With so many characters in the Arrow-verse, and much free time on our hands while practicing social distancing, we’ve put together a list of the characters that could definitely handle being under quarantine or isolation.
COVID-19 has put a halt or yield to most of our lives, and has even cancelled production on three shows in the Arrow-verse: Supergirl, The Flash, and Batwoman.
So, while we’re all on a break, let’s discuss this: Which characters could handle quaranting/isolating/distancing themselves from others, for weeks on end, and which characters couldn’t?
We obviously can’t go over every character in the Arrow-verse, so we’re sticking with main/continuously recurring characters.
And I hate to say it, but I feel like I have to… If you’re here looking for actual information about COVID-19 or life under quarantine, you’re in the wrong place.
Which ‘Arrow’-verse characters would thrive under quarantine? Who wouldn’t?
Would: Lena Luthor; Wouldn’t: Kara Danvers
For Lena Luthor, it’s simple. She’s spent most of her life isolated from others, at least emotionally, and is now back in that state of mind, feeling betrayed by the person she considered her best friend. Half of the time on Supergirl, she’s alone in her lab. While Lena may be craving love and friendship, a few weeks or months wouldn’t hurt her (and she’d probably find the cure for COVID-19 while tucked away).
Not to get too dark here, but Kara Danvers definitely couldn’t handle it. (Whether she’d even be at risk or not because she’s a Kryptonian doesn’t count here, let’s just have some fun.) She spent far too much time alone, in the Phantom Zone, before arriving on Earth, which has led to her having severe claustrophobia. So, being stuck in her apartment for weeks or months? As if. She’d go stir crazy after five minutes because she’s used to staying so busy, whether someone was there with her or not.
Would: Mick Rory; Wouldn’t: Ray Palmer
All Mick Rory wants on Legends of Tomorrow is to be left alone. He genuinely hates other people, and while the Legends have grown on him, they still annoy him to death. He would gladly take any mandatory time to be alone, especially for weeks and months, and would leave instantly before he could ever be quarantined with someone else (he’d get through that, but that person would be in immediate danger).
The recently-departed Ray Palmer is too much of a people-pleaser to get along without spreading his extrovert wings and soaring every day. He’s smart enough that he’d manage, and would probably create some cool invention to make it easier for the world, but he would be dreadfully bored and lonely without near-constant conversation.
Would: Iris West-Allen; Wouldn’t: Barry Allen
Obviously, Barry has a similar personality to Ray Palmer. Both love to be around others, to please others, and Barry enjoys the company of his friends and family more than, well, a lot of people do. I also don’t think Barry could handle being stuck in one place for too long since he’s so used to running around the city (and occasionally the world) in the blink of an eye. He couldn’t do it. You know it.
Iris, on the other hand, seems to fall right in the middle as an ambivert, meaning she’s able to easily deal with being with others and being alone for various lengths of time. And on The Flash season 6, spoiler alert, she’s already basically quarantined in the mirrorverse. If she can handle that, where she’s unsure if she’ll ever get out, she can handle knowing she’s only quarantined for a few weeks…
Would: Oliver Queen; Wouldn’t: Felicity Smoak
The man who started the Arrow-verse, Oliver Queen, is simple: He survived five years in hell, partially on a deserted island named after Purgatory, and spent roughly 20 years (seemingly alone) in a different dimension, after his death during “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” waiting for his wife to join him, not knowing when exactly that would be. If he were still alive, a few weeks alone and inside would be no match. (And he can cook, so how can I be quarantined with him?)
Felicity Smoak is much more bubbly and extroverted than Oliver (at least the Oliver we got to know after the Queen’s Gambit went down), and I can’t really see her sitting still for that long. Maybe I’m wrong; she is a hacker and in one timeline spent 20 years at a remote cabin in hiding, but I have a hard time seeing Felicity not going crazy. Even on the previous timeline, she was conducting business and hacking when she was in hiding… She clearly can’t sit still.
Would: Kate Kane and Luke Fox
Kate Kane and Luke Fox would do just fine. After what unfolded on Batwoman season 1, episode 15 (and even before then), Kate has a lot to reflect on, and could use some time on her own to take care of that. She’s also spent years of her life away from Gotham, training, and enduring such rough conditions. It would be a breeze for her.
