by Pug to steal a jewel from a man's apartment, the Specialist fakes a fire inside to draw the tenants out, then has those with children stand aside as he casually robs the target, knowing that they will protect their most prized possessions. Escaping from Green Arrow's grasp using the smoking apartment, the Specialist later poses as a member of the health board who convinces a ringmaster that his rhino suffers from the fictional Tyrikosis disease, just so that he can have him sold to another circus for more money.
- Adventure Comics vol. 1 issues #114's "The Strange Saga of S.K. Lark!" and 117's "The Return of the Skylark": S.K. Lark, later known as the Skylark, was once exiled from the United States and told he could never set foot on its soil. In response, Skylark became a master thief from the skies who commits his robberies without ever touching the ground. A master of distraction, Skylark causes a spree of robberies to distract from his real target, and even when Green Arrow manages to stop him, he escapes from his prison with little effort to continue his spree unaccosted. Staying one step ahead of the authorities at every turn, the Skylark manages to escape from them in the end, getting away with all of his crimes.
Post-Crisis (May Also Include Pre-Crisis)
- Vol. 4, issues #1-6: Nix is a Master of Disguise who can blend into any crowd and strike from any distance. Introduced disguising herself as a construction worker using a stolen truck, Nix manages to kill Commissioner Nudocerdo and flee without being caught, with the police not even being able to identify her gender. Appearing again disguised as a journalist wielding a gun hidden in a tape recorder, Nix once again escapes, only being found by Green Arrow by complete accident; when he chases her, she forces him off by stabbing a civilian, knowing that he'll save the victim instead of chase her. Even when he exploits her need for a mask in their final battle, Nix escapes once more while he's distracted, escaping justice for her crimes in the process.
- Vol. 5, Jeff Lemire run:
- The Magus is the mysterious leader of the Mask Clan who proves to be Oliver's most crucial ally against Komodo/Simon Lacroix. Having previously worked with Robert Queen to subvert the mad archer's rise to power by faking Robert's death, Magus returns in the present day to continue his mission, starting by forcing Oliver to accept his teachings. Through various methods like drugging him and leaving him alone in the desert, Magus forces Oliver to accept his role, all while allying the other Clans for the incoming war. Using his powers, Magus distracts Komodo with Oliver's face before taking on his army, coordinating with Katana to subvert his plans to destroy Europe before accepting Oliver's choice to return to Seattle.
- Robert Queen, believed to have been killed by Komodo, is in truth still alive and orchestrated Oliver's journey to heroism. Having predicted that Simon would betray him, Robert allied with Magus to fake his death, allowing him to search for the mystical Green Arrow for years. In order to prepare Oliver for his role, Robert orchestrated his imprisonment on the island, including his torture and the final battle to the death between the two, ensuring Oliver's transformation into the Green Arrow. Resurfacing in the present day, Robert not only takes down the leader of the Shield Clan, but escapes the island himself to fight Komodo head-on, ultimately getting Oliver the Green Arrow artifact and dying to protect his daughter.
- Richard Dragon was once Ricardo Diaz, Jr., the son of a master criminal who was defeated by the Green Arrow. Wanting to humiliate the archer in his father's name, Diaz traveled to the League of Assassins and trained under the original Richard Dragon, eventually killing his master and taking his name out of respect. Arriving in Seattle, Dragon takes over the city's underworld within days, killing everyone in his way and gaining such power that he can walk right into the police station without hassle. Even when Green Arrow returns to the city, Dragon stays one step ahead at all times, taking advantage of his genius intellect and brilliant analytical abilities to attack weak points and strike strong. Although he's ultimately defeated, he escapes, ultimately completing his goal to prove himself far more than the average thug.
