Roy Harper is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Roy is one of DC's most longstanding characters, originating in 1940s comics as Speedy, the teen sidekick of the superhero Green Arrow. Like his mentor Green Arrow, Roy is a world-class archer and athlete who uses his exceptional marksmanship to fight crime. Along with other prominent DC Comics superhero sidekicks, he goes on to become a core member of the superhero group the Teen Titans. As an adult, Roy casts off his Speedy identity to establish himself as the superhero Arsenal, and for a time adopts the name Red Arrow to symbolise his having become an equal of Green Arrow. In addition to continuing to serve on occasion as one of the Titans, Roy has had leading roles in the superhero groups the Seven Soldiers of Victory, the Outsiders, the Justice League, and the Outlaws.
A superhero is a type of heroic stock character, usually possessing supernatural or superhuman powers, who is dedicated to fighting the evil of their universe, protecting the public, and usually battling super-villains. A female superhero is sometimes called a superheroine, although the word superhero is also commonly used for females. Superhero fiction is the genre of fiction that is centered on such characters, especially in American comic book and films since the 1930s.
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, typically 32 pages, containing comics content. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of Action Comics, which included the debut of the superhero Superman. This was followed by a superhero boom that lasted until the end of World War II. After the war, while superheroes were marginalized, the comic book industry rapidly expanded and genres such as horror, crime, science fiction and romance became popular. The 1950s saw a gradual decline, due to a shift away from print media in the wake of television and the impact of the Comics Code Authority. The late 1950s and the 1960s saw a superhero revival and superheroes remained the dominant character archetype throughout the late 20th century into the 21st century.
DC Comics, Inc. is an American comic book publisher. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. since 1967. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, and produces material featuring numerous culturally iconic heroic characters including: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Shazam, Dick Grayson, Green Lantern, Atom, Green Arrow, Aquaman, Black Canary, Martian Manhunter, Supergirl, Zatanna, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, Static, Batgirl and Cyborg.
Roy's profile as a hero has varied over the years. He was the subject of the award-winning 1971 comic book story "Snowbirds Don't Fly", which was celebrated for its gritty depiction of Roy's battle with drug addiction; the story is considered a key moment in comic book history as it represented the emergence of mature themes in comics.[1] In 2013, ComicsAlliance ranked Harper as #50 on their list of the "50 Sexiest Male Characters in Comics".[2] The character has been adapted for video games and animation several times, and is portrayed in live action by actor Colton Haynes on the television series Arrow.
"Snowbirds Don't Fly" is a two-part anti-drug comic book story arc which appeared in Green Lantern/Green Arrow issues 85 and 86, published by DC Comics in 1971. The story was written by Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams, with the latter also providing the art with Dick Giordano. It tells the story of Green Lantern and Green Arrow, who fight drug dealers, witnessing that Green Arrow's ward Roy "Speedy" Harper is a drug addict and dealing with the fallout of his revelation. Considered a watershed moment in the depiction of mature themes in DC Comics, the tone of this story is set in the tagline on the cover: "DC attacks youth's greatest problem... drugs!"
ComicsAlliance was a website dedicated to covering the comic book industry as well as comic-related media, and is owned by Townsquare Media. The site has been nominated for multiple awards including a 2015 Eisner Award win in the category Best Comics Periodical/Journalism.
Colton Lee Haynes is an American actor and model. He is known for his starring role as Jackson Whittemore in the MTV supernatural drama series Teen Wolf and as Roy Harper / Arsenal in the CW superhero television series Arrow.
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His real name is Oliver Jonas Queen, a wealthy businessman and owner of Queen Industries who is also a well-known celebrity in Star City. He uses this position to hide the fact that he is the Arrow. Sometimes shown dressed like the character Robin Hood, Green Arrow is an archer who uses his skills to fight crime in his home cities of Star City and Seattle, as well as alongside his fellow superheroes as a member of the Justice League. Though much less frequently used in modern stories, he also deploys a range of trick arrows with various special functions, such as glue, explosive-tipped, grappling hook, flash grenade, tear gas and even kryptonite arrows for use in a range of special situations. At the time of his debut, Green Arrow functioned in many ways as an archery-themed analogue of the very popular Batman character, but writers at DC subsequently developed him into a voice of left-wing politics very much distinct in character from Batman.
A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague who is, or generally regarded as, subordinate to the one he or she accompanies.
Speedy is the name of two DC Comics superheroes, fictional characters that have each served as teenaged sidekicks for the Green Arrow.
Fictional character biography
1941–1992: Origin, Teen Titans, addiction and fatherhood
Green Lantern vol. 2 #85, featuring Roy Harper's addiction
Roy Harper was raised by Brave Bow, a Navajo medicine chief, after his father, a forest ranger, died in a forest fire. Under Brave Bow's tutelage, Roy became a remarkable archer. After Brave Bow's death, Roy was adopted by Green Arrow (Oliver Queen) and became his sidekick: Speedy.
A park ranger, park warden, or forest ranger is a person entrusted with protecting and preserving parklands – national, state, provincial, or local parks. "Parks" may be broadly defined by some systems in this context, and include protected culturally or historically important built environments, and is not limited to the natural environment. Different countries use different names for the position. Warden is the favored term in Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Within the United States, the National Park Service refers to the position as a park ranger. The U.S. Forest Service refers to the position as a forest ranger. Other countries use the term park warden or game warden to describe this occupation. The profession includes a number of disciplines and specializations, and park rangers are often required to be proficient in more than one.
Speedy joined Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad and Wonder Girl in the newly formed Teen Titans, a group originally formed from the various "teen sidekicks" active in DC comics at that time.
