WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Stargirl: Spring Break Special #1, by Geoff Johns, Todd Nauck, Hi-Fi and Rob Leigh, on sale now.
Over their decades of history, DC's characters have experienced many alternate futures. Several DC heroes and villains experienced a fairly bleak future in the 1986 classic, The Dark Knight Returns, by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson. An now, Stargirl: Spring Break Special #1, by Geoff Johns and Todd Nauck, just teased The Dark Knight Returns' future for the DC Universe's Green Arrow.
In this issue, Green Arrow is engaged in a fistfight with the Clock King aboard a hovercraft designed like a clock. During the fight, the Clock King taps his wristwatch, which forces the Emerald Archer to experience his entire timeline at once.
On one end of the spectrum is Oliver's younger self, as Green Arrow originally appeared in 1941's More Fun Comics #73, by Mort Weisinger and George Papp. Interestingly enough, Green Arrow's Golden Age incarnation is explained earlier in the issue. Oliver recalls how he and his original sidekick, Roy Harper, were sent back in time by the Clock King, where they fought alongside the Seven Soldiers. The more intriguing end of Oliver's timeline, however, is his potential future. This version of Green Arrow comes straight out of The Dark Knight Returns.
In The Dark Knight Returns, Green Arrow was depicted as bald with a much longer beard and only one arm. The Emerald Archer blamed Superman for the loss of his other arm after an unspecified encounter between the two. Superman was working for the US government, which Oliver opposed for its continued acts of oppression.
Near the end of The Dark Knight Returns, Batman approached Green Arrow with a special mission. In the climax of the tale, while Superman and Batman were engaged in their iconic fight, Green Arrow played a particularly crucial role. When the time came, Oliver shot Superman with a Kryptonite-tipped arrow, giving Batman the advantage.
At the end of the story, Green Arrow joined Batman's underground army, resuming the good fight. This future, for Oliver, was fairly dark. In Post-Crisis continuity, Green Arrow went to great lengths to avoid his Dark Knight Returns fate. 1995's Green Arrow #100, by Chuck Dixon, Jim Aparo and Rodolfo Damaggio, saw Oliver get his arm stuck in a deadman's switch for a bomb. Superman could only save the Emerald Archer by removing his arm.
Yet Oliver wouldn't hear of it, allowing the bomb to explode and sacrificing himself rather than losing his limb. The fact that Oliver would rather die than lose his arm says a lot about his Dark Knight Returns fate. Even though things seemed bleak, however, Green Arrow still carried on.
The Emerald Archer's fighting spirit led him to join Batman's cause and play a crucial role in The Dark Knight Returns. Even as he grew old and lost his arm, Green Arrow continued to fight for what he believed in, which is indicative of Oliver Queen's strength.
Similarly, when Green Arrow is hit with his entire timeline by the Clock King, he demonstrates a tremendous level of strength. Oliver is pretty shaken by this experience, but it could have been a lot worse. The Clock King is baffled by Green Arrow's resilience, saying that experiencing his entire timeline at once should have driven Oliver insane.
It's this kind of strength that makes Green Arrow a true hero, even in his darkest future. From Green Arrow's recent adventure, it seems like he might experience some version of his fate in The Dark Knight Returns eventually. Of course, this could also just be a fun Easter egg for The Dark Knight Returns. Even if his character trajectory isn't the same as it was in The Dark Knight Returns, it seems that Green Arrow will continue to fight for as long as he can stand.