Arrow: Easter Eggs and DC Comics References in "Haunted"

This is it, folks! Probably the most anticipated Arrow episode of the season, and the return of [...]

By Russ Burlingame - November 4, 2015 09:15 pm EST

This is it, folks! Probably the most anticipated Arrow episode of the season, and the return of the incomparable Matt Ryan as John Constantine, master of the dark arts.

...Well, more of a petty dabbler, really.

At any rate, Constantine is here, and Arrow is all the more awesome for it.

So...on with the Easter egg hunt. What did we see? What did we miss? Read on...!

JOHN BADHAM

This one's behind the camera, but definitely worth a mention.

John Badham, who directed tonight's episode of Arrow, is no stranger to Constantine. Last year, he directed "Danse Vadou," the fifth episode of Constantine, which also featured DC Comics villain Papa Midnite and Jim Corrigan, the cop who would one day become The Spectre.

Badham also directed WarGames, Saturday Night Fever and Short Circuit.

JOHN CONSTANTINE

Matt Ryan reprises his role as John Constantine, a petty dabbler in the dark arts who is wrapped up in a powerful, rising darkness he's trying to stop.

He's one of the DC Universe's most powerful mystics, and a bit of a shady character with -- arguably, but not definitely -- a heart of gold.

Constantine has been featured in a movie starring Keanu Reeves, as well as a TV series last year in which Ryan starred. We all hope he'll be back soon.

BARON REITER

We've seen him a few times already, but now we have a name (courtesy John Constantine): Baron Reiter.

In the comics he's Baron Blitzkrieg, a villain with Nazi ties, so as you can imagine, there was a touch of uproar when a person of color was cast to play the character, but producers have promised that this version of Baron Reiter would be a very different take.

...And so far, he is.

EVEN MORE TERRIFIC

We're starting to see a few of the things that could make Curtis Holt into Mr. Terrific down the line -- even if showrunners have said they aren't going to rush that move.

Holt wears a jacket that has "Fair Play" stitched on the sleeve, which is a familiar phrase to anyone who's a fan of his comic book alter ego, Mr. Terrific. In the Golden Age, the original Mr. Terrific had it on the front of his shirt, whereas the more modern interpretation, on which Holt is based, had it on the sleeves of his jacket.

He also identifies himself as an Olympic decathlete, something that Michael Holt -- Mr. Terrific in the comics -- also is.

"I'M GETTING NEW ONES MADE."

In spite of the fact that John Constantine said he would in his the first episode of his series -- which is now a year ago -- he never did change those business cards!

RESTITUTIONUM

Geraldine Chandler Constantine TV Series 0001

When John says he's done one of these before, it's true: he restored the soul of his partner Chas's daughter after it was briefly stolen last season during the Constantine episode "Quid Pro Quo."

In that episode, Constantine and his team squared off against Felix Faust, who in the comic books was a longtime Justice League foe.

WHITE CANARY

Sara's outfit in the pit, and Laurel's jacket in Ollie's office, both seem to have elements of the White Canary costume that we'll see Sara wearing during her time on DC's Legends of Tomorrow.

Could Laurel hand off her jacket to Sara before she jumps in the Waverider (time machine/space ship belonging to Rip Hunter), in a reflection of the way Sara gave Laurel the Canary jacket?

Seems likely...!

UNITED

Those Oliver Queen campaign slogans that say "United?"

Well, somebody's bound to point out that Green Arrow was a member of Justice League United for most of its run.

Might as well be me.

THE ORB OF HORUS

Horus has two presences in the Arrowverse.

First of all, it's the Hawk God that Hawkman and Hawkwoman derive their powers from, according to Falk Hentschel's casting notice.

Secondly, Constantine used the Eye of Horus as a protective sigil to protect a woman in the Constantine pilot. Nice touch, there. I wonder if he got the idea from this orb...and whether the protective tattoo he put on Oliver is the same spell.

A SAFE PLACE

The mill!

John Constantine keeps all of his magical trinkets in "a safe place," which would be the mill house we saw as his main base of operations during Constantine.

Among the items found there are the Ibistick, Pandora's box, Dr. Fate's helmet and much more.