Who is malcolm merlyn

Malcolm Merlyn : I admire you, Oliver. It takes a special kind of idiot to actually get dumber with time. Oliver Queen : I am not in the mood, Malcolm. Malcolm Merlyn : Human connections are what keep us human, and it's sad that it's a psychopath that has to point this out to you. You can't live on an island--you've already tried, but you are always going to have people in your life, Oliver, and they will always need you. Better or worse, baggage and all, and if you can't accept that, your past is gonna stay your anchor.

Oliver Queen : We are very capable people, and we are going to find a way to rescue everyone. Sign In. Arrow TV Series Missing Showing all 4 items. Jump to: Photos 1 Quotes 3. Nyssa al Ghul : Try to, you mean Oliver Queen : Malcolm, you said you were willing to do whatever it takes to get Thea back. So Malcolm better stay away from Cupid's arrows so we can keep hearing that sexy voice tell us lies left and right.

During the New 52 , a relaunch of DC Comics' entire line that started in , Tommy Merlyn is introduced as a supporting character in Arrow 0 However, this version takes a departure from the show, making Tommy, rather than his father Malcolm, the big bad archer.

The New 52 version of Tommy was a childhood friend of Oliver Queen. He did clerical work on an oil rig under the order of Oliver's father, and it proved to be the perfect place to throw wild parties. Unfortunately, a group of oil-thieves crash one of his parties. Even worse, when Oliver tries to save the day, he accidentally sets off a detonator that kills everyone.

This would have included our "hero," but Tommy saves him at the last second, getting badly burned in the process. He blames Oliver for everyone dying and says his recklessness would get even more people killed in the future. Tommy falls into a coma and ends up being cared for on a pacific island monastery for a year before waking up.

He later becomes the mercenary Merlyn. John Barrowman loves his character so much that he teamed up with his sister, Carole Barrowman, to write a comic book series about him. The two previously wrote the young adult novel Hollow Earth together and wrote stories about Torchwood , another show that Barrowman starred in. John commented that the book "opens between Seasons 3 and 4 of the TV show and then we flashback. Readers will learn about a younger Malcolm and how his past is… well, killing him.

Fans will also learn who Malcolm was before he met Rebecca, the love of his life. He is hired by Count Vertigo to kill his niece, Princess Perdita, in order to prevent her from becoming the queen of Vlatava. Of course, he's confronted by Green Arrow, who is tipped off that something is off when he noticed Merlyn entering an airport.

During their duel in the short, Merlyn mentions how the Green Arrow lost every duel they've ever had. However, thanks to a lot of practice, he's bested by one of Green Arrow's trick arrows incapacitating him. Prior to becoming more well-known during his run on Arrow , Merlyn did appear on the small-screen a couple of times before. In the popular cartoon series Justice League Unlimