Golden Archer

A superhuman alien from a doomed world, a millionaire playboy turned vigilante, an Amazon Princess…creating the Squadron Supreme must have been an escalating series of dares between Marvel editors. How far can they push the concept—Marvel’s version of DC’s Justice League of America—before they get sued? The answer: *hits DC lawyer with a pie*

So WizKids made five Squadron Supreme members (Hyperion, Doc Spectrum, Power Princess, Speed Demon and Nighthawk), but I wanted a sixth member to fill out my ‘Clix team. Being a Green Arrow fan, my plan was to make the Squad’s Ollie Queen–“The Golden Archer”–but first I needed to find some reference online. You ever do a Google search for “The Golden Archer?” Whoever said you could find anything on the internet lied. All I found was stuff like this…

Yeah, my photo reference was a pic of the guy all beat up and riding shotgun in a sky scooter. Keep that in mind if my custom figure looks a bit off center…

Somewhere there’s a pornstar missing a mustache.

Ingredients: He, ironically enough, started life as Green Arrow (Justice League) with his costume designs shaved off with an x-acto knife. New costume elements like his gloves, boots and crotch flaps are all bits of index card paper hardened by Krazy Glue. “Crotch flaps.” Those probably have an official name in the garment industry, but damned if I know and I’m NOT doing a Google search for “crotch flaps”…

…I’m drawing a blank on what head I used on this custom. He was built about two years ago, so he could be from what, a half dozen different HeroClix sets? I remember having to add the domino mask and mustache, so whoever it was, he didn’t start life with ‘em. If you can eyeball it, throw the info in the comments section below. Acrylic paint and a spritz of matte finished this guy off. Custom Golden Archer dial here.

He came out okay, but I should have gone with the open chested version of his costume. That better fits the character. Actually, no, scratch that…I should have gone with his “Black Archer” look. It’s pretty badass, that’s him sitting top left at the conference table…

…yeah, I definitely picked the wrong costume to mod. Check out this guy’s custom Black Archer Heroclix.

The Squadron Supreme vs. nachos supreme!

JLA knockoffs, yeah, but they’ve starred in some good stuff. The Squadron Supreme mini series by Mark Gruenwald is solid and the first dozen or so issues of JMS’ Supreme Power is a lot of fun. That said, I’ve always dug the evil incarnation of the team, back in their earliest appearances when they’d battle the Avengers as ‘The Squadron Sinister.’ Technically it was a different team that used that ‘Sinister’ name, they just happened to look exactly like the Supreme guys. And they had the same names. And the same powers. So, now that I think about it…that makes the Squadron Supreme a knockoff of the Squadron Sinister, NOT the Justice League. That being the case, the JLA owes the Squad an apology.

Squadron stuff from around the web

Awesome custom Squadron Supreme action figures; Hyperion, Power Princess, Amphibian and my favorite, Dr. Spectrum.

Squadron Supreme DC animated style action figures.

The Squad as Fisher-Price figurines (I could take these in a fight).

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