It's a question comic book enthusiasts have been asking themselves since the dawn of time: if these legendary heroes were to ever fight against each other, who would win? Could Superman beat The Hulk? Would Batman be victorious over Spiderman? These are all intriguing scenarios that fans are itching to explore — and it's something The Flash and Arrow crossover episodes are aiming to tackle as well. This week The CW will play host to what's sure to be an epic two-night crossover event that will pit Barry Allen's lightning speed against Oliver Queen's emerald archery. As of now it remains unclear what exactly happens to transform these friends into foes (though we know it has something to do with Roy G. Bivolo), however, the No. 1 question that automatically came to the forefront of everyone's mind was this: who would win in a battle: The Flash or Arrow?
Obviously, I don't envision this to become a fight-to-the-death scenario, given that they're both highly pivotal players on each of their perspective shows. But that's not to say these guys won't get in a few good shots before getting knocked back into their senses. So why not try and predict the possible outcome? Both vigilantes have some distinct advantages over the other, but if push comes to shove, there's bound to be a clear victor. Let's talk this out, shall we?
Speed
Oliver can work out as much as he wants (and by all means, please do!), but no amount of jogging is ever going to beat Barry's insane speed. I mean, he is called the fastest man alive, so when it comes to track and field type stuff, the dude cannot be beat.
Winner: The Flash
Combat
Barry may be able to run off in the blink of an eye, but Oliver is well equipped to stay and fight. He was trained by Slade and Shado, and even served as an assassin for Amanda Waller. Not to mention he was trapped on island that made Lost look like child's play. So yeah, he knows how to defend himself in battle, using arrows or otherwise. Meanwhile, Barry has undergone no such training, at least not yet, which means I've got to give this one to Oliver.
Winner: Arrow
Years of Experience
Like with most things in life, the more you do something, the better you are at it. Barry is just starting out in his vigilante quest whereas Oliver already has years of experience under his belt. He knows how to think on his feet and work under pressure in ways Mr. Allen has yet to comprehend. Sorry, Barry, but in many ways you're still just a baby. It's going to take time to get to Oliver's level.
Winner: Arrow
Healing
Barry may be at a higher risk of getting more frequently punched due to his lack of combat skills, however, he has one thing that Oliver doesn't: the ability to heal at a rapid rate. That could be used to a huge advantage if they both manage to do some serious physical harm to each other. Barry will heal within minutes, leaving Oliver incredibly vulnerable.
Winner: The Flash
Smarts
This one can be a little tricky. Whereas Barry clearly dominates on an intellectual level given that he's pretty much a borderline genius, Oliver — while also highly intelligent — also possesses a great deal of street smarts that can come in just as handy in a fighting situation. I'm going to have to say they'd cancel each other out on this one.
Winner: Tied
The Shirtless Factor
Come on, you know I had to, and what better way to end a tie-breaker, really? While Barry's chiseled physique is certainly nothing to baulk, nothing beats Oliver's impressive six-pack scenario. It's just so… uhh… I'm sorry, what were we talking about?
Winner: Arrow
So there you have it, folks. By my calculations, Oliver would be the clear winner, though Barry would make sure it was no easy defeat. Let's just hope these two are able to work things out and go back to developing a nice, everlasting bromance as The CW intended.
Images: Diyah Pera /The CW; ultimatemoviefanatic/Tumblr; arrowtv/Tumblr; Giphy (2); elliottgilbert/Tumblr; arrowarcher/Tumblr
