'Arrow' season finale namedrops one last time as it pays tribute to legendary comic writer John Byrne
Spoiler alert for the series finale of 'Arrow'
With the Anti-Monitor defeated and with Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) having wiped out all crime in Star City, there aren't a lot of villains left to face in the season finale. The one who does show up is not a long time 'Arrow' villain, but in fact, a tribute to an iconic comics legend.
All of the Arrowverse shows have paid tribute to the comic creators who inspired them, whether or not they were a major part of their comic book series. Streets, buildings and characters have all been named after comic book writers, artists and editors. With the series finale, Mark Guggenheim was able to slip one last reference in, paying tribute to legendary writer and artist for both Marvel and DC, John Byrne.
"I've been trying to name check John forever, and this literally was my last opportunity," showrunner Guggenheim told ComicBook.com. "He doesn't have a Green Arrow presence, but I had written him into an episode of Law and Order — actually, my last episode of Law and Order, as it turns out, many, many, many years ago — and I always wanted to name check him in Arrow. So I reached out to him, and he said he was into it, and we went from there."
Unfortunately, for poor John Byrne, his character on the show is far from an exemplary person. A human trafficker who kidnaps Oliver Queen's son as revenge for Oliver having put him in jail for eight years, the CW's 'John Byrne' is the final villain that Team Arrow faces down.
Byrne himself was never a big part of the 'Green Arrow' comic book series, although both he and Guggenheim have had extensive runs on 'X-Men' comics.
The legacy of Oliver Queen is set to continue in the spinoff series 'Green Arrow & the Canaries,' although the series order has not yet been confirmed by the CW.