Speedy (comics)

Speedy
Roy Harper, the first Speedy. Art by Tom Grummett.
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	More Fun Comics #73 (November 1941)
Created by	Mort Weisinger (writer) Paul Norris (art)
Characters	Roy Harper Mia Dearden

Speedy is the name of two DC Comics superheroes, fictional characters that have each served as teenaged sidekicks for the Green Arrow (a.k.a. Oliver Queen).

Fictional character biographies

Roy Harper

Main article: Roy Harper (comics)

The original Speedy's real name was Roy Harper, Jr.. He first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 (November 1941), where he was identified as the orphaned son of Roy Harper, Sr., a forest ranger who had died saving a Navajo medicine chief named "Brave Bow" from a fire. Brave Bow raised the younger Roy himself, training him at archery. Roy Jr. took to this training eagerly, and idolized the archer superhero, Green Arrow. As a teenager, Roy is given the opportunity to perform at an archery competition judged by Green Arrow, where he assists the hero at foiling an attempted burglary, even proving himself to be a faster shot than the hero. Following the death of Brave Bow, Green Arrow asked Roy to serve as his sidekick, an offer Roy jumped at, taking the name Speedy. Harper became the ward of Green Arrow's alter ego, millionaire Oliver Queen.

Harper became also a founding member of the Teen Titans. After the original Titans disbanded, he joined a band called Great Frog and became a drug addict, a first in DC comics, in an award-winning story in Green Lantern #85-86 (Sept. & November 1971), part of a classic, 14-issue run by the writer-artist team of Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams. Roy spent some time in the Suicide Squad before returning to the Titans.

He fathered a daughter by the villainess Cheshire, and eventually took the name Arsenal in New Titans #99 (1993). In Justice League of America #1 (vol 3), he is eventually referred to as Red Arrow. After his daughter is killed, and he has one of his arms cut off by the villain Prometheus in Justice League: Cry for Justice, Roy will star in the mini-series Justice League: The Rise of Arsenal during which he will retake the name of "Arsenal".^{[citation needed]}

Mia Dearden

Mia Dearden, the new Speedy. Art by Marcos Martín.

Main article: Speedy (Mia Dearden)

Mia Dearden was introduced in Green Arrow (Vol. 3) #2 in 2001. Mia was a teenaged girl who ran from her home after being abused by her father and fell into child prostitution. Mia was rescued from one of her clients by Oliver Queen, who had just recently returned from the dead. Mia continued to try to convince Oliver, who was busy trying to reconstruct his own life, and began to secretly train with Connor Hawke in archery and combat. Mia continually petitioned Green Arrow to allow her to serve as his sidekick, but Oliver continually demurred, not wanting to put another youngster at risk. Mia redoubled her efforts and Green Arrow finally allowed her to become the new Speedy. Shortly thereafter, she joined the Teen Titans but has since left the team.

Powers and abilities

Speedy (like his/her mentor) has a wide variety of trick arrows. Most famously his punching glove arrow which is capable of knocking out villains. Speedy also has several other arrows ranging from sleeping gas arrows, exploding arrows, and regular arrows.

Along with his excellent archery skills, Speedy has mastered several different types of hand to hand combat including judo, kickboxing, and karate.

As Arsenal, Roy Harper displayed proficiency with a greater range of weapons, such as guns, truncheons, and boomerangs. He also became a master of Moo Gi Gong, allowing him to use virtually any handheld object as a makeshift weapon.

Roy Harper can speak Japanese and can understand Russian.

Other versions

Speedy of Earth-Two

There was an Earth-Two version of Speedy who was a member of the Seven Soldiers of Victory and All-Star Squadron in the 1940s along with his mentor Green Arrow. Aside from their origin, having been trained on a mesa top together, their history nearly parallels the history of the Earth-One version up until the point when Speedy and Green Arrow, 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. Years after returning to the present, Speedy came out of retirement, along with his mentor who died during the Crisis on Infinite Earths. This Speedy has not been seen since this time.

In other media

Speedy's first animated appearance was in the Teen Titans segments in The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure. In those episodes, Speedy serves in the effective place of Robin.

Speedy in the Teen Titans episode "For Real".

Speedy has appeared on the Teen Titans animated series, where he is voiced by Mike Erwin. Although his real name is not given, his appearance is clearly based on that of Roy Harper. He is described as employing "a veritable arsenal" of arrows, in a nod to his future persona. While not a member of the main Titans team himself, he appeared as a supporting character in the episode "Winner Take All", and fought Robin, trying to convince him if winning is really that important. Speedy later joined up with 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. However, in the episode "Titans Together", Speedy somehow regained possession of his bow when he was freed from his suspended animation.

Speedy in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Patriot Act".

Speedy appears in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Patriot Act". Speedy clearly states that he is Green Arrow's "ex-partner", and is visually designed as a slightly older, better built version of his Teen Titans incarnation - his costume is the same; he is voiced by Mike Erwin here as well. Speedy 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.

Speedy appeared in the Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode "Dawn of the Deadman!", voiced by Jason Marsden. In the episode, Speedy serves as Green Arrow's sidekick, and 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. This version of Speedy differs greatly from the comics, in which he is more sweet and less confrontational than Robin or even Aqualad.

Elise Gatien as Mia Dearden on Smallville, in the episode "Crossfire".

Speedy (Mia Dearden) appeared in Season 9 of Smallville in the episode "Crossfire". This Speedy is the Smallville version of Green Arrow's apprentice, Mia Dearden, played by Elise Gatien. She is a prostitute who has trained herself in streetfighting and is attempting to raise enough money to get away from her pimp, Rick. Oliver Queen sees her as a kindred spirit and takes her in to train her and teach her how to overcome her anger. Rick forces her to lure Oliver to a remote location so he can kidnap him, but Mia turns against him. Rick is arrested and Mia continues to partner with Oliver, recently discovering he is Green Arrow.

Speedy (Roy Harper) appears in the Cartoon Network series Young Justice voiced by Crispin Freeman. Speedy becomes tired of being treated with low respect and quits being Green Arrow's partner. He is not a founding member of the Young Justice League and turns down two invitations to join them, but does consider himself 'friends' with them, and has asked them for help once.