Let's talk about Mal Duncan for a second or 50 here...

He has no superpowers, and he’s only received training from Black Canary (from what we can safely assume), and yet when he sees his superhero friends getting bruised, battered, and frozen by Despero, he sacrifices his own safety to help them. 

We’re talking about Despero here, who is notorious for his mind-control powers, and for killing his victims. If Despero could knock out Superboy, what chance does a normal human have in surviving? 

But what does Mal do? Puts on the freakin Guardian costume (hello foreshadow/allusions) and decides to act as a distraction even though he’s probably shaking with fear on the inside. 

To me, that’s the trait of a real hero—offering whatever it is that you can offer, even if all the odds stand against you, just so those around you can stay safe. 

So, hats off to Mal, who—in the span of just one episode—has risen to become of my favorite characters in the show.