SPOILER WARNING: This article contains major spoilers for “Tribute,” the latest episode of Arrow.
Bruce Wayne wasn’t the only DC Comics character namedropped in “Tribute,” the latest episode of Arrow. Another — albeit much more obscure — character got a quick mention, too: Python.
The episode saw Felicity quizzing Curtis “Mister Terrific” Holt about his freelance coding work. At one point, while talking programming languages, she asked, “Python?” to which Curtis responded, “The supervillain?”
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There are two DC characters who use “Python” as their supervillain name: Jacob Bernstein, an enemy of Wesley Dodds’ Sandman, and Black Python. At first glance, neither character warrants much of a mention, since both characters appear only five times each in DC Comics’ long history. However, both have upcoming ties to the Arrowverse that beg a closer look.
For instance, in Bernstein’s case, Sandman has been teased for DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. Last month, executive producer Marc Guggenheim shared a set photo of a mask that looks suspiciously similar to Dodds’, which suggests the Golden Age Sandman may be on the way to the time-jumping series. It wouldn’t be a stretch, then, for Bernstein to appear alongside him, even in a quick cameo role.
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On the other hand, Black Python debuted in 2011’s Freedom Fighters #3. The eponymous Freedom Fighters will be important to this year’s Arrowverse crossover “Crisis on Earth-X,” which pits the heroes against their evil Earth-X doppelgangers. The Ray — a member of the Freedom Fighters, per his upcoming animated CW Seed series — will play a role in the four-show crossover. As such, it’s possible that a villain like Black Python could aid these Earth-X villains or perhaps even cross over to Earth-1 with them, though the latter scenario is less likely.
At this time, no Python has been announced for an Arrowverse show, so the namedrop could simply be a fun Easter egg for DC Comics fans. However, there’s just as a good a chance that the reference could pave the way for a villain with that name to show up in that universe down the line.
Starring Stephen Amell as the Emerald Archer, Arrow airs Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT on The CW. The series also stars Emily Bett Rickards, David Ramsey, Willa Holland and more.