Richard John Grayson is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with Batman. Created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940 as the original incarnation of Robin. In Tales of the Teen Titans #44 the character retires his role as Robin and assumes the superhero persona of Nightwing, created by Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez.
Wallace Rudolph "Wally" West is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics as the original Kid Flash and the third Flash. His power consists mainly of superhuman speed. The nephew of Barry Allen, the second Flash, he first appeared in Flash #110 (1959), which depicted his transformation into Kid Flash. Under the mantle of Kid Flash, Wally was depicted as a teenage sidekick to his uncle and a founding member of the Teen Titans. After Barry's death in Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1985, Wally took on the role of the Flash from 1986 to 2009 in DC's main lineup until Barry returned in The Flash: Rebirth. He is the fastest character to hold the mantle of the Flash.
Garth is a fictional character in publications from DC Comics, originally known as Aqualad since his first appearance in 1960, and later known by the codename Tempest. As Aqualad, he was the teen sidekick and protégé to his guardian, the super-hero known as Aquaman, bearing the same super-abilities as his mentor that allow him to breathe underwater and communicate with marine life. He also possesses superhuman strength and speed that allow him to move through the ocean with relative ease as well as withstand the high-pressure depths of the ocean. As Tempest, he lost the marine communication powers, but gained mystic-based abilities that allow him to control the temperature of water and moisture surrounding him, as well as the ability to emit destructive force beams from his eyes. As the adoptive Prince of Atlantis, he has at times been forced to assume his mentor's responsibilities as ruler of the oceans during Aquaman's absences, and has in recent years acted as Atlantis' official ambassador to the surface world.
Speedy was initially a successful member and began dating Donna Troy. Some time later, however, Roy's fortunes took a turn for the worse. The Titans disbanded, Roy and Donna broke up, and then Green Arrow both lost his fortune and began neglecting Roy. While Green Arrow was away on a cross-country adventure with Green Lantern and Black Canary, Roy became addicted to heroin; the award-winning story played out in Green Lantern vol. 2, #85–86 in September and November 1971. Once Roy's secret was discovered, Green Arrow angrily punched him and then threw Roy out on the street. Green Lantern later found him and left him in the care of Black Canary, who stayed by his side while he went through withdrawal. Soon after, he had a confrontation with Green Arrow that caused the two of them to stop working together.[3] In addition to some brief adventures with later incarnations of the Titans in the 1980s, Roy also served as a government agent for a fictional federal agency, and as a private investigator, and went on a single mission with the Suicide Squad (vol. 1 issues 11–12).
Donna Troy is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. She is the original Wonder Girl and later adopts the alias Troia. Created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani, she first appeared in The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #60. Donna has been commonly featured in stories involving the Teen Titans, which she originally joined during their second adventure and is since depicted as a founding member of the team.
Hal Jordan, also known as Green Lantern, is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created in 1959 by writer John Broome and artist Gil Kane, and first appeared in Showcase #22. Hal Jordan is a reinvention of the previous Green Lantern who appeared in 1940s comic books as the character Alan Scott.
Black Canary is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by the writer-artist team of Robert Kanigher and Carmine Infantino, the character debuted in Flash Comics #86. One of DC's earliest super-heroines, Black Canary has appeared in many of the company's flagship team-up titles including Justice Society of America and Justice League of America. Since the late 1960s, the character has been paired with archer superhero Green Arrow, professionally and romantically.
While still helping the Teen Titans on occasional missions, Roy frequently worked as a counselor for various anti-drug programs. During this time, Roy established government contacts, and was soon hired by the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI, also known as Checkmate) as a drug enforcement agent. Roy was given an assignment to go undercover and gain the trust of the villain Cheshire. The intention was to turn Cheshire over to the authorities, but the two fell in love and had an affair. Roy could not bring himself to turn her in, but he was concerned that his presence endangered Cheshire's life, so he left her, unaware that Cheshire was pregnant with his child, Lian Harper. Roy eventually learned that he was the father of her daughter Lian. He went on a mission with Nightwing to track down Cheshire and prevent her from assassinating a group of diplomats. Roy was captured by Cheshire and then freed by Nightwing, who also brought Roy's daughter. Cheshire had left Lian in Roy's care.[3]
1993–2004: Becoming Arsenal and joining the Outsiders
Roy Harper's first appearance as Arsenal. Art by Tom Grummett.
Roy Harper later returned to the Titans, and was appointed leader by Sarge Steel. At this time, he adopted the new identity "Arsenal" now equipped with a vast array of high-tech weaponry. When the original members of this latest incarnation of Titans left the team, he gathered new members and led them until the team disbanded.
Soon, another team of Teen Titans emerged. This group consisted of a teenaged version of Atom (due to being de-aged by events in Zero Hour) and new heroes Argent, Risk, Joto and Prysm. The team was funded by Loren Jupiter, who had also funded a group of Titans during Roy's time on the team. Jupiter gathered together the original Titans (now going by the aliases of Nightwing, Tempest, Flash, Troia, and Arsenal) to combat the threat of his bitter, super-powered son Jarrod Jupiter (Haze). New and old Titans joined forces to defeat Haze – but at a price; Joto apparently lost his life, and Arsenal felt responsible for his death. Arsenal remained with this new group of Titans for a time, but eventually left the group before it disbanded.
Arsenal later came into conflict with Vandal Savage. Savage had discovered that both Roy and his daughter Lian were his descendants. Thus, their organs were suitable for him to harvest to prolong his life. Roy was able to save his daughter from Savage. After this ordeal, Roy adopted a new look to reflect his Navajo heritage. Shortly after, the original five Titans decided to re-form the team. Arsenal served as a full-time member on the team, and resided at the new Titans Tower with his daughter Lian.
Later, a mysterious conglomerate known as Optitron offered to sponsor the Titans and Young Justice after summoning them to San Francisco. Before any decisions could be made, a cybernetic girl from the future known as Indigo invaded the complex, and immediately engaged both teams in combat. With half the group out of commission, the remaining members tried to track down Indigo, but instead encountered a rogue Superman android, which had been activated. Caught by surprise, Lilith had her neck snapped by the Superman android, killing her instantly. Troia (Donna Troy's new identity) tried valiantly to defeat the Superman android, but he released a deadly heat beam directly through her chest, killing her. Indigo arrived and shut down the Superman android, leaving Arsenal and Nightwing to mourn the fallen Troia. Shaken by these losses, Nightwing decided to officially end the Titans.
Roy saw an opportunity. He accepted Optitron's offer and set about forming a new team: the Outsiders. He began by buying a massive secret underground headquarters beneath New York City. Roy outfitted the shelter with state-of-the-art equipment and began recruiting members for the new team. He successfully coaxed the veteran Metamorpho, as well as newcomers Grace and Thunder into joining the team. He also decided to accept Indigo as a member. Even though she had been responsible for activating the Superman android, and ultimately for Lilith's and Troia's deaths, her memories were wiped clean and she convinced Roy that she wanted to atone for what she had done.
Indigo's presence would prove to be a major sticking point for Arsenal's last recruit: Nightwing. The Titans' former leader was completely unwilling to renew his involvement in a team after such a devastating loss. Arsenal argued that the Outsiders were the next logical step for them beyond the Titans, and that perhaps a team of strangers would operate more efficiently than a team with so many emotional attachments. Nightwing, while still reluctant, agreed to join and lead the Outsiders shortly after defeating Gorilla Grodd.
Promo art for "Outsiders" (2003). Art by Tom Raney.
Arsenal was shot in the chest while attempting to stop Brother Blood from activating a global network of sleeper agents. He survived, but was sidelined for months. In the interim, he assigned the Huntress as his replacement. He was hesitant to resume active duty, feeling afraid of his own limitations, but returned with encouragement from Nightwing.
Not long after his recovery, the Outsiders took on a case which involved a child-slaver and molester named Tanner. One of Tanner's informants recognized Roy from years prior, and led Tanner to Lian. Lian's nanny was killed and the girl was branded with Tanner's mark. The Outsiders arrived just in time to save Lian and other children from being flown out of New York.
Oddly, his near-death from gunshot wounds saved his life when soon he met Deathstroke. The villain, Arsenal discovered, had been posing as Batman and feeding him information since the Outsiders began. Deathstroke and Arsenal fought, with Deathstroke intending to kill him, but when the mercenary discovered the bullet scars on Arsenal's chest, he figured Arsenal had suffered enough and gave him a "pass". About the same time, Arsenal was also kidnapped by Constantine Drakon, Green Arrow's nemesis. Drakon was working with the Riddler, and he slit Roy's throat so that he would have to apply constant pressure or die. The Outsiders helped search for and rescue Roy.[3]
2005–2011: Tenure as Red Arrow, joining the Justice League
Roy Harper as Red Arrow. Variant cover art to Justice League of America vol. 2 #11. Art by Gene Ha.
One Year Later, Roy Harper attempted to keep the Outsiders running, but they found themselves handling low-level criminals and making little difference in the world. When Nightwing and Red Hood discovered a fellow hero as well as Black Lightning (Thunder's father) was arrested for a crime he didn't commit, Nightwing helped in a rescue mission that ultimately failed. The Outsiders are believed to be dead. Arsenal soon realized he was not made for the life of a cloak-and-dagger hero, returning command to Nightwing and leaving the team.
Roy was approached by Hal Jordan with membership in the new Justice League.[4] While in battle, Hal referred to him as "Red Arrow" in an attempt to stop himself from revealing Roy's name (despite the fact that Roy's identity has been public knowledge for some time now).[5] Roy accepted membership in the League and officially adopted the identity of Red Arrow, justifying it as a final "coming of age" and outgrowing his troubled relationship with his adoptive father Oliver Queen (Green Arrow).[6] Roy began an intimate relationship with his teammate Hawkgirl.[3] However, the two ended their relationship and Roy left the Justice League following a disastrous confrontation with the Shadow Cabinet.
