The Flash and Arrow will soon join forces and that's all kinds of exciting. We're very anxious to see how the crossover is handled, but it also got us wondering about other potential crossovers between comic book shows. There's a lot of cool possibilities that'll obviously never happen because of legal issues and all that, but the thought of these different characters existing in The Walking Dead's zombie apocalypse is just so much fun. Who would thrive? Who would fall? How would they react to this new and shockingly violent scenario? Let's talk about it!
Arrow
First and foremost, would Oliver Queen be okay with killing the undead? He could pin them to walls with well-placed arrows or use trick arrows to incapacitate others, but sooner or later, there's going to be too many and he won't be able to provide a non-lethal measure for all of them. If you're a human and you want to survive the zombie apocalypse, odds are you're going to destroy a zombie's brain at some point. The emerald archer's been doing his best to avoid taking a life, but what if his enemies already had their lives taken from them?
It seems safe to assume he'd go for non-lethal measures as the outbreak first occurred. He and his allies would attempt to help others by restraining, pinning down, or simply holding back walkers. After all, how terrible would he feel if he starts putting arrows into zombies' heads and then the zombification can be reversed? Odds are they'd restrain one and bring it back to the "Arrowcave" to let Felicity study it (she'd be the most qualified person for the job, wouldn't she?). Eventually, Felicity would hit Ollie with the hard truth: These zombies need to get an arrow in the brain. Given the size of the situation, Ollie would attempt to reach out to Amanda Waller at some point. Are they somehow responsible for this? Was it a chemical weapon gone wrong? Do they have a cure or are they close to having one? With a scenario like this breaking out, Waller and her crew will have their hands full, so let's assume Oliver and Starling City are on their own and Waller's using the Suicide Squad for more important locations and missions.
Oliver can't save the entire city from the floods of zombies, so odds are he and his allies would focus on making sure their loved ones are safe and they'd lock down the club; that'll be their shelter. With this scenario, there's no room for the "keep my identity safe" business; making sure that the people he cares about are safe is far more important than not letting them know he's the Green Arrow. This is going to bring a lot of drama forward. How will Thea react to Oliver keeping this secret? Their mother is dead and it's all because Deathstroke wanted to make Arrow suffer. Will Thea reveal she's been training with Malcolm? And will how Malcolm play a part in this? Given the bleak situation, he'd likely want to be responsible for his daughter's safety and not just assume Oliver can protect her. Would they work together? Probably, but it would be an uneasy alliance and more than likely explode at some point.
While Ray Palmer more than likely works technology to help combat the situation -- something that could eventually play a big role -- Laurel and Wildcat are going to be an additional concern for Oliver. Clearly, Wildcat will want to go out there and do his part to help the community and he seemed to be okay with having Laurel by his side. Two melee fighters against swarms of zombies, though? Not the best idea around. Even if Oliver gets them back to the club, the dynamic between them won't be easy and produce even more drama. As for Ra's al Ghul, I see no reason why he'd get involved in the chaos happening over in Starling City and would focus on other locations which have far more value for him. But what I'm really wondering about is how this will impact Slade Wilson. The dude's a killing machine, so would Oliver let him rot in the hidden prison and eventual die because he'll run out of food and water, or will he release him after they can reach some kind of truce? There's a lot of a bad blood there and odds are Ollie will be busy with what's going on in Starling City, but it would be surprising if the thought didn't cross his mind at some point. Honestly, it's unlikely Queen would trust Slade and release him -- he's too big of a threat -- but maybe Waller would cut a deal with Slade and use him to help battle the waves of zombies.
Team Arrow has the skill, weaponry and resources required to survive for quite some time and several plot elements could lead to interesting developments (e.g. Palmer, Waller), but eventually, their human limitations and desire to help everyone they care about could lead to their downfall. You can really imagine the family drama and bad decisions (here's looking at you, Laurel and Wildcat) eventually playing a big role. There's a lot of people they're looking after and eventually, one minor error could be fatal. They'd take out a lot of zombies -- you know, when they eventually realize they have to -- and they'd survive for quite some time, but I wouldn't give team Arrow the best odds out of all the DC TV heroes against the zombie apocalypse.
