| Merlyn | |
|---|---|
.png) Malcolm Merlyn inGreen Arrow (vol. 7) #6 (January 2024). Art by Sean Izaakse and Romulo Fajardo, Jr. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | DC Comics |
| First appearance | Justice League of America #94 (November 1971) |
| Created by | Mike Friedrich Neal Adams Dick Dillin |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Arthur King(birth name) Malcolm Merlyn(legal name)[1] |
| Team affiliations | League of Assassins Anti-Justice League Injustice League The 100 Killer Elite Secret Society of Super Villains Suicide Squad |
| Notable aliases | Merlyn the Magician Dark Archer[2] |
| Abilities | |
Merlyn, also known as theDark Archer, is asupervillain appearing inAmerican comic books published byDC Comics. Created by writerMike Friedrich and artistsNeal Adams andDick Dillin, the character first appeared inJustice League of America #94 (1971). Merlyn is the alias ofArthur King, a bow-wielding contract killer who is commonly affiliated with theLeague of Assassins. He serves as thearchenemy ofGreen Arrow, although he has also fought other superheroes in theDC Universe, includingBatman,Black Canary, and theJustice League.
The CW television seriesArrow introduced and popularizedMalcolm Merlyn, portrayed byJohn Barrowman, and his sonTommy Merlyn, portrayed byColin Donnell, asOliver Queen's nemesis and best friend, respectively. This concept would later beintegrated into the comics, as Arthur King's legal name isretroactively established as Malcolm Merlyn, while Tommy briefly assumes the Dark Archer mantle from his father.
Merlyn was created by writerMike Friedrich and artistsNeal Adams andDick Dillin. He first appeared inJustice League of America #94 in November 1971.[3]
Long before becoming the vigilanteGreen Arrow, Oliver Queen was inspired to take uparchery after hearing of the exploits of Arthur King, otherwise known as "Merlyn the Magician", a master archer with acute accuracy. Years later, Merlyn challenged the Green Arrow to a public archery duel and defeated Oliver. With that victory under his belt, Merlyn vanished for years before resurfacing as a member of theLeague of Assassins. During his time with the League of Assassins, Merlyn took part in the highly abusive training ofDavid Cain's daughterCassandra Cain, unknowingly being behind the girl's skills as Batgirl.[4] He and Green Arrow faced each other again when Merlyn attempted to assassinateBatman; Green Arrow managed to intercept Merlyn's arrow with one of his own, saving Batman's life. Merlyn admitted that Green Arrow had improved since their last encounter, but escaped before he could be captured.
InAction Comics, Merlyn, now working as a freelance assassin and contract killer who sells his skills to the highest bidder, is hired byQueen Bee (Zazzala) to join a supervillain team and take on theJustice League.[5] He then serves underTobias Whale as a member ofMetropolis' crime syndicatethe 100.[6] Merlyn attempts to killBlack Lightning when he accompaniesJoey Toledo. Though the League of Assassins crash the battle when they were displeased that Merlyn left them. He is ultimately defeated by Black Lightning while Toledo was killed during the three-way battle.[7] A man from Libya later hires Meryln to kill a Russian scientist visiting Casablanca. Although Merlyn is aided by Syonide, his assassination attempt is foiled by theFlash and Phantom Lady.[8]
During the events of "Underworld Unleashed," Merlyn is among the villains that sell their souls to the demonNeron in exchange for greater power. He then joins the Killer Elite (along withDeadshot,Monocle,Bolt, Chiller andDeadline) to perform various assassinations with Merlyn wanting to do his dream assassination on Batman, but the group is eventually stopped by the Justice League. The Killer Elite later encounters theBody Doubles, and Merlyn and his team are defeated.[9]
InYoung Justice, Merlyn mentors Turk, a wolf-likemetahuman and archer. Merlyn and Turk attempt to sabotage an archery contest in their favor, but are stopped by Young Justice.[10][11][12]
Merlyn next appears as one of the primary villains in the Injustice Gang inIdentity Crisis.[13] He warns and correctly predicts that the death ofSue Dibny would have troublesome and dire consequences in the criminal underworld.[14] Although the Justice League manages to capture Merlyn, Monacle and Deadshot, the latter is able to use connections with theSuicide Squad andAmanda Waller to arrange for their release, much to the frustration of the newestManhunter.[15] Merlyn, Deadshot, Monacle andPhobia later attempt to kill theShadow Thief during his trial, but are confronted and stopped by the Manhunter.
