Merlyn (DC Comics)

"Malcolm Merlyn" redirects here. For the airplane, see Malcolm Merlin.

Not to be confused with Merlin (DC Comics).

For other comics characters named Merlyn or Merlin, see Merlin (comics).

Merlyn
Artwork from Green Arrow/Black Canary #16 (2009). Art by Mike Norton
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Justice League of America #94 (Nov. 1971)
Created by	Mike Friedrich Neal Adams Dick Dillin
In-story information
Alter ego	Arthur King
Team affiliations	Anti-Justice League Injustice League The Society League of Assassins The 100 Killer Elite
Notable aliases	Merlyn the Archer, Merlyn the Magician, Arthur King, Merlyn the Magnificent
Abilities	Extraordinary archer Skilled in hand-to-hand combat Expert marksman Peak physical conditioning Master tactician Superb strategist

Merlyn is a fictional character in the DC Comics Universe. He is an archer created by writer Mike Friedrich, artist Dick Dillin, and inker Neal Adams as an archenemy of Green Arrow, and he first appeared in Justice League of America #94 (1971).

Fictional character biography

Years before Oliver Queen would become Green Arrow, he was inspired to take up archery by the amazing archer, "Merlyn the Magician". Once Green Arrow began to become famous, the two met again, as Merlyn challenged the hero to a public archery contest and defeated him. With that victory under his belt, Merlyn vanished for years, only to resurface as a member of the League of Assassins. Merlyn and Green Arrow faced again as Merlyn tried to fulfill a contract to assassinate Batman. Green Arrow was able to deflect one of Merlyn's arrows with an arrow of his own, saving Batman's life. Merlyn admitted that Green Arrow had become the better archer, but escaped before he could be captured. Unable to return to the League of Assassins, he became a freelance assassin.

Merlyn later appeared in Action Comics as part of the Queen Bee's unofficial "Injustice Gang" opposing the JLA.

Finding work with one of Metropolis' crime syndicates, The 100, Merlyn fought against a weakened Black Lightning, but lost the battle.

Merlyn was apparently a part of the League of Assassins when the assassin David Cain's daughter, Cassandra, was born. Merlyn would seem to have taken part in the child's highly abusive training (along with other members of the League, such as Bronze Tiger), unknowingly giving her the skills to become the future Batgirl. He then served under Tobias Whale as a member of the 100.

He was among those who sold his soul to the demonic Neron during the events of Underworld Unleashed. He then joined the Killer Elite (along with Deadshot, Bolt, Chiller, and Deadline). All tried to perform various assassinations but were stopped by the Justice League of America. The group later encounters the Body Doubles. Merlyn and the others are soundly defeated, as the Body Doubles use gadgetry and cleavage to their advantage.

The villain next made an appearance in the pages of Young Justice as an archer working for the Zandian national Olympic team. He is the instructor to the young Zandian archer Turk (a half-wolf metahuman). Turk and Merlyn attempt to sabotage the games in their favor, but they are defeated by the Young Justice team.

Merlyn would next appear in the pages of Identity Crisis, and was one of the main voices for the villains during that miniseries. He recognizes the Monocle and Deadshot as his closest allies, and correctly predicts that the murder of Sue Dibny would have dire consequences in the villain community. When he is captured by the Justice League along with Deadshot and Monocle, Deadshot was able to use his ties to the Suicide Squad and Amanda Waller to secure their release (much to the frustration of the newest Manhunter).

The villainous archer reappeared with Monocle and Phobia in an attempt to kill the Shadow Thief at his trial, and in the process the villains found themselves battling Manhunter. Merlyn has since resurfaced in the pages of Green Arrow as part of a multipronged attack against Green Arrow and his family.

He has a minor role in The Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul, in which he is hired by the Sensei to take out a spring where Ra's could revitalize himself. He fulfills his tasks well but is defeated in the final confrontation between Ra's al Ghul and Batman.

Afterwards, he appears to be under the employ of Talia al Ghul as a tutor to her son Damian Wayne, though he would later confess that he was learning more from Damian.

He was later seen among the new Injustice League.

He was later captured by the vigilante Cupid, who planned to kill him in front of Green Arrow, whom she was besotted with. To this end, she slashed Merlyn's throat with an arrow. Green Arrow was able to get Merlyn medical attention in time to save his life, but the villain's throat was damaged to the point where he would never be able to speak again.

The New 52

Tommy Merlyn, appeared in The New 52 in Green Arrow #0. Five years ago, Tommy was the best friend of Ollie's, and during a hostage crisis on a Pacific Ocean oil rig with a villain named "Iron Eagle", there was an explosion, and he was caught in it. Fast forward to the present day, Tommy, branded as "Patient Zero", awoke.

In Batman Incorporated #4 (2012), Merlyn appears in the employ of Talia al Ghul and battles the Batmen of All Nations.

Powers and abilities

While Merlyn possesses no metahuman powers, he is one of the DC Universe's best archers, a rival to Green Arrow, Connor Hawke, Red Arrow, and the Celestial Archer. Like Green Arrow he has been known to use trick arrows in the past. He has also been shown to possess a jet pack mounted in his quiver.

In other media

Television

• Merlyn appears in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Dead Reckoning". He is shown as a member of Grodd's Secret Society. He sides with Grodd in the mutiny against Lex Luthor. Merlyn is seen firing his arrows during the fight. While other mutineers are captured, Merlyn manages to escape.

• A character named Vordigan, loosely based on Merlyn and referred to as "The Dark Archer" inadvertising, appeared in the Smallville Season 9 episode "Disciple". He then reappears in the episode "Prophecy" in Smallville (season 10) as he is assigned by Toyman to kill Green Arrow. He is portrayed by Steve Bacic (Disciple) and by an unknown actor in (Prophecy).

John Barrowman as both a hooded archer and Malcolm Merlyn on the television series Arrow.

• In The CW's Arrow (2012–), the character of Tommy Merlyn (Colin Donnell) is introduced in the show's pilot episode as the long-time best friend of Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) who dates Laurel Lance (Katie Cassidy). His businessman father Malcolm Merlyn (John Barrowman) is later revealed to have been instrumental in the death of Oliver's father and Oliver's subsequent shipwreck, and is also a skilled archer who trained in Nanda Parbat. In the season one finale, "Sacrifice", Malcolm loses his fight with Oliver, getting stabbed through the chest with an arrow. Defeated, Malcolm detonates an earthquake-machine to destroy Starling's crime-ridden area (the Glades) which inadvertently kills Tommy.

Film

• Merlyn appears in DC Showcase: Green Arrow voiced by Malcolm McDowell. He is hired by Count Vertigo to assassinate Princess Perdita at the airport. He ends up in one of his duels with Green Arrow which ends with Merlyn defeated.

• Merlyn is also included in the script Green Arrow: Escape from Supermax. He is one of the convicts imprisoned with Green Arrow and is the primary antagonist.