Death can be a scary thing. However, if you’re an Arrowverse fan, you know nothing is ever final in this fictional universe. For fans of Arrow, The Flash and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, some words will have an entirely different meaning. If you hear about Brandon Routh, and think about the maligned Superman Returns, you obviously haven’t seen enough of these hit CW shows. These words may mean nothing to your friends but any true Arrowverse fan will easily relate!
1. Death
Normal meaning: The end of life
Arrowverse meaning: The end of life unless you fake your death, exist in an alternate timeline or someone resurrects you with the Lazarus Pit (see “Lazarus”)
2. Lazarus
Normal meaning: Mary and Martha’s brother; according to John 11, Jesus raised him from the dead
Arrowverse meaning: The name for the Pit that can bring anyone back from the dead
3. Speed (Not to be confused with “Speedy”)
Normal meaning: The rate at which someone or something moves
Arrowverse meaning: How fast one can move; one’s speed can also be stolen by outside forces such as Zoom or Harrison Wells
4. Speedy (Not to be confused with “Speed”)
Normal meaning: Moving quickly
Arrowverse meaning: Oliver Queen’s nickname for his sister, Thea Queen, and Thea’s superhero alter ego
5. Canary
Normal meaning: A mainly African bird; chirps a sweet song
Arrowverse meaning: The alter egos of Sara Lance (Canary and White Canary) and Laurel Lance (Black Canary); can produce the Canary Cry, an ear-piercing sound capable of breaking glass
6. Earth
Normal meaning: The planet where we live
Arrowverse meaning: The planet where Arrowverse characters live plus other alternate universes and timelines (i.e. Earth-2)
7. Vibe
Normal meaning: One’s emotional state or atmosphere felt by others
Arrowverse meaning: Cisco Ramon’s alter ego who can recall memories from alternate timelines
8. Reverse
Normal meaning: Going backward
Arrowverse meaning: Barry Allen’s arch nemesis, Eobard Thawne, and his mother’s killer
9. Legends
Normal meaning: Famous or notorious people
Arrowverse meaning: A team of outcasts trying to be extraordinary people as they stop Vandal Savage
10. Arsenal
Normal meaning: A collection of weapons
Arrowverse meaning: One of Oliver Queen’s greatest weapons and most trusted friends, Roy Harper
11. Heat Wave
Normal meaning: A period of hot weather
Arrowverse meaning: Mick Rory’s nickname; a pyromaniac and accomplice to Leonard Snart aka Captain Cold
12. League
Normal meaning: Countries, groups or people uniting for a common cause
Arrowverse meaning: The League of Assassins, a group of trained warriors working for Ra’s al Ghul
13. Vertigo
Normal meaning: A sense of dizziness or loss of balance caused by looking down from a high place
Arrowverse meaning: A deadly narcotic that makes users feel disoriented and/or see their greatest fears; dealt by a man named Count Vertigo
14. Brandon Routh
Normal meaning: The actor who disappointed millions of DC fans as Clark Kent/Superman in Superman Returns
Arrowverse meaning: The actor who redeemed himself to millions of DC fans as the amazing character, Ray Palmer/The Atom, on Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow
15. Island
Normal meaning: A small piece of land surrounded by water
Arrowverse meaning: “My name is Oliver Queen. After five years on a hellish island, I have….” ok we get the point!
