The Arrowverse crossovers were highly anticipated events that introduced some of DC’s biggest and darkest villains. Each year, The CW consistently upped the stakes of each crossover by introducing bigger threats that would be harder for the heroes to defeat. Starting with popular but weaker villains like Captain Boomerang and ending with a cosmic threat like the Anti-Monitor, there’s no comparison in terms of power levels.
Crisis on Infinite Earths marked the downfall of Arrowverse crossovers, as it became nearly impossible for the shows to cross over due to filming restrictions in 2020. The Flash was the only flagship Arrowverse show that made sure to honor past crossovers and continue the tradition, albeit on a smaller scale with Armageddon.
13 Captain Boomerang is an iconic villain who was forgettable
Digger Harkness, aka Captain Boomerang, is one of the most notorious Flash thugs, as well as a member of the Suicide Squad. He is an Australian mercenary who wields an advanced boomerang as his weapon of choice. Flash vs. ArrowCaptain Boomerang targets Lyla Michaels as he seeks revenge on her for attempting to kill him during a failed mission with Task Force X in the past.
Captain Boomerang proved to be a formidable threat during the crossover, but with the help of Flash’s speedster powers, his boomerangs ultimately had little effect. As the original villain of the Arrowverse crossover, Captain Boomerang is very forgettable as his plans were rather basic, with him trying to kill Lyla and blow up Starling City. Most Arrowverse fans probably have vague memories of the crossover villain.
12 Rainbow Raider was more of a villain of the week
Ray Bivolo became Rainbow Raider after the particle accelerator explosion gave him the power to control people’s emotions. He uses his abilities for personal gain, including controlling the employees and bystanders of a Central City bank he attempts to rob.
Rainbow Raider was more of a joke character in the comics and was treated as such.
Rainbow Raider was one of the two main villains in the Arrowverse’s first major crossover, along with Captain Boomerang. He is able to control Flash’s emotions and make him attack Arrow during the crossover, hence the crossover’s title. Rainbow Raider returned to The Flash and remained nothing more than a villain of the week.
11 Silver Banshee was a surprise villain in Supergirl
Siobhan Smythe worked as Cat Grant’s personal assistant, alongside Kara Danvers, for a while before transitioning into the villainous role. She briefly worked alongside Winn Schott, but after being fired by Cat and discovering her family’s curse that gave her powers, everything went to hell.
Silver Banshee was the main villain of
The best in the world
crossing.
Dressed as Silver Banshee with her white-haired wig and spooky makeup, Siobhan teamed up with Supergirl the villain Livewire, who shares a strong hatred for Cat Grant. Silver Banshee’s sonic scream was powerful enough to stop the Flash and Supergirl in the crossover, but once they figured out how to stop her scream from affecting them, Silver Banshee became pretty useless. She was nowhere near SupergirlThe strongest villain in the series.
10 Vandal Savage’s crossover appearance paved the way for Legends of Tomorrow
Vandal Savage is an immortal DC Comics villain who represents the greatest threat of the future. He was an ancient Egyptian priest who formed a vendetta against Hawkman and Hawkgirl after discovering that they were lovers. He made it his mission to kill every reincarnated version of the couple throughout time.
Vandal Savage was a major antagonist in
Young Justice
animated series.
Vandal Savage was introduced in Heroes join forces as expected for him being the big bad guy Legends of Tomorrow Season 1. The crossover did a good job of showcasing Vandal Savage’s power and his connection to Hawkgirl, who would play a big role in the new series. Even though Savage was vaporized into ash by the Flash and Green Arrow, Malcolm Meryln collected his remains, stating that Savage owed him one. It was an intriguing cliffhanger that had fans excited about his return in Legends of Tomorrow.
9 Livewire returns to seek revenge on Cat Grant and Supergirl
Leslie Willis, aka Livewire, was a former CatCo employee who had a close relationship with Cat Grant. However, everything changed for Leslie after Cat canceled her radio show and put her in the traffic reporter’s field, which landed her in a helicopter crash.
Livewire is best known for her role in
Superman: The Animated Series
where she was voiced by Lori Petty.