Following Bruce Wayne's apparent death in Final Crisis, Roy returns to the League after discovering that Hal Jordan and his splinter Justice League have been hunting down and torturing criminals. Roy and Green Arrow manage to settle their differences and work together, but things start to fall apart as Prometheus assaults Roy, cutting off his right arm with a poisoned, nanite-laced blade,[7] and then has the Electrocutioner set off a device to destroy Star City, killing the young Lian.[8][9] Roy wakes several days later, adversely reacting to his current condition and Lian's death, taking an angrier stance to the world. The flesh-eating nanites still dormant in his stump prevent him from getting a permanent prosthesis. He is given a removable, enhanced artificial limb, built by Cyborg and Doctor Mid-Nite. The prosthetic limb is built to "work-around" the contaminated nerve endings, but increases his phantom pain. His pain and the survivor's guilt for Lian's death bring Roy back to his former drug addiction, overdosing on painkillers and permanently locked in a state of delusional paranoia.[10]
Haunted by visions of his deceased daughter and his former pusher, Roy regresses to his identity of Arsenal, lashing out against his former friends and driving away his extended family, blaming Green Arrow for having stolen his vengeance by killing Prometheus and Mia Dearden for having left Lian by herself in the first place.[11] After a bitter meeting with Cheshire, Roy is unable to release the pent-up frustration for the loss of his arm, the death of his daughter, and his stress-induced impotence. Roy leaves Cheshire behind, hallucinating that a dead cat is his daughter, taking out his anger against a gang of drug dealers and stealing from them to fuel his addiction. As a result, when Batman finds him delirious on the street, he's forced to bring him to a rehab home, with Black Canary's consent.[12] Roy manages to escape the center, and sets off to break into the jail where the Electrocutioner, the accomplice of Prometheus directly responsible for Lian, is held. Despite the intervention of Green Arrow, Roy cruelly butchers Buchinsky with his knives, then burns away his house and all his possessions, becoming a dark, broody vigilante enacting his brand of deadly justice on lowlifes and criminals.[13]
After being approached by Cheshire to help murder Deathstroke, Roy apparently double crosses her and joins Deathstroke's new, villainous team of Titans, although Cheshire mentally congratulates him for his performance.[14] Upon returning to the labyrinth, Deathstroke reveals to them that his proceeding items were used to create a healing machine called "Methuselah" for his dying son Jericho.[15] After healing Jericho, Deathstroke claims the machine can also resurrect the dead, offering Roy and Cheshire the chance to revive Lian. Cheshire accepts, but Roy refuses, finally realizing that he has just been punishing himself for his daughter's death all this time, and that Lian is in a better place. Joined by Tattooed Man and Cinder, Roy fights the rest of the Titans in an attempt to destroy the Methuselah Device.[16] The power source of the Device, a metahuman named DJ Molecule, is freed, and Cinder sacrifices herself to destroy the device. Roy lets Deathstroke go after he helped to save Jericho. Cheshire, Tattooed Man, and Osiris leave, and Roy and Jericho decide to form a new Titans team, to restore the legacy Deathstroke besmirched.[17]
2011–2016: Red Hood and the Outlaws
A part of The New 52 company-wide relaunch, DC continuity was revamped. Roy Harper subsequently appears in the series Red Hood and the Outlaws. Roy's history is altered, including Lian's existence and his now uninjured right arm. Roy's appearance has changed drastically in the Relaunch, as he wears his hair longer than before and has highly detailed tattoos on both shoulder. The location of any more tattoos, if any, is currently unknown, and whether the apparent ones have any significance is also unknown. In his Arsenal outfit, he wears a variety of baseball caps, but beside that and the loss of his knife, he still has the same basic design, only with a smaller vest and two quivers, instead of one.[18] He acts as a humorous character with a lighter view of things, even in the middle of combat, though he is very serious when he wants to be. He has never been a father, but is still a recovering alcoholic (as opposed to heroin addict) with Killer Croc as his sponsor in a twelve step program. He became a freelance freedom fighter before teaming up with Jason Todd, and considers Todd his only friend.
Roy's "back-story" from the point at which he met Oliver was explained in great detail towards the end of the series, after Roy was accidentally and gravely burned by Starfire. He was at first Oliver's employee, and later Green Arrow's sidekick, but after discovering that Oliver was using Roy's technology as his own, Roy was kicked out of his position, and Oliver took the stocks that he gave him within Q-Core, leaving him to his own devices. Roy became a depressed alcoholic and death seeker who attempted to commit a variation of suicide by fighting Killer Croc to the death. Croc figures out what Roy's doing and refuses to help Roy die, instead becoming his sponsor to help Roy get back on his feet.[19][20] However, this does not keep Roy out of trouble, as he later ends up in an exotic jail due to trying to help a Middle Eastern nation overthrow a dictator. The now liberated people turned on Roy, and threw him in jail. However, he is quickly released by Jason Todd and, with the help of Starfire, they escape out of the country. Soon after, Jason helps him get up to speed on current events. Roy remembers Starfire, and is confused to discover that she has supposedly forgotten "the gang" (the Teen Titans) that they used to hang out with, and attempts to jog her memory by mentioning Dick Grayson's name, and also mentioning the names Garth, Vic, Lilith, Gar and Dustin, only for Starfire to announce that he is boring her.[21]
Roy is very friendly with Jason and has his back, but his carefree personality has caused some friction, such as when he called the defeated reanimated corpses of Jason's All-Caste teachers and friends trash.[22] He also has a bit of a prideful streak, as he complains that he feels emasculated by Starfire's rescue of the team from a huge monster.[19] But he's also shown that he has a more serious side, and is well prepared for a fight, as he takes on and defeats Crux, an altered human that was able to defeat Starfire single-handedly. He's also shown a softer side - particularly around Koriand'r, one example being when he cradles her and wipes away her tears when she's hurt. However, he tells her that he would like to keep his carefree facade, saying that she shouldn't tell anyone, because it would hurt his reputation.[23]
He and Starfire eventually become a proper couple, thought Starfire still appears to be interested in little more than a physical relationship. However, when her memories are forcefully returned to her, Roy realises that she was only pretending to be uncaring and emotionless (she went so far as to say "love has nothing to do with it" when Roy asked her about "making love to a Tamaranean" [21]) and that her race processes emotions very deeply. He broke up with her soon after, due to his own issues with trust, but not long after they reconciled, forming a much more caring and tender relationship - both of them going so far as telling the other they loved them. When Starfire left for Tamaran with a gravely injured Blackfire, Roy knew that this family matter had to be something she undertook alone. He asked that she remember him, and she promised that she would for "forever and a day".
DC Rebirth
This article needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(August 2017)
Roy has also appeared as Arsenal in the book Titans as part of DC Rebirth. Roy assisted the Titans in taking down Abra Kadabra soon after Wally West appeared in the timeline again. The Titans traveled to Manhattan afterwards in search for answers on why Wally disappeared. When the Titans were disbanded by the Justice League, Roy went on his own to bust Bliss, a popular drug, which was being controlled by Monsieur Mallah and The Brain. The only person believing him about this, was Donna Troy. He tried to reveal this to Nightwing, and Wally West, with neither of them believing him. He lashed out against them, until Wally and Nightwing later apologized, and helped him take down Mallah and Brain, leaving the Titans to be reformed by Donna Troy and Nightwing. This new line up did not include Roy or any other original Titans (except Donna and Nightwing).