And Luke, he spends most of his time in the Wayne building/Batcave any way, so would it really be any different? This is one man who knows how to entertain himself, remain unproblematic, and he won’t go crazy after some time to think on his life.
Would: Earth-2 Laurel Lance; Wouldn’t: Mia Smoak-Queen
Much for the same reasons as Mick Rory, E-2 Laurel Lance would be oh-so-happy to be quarantined, honestly. People are, like, her least favorite part about existing, and it would give her some time to work on her snarky comments and tune up her Canary Cry.
As for Mia, I really don’t think she’d make it more than a few days under quarantine. She has a lot of demons and issues to face, and Mia’s method for facing those is, often, to run away. She’s a fighter, like her father, and we saw how long it really took Oliver to face his own demons. Mia’s too fresh, too new, and not experienced enough to be able to handle it… at least, not yet.
Wouldn’t: Sophie Moore and Alice/Beth Kane
Hello, it’s obvious why Alice from Batwoman couldn’t handle quarantine: She spent 11 years of her life being held captive by a madman. That trauma would make it impossible for her, and she’d be itching to get out of a single space within minutes. There’s a reason we never see Alice holed up somewhere too long on Batwoman.
Sophie has a lot of personal issues to sort through, including her discovery of her sexuality and what that means for her life going forward, and I truly feel like she’d avoid thinking about those issues at any cost, leading her to doing some crazy, reckless things for a distraction. Without the Crows or Batwoman, Sophie would probably break out of quarantine and become a street vigilante or something.
Would: Caitlin Snow; Wouldn’t: Cisco Ramon
Listen, I really don’t think Cisco could take weeks or months in quarantine. As a man who has had literally the entire multi-verse at his fingertips, Cisco’s already so lost without his powers and can’t seem to handle what’s going on, even roaming Central City and helping to save the day. I mean, he’s barely been able to stick around Central City for that matter, and leaves for days at a time. He’s also way too personable, like Barry, and couldn’t take the limits.
Caitlin, however, already endures her fair share of quarantine. She’s taken the backseat in her body to Frost all season, so it’s not like it would really be anything new to her. Personality-wise, Caitlin’s more of an introvert, and she’d definitely be able to entertain herself, maybe even get another degree while she’s at it. (And Frost could handle it, too, obviously.)
Would: Ava Sharpe; Wouldn’t: Sara Lance
Ava Sharpe, former Director of the Time Bureau and clone, would have no trouble at all with quarantining herself, with or without anyone else (except if she were with Gary, of course). She’s so strict with the rules, she wouldn’t have the urge to break out, and would probably just be worried about what Sara was up to if they weren’t together…
Sara, though, would never make it. She has spent far too much of her life feeling locked up, and now she’s free from the constraints of the League of Assassins, of Death, and of any organization presiding over what they do as Legends. A few weeks or months in quarantine would make her consider whether it was worth it to have come back to life or not. Though, she may last a little longer after being annoyed by the Legends in the tight Waverider space…
Would: Brainiac-5; Wouldn’t: Alex Danvers
Brainy’s easy to determine because his alien abilities would make certain he’d never be bored. He could still work to save the day, or just run numbers all day to figure out what their chances of survival would be. Maybe write “Brainiac-5 + Nia Nal = Love” in a notebook all day. Point is, he’d be fine.
As for, Alex Danvers, I don’t know how she’d handle it. We’ve seen Alex really struggle to handle her personal issues over the course of the show, and this would give her too much time to think. Since leaving the DEO, she’s been trying to desperately find what’s “next” for her, but has refused to really sit down and think about it.
Does she want to be a mom now? What’s next for her and Kelly? What job does she want to have? Add her (spoiler alert) father’s recent death to that, and it’s a disaster waiting to happen. For the sake of her sanity, don’t do it.
Who else in the ‘Arrow’-verse?
Of course, this is just a fraction of everyone in the Arrow-verse! There are so many other characters to choose from, and we want to hear your thoughts as well! What other characters do you think would or wouldn’t make it through very well? Do you disagree with any of our choices? Let us know in the comments below!
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