Vigilante (concept)

For other uses of "Vigilante", see Vigilante (disambiguation).

"Well, I'm--I'm conflicted about this. I'm not gonna lie to you. I'm a police officer, duly sworn. I don't condone vigilantes or vigilantism. Once people start taking the law into their own hands, you're on the road to anarchy. But there's worse things out there than anarchy, and sometimes, as much as I hate to admit it... the police aren't enough to deal with it all."

—Quentin Lance^[src]

A vigilante, also known as a "mask", is an individual who takes the law into their own hands, believing that the police and the court system are unable to or unreliable at bringing criminals to justice. However, not all vigilantes are fighting for justice, some do it out of personal revenge or antagonistic reasoning. It is also common for vigilantes to take on a moniker to be known by, some by personal choice and others by having been named by the public.

Some vigilantes eventually gain a level of popularity and admiration from the general public that they begin to be seen as a "superhero". Despite the name suggesting this term is reserved for individuals with superhuman powers, it is also used to define individuals without any but instead rely on combat skills, intellect or gadgetry.

While most vigilantes typically exist outside of the government, some have been given amnesty due to the positive effects that came from their actions. Some have gone so far as to be fully pardoned and even deputized as superheroes officially working more closely with law enforcement.^[1]

Known vigilantes

Heroes

Name	Alter ego	Universe	Status	Works with	Notes
Barry Allen	The Flash	Earth-1	Active	Team Flash
Helena Bertinelli	Huntress	Earth-1	Inactive	Team Arrow (formerly)	Turned rogue; incarcerated
Adrian Chase	The Hood	Earth-2	Inactive	Laurel Lance	Presumed deceased
Kara Danvers	Supergirl	Earth-38	Active	Superfriends	Secretly an agent of the D.E.O.
Ralph Dibny	Elongated Man	Earth-1	Active	Team Flash
John Diggle	Spartan Green Arrow (briefly)	Earth-1	Active	Team Arrow	Deputized
Dinah Drake	Black Canary	Earth-1	Active	Team Arrow New Team Arrow (formerly)	Deputized
Jay Garrick	The Flash	Earth-3	Inactive	Team Flash (occasionally)	Retired to train a new Flash
Ted Grant	Wildcat	Earth-1	Inactive	Team Arrow (occasionally)	Retired
Carter Hall	Hawkman	Earth-1	Inactive	Legends (formerly)	Deceased
Roy Harper	Arsenal	Earth-1	Inactive	Team Arrow (formerly)	Retired
Connor Hawke	Green Arrow	Earth-1 (in an erased future)	Inactive	Team Arrow (in an erased future)	Erased timeline
Nate Heywood	Steel	Earth-1	Active	Legends Team Flash (formerly)	Left Legends to become a Time Bureau agent; later rejoined
Curtis Holt	Mr. Terrific	Earth-1	Active	Team Arrow New Team Arrow (formerly)	Deputized
Rip Hunter		Earth-1	Inactive	Legends (formerly)	Deceased
Mon-El	Valor	Earth-38	Active	Superfriends (formerly) The Legion
Jefferson Jackson	Firestorm (formerly)	Earth-1	Inactive	Legends (formerly)	Retired; now focused on his family
J'onn J'onzz	Martian Manhunter	Earth-38	Active	Superfriends
Clark Kent	Superman	Earth-38	Active	Superfriends (occasionally)
Kate Kane	Batwoman	Earth-1	Active
Bruce Wayne	Batman	Earth-1	Inactive		Left Gotham City
Kuasa	Vixen	Earth-1	Active	Legends (occasionally)	Shares the mantle with Mari
Earth-1 Laurel Lance	Black Canary	Earth-1	Inactive	Team Arrow	Deceased
Earth-2 Laurel Lance	Black Canary	Earth-2	Active	Team Arrow	Reformed criminal turned vigilante
Quentin Lance	Detective (formerly)	Earth-1	Inactive	Team Arrow (formerly)	Deceased
Sara Lance	White Canary	Earth-1	Active	Team Arrow (formerly) Legends
John Constantine		Earth-1	Active	Legends (reluctantly)
Mari	Vixen	Earth-1	Active	Team Arrow (occasionally)	Shares the mantle with Kuasa
Malcolm Merlyn	Dark Archer	Earth-1	Inactive	Team Arrow (formerly)	Anti-hero; deceased
James Olsen	Guardian	Earth-38	Active	Guardian's team (formerly) Superfriends (formerly)	Deputized
Ray Palmer	The Atom	Earth-1	Active	Team Arrow (formerly) Legends
Oliver Queen	Green Arrow	Earth-1	Active	Team Arrow	Deputized
Robert Queen	The Arrow	Earth-2	Inactive	Presumed deceased
Thea Queen	Speedy	Earth-1	Inactive	Team Arrow (formerly)	Left to destroy three Lazarus Pits with Nyssa and Roy
Rene Ramirez	Wild Dog	Earth-1	Active	Team Arrow New Team Arrow (formerly)	Deputized
Cisco Ramon	Vibe (formerly)	Earth-1	Active	Team Flash	Took meta-human cure; no longer a field agent
Ronnie Raymond	Firestorm	Earth-1	Inactive	Team Flash (formerly)	Deceased
Rory Regan	Ragman	Earth-1	Inactive	Team Arrow	Leave of absence
Mick Rory	Heat Wave	Earth-1	Active	Legends	Anti-hero
Kendra Saunders	Hawkgirl	Earth-1	Inactive	Legends	Retired
Winn Schott	Man in the Van	Earth-38	Active	Superfriends (formerly) Guardian's team (formerly) The Legion
Evelyn Sharp	Artemis	Earth-1	Inactive	Team Arrow (formerly)	Turned rogue; presumed deceased
Vincent Sobel	Vigilante	Earth-1	Inactive	Team Arrow (occasionally)	Anti-hero; deceased
Felicity Smoak	Overwatch	Earth-1	Inactive	Team Arrow	Deputized Retired to raise her daughter
Leonard Snart	Captain Cold	Earth-1	Inactive	Team Flash (occasionally) Legends	Deceased
Caitlin Snow	Killer Frost	Earth-1	Active	Team Flash
Martin Stein	Firestorm	Earth-1	Inactive	Team Flash (formerly) Legends	Deceased
Lyra Strayd		Earth-38	Inactive	Guardian's team (formerly)
Eddie Thawne		Earth-1	Inactive	Team Flash	Deceased
Eobard Thawne	Harrison Wells	Earth-1	Inactive	Team Flash (formerly)	Revealed to be a villain in disguise
Harrison Wells		Earth-2	Inactive	Team Flash (formerly) Jesse Wells' team (formerly)	Presumed deceased
Harrison Wells	H. R. Randolf	Earth-19	Inactive	Team Flash	Deceased
Jesse Wells	Jesse Quick	Earth-2	Inactive	Team Flash (formerly) Jesse Wells' team (formerly)	Presumed deceased
Iris West-Allen	Eye in the Sky (briefly) The Flash (briefly)	Earth-1	Active	Team Flash
Joe West		Earth-1	Active	Team Flash
Nora West-Allen	XS	Earth-1	Inactive	Team Flash	Erased from existence
Wally West	Kid Flash (current timeline) The Flash (Flashpoint timeline)	Earth-1	Active	Team Flash (formerly) Legends (formerly)	Left Team Flash and later joined the Legends for a brief time
Tatsu Yamashiro		Earth-1	Inactive	Team Arrow (occasionally)	Retired
Hunter Zolomon	Jay Garrick/The Flash	Earth-2	Inactive	Team Flash (formerly)	Revealed to be a villain in disguise; deceased