Additionally, as of DC Rebirth, his past of being Oliver Queen's partner Speedy and a former drug addict were restored.
During the "Heroes in Crisis" storyline, Roy, alongside Wally West and various other heroes, was found deceased in the superhero rehabilitation facility known as Sanctuary.[24]
Powers and abilities
In the comic books, Roy Harper possesses no superhuman attributes, but he is extremely adept at the use of the bow and arrow, as well as a wide array of weaponry. He also has the ability to take virtually any object and use it in combat as an effective weapon. Harper is also a skilled hand-to-hand combatant and he possesses keen analytical and detective skills.
In the Pre-Flashpoint universe he has been known to speak Japanese[25] and understand Russian.[26] Before Flashpoint, after the loss of his right arm, Roy Harper received an advanced prosthetic, built by Vic Stone, designed to loop around his damaged nerve endings and restore his usual degree of hand-to-eye coordination, albeit with the price of a constant phantom limb pain.[11]
Equipment
Before Flashpoint, much like Nightwing and other members of the Bat-Family, Roy Harper's suit is capable of emitting an electronic pulse. It is unknown, however, whether or not his suit is capable of emitting only one pulse, like Batman's and Nightwing's, or several. After slicing his arm by Prometheus, Roy returns to his original Arsenal costume: despite being unknown if he still carries the EMP device, the new costume comes along with an advanced prosthetic limb, shown as highly resilient to bullets and melee weapons, and nearly as mobile as his former biological arm. His enhanced limb comes with increased phantom pain, bolstered if the fitting isn't done with the right alignment.
Weapons
As Speedy and Red Arrow, Roy Harper uses a custom bow and trick arrows (with a preference for the more mundane kind as Red Arrow), mimicking his mentor Green Arrow. As Arsenal he's known to also carry guns and other kind of ranged weapons. Roy also has been known to use an M40A3 US sniper rifle with a Kryptonite bullet on at least one occasion. His original Arsenal costumes were equipped with other exotic weaponry including a boomerang and electrified bola. His current Arsenal costume, reflecting his angrier stance, is laced with several bludgeoning and cutting weapons, mostly knives and billy clubs, strapped to his limbs and back. Despite not being technically part of his "costume", Roy uses his prosthetic right arm only when acting as Arsenal, removing it while going incognito.
Personal life
Roy Harper is of Navajo heritage, and has a tribal tattoo to represent it. He was adopted by Oliver Queen (Green Arrow) and became his ward/sidekick, but soon joined a rock band called Great Frog, and got addicted to heroin. After his recovery, Roy has a daughter named Lian whom he is raising as a single father. Roy is a natural thrill seeker, who has many connections in the government and metahuman community. His income comes from his work in the government.
Roy's first known superhero relationship was with Donna Troy during the Teen Titans. Although short-lived, the pair has rekindled the relationship on multiple occasions over the years, particularly during their time with the reformed Titans. Roy had apparently intended to propose to Donna, but she rejected him because of a prophecy that the Titan Lilith Clay had made, which stated that Donna's red-haired husband would die. This however was not in-regards to Roy, but rather Donna's husband Terry.
Roy's other main relationship was with the assassin Cheshire, who is the mother of his child. Roy would constantly flirt and buy drinks for women at bars and any social outing. When he formed the Outsiders, he had a fling with Grace Choi. At this time, it was learned that he also had a fling with the Huntress. His relationship with his JLA teammate Hawkgirl was strained because of his search for the missing Cheshire. Post-52, Lian was never born, and Roy does not know Cheshire, however in their brief encounters both flirted with the other very enthusiastically.
In the comic series Red Hood and the Outlaws, Roy had a relationship with Starfire. It started out casual until Roy broke it off after realising that Koriand'r had been lying to him (she had claimed that humans were mere sensory experiences, but in truth her race processed emotions very deeply). They later rekindled the relationship and it was much more affectionate, with the pair even confessing their love to one another. Koriand'r broke the relationship off at the end of the series when forced to return to Tamaran with a gravely injured Komand'r, but it was ended on good terms. In the new series Red Hood & Arsenal, Roy is shown to be missing Starfire and slightly hurt that she left.
Other versions
Earth-Two
The Earth-Two version of Speedy was a member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory and All-Star Squadron in the 1940s along with Green Arrow. Aside from their origin, having been trained on a mesa top together, their history nearly parallels the history of the Earth-One versions up until the point when Arrow and Speedy along with their teammates were thrown into various periods of time during a battle with the Nebula Man. He and his teammates were later retrieved by the Justice Society and the Justice League in order to assist them in saving Earth-Two from the machinations of their old foe the Iron Hand. Speedy had been sent to the Island of Circe in the past and turned into a centaur controlled by Circe, but was restored. During the Crisis on Infinite Earths a new solitary universe was created at the dawn of time, a universe whose history fused together the histories of several universes, including Earth-Two. Whether he ceased to exist or exists only as an aspect of the post-Crisis Earth has not been determined, although his mentor died during the final part of the Crisis defending the new Earth from the Anti-Monitor. Both this version of Speedy and Green Arrow were wiped from existence in Crisis on Infinite Earths.