The accident gave her metahuman abilities to control electricity which she used to try to get revenge on Cat Grant for ruining her life. The best in the worldLivewire teams up with new villain Silver Banshee to take on the Flash and Supergirl. Livewire’s powers proved to be a great threat as she took down the Flash and became the stronger villain of the two during the crossover.
8 Despero was the last crossover villain in the Arrowverse
Despero is a villain from the planet Kalanor who came to Earth after being banished from his world by a group of Kalanorian rebels. Despero instantly bonds with his new home, but soon witnesses the Armageddon brought about by the Flash in the future. He travels back in time to stop the Flash, as he wishes to save the future of Earth in the latest Arrowverse crossover.
Despero was not the most effective villain, as he failed to kill Flash several times during the Armageddon Crossover. However, Despero was willing to use his powers, such as telepathy, fire vision, and superhuman strength, to kill his enemies, despite considering himself the savior of Earth. He was ultimately wrong about Flash triggering Armageddon, as it was revealed that Reverse Flash was the cause and was willing to destroy Central City to stop it.
7 Doctor Destiny was massively helped by the Monitor
Dr. John Deegan became Doctor Destiny when the Monitor gave him the Book of Destiny, allowing him to rewrite reality according to his own vision. Other worldsDeegan was a psychiatrist who worked at Arkham Asylum. Deegan’s questionable methods got him fired and his psychiatrist license revoked.
Set up
Crisis on Infinite Earths
through Doctor Destiny was something no other television series had attempted at the time.
The Monitor used Deegan as a test for the main heroes of the Arrowverse, as he knew he would use the all-powerful book. Deegan attempted to transform into the Flash but accidentally switched the lives of the Flash and Green Arrow instead. He would eventually transform into Superman before being defeated by the heroes of the Arrowverse. Doctor Destiny was merely a pawn in the Monitor’s game to see which heroes were right to stand against the Anti-Monitor when the impending Crisis arrived.
6 The Dominators had a history before appearing in Invasion!
The Dominators came to Earth long before the Invasion! They embarked on a crossover to explore the planet. They are an alien race from the planet Swan Moon whose goal is to declare war on Earth. The sudden birth of metahumans after the particle accelerator explosion piqued their interest, triggering their return to Earth, where they faced the greatest heroes of the Arrowverse.
The Dominators were another little-known species in DC’s vast encyclopedia of characters.
The Dominators’ invasion was swift and effective, as they kidnapped and killed the President to lure Earth’s heroes and abduct them into their ships. They had built a weapon to kill all metahumans on Earth in order to restore the status quo of the universe. The Dominators are fondly remembered as the main villains of the newly expanded Arrowverse crossover, with the inclusion of Supergirl And Legends of Tomorrow be in the mix.
5 Anti-Monitor was the toughest test for the Arrowverse heroes
The Anti-Monitor is DC’s most powerful villain, first introduced in the graphic novel Crisis on Infinite Earths (by Marv Wolfman and George Perez). The cosmic villain, as in the comics, was on a mission to destroy the multiverse using a wave of antimatter energy that could engulf entire worlds. With most of the multiverse destroyed, the Paragons of the Arrowverse made a final stand in the finale of the major crossover.
The Anti-Monitor is arguably the Arrowverse’s greatest threat, but he’s not the crossover’s best villain. His story mimicked that of the comics, but the Anti-Monitor’s time in the Arrowverse ended in a lackluster way when he was shrunk by Supergirl, who threw a bomb made by The Atom. While the multiverse was fundamentally changed by his actions, the Anti-Monitor never lived up to the high expectations fans had for the iconic villain.
4 Music Meister is one of the most powerful threats in the Arrowverse.
Music Meister is an all-powerful extra-dimensional being who debuted in The Flash‘s Duo crossing with SupergirlHis origins are unknown, as he appears out of nowhere on Earth-38 with a mission to help Barry Allen and Kara Danvers mend their relationship. Music Meister is more of an antihero who pretends to be a villain, but in reality, he wants to use his power for good.
Music Meister only appeared in the Arrowverse for the crossover.
