When Legends of Tomorrow was released, fans were probably wondering what this group of misfits was going to accomplish. Sure, they were chosen because Rip Hunter felt they were expendable, but everyone grew to love the characters. Plus, the show is a mix of genres and is able to keep everyone on their toes but keeping it interesting. Like the Legends itself, the show manages to provide you with a lot of information and somehow comes together. If you feel like the writers of the show aren’t trying, don’t worry. The show isn’t meant to be taken seriously.
There can be so much to keep up with! From Ray Palmer’s latest scientific discoveries to Dr. Victor Garber’s infinite wisdom, and the latest quirky scenario everyone gets themselves into, it can be easy to miss details here and there. Warning: spoilers ahead! After all, when Julius Caesar appears in Aruba, things can start to get a little mind-boggling. The Legends also have to fix time aberrations involving contemporary people we know and love. Do you remember when they had to save George Lucas?
What about the time when Elvis Presley was able to command spirits and bought Robert Johson’s guitar? Even the biggest Arrowverse fan has a hard time keeping up with stories, facts, and the historical figures that often make appearances on the show. Though it is kinda funny to see J.R.R. Tolkien come across our favorite Arrowverse weirdos.
Below are 30 things you missed from Legends of Tomorrow. Some of this is regular trivia, and others are details from the show or comics the characters are based on. As always, spoilers ahead!
Barack Obama Basically Gave Sara Therapy
On Season 3 episode 7, the Legends had to save Barack Obama from Grodd in order to prevent an aberration from occurring. As you know, we found that Mallus (a very powerful demon) could only be contained if the timeline was preserved. Of course, Obama had to have his memories wiped because the Legends saved him sometime around 1980s. After he was saved, Sarah took advantage of knowing his occasion and asked him for guidance when she was trying to figure out what to do about Mallus. Turns out future President Obama was a great listener!
Dolls Play A Big Role In The Show’s Plots (Cold Fusion, Beebo)
Props are an important part of Legends of Tomorrow. Whether we’re talking about totems, chemistry sets, and costumes, the show really relies on them in order to bring about its plot points. First off, we see an adorable doll called Beebo. Though it’s not meant to be anything but an annoying trend, we later find out it’s more than that. Beebo kind of ended up saving the world at one point. But we won’t tell you how it happened or why!
The Show Is Self-Referential
Well, it’s self-referential in that you sort of need to watch the rest of the shows on the Arrowverse in order to fully grasp what’s going on. There are a lot of references to its parent shows, Arrow and The Flash. Not to mention the crossovers such as Earth-X. You may wonder why you hear of other Earths or the Flashpoint, but a cursory knowledge of the Arrowverse can help you unpack a lot of information. Otherwise, it’s hard to get the inside jokes.
Bratva Also Appears
We first met the Bratva on the Arrow and didn’t imagine that they’d ever play a part in any other Arrowverse show. Season 1 episode 4 involved a time anomaly in Moscow. By episode 5, three of the Legends were caught in a gulag and needed to be rescued. This is where the Bratva came in, as their connections made it easier for the rest of the team to rescue those who were unfortunately jailed. But naturally, after this completed mission the team wound up in another aberration.
We Get To See Gideon
Gideon is the A.I. that assists everyone in the Waverider by notifying the team of aberrations, new missions, and strategies. But she’s much more than that. Gideon also gives the characters advice, cracks jokes, and becomes friends with everyone on the Waverider. She’s so sneaky about how she goes about her business that she even creates a program for Zari to get to know everyone better. Gideon appeared in person to explain that she needs the team, and the team needs her.
Zari Observes Ramadan
Despite the quirky and nonsensical situations many of the characters get into, the show also tries to show their softer side. Zari came into the show a bit later than others, so we didn’t really get to know her beyond her hacking, sarcasm, and desire to save her brother. She is tasked with training Mick and even though she’s totally annoyed at the prospect, she ends up bonding with him. She spends very little time explaining Ramadan, but we get to know why it means so much to her.
Ava Sharpe Is A Time Aberration
When we first meet Ava Sharpe, she seems uptight and almost robotic. Even then, we can already see why Sarah likes her so much. Turns out there’s a good reason for Ava’s almost perfect ways. Season 3’s episode, “I, Ava” explains that she’s a clone. Rip Hunter had even wiped away her memories and forbade her from accessing information about this. The Legends put the dots together and help Ava reconcile with her past. Sometimes the best cure for a time aberration is to create one, right?
Sara Gets Taken At Al Capone’s Bar
You can’t have a show about traveling through time without going back to the time when Al Capone ruled Chicago. The thing is, Capone was intimidated into joining the Legion of Doom and unsavory characters such as Eobard Thawne and Malcolm Merlyn definitely seem much scarier than Capone in comparison. Needless to say, by the time Sara Lance shows up in her awesome 1920s garb, she and Stein are taken. But then, we get to see why Rip Hunter wanted Sarah to be the Waverider’s new captain.
There’s A Reason Why Ray Palmer Falls For Nora Darhk
Ray Palmer has a heart of gold and an underrated amount of perseverance. It takes a lot of mental fortitude to remain so polite in the face of a cruel world. It should come as no surprise that he’s able to see the good in people many overlook—including Nora Darhk. But there’s probably another reason why his character was written to fall for her. Ray Palmer is played by Brandon Routh, who is married to actress Courtney Ford, who plays the adult Nora Darhk!