Bizarro World
A Bizarro version of Arsenal appears as one of the heroes of Bizarro World. In addition to sporting a robotic left arm (as opposed to his right one), the Bizarro Arsenal is shown wearing a quiver filled with dead cats, which he uses as weapons.[27]
Flashpoint
In the alternate timeline of the Flashpoint event, Roy Harper is a member of mercenary squad working for industrialist Oliver Queen. Very early in the story, however, Roy and his fellow mercenaries were killed by an unshown explosion set off by Vixen and a group of anti-Queen activists. The explosion actually kills everyone in the facility save for Vixen and Oliver Queen, who is remarkably unscathed even though he had been standing right next to Roy, discussing the possibility of becoming a group of actual heroes rather than mercenaries, at the time the explosion went off.[28]
In the Titans Tomorrow future Roy Harper took on the role of Green Arrow and was killed in battle.
Thrillkiller
Batman: Thrillkiller is an Elseworlds story set in the early 1960s. Roy Harper is depicted as a biker who buys drugs in order to get friendly with schoolgirl Hayley Fitzpatrick (aka Harley Quinn), but a terrifying ordeal with drug runners leads him to alert the police after being helped by Batman and Black Canary. He is later shown practicing archery, though it is not clear if it is part of a rehab scheme or training for vigilantism.
Convergence
During the Convergence event, the New Earth version of Roy Harper is shown following the events of the Titans series. Still struggling with Lian's death, he has now devoted himself to helping the community to make amends for his time with Deathstroke. When the Extremists attack the city, he dons his Arsenal costume and helps his former teammates from the Teen Titans fight off the villains. Dreamslayer then uses his powers to pull Lian out of the timestream shortly before her death, and offers to return her to Roy in exchange for him turning on the Titans.[29] Using trickery, Roy pretends to betray his friends, but instead scrambles Dreamslayer's teleportation field. As the Extremists retreat, Roy stays behind with Lian, finally reunited with his daughter.[30]
Teen Titans Go!
Speedy has also made eight appearances in the comic book series Teen Titans Go! (based on the cartoon). His first appearance in issue #10 was a cameo. He made a reappearance with the rest of Titans East in #20 & #25. A super-deformed version of him posed as Cupid in #27. One of the two stories in issue #30 focuses on him and Aqualad. Thus far, he and Aqualad both have made appearances in each tenth issue. He appeared in issue #39 and after being struck by Larry's arrows falls in love with Cheshire, similar to the comics. In issue #48 he appeared as Arsenal in an alternate reality in a group called the Teen Tyrants.
Arrow
Roy Harper appears in the Arrow tie-in comic, Season 2.5. In the comic, Roy as Arsenal goes with Oliver on mission to stop "drug plane". While Oliver puts an autopilot device on plane's controls and kicks other enemies, one of the thugs fires on Roy and begins falling from the plane, but Oliver managed to rescue him and is put in hospital. While recovering, Felicity is kidnapped by Church of Blood and mercenary group Renegades. Oliver calls Roy for help and gives him kevlar-lined suit after he recovered from injury. Heading to the Church's base of operations, they are contacted by Clinton Hogue, a new church's leader, who demands Oliver in exchange for Felicity, which Oliver accepts despite Roy's advice not to. Roy goes to Lyla Michaels for help and they, along with another backup released from prison named Helena Bertinelli, go to Bludhaven where Felicity is held. Infiltrating their base, Roy fights against Cyrus Vanch and Winnick Norton, but after taking them down, he is knocked out by Lyle Bolton electrocuting them and taking the hostages, only to be knocked out by Helena who saves them. Roy and his friends bound the mercenaries and leave for helicopter piloted by Oliver. However, Hogue comes in helipack and attempts to kill Roy. In the middle of the air, the two are knocked out of the plane, held by Roy and Hogue attached to his leg. Roy kicks him and Hogue falls to the ground to his death.
In other media
Television
Animation
The first animated appearance of the Roy Harper version of Speedy was in the Teen Titans segments in 1967'sThe Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure, voiced by Pat Harrington, Jr.. In those episodes, Speedy serves in place of Robin. Curiously, Green Arrow never appeared in the series.
Speedy also appeared on the main Teen Titansanimated series, voiced by Mike Erwin. His real name is never given, but the character is clearly Roy Harper. Roy is described as employing "a veritable arsenal" of arrows, in a nod to his future persona. He first appears as a supporting character in "Winner Take All", fighting Robin and trying to convince him if winning is really that important. Speedy later joined the team's sister group Titans East. As depicted in the series, Speedy is serious and businesslike as in his Arsenal years in comics, leading Beast Boy to comment on his similarities to Robin. However, when he reappears in "Titans East Pt. 1", more of his traditional bad-boy Speedy personality is seen, as he refuses to apologize for buying fish tacos, which offends Aqualad that the tacos might be his fish friends. He was mind-controlled by Brother Blood in "Titans East Pt. 2" but saved by the Teen Titans. Speedy's bow was broken by Cheshire in "Calling All Titans" when she overpowered him, but, in the episode "Titans Together", Speedy somehow regained possession of his bow when he was freed from his suspended animation. At the end of this episode he was seen with the other Titans standing on a building to battle Doctor Light.
The Roy Harper version of Speedy appears in Justice League Unlimited episode "Patriot Act", voiced again by Mike Erwin. In this version, Speedy states that he's Green Arrow's "ex-partner" when Green Arrow calls him an "ex-sidekick". He has a slightly older, better built design than his Teen Titans incarnation. Speedy's appearance is also a nod to the original Seven Soldiers of Victory superhero team. He is also featured in issue 30 of the Justice League Unlimited comic book in which he and Booster Gold have to protect the watchtower from Doctor Polaris.[31]
Speedy appears on Batman: The Brave and the Bold, voiced by Jason Marsden (primarily) and by Ryan Ochoa (as the young version briefly seen in "Sidekicks Assemble"). This version is the stereotypical kid sidekick, with phrases like "Golly!" or "Holy [insert uncommon phrase]". Green Arrow treats him badly at times, and Speedy defiantly points this out despite his usually nice personality at the end of "Sidekicks Assemble". First appearing in "Dawn of the Deadman!", he is possessed by both Deadman and the spirit of Batman, in order to recruit him and Green Arrow into a battle against the undead army raised by Gentleman Ghost. In "Sidekicks Assemble", Speedy teams up with fellow sidekicks Aqualad and Robin to battle Ra's al Ghul.