Music Meister’s abilities are unmatched, as he easily takes down Supergirl and the Flash without touching them. He has similar powers to Mr. Mxyzptlk as they are both extradimensional beings, who use their abilities in a non-malicious manner. However, if Music Meister were to want to go completely evil, he could be one of the most powerful villains due to his nearly infinite range of powers.
3 The black arrow is the inverted green arrow
Crisis on Earth-X was the perfect opportunity for the Arrowverse to get creative, and Dark Arrow is a great example of how they’re having fun. Dark Arrow is the evil ruler of Earth-X who commands an army of mindless soldiers who will do anything for his cause. Dark Arrow is an archer who is just as skilled as Green Arrow, as seen in the crossover.
The Dark Archer was the only other character in Green Arrow’s history who served as an antithesis to the hero.
Dark Arrow wears a black and red costume that is the inverse of Green Arrow’s costume. Stephen Amell was enjoyable to watch as he played up the character’s villainous nature. Dark Arrow was a ruthless villain, who killed many people in the early episodes of the crossover before he was eventually defeated by Green Arrow. Oliver Queen’s Earth-X doppelganger wasn’t the only threat that made Crisis on Earth-X a captivating crossover event.
2 Reverse Flash teams up with Earth-X’s deadliest villains
Reverse Flash has been a constant presence throughout The Flash. Returning in almost every season and appearing in various forms, sometimes played by Tom Cavanagh or Matt Letscher, the Flash is always ready to take on Eobard Thawne. However, Reverse Flash helping Dark Arrow and Overgirl on Earth-X was a huge surprise. This came out of nowhere, as fans naturally assumed there would be an evil Flash played by Grant Gustin due to Melissa Benoist and Stephen Amell playing villains in the crossover.
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It is rare to see Reverse Flash team up with other villains, as he is one of the Flash’s most powerful villains who normally works alone. Legends of tomorrow, He played a role in the Legion of Doom, teaming up with Malcolm Merlyn and Damien Darkh. Crisis on Earth-XReverse Flash was just as powerful as normal and wore the same costume but with the addition of an Earth-X-style lightning-shaped crest. It was confirmed in the crossover that he was the Reverse Flash of Earth-1, but it was not established which part of the timeline this Thawne came from. His role in the crossover is memorable for tormenting the Flash and being a formidable threat who aids the villains of Earth-X for his own undisclosed reasons.
1 Overgirl proved how deadly Supergirl could be
Working with Dark Arrow and Reverse Flash, Overgirl invades Earth-1 with a massive group of soldiers. They notably interrupted Barry Allen and Iris West’s wedding ceremony, where most of the Arrowverse’s heroes were in attendance. Overgirl made an immediate impression as she stood above the church balcony, idle with criminal intentions.
Ultraman served as an evil antithesis to Clark Kent, much like Overgirl.
Overgirl is a ruthless villain who shows how powerful Supergirl can be without restraint. On Earth-X, Overgirl is feared by everyone for being a tyrannical ruler alongside Dark Arrow. In some ways, Overgirl is similar to Injustice Superman or the Crime Syndicate’s Superwoman. Melissa Benoist did a great job playing the Earth-X villain, who is the complete opposite of Supergirl.
The Arrowverse
A shared universe of interconnected television series follows various DC Comics Super Heroes. Beginning with Oliver Queen’s journey as the vigilante Green Arrow, the franchise has expanded to include characters like The Flash, Supergirl and the Legends of Tomorrow. The heroes face personal challenges, formidable villains and interdimensional threats. Their stories intertwine through annual crossover events, exploring themes of justice, friendship and sacrifice.
- Created by
- Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, Andrew Kreisberg, Geoff Johns, Ali Adler, Phil Klemmer, Salim Akil, Caroline Dries
- First episode air date
- October 10, 2012
- Casting
- Stephen Amell, Katie Cassidy, David Ramsey, Susanna Thompson, Grant Gustin, Candice Patton, Melissa Benoist, Mehcad Brooks, Victor Garber, Brandon Routh, Cress Williams, Nafessa Williams, Ruby Rose, Rachel Skarsten