Why Kuasa’s Totem Is Infused With Her
Zari and Amaya both wear their totems in order to best channel its powers, but Kuasa is different. She’s Amaya’s granddaughter and actually perished during a battle. We first see her as a villain, but then we see her come back to life as a much better person once Amaya changed the timeline. Nora Darhk brought her back to life and infused the water totem into her. That’s why when Kuasa perishes again, her water totem is removed as well.
John Noble Really Is Mallus
Again, Legends of Tomorrow is nothing if not self-referential to the nth degree. Actor John Noble is famous for portraying Denethor on Lord of the Rings. His powerful voice lends itself to regal and quite scary characters. He is the voice of Mallus during season 3 of the show. It seems like the writers decided to have some fun with this by adding John Mallus in a cameo where he records himself so that the Legends can outsmart the Darhks. And it worked!
We Actually Met Grodd In The Flash
S.T.A.R. Labs plays a role in every show in the Arrowverse. Gorilla Grodd is an evil villain with a tragic backstory. He was experimented on and became the world’s only meta-gorilla after the particle accelerator created various meta-humans. As such, he consistently fought against The Flash and his friends. He was freed after the Legends created a rupture in time, where he became an anachronism. Bonus: he also went after a younger version of Barack Obama too, so we know he’s serious!
How John Constantine And Supergirl Are Linked
Just because the Legends are busy trying to repair time and improve their powers doesn’t mean they don’t have lives. Many of the characters have active love lives and this is especially true of Sara Lance! As you can guess, she is the link between John Constantine and Supergirl! Sara first met Alex Danvers during the crisis on Earth-X and they had a small tryst. In a moment of crisis, Sara called on John Constantine and they too spent some time together.
Hawkman And Hawkgirl Perished 206 Times
Life is difficult, but we can imagine it’s even more so when you continuously reincarnate with little recollection of your previous lives. In the Arrowverse, Carter Hall is the incarnation of Hawkman, and Kendra Saunders is the incarnation of Hawkgirl. They both continued reincarnating so they could eventually defeat Vandal Savage. This version of Hawkman and Hawkgirl perished a total of 206 times. As the show goes on, we see a bit more of their memories and the reasons why they perish so much.
The Old Green Arrow Plotline Is An Allusion To Bruce Wayne
Legends of Tomorrow isn’t the only time when Oliver Queen meets or mentions Bruce Wayne. (Remember Smallville?) Either way, we see Oliver with one arm during season 1, episode 6 of the show, “Star City 2046.” Turns out that Oliver’s retirement is meant to allude to Bruce Wayne’s retirement. This is when Oliver Queen encourages Bruce Wayne to use a kryptonite arrow in order to beat Evil Superman. The Legends eventually succeed in getting Oliver Queen to help them beat Grant Wilson’s army.
No Mention Of Thanagar
Hawkgirl and Hawkman play an important part in the Arrowverse, and their importance only increases as we learn more about Vandal Savage and Mallus. In the Arrowverse, the characters are of Egyptian descent. The comic version of the characters is from a planet called Thanagar. In Thanagar everyone is a hawklike humanoid. Thanagarians have their own complex history, and they have been criminals, slaves, and even imperialistic rulers. Yeah, we can see why the Arrowverse decided to go with a simpler explanation.
Ray Palmer Is Real… Sorta
Ray Palmer just sounds like the name of a super polite geek. This is probably one of the few characters on the show that gets its name from a real person. Raymond A. Palmer was an editor who specialized in science fiction and also wrote various science fiction stories using pseudonyms. Palmer was interested in all aspects of science fiction, including flying saucers and the paranormal. This sounds just like the type of guy who would love The A.T.O.M.’s suit.
The Chupacabra Is A Prisoner of The Time Bureau
The Time Bureau is involved in all kinds of things. They come into contact with Gorilla Grodd and Damien Darhk. They’re just the type of organization that would hold the Chupacabra as a prisoner. “Chupi,” as his caretaker in the Time Bureau calls him, is actually from the same realm as Mallus. In order to contain him, the Time Bureau had to use elephant tranquilizer as a sedative. Out of all the creatures that ran away, he eventually went back because he couldn’t find food.
The Legends Run Into A Lot of Authors At the Salon In Paris
In season 4 of the show, the Legends end up at a salon in Paris as they look for a Minotaur. They end up in 1927 and even receive help from famed author Ernest Hemingway. But they also run into other legendary writers and influencers during season 4, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zelda Fitzgerald, and even Jane Austen. This isn’t the first time the Legends come into contact with legendary makers of culture. They also met J.R.R. Tolkien in season 2.
At One Point, Amaya Was Worried She Would Become A Psychopath
Amaya Jiwe is possibly the sweetest character out of all the Legends. Though she wields a powerful totem, she doesn’t think she’s better than anyone. She and Nate also probably have the healthiest relationship out of anyone in the Legends too. We’re surprised to know that she was once worried about possibly becoming a psychopath. Amaya mentioned this on season 3, episode 2 after she told the Legends she was losing control of her powers. Leave it to Amaya to try to protect everyone from herself.