Villainous vigilantes

Name	Alter ego	Universe	Status	Works with	Notes
Helena Bertinelli	Huntress	Earth-1	Inactive		Incarcerated
Manchester Black		Earth-38	Inactive	The Elite	Deceased
Colton		Earth-1	Inactive	The Hoods	Incarcerated
Carrie Cutter	Cupid	Earth-1	Inactive	Suicide Squad	Incarcerated
Jeff Deveau		Earth-1	Inactive	The Hoods	Incarcerated
Bertrand Eldon	Executioner	Earth-1	Inactive		Deceased
Joseph Falk	The Savior	Earth-1	Inactive		Deceased
Pamela Ferrer	Menagerie	Earth-38	Inactive	The Elite	Incarcerated
Phillip Karnowsky		Earth-38	Inactive		Incarcerated
Lonnie Machin	Anarky	Earth-1	Inactive		Incarcerated
Malcolm Merlyn	Dark Archer	Earth-1	Inactive		Reformed; deceased
Tommy Merlyn	Dark Archer	Earth-2	Inactive		Reformed; deceased
Joseph Monteleone	Tar Pit	Earth-1	Inactive		Incarcerated
Hartley Rathaway	Pied Piper	Earth-1	Active (now as a hero)	Team Flash (occasionally)	Reformed
Isaac Stanzler		Earth-1	Inactive		Deceased
Unnamed	Mo	Earth-38	Inactive	The Elite	Incarcerated
Unnamed	Hat	Earth-38	Inactive	The Elite	Incarcerated}