'Arrow': Did Felicity Just Set Up a Crisis on Earth-X Villain?

Tonight's episode of Arrow has everyone talking about that big Bruce Wayne name drop, but for those paying attention there was another DC Comics character reference and it might just be a hint at the upcoming Arrowverse crossover.

Spoilers for the Arrow episode 'Tribute', below.

While trying to figure out who leaked the photo of Oliver Queen as Green Arrow, Felicity Smoak and Curtis Holt spend some time chatting about their non-Team Arrow work situation and Curtis reveals that he's been doing some freelance coding work to pay the bills. Felicity ends up quizzing Curtis about the programming languages he uses and asks him if "Python" is one of them. Curtis responds not with a confirmation that he is indeed using the coding language but instead asks, "The supervillain?"

It's interesting that Curtis would ask about a villain we haven't yet seen in the Arrowverse, especially since it might just have ties to the Crisis on Earth-X crossover event. You see, there are two characters in DC Comics who have used "Python" as their villainous code name and both have some significant ties that might see one -- or both -- of them play a part in the crossover event.

Black Python debuted in 2011's Freedom Fighters #3. The character doesn't have much comic book history, but he's not on the side of the eponymous Freedom Fighters. With the "Crisis on Earth-X" crossover pitting the heroes against their evil, Nazi-inspired doppelgangers and The Ray, a member of the Freedom Fighters, making an appearance it's possible that Black Python could also pop up to help the bad guys.

The other Python in DC Comics is Jacob Bernstein, an enemy of Wesley Dodds' Sandman. Dodds is the Golden Age version of Sandman, a member of the Justice Society of America throughout the '40s and '50s and while Black Python's involvement in the crossover is a bit of a long shot, Sandman's has already been teased.

Last month, Legends of Tomorrow showrunner Marc Guggenheim tweeted a cryptic image of a mask that will be a prop in the four-part event airing November 27 and 28. The mask strongly resembles Sandman's. If Sandman does make an appearance in the Legends hour of the crossover, his villain Python might as well.

Arrow airs Thursdays at 9/8c on The CW.

The Arrowverse crossover, "Crisis on Earth-X" will take place on November 27th and 28th, with Arrow moving for one week to Monday nights at 9 p.m.