Constantine
For John Constantine, the zombie apocalypse would just be another day gone horribly wrong and the twisted development wouldn't be a baffling turn of events to him. He'd be the most familiar with this kind of enemy and the most prepared for it, but does that technically make him the most qualified to handle it?
Characters from Arrow can physically hold their own against a number of enemies and swiftly navigate the rooftops, but will John's tactics work when he's backed into a corner and massively outnumbered? His approach often relies on having some space to focus and say what needs to be said and it sometimes requires prep time. With zombies, every single second counts and even one small mistake can end it. We're talking about a threat that can literally pop up just about anywhere. If humans are there, there could be a zombie right behind the next door or sitting down behind a piece of furniture, ready and willing to bite a leg if it wanders by. He has the means to keep going for quite some time and his hideout offers a lot of options, but if he treats this like another case and heads out there in an attempt to fix the world -- which he probably would for at least some amount of time -- he may eventually get in over his head. He can prepare and prepare, but a single bite or the slightest error is going to lead to his end. Unfortunately, given what we've seen in the show, I'm not very confident in his ability to handle threats that could and most likely would randomly pop up.
He's smart and often focused on self-preservation, but in the show, he's made more than a few risky decisions. He's confident and witty, but so much more is needed when it comes to dealing with a zombie that stumbled into you and another one is just a few feet away. I can think of at least two times he's needed assistance from others or else he would have died. This isn't the time he'd want to make one of those poor choices and slipping up against even a single zombie or being unaware of one that's lurking around the corner would be disastrous. Luckily for him, he does have allies by his side and, seeing as we're dealing with the undead, this could generate some amusing interactions with Papa Midnight. However, after realizing there's nothing they can do to save the world, they'd probably go into survival mode. Maybe he'd equip the Sword of Night as he went out into the world? We saw that in a recent episode, so how awesome would that be?!
It's really tough to speculate about this one because our knowledge of TV Constantine's tricks and gear is pretty limited (we've only seen 6 episodes), but based on that, we can think about how he'd act. On paper, he should be the best one in this situation, but when everything hits the fan, he often requires help or adequate prep time. With zombies, there's no room for charm and there often isn't time to set up your plan of attack. You can establish traps and other things, but you need to be able to react swiftly and that could lead to the end of Matt Ryan's excellent Constantine. He has the potential to thrive in this setting, but his personality and the way he combats the threat could mean major trouble for him.
Gotham
James Gordon and Harvey Bullock taking on zombies? Sounds like a good time, doesn't it? This would be really fun to witness, but for the two police officers, it would be a nightmare. They've encountered a drug that enhances someone's strength, but battling the undead is a whole new concept form them -- one that would be totally surreal. They'd quickly learn a headshot is the only way to drop a walker and they'd likely give Edward Nygma one to study, but the long-term scenario here just isn't good for them. They can hold their own in most combat situations, but they aren't exceptional in that regard. To make matters even worse, they're located in a heavily populated city; a rough place to be if you want to avoid fighting zombies.
Zombies wouldn't be the only threat, either. With chaos erupting in the streets, each gang would make their move for extra power. Suddenly, politics go out the window and the gloves would come off. An alliance between these groups just doesn't seem very likely given all of the heated relationships. So many characters would use this scenario as a chance to backstab someone or let their true intentions come front and center. It would be kill or be killed in Gotham and it would be devastating.
Luckily for Gordon, Harvey's stepped up and is beginning to show some courage again. That's huge for Gordon because he needs someone he can rely on, not someone who will bolt when things look bleak. Now, it's up for debate how Harvey would react if things got especially ugly, but considering how things have been going, it seems safe to say Harvey will try to be a good partner. They may not be as skilled or as accurate as characters from Arrow, but they'd have each other's back
How long would they try to survive in the city, though? It probably wouldn't be very long before Nygma realizes he can't find a way to stop this and it's a "we really hope the government is doing something about this" situation. Would James and Harvey flee the crowded and bloody streets and head to Wayne Manor? They could establish a better defense there and the region is less populated. Still, this world is an uphill struggle for these characters. Even though the show has a purposefully over-the-top tone at times, these characters don't often go above what ordinary humans are capable of and they don't seem to bring any noteworthy advantages to the table. They could survive for quite some time -- Harvey, James, and Alfred is quite a team -- but throwing unleashed criminals into the mix isn't helping their chances. Zsasz would likely having a blast during all of this mayhem. All of those zombies means he's going to be adding a lot of marks! On the plus side, all Gordon needs to do is survive for a decade or so and then Batman will protect them, right? Okay, I'm obviously joking, but it is interesting to think about how this situation could change Bruce's development. You know, assuming they survive long enough.
Out of all the DC shows, it seems like this group probably has the worst chances of surviving the longest. Gotham City is already a violent and dangerous place, so adding a flood of vicious zombies is only going to make things so much harder for everyone and it means all of the politics will go right out the window. It's going to be an ugly, ugly place.
The Flash
Super speed versus zombies? The winner seems obvious enough, yeah? It's an ideal power to have against the slow, shuffling hordes. They'd be so easy to evade. However, Barry Allen isn't some bloodlusted or selfish person who's just going to look out for himself by avoiding zombies or have fun totally unleashing against them. He does his best to avoid killing (he'd likely hope for a cure) and he's driven by the desire to help others. Even though he's incredibly powerful, he's still relatively new to this and Barry's urge to protect everyone could lead to his downfall. All it takes is one small mistake, after all, and we know he doesn't have the best reaction time when an attack comes from behind. If he stops to save someone or even tell a crowd about a safe zone, this leaves him vulnerable and all it takes is a second or so in this depressing world to end your life. This is something Harrison Wells would be more than aware of and this would most definitely lead to a heated debate between the two. Wells' number one objective is to protect Flash, but if Barry has the ability to save innocent people from a sea of the undead, he's going to try his best to do so. This is sure to create some drama in S.T.A.R. Labs.
Another element that'll create potential drama: Iris and Joe West. Joe may want to stick in Central City and help out, but eventually, Barry will want to take both of them to S.T.A.R. Labs to keep them safe. He probably could find a way to keep his identity safe from Iris -- like we saw in the last episode, super speed is a big help with that -- but honestly, if things are getting this dire, it would be silly for him to keep hiding it from her. How will she react upon learning this? Will she understand or will she be upset with Barry and her father for not trusting her with this secret? The last thing Barry needs when he's running around the city and saving lives is to have his mind occupied and full of concerns, so if she takes the news poorly, that could really hinder his actions when he's out there.
Even though Barry's inexperience and desire to save everyone could result in a zombie sinking its teeth into him, I'm thinking team Flash has the best odds in this case. Not only are possible metahumans and characters like Captain Cold still out there, likely causing trouble and distractions for zombies, but S.T.A.R. Labs offers a huge amount of protection and equipment. Thanks to his speed, Barry has the ability to get a zombie and bring it back for study. Once it's there, Cisco, Caitlin, and Harrison have the equipment and intellect to conduct a thorough study. And, if it doesn't go well, Barry grabbing another zombie would be effortless for him. Additionally, we know Cisco isn't shabby when it comes to creating weapons that are effective against a specific type of target, so he'd be the perfect friend to have in the zombie apocalypse. It would probably be something that focused on a non-lethal way of restraining/incapacitating the undead. Even though Wells would want them not to hold back, it's just not in Barry's nature to kill something, especially when there's some degree of hope for finding a cure. When it comes to supplies, it would be beyond easy for Barry to bring back food and needed equipment, too.
Flash focusing on saving everyone potentially hurts his odds and gives zombies the slight window they'd need to get a taste of him (he should be too fast for them, but the show does have him slip up from time to time), but the combination of surreal powers, incredibly gifted minds and high-tech resources means team Flash should have the best odds in this situation. They could really hurt their chances if they foolishly agree to trust some of the clearly bad metahumans, but overall, it looks like they have what it takes to survive in this world for a very long time. It's funny since the two shows have totally different atmospheres. The Flash is so lighthearted and uplifting and The Walking Dead is so bleak and savage. Despite that, the gang from The Flash has a pretty good shot at staying alive for a good amount of time in a zombie-infested world. They may not kill a large number of walkers -- or any at all -- but that doesn't matter all that much because they really wouldn't need to. Any kind of threat they encounter, they can use their intellect and Barry's speed to counter. They may not eventually save the world, but they can save a lot of lives, find ways to help combat the overwhelming odds, and they should have no problem gathering important resources.
Which show do you think would be able to survive for the longest amount of time in The Walking Dead's brutal world?