Roy Harper is a major character in the Young Justice animated series, voiced by Crispin Freeman.[32] This appearance is unique in that it features both a clone of Speedy who becomes Red Arrow, separate from the real Speedy who becomes Arsenal. In the pilot "Independence Day", Speedy forfeits his place as Green Arrow's sidekick out of frustration that the Justice League won't make him a full-fledged member. He takes on the Red Arrow alias when he starts operating solo and confronts Artemis, Green Arrow's new sidekick who he suspects is a mole, due to still having respect for the Team. In "Usual Suspects", Red Arrow finally gains membership in the Justice League, only to realize that he was the mole all along; he's in fact a Cadmus clone controlled through programming and hypnosis. In season 2, Red Arrow has spent the past 5 years obsessively searching for the real Roy Harper, to the detriment of his health and his friendship with his allies, but also married Cheshire and had a daughter, Lian Nguyen-Harper. Red Arrow and Cheshire eventually find the original Speedy cryogenically frozen in a temple in Tibet, missing one arm, a reference to Red Arrow losing his arm in "Cry for Justice". The real Speedy eventually wakes up and seeks revenge on Lex Luthor, but he later obtains a cybernetic arm from Lex Luthor and later goes by the Arsenal alias. Arsenal eventually joins the Team, highly capable yet also brash, reckless and disobedient. Arsenal is temporarily fired from the Team until he can learn to be a team player. By the end of the second season, Arsenal is operating solo and Red Arrow has retired to focus on being a father. In Young Justice: Outsiders, the clone Roy now goes by "Will", has grown a beard, and created a security company called "Bowhunter Securities" to support his family. Nightwing calls on Will to help him, Roy, and Jim for help in freeing meta-humans, each Harper is shown to have a unique personality but fight well together. They even seem to regard each other as family.
The Roy Harper version of Speedy appears again in the Teen Titans Go! animated sitcom, voiced by Scott Menville. In the episode "The Date", Speedy and Robin get in a fight over a date with Starfire. Although Robin defeats Speedy, he feels guilty about his actions and tells Starfire the truth, but she hits him towards a wall. Speedy makes cameo appearance in "Starliar" giving a creeped out expression in reaction to the music Raven began playing at the Titans East Annual Dance Party. In the episode "Real Orangins", Speedy was seen in a computer, but returned intro Arsenal.
Colton Haynes portrays Roy Harper in The CW TV series Arrow, the character's first live-action appearance.[33][34] Roy first appears in episode fifteen of season one, "Dodger", as a pickpocket who steals Thea Queen's purse. However, they fall in love after he gets caught and start dating, though their relationship is on and off. After Oliver Queen saves his life from a killer in the episode "Salvation", he gains an active interest in the vigilante and wants to emulate him. Roy is a recurring character throughout the season and a series regular in season two.[35]
In season two, Roy, wearing a red hood, works alongside Oliver as a vigilante. When he is captured by Brother Blood, he is injected with Deathstroke's Mirakuru drug, which gives him superhuman strength and healing, while also turning him hostile and violent. He is eventually cured by Oliver and Sara Lance and becomes a full-fledged member of Team Arrow when he helps Oliver and his allies fight Deathstroke and his forces in the season finale. However, Roy's decision to continue as part of Team Arrow, costs him his relationship with Thea.
In season three, Roy is officially dubbed Arsenal, after a villain calls him "another weapon in [Oliver's] arsenal".[36] He is temporarily also referred to as the Red Arrow, during Oliver's extended absence from Star City. After Ra's al Ghul exposes Oliver's identity, Roy takes the fall for his mentor and allows himself to be captured in the Oliver's suit, making the public think that he has been the Arrow all along. Team Arrow helps Roy out of jail and Star City by faking his death. Eventually, Thea locates Roy living under an alias in Monument Point. He encourages her to live the life he and Oliver sacrificed so much for, and leaves her his red costume before taking off for another new life in Hub City.
In season four, Noah Kuttler / The Calculator locates Roy and threatens to expose him unless he returns to Star City and steals equipment for him. After Team Arrow makes Kuttler think that Roy has been killed, he rejoins the team as Arsenal and helps them stop Kuttler, after which Roy leaves Star City again.
In season six, Ricardo Diaz captures Roy and brings him back to Star City, attempting to force him to testify that Oliver is the Green Arrow in court. He refuses and is eventually saved by Oliver and Thea. Roy then helps Oliver, Thea and the rest of Team Arrow battle the Thanatos Guild, who are trying to locate the remaining Lazarus Pits. He then decides to join Thea and Nyssa al Ghul in their mission to locate and destroy the Lazarus Pits around the world and leaves Star City. Meanwhile, his reputation is cleared in the season finale, when Oliver admits publicly that he is and always has been both the Arrow and the Green Arrow.
Roy returns to Star City in season seven, when Team Arrow calls for his help in battling the Ninth Circle. He reveals that he died battling the Thanatos Guild and was revived by Thea and Nyssa with a Lazarus Pit, resulting in him occasionally getting uncontrollable fits of rage, causing him to once again leave the city at the end of the season. The season also sees Roy in his own storyline in flashforwards set in 2040, which depict him living in exile on Lian Yu until he is contacted by Oliver's now-adult son William. The two follow clues left by Felicity, travel to Star City and link up with the Canary Network in order to save the city from Galaxy One.