During the "Infinite Crisis" storyline, Merlyn serves as a member ofAlexander Luthor Jr.'sSociety. Since then, he has resumed his feud with Green Arrow, launching several attacks on the hero's family.[16][17][18] Merlyn then plays a major role in the attack on Green Arrow andBlack Canary's wedding as a member of the newInjustice League.[19]
DuringCountdown, Merlyn appears under the employ of the League of Assassins, coordinating his attacks withTalia al Ghul and serving as a mentor toDamian Wayne.[20] Merlyn has a minor role inThe Resurrection of Ra's al Ghul, in which he is hired by theSensei to take out a spring whereRa's al Ghul could revitalize himself. He is defeated during the final confrontation between Ra's and Batman.[21] Merlyn then joins the League of Assassins' elite team known as the Seven Men of Death, and is sent toGotham City to retrieve the Suit of Sorrows from the Order of Purity. During the attack on the Order, Merlyn kills the Order's leader Leland McCauley, and injures Felicidad Gomez before being confronted byAzrael.[22] Merlyn and his team attempt to capture Azrael and move him to their headquarters, but Azrael uses one of Merlyn's own arrows to stab him.[23]
Merlyn is later captured by the vigilanteCupid who plans to kill him in front of Green Arrow, with whom Cupid is besotted. To this end, she slashes Merlyn's throat with an arrow, and although Green Arrow is able to get Merlyn medical attention in time to save his life, the villain's vocal cords are severely damaged.[24]
InThe New 52 reboot'sBatman Incorporated, Merlyn appears under the League of Assassins' employ and serves as a member of the Seven Men of Death who are tasked by Talia al Ghul'sLeviathan organization to destroy Batman Incorporated. Merlyn defeats members of the group with ease, until Damian Wayne destroys his bow.[25] InForever Evil, Merlyn is among the villains recruited by theCrime Syndicate of America to join theSecret Society of Super Villains.[26]
In theDC Rebirth relaunch, theGreen Arrow series reveals that Merlyn was born Arthur King and legally changed his name (a concept incorporated from theArrow television series). When he was around 25 years old, Malcolm joined the League of Assassins, an ancient, international order of the world's greatest killers, and was trained by their leader Ra's al Ghul himself. Malcolm's commencement ceremony into the organization involved him digging a grave which he laid in to purge himself of his past life and emerge reborn.[1] Now a deadly assassin known as the Dark Archer, Malcolm is contracted by Cyrus Broderick, a director of theNinth Circle, to frame Green Arrow for murder after he destroys the Inferno, their base of operations.[27] Using arrows resembling Green Arrow's for multiple high-profile killings, including the murder of famous soccer player Cy Sampson, the Dark Archer succeeds in tarnishing the hero's image and reputation.[2] Green Arrow and the Dark Archer later engage in a fierce duel, with Oliver believing the hooded villain to be Malcolm's son,Tommy.[28][29] Malcolm then reveals himself to Oliver as "the original Dark Archer", and proceeds to best his foe in combat whilst taunting him. Before Malcolm can kill Oliver, however, the intervention of Black Canary and the police forces the villain to flee. As he escapes, Merlyn fires an arrow at the police chief, whom Green Arrow narrowly manages to save at the cost of his own bow, which is shattered by Merlyn's shot.[1]
InBatman, Merlyn was one of the assassins hired by thePenguin and the Designer to kill Batman. He was captured by the GCPD, but managed to escape. He, along withCheshire, attempts to attackCatwoman andHarley Quinn before they defeat him.
Merlyn is among the greatest and most accuratearchers in theDC Universe.[1] His archery andmarksmanship skills rival those ofGreen Arrow, and exceed those ofEmiko Queen,Shado,Roy Harper,Connor Hawke,Celestial Archer, and his own son Tommy.[1] Merlyn has been known to use trick arrows to kill his targets, including explosive arrows that detonate upon impact. Having been trained by theLeague of Assassins, he is proficient with swords, throwing knives, and various other weapons, and is an expert in numerous forms of hand-to-hand combat and martial arts, being able to best the likes of Green Arrow with relative ease.[1]
After the defeat of the Leviathan organization, portions of Merlyn's body are replaced by advanced cybernetics, granting him superhuman durability and illusion casting abilities.[30][31]
Malcolm Merlyn / Dark Archer appears in media set in theArrowverse, portrayed byJohn Barrowman.[32][33]
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