15 Most Notoriously Controversial Storylines In Comic Book History

13. Shado Rapes A Feverish Green Arrow

Rape has played a part in many controversial storylines over the years, and we will see a number of entries (far too many, unfortunately) on this list that used rape as a key plot point. Prior to the New 52, Oliver Queen AKA Green Arrow was a very different character, older, wiser, and a defender of civil rights. Ollie hads a long and sordid past with the ninja assassin known as Shado, who was raised by the Yakuza and played a prominent role in the Mike Grell-era of the Green Arrow series. In one of their earliest encounters, Green Arrow was injured, and left feverish and suffering from hallucinations and delusions while Shado took care of him. During this time, Shado instigated a sexual encounter with Ollie, who in his haze believed he was sleeping with Dinah Lance AKA Black Canary. Ollie would only find out about this violation years later when Shado would show up with his son Robert, and then forbid him from being involved in the boy's life. This act of rape was controversial for many reasons, but mainly due to the lack of consequences for the character of Shado, with really the only character showing any form of outrage being Black Canary, who was as upset with ollie as she was Shado. Fans and other writers condemned the act, but also were quick to forgive, which is unfortunately the case with many comic book stories that involve the rape of a male character. Batman was in a similar situation with Talia al Ghul, which resulted in the birth of Damian Wayne, though the original storyline Damian's origin is based on featured consensual sex.