The Teen Titans are a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, often in an eponymous monthly series. As the group's name suggests, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to DC's premier superheroes in the Justice League. The original team later becomes known as the Titans when the members age out of their teenage years, while the Teen Titans name is continued by subsequent generations of young heroes. First appearing in 1964 in The Brave and the Bold #54, the team was formed by Kid Flash, Robin, and Aqualad (Garth) before adopting the name Teen Titans in issue 60 with the addition of Wonder Girl to their ranks.
Nightwing is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations, with the Nightwing identity most prominently being adopted by Dick Grayson when he reinvented himself from his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin. Although Nightwing is commonly associated with Batman, the title and concept have origins in classic Superman stories. The original Nightwing in DC Comics was an identity assumed by alien superhero Superman when stranded on the Kryptonian city of Kandor with his friend Jimmy Olsen. Drawing inspiration from Batman and Robin, the two protect Kandor as the superheroes Nightwing and Flamebird. Following the Crisis on Infinite Earths continuity reboot in 1985, Nightwing was re-imagined as a legendary vigilante from Krypton whose story inspires Dick Grayson's choice of name when he leaves behind his Robin identity.
The Outsiders is a fictional superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. As its name suggests, the team consists of superheroes who do not fit the norms of the "mainstream" superhero community.
Starfire is a fictional superheroine appearing in books published by DC Comics. She debuted in a preview story inserted within DC Comics Presents #26 and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. The name "Starfire" first appeared in a DC Comic in the story "The Answer Man of Space", in Mystery in Space #73, February 1962, written by Gardner F. Fox.
Deathstroke is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is a mercenary and assassin who serves as the archenemy of the Teen Titans, specifically Dick Grayson. Over the years, writers have developed him as an adversary of other superheroes in the DC Universe as well, such as Batman and Green Arrow.
Guardian is a DC Comics superhero, introduced in April 1942 by writer Joe Simon and artist Jack Kirby.
Rose Wilson is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. She has been both an enemy to and a member of the Teen Titans and the daughter of Deathstroke. Rose Wilson first appeared in Deathstroke #15 and was created by Marv Wolfman and Art Nichols.
Cheshire is a fictional DC Comics supervillainess.
Teen Titans Go! is a comic book series that was published by DC Comics. It is based on the 2003 animated TV series Teen Titans, which is itself loosely based on the team that starred in the popular 1980s comic The New Teen Titans. The series was written by J. Torres with Todd Nauck and Larry Stucker as the regular illustrators. The series focuses on Robin, Raven, Starfire, Beast Boy, and Cyborg who are the main cast members of the TV series. Also, the show is circled around other characters from other DC comics.
Mia Dearden is a DC Comics superheroine, the second character to take the mantle of Green Arrow's sidekick Speedy. Created by writer Kevin Smith and artist Phil Hester, she first appeared in Green Arrow #2. She is notable as one of the few HIV-positive characters in comic books. In The New 52, a mysterious man is currently searching for Mia.
Brick is a DC Comics villain and enemy of Green Arrow. Although his origin has not been revealed, Brick is a metahuman with a reddish, stony skin that grants him invulnerability and super-strength. His success as an underworld kingpin is due to his brilliant criminal mind rather than his superhuman powers.
Teen Titans: The Judas Contract is a 2017 direct-to-video animated superhero film directed by Sam Liu from a screenplay by Ernie Altbacker based on The Judas Contract by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. It is the twenty-eighth film in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies series, part of DC Animated Movie Universe and the sequel to Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016). The film features the voices of Christina Ricci, Taissa Farmiga, Miguel Ferrer, Stuart Allan, Brandon Soo Hoo, Jake T. Austin, Kari Wahlgren, Sean Maher, Gregg Henry, and Meg Foster. It marked Ferrer's final film role.
Green Arrow and Black Canary was a comic book ongoing series published by DC Comics starring superheroes Green Arrow and Black Canary.
Beast Boy is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He has also gone under the alias Changeling. Created by writer Arnold Drake and artist Bob Brown, he is a shapeshifter who possesses the ability to metamorph into any animal he chooses. The character first appeared in The Doom Patrol #99 and is usually depicted as a member of the Doom Patrol and the Teen Titans.
Thea Dearden Queen, also known as Speedy, is a fictional character portrayed by Willa Holland on The CW television series Arrow, created by Greg Berlanti, Marc Guggenheim, and Andrew Kreisberg. She is the maternal half-sister of series protagonist Oliver Queen / Green Arrow. Although an original creation to the series, she adopts elements from the DC Comics superhero Mia Dearden / Speedy, created by writer Kevin Smith and artist Phil Hester.
Wildebeest is the name of different characters from DC Comics.
Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Gotham City Breakout is a direct-to-video animated superhero action comedy film based on the Lego and DC Comics brands, which was released on June 21, 2016 in Digital HD and on July 12, 2016 on Blu-ray and DVD. It is the sixth Lego DC Comics film following Lego Batman: The Movie – DC Super Heroes Unite, Lego DC Comics: Batman Be-Leaguered, Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League, Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Attack of the Legion of Doom and Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League – Cosmic Clash. Some actors from various DC properties reprise their respective roles, including Nolan North as Superman and Troy Baker as Batman.
References
↑ McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1970s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. Dorling Kindersley. p.146. ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9. It was taboo to depict drugs in comics, even in ways that openly condemned their use. However, writer Denny O'Neil and artist Neal Adams collaborated on an unforgettable two-part arc that brought the issue directly into Green Arrow's home, and demonstrated the power comics had to affect change and perception.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
← The character Vigilante was debuted by Mort Weisinger and Mort Meskin. See Greg Saunders and Vigilante (comics) for more info and the previous timeline.
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