The Arrowverse Elseworld

From my former author website: A tribute to the Arrowverse with an alternate look at four characters.

I haven’t talked a lot about comic book geekery for some time, but I figured a way to incorporate that is to share something I posted to my former author website.

A few years ago, I had a young adult trilogy published in e-book format (it’s no longer in print) and, along the way, decided to explore another writing project, in which I paid tribute to my love for the Arrowverse shows that used to air on the CW Network.

The novella focused on my interpretations of the leads of the four main shows in the Arrowverse during its heyday: Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl.

I’m going to share the chapters of that novella on my Substack in the coming weeks. I plan to put up multiple chapters in a week. My plan is to add them alongside my usual weekly Substack installment on Sundays.

I will be tweaking each chapter for minor edits from when it was on my former author website. As with other Substack entries, I’m not charging for anything, so hopefully there will be no copyright issues.

Regardless, I hope those of you who didn’t see this previously enjoying getting to experience it for the first time.

As a primer to this novella, here is the background of the primary and main supporting characters in the Elseworld.

Green Arrow - George Mortensen

The Caucasian male is the "old-school lefty," a champion of social justice and fighting class warfare. Though raised by a wealthy family, he became sympathetic to the lower income classes after visiting homeless shelters on a regular basis. Though he decided his calling in life was to engage in philanthropy, he agreed to assume the role as CEO of Mortensen Industries after his father passed away. His work as CEO provided him more insight and knowledge about organized crime and how some in the corporate world manipulated others for their personal gain. After his wife passed away, Mortensen felt the calling to focus more on philanthropic efforts, but found it difficult to leave his work as CEO because his mother wasn't interested in the position, his sister has plenty of ideas to direct Mortensen Technologies research into areas that could benefit society (namely the medical field) and because he worried about the company falling into the wrong hands. Thus, he assumed a double identity, taking up the Green Arrow persona to combat organized crime. His outfit is mostly based on the Silver Age Green Arrow, but he wears a hood, along with a mask, to conceal his identity. Despite the loss he has encountered in his life and the underhanded dealings he's uncovered in the corporate world, he tries to keep a positive outlook.

Supergirl - Tara Nim-El (Tara Binder)

A Kryptonian female who, at earth age 26, escaped Krypton when the planet became unstable, but was forced to leave her husband behind (he is presumed dead after Krypton exploded). Her escape pod took her to Earth and she landed in Antarctica, where she spend three years learning about the planet but kept herself concealed, unsure about how she would fit in with others. But after learning about the presence of Brainiac, the technological system that monitored Krypton's environments and defenses, she decided it was time to reveal herself to the world. Though she finds it difficult to fit in with human beings at times, she is eager to become a symbol of hope that the House of El represents. She struggles with the idea of a secret identity, wanting to be out in the open rather than continuing to hide. She is particularly concerned about the impact humans have on Earth's environment, having seen firsthand on Krypton what can happen when one tampers too much with the planet.

The Flash - Destiny Gardner

A black female whose parents were killed by a drunk driver when she was still in high school. The driver was acquitted by a jury and she believes it was because of the driver's ties to Warren Hosills, the founder of Frontier Labs. She since vowed never to let another individual get away with such things, but put her hopes of becoming a CSI on hold, in part because she worried about the inheritance from her parents running out and in part because of her desire to expose Hosills for his underhanded dealings. While she was investigating some of Hosills' dealings at Frontier Labs, she was struck by a bolt of lightning that mixed with chemicals that spilled from barrels. When she recovered, she discovered she had gained superspeed. She created her own red bodysuit and explored her newfound powers, deciding to use them to take down street criminals, though she continues her pursuit of exposing Hosills. Gardner doesn't believe that most criminals are redeemable and is hostile toward them, so she seeks to intimidate and threaten those who commit crime. She has also become a loner and finds it difficult to open up to other people.

Canary - Carl Kanigher

A bisexual man who became an archeologist and explored ancient ruins in Kurac. He uncovered an artifact that gave him mystic powers, amplifying his voice to unleash a sonic scream, and increasing his agility to the point that he can fly short distances. However, if he removes the artifact from around his neck, he loses those powers. He called himself the Canary and decided to commit himself to uncovering criminal activity, particularly focusing on Intergang, who has a large operation in his hometown of Hub City. Canary wears a yellow jacket and pants at all times when fighting crime but prefers not to wear a mask. He is curious about everything around him, likes to ask questions and seeks to know as much as he can about other people he meets. But he is cocky and believes his powers allow him to handle any situation that he encounters.

Supporting characters

Cissie Mortensen: The younger sister of George Mortensen, who is a technological genius and sometimes acts as support for Green Arrow when he goes about his work.

Doug Grant: Carl Kanigher's spouse (they refer to each other as "partners") who works as an emergency room doctor and is often concerned for Canary's safety.

Warren Hosills: The founder of Frontier Labs, the most influential company in Central City, who is often secretive about his technological work.

Mark Gregory: A Congressman who was a close friend of George Mortensen in college and finds himself at odds with Hosills' approach to technology.