Comic Book Resources posted a 3-page preview of Flashpoint: Green Arrow Industries, a one-shot due in stores this Wednesday. Of possible interest to Flash fans: These panels, in which Oliver Queen explains how they studied equipment confiscated from super-villains and used it to improve their own weapons technology.
It’s a counterpoint to an idea that comes up occasionally in reference to high-tech villains: Why don’t they just patent their inventions and rake in more money than they could possibly have made on bank heists, without worrying about getting beaten up and thrown in jail? The answer is usually that they do it for the thrill…but then why doesn’t anyone else come up with business uses for the technology?
Chances are these one-panel appearances are all we’ll see of these villains in that particular issue (though we’ve already seen more of the Trickster in Flashpoint: Citizen Cold), but it’s interesting that all three of them are Flash villains: The Trickster, the Folded Man, and the Top.
This post has an “Atomic Top Grenade” value of 3.
Folded Man! That guy needs to be seen more often. His power is so different and perfectly suited for the Flash.
It would be cool to see him return given the fact that he is among a select few within the DC universe with a set of powers that actually pose a threat to Flash. Don’t get me wrong – I know full well that part of the fun of the Rogues is that they KNOW they’re outmatched…
*Does guitar solo over the atomic grenade*
I have an AU fanfic series in which the Top retires, gets medicated enough to treat his wilder impulses, and goes into inventing as a legit job. But as things are in the DCU he’s probably just too unstable for that (and anyone would be a fool to trust him).
Also, it’d create the problem of him being able to build damn near anything he puts his mind to, and then the writers have to figure out/fudge why they can’t use this to solve many of the DCU’s problems. If you look at all the stuff he built in the Silver and Bronze Ages — all on the sly, between stints in prison and various criminal schemes — he clearly has a HUGE range of repertoire and expertise. Imagine what he could build if he did it full time and with better resources.
Everybody always snickers “LOL he just spins” about Silver Age Top, but they forget that his biggest and frequently-used asset was his genius inventing ability and tons of wacky top-tech. The dude built himself a nuke in the early ’60s and launched his own satellite into space in the ’70s. He’s earned the right to be arrogant 😉
As for Axel, Robin once taunted him about not using his tech to just get rich. It comes up with the Rogues every once in a while.
..and btw Lia The Top, Reverse Flash, and Mirror Master are on my list of “contenders” above. 😉
Excellent. You’ll be spared in the New World Order 😀
So I bought the issue and it was generally pretty entertaining, if a bit rushed and somewhat contrived in some parts. I think it could have been a two-part story.
What was funny though was that ALL the tech Ollie had on hand was Rogues’ tech — not from any other villains, just the Rogues. Are the Flashpoint Rogues particularly sloppy at holding on to their tech, or could Ollie just not get anyone else’s? :>