Despite initial concerns that a Green Arrow TV show could have trouble keeping viewers invested over multiple seasons, the CW proved naysayers wrong with their gritty and complex superhero drama, Arrow. Following Justin Hartley's slightly campy (albeit enjoyable) turn as Oliver Queen and Green Arrow on Smallville, CW's TV reboot of the tortured Starling City socialite has benefited from Stephen Amell's darker and more complicated portrayal (not to mention the actor's "salmon ladder" workout routine).

In addition to a capable (and ripped) leading man, the network show also made a smart choice in incorporating side characters from DC Comics history - which both keep fans interested and helps to build a more expansive series mythology. Viewers have already been treated to villains Count Vertigo and Merlyn, noticeable name drops such as Ra's al Ghul - not to mention a Flash tie-in series that will expand on Arrow's grounded approach with a full-on super-powered protagonist. Now, we're getting our first look at another key nod to the character's past, one that happens to provide a major story point going forward: the Suicide Squad.

Comic Book Resources has our first look at Arrow's version of antihero team, the Suicide Squad - who, in most iterations, is a group of former (and current) villains that work dangerous black-ops missions for the US government in exchange for shorter prison sentences. A backstory that, no doubt, should also fit the team assembled in Arrow.

Check out the image below to see which characters will be included and read-on for details on how (and why) the Suicide Squad is formed on Arrow (click to enlarge):

Arrow Suicide Squad Members

If you're unfamiliar with the Suicide Squad and haven't been paying close attention to the bad guys on Arrow, it appears as though CW's version of the antihero team is pretty close to what longtime fans would expect - given that all of the characters picture above have been members at one point: Bronze Tiger (Michael Jai White), Shrapnel (Sean Maher), Amanda Waller (Cynthia Addai-Robinson), and Deadshot (Michael Rowe).

With former alums like the Clock King (Robert Knepper) set to appear on the show in the coming weeks, who else might be joining the Suicide Squad?

NOTE: The rest of this post will contain MILD story SPOILERS for upcoming episodes of Arrow - so if you do not want to know anything about what's to come, turn away now. You have been WARNED!

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NEXT PAGE: Who Else Will Be Joining the Suicide Squad?

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Arrow Suicide Squad Members John Diggle

The second image (above) of the Suicide Squad is slightly more revealing - adding the characters of Lyla Michaels (Audrey Marie Anderson) and John Diggle (David Ramsey) into the picture. So why would Diggle and Lyla be working with killers for hire like Deadshot and Bronze Tiger (especially considering their history)?

Executive Producer Andrew Kreisberg  previously offered up the following explanation for how the Suicide Squad would be introduced - and why Diggle will be motivated to work with them:

"Dig was our way into Amanda Waller, and in this episode, Amanda comes to Dig and Lyla, and she recruits Dig for a mission, and tells him he's going to need a team -- and she saddles him with the Suicide Squad."

Regular viewers will remember that Waller appeared in the concluding moments of Season 2, Episode 12 "Tremors" to recruit recently re-incarcerated Bronze Tiger to her "squad." It's safe to assume Waller will recruit Shrapnel (who is also in prison) and Bronze Tiger in exchange for reduced sentencing but how the agent intends to entice (or even find) Deadshot is unclear - since, as far as we know, the assassin is still on the loose. Also unknown, at this point, is what mission Waller has in mind, as well as why Diggle and Lyla (with the help of the Arrow) couldn't handle it on their own?

Amanda Waller and the Suicide Squad

Maybe the antihero team will be sent in to investigate Brother Blood and Deathstroke? A strong possibility given that Deadshot previously revealed it was H.I.V.E. (Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination) that hired him to kill Diggle's brother. Coupled that information with the fact that, in the comics, H.I.V.E. is run by Brother Blood.

Another possibility is that the Suicide Squad will be brought in to rescue Oliver Queen from the League of Assassins - who may capture the hooded hero after "one of the biggest fights in television history."

Unfortunately, details are scarce - and fans will have to wait until the March 19th episode of Arrow to find out exactly how the Suicide Squad fits into the show's season 2 storyline. Hopefully, the two episodes that lead into "Suicide Squad" will provide an interesting foundation.

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Arrow returns to the CW on Wednesday, February 26 @8pm with ‘Time of Death.’

Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick for updates on Arrow as well as future movie, TV, and gaming news.

Source: Comic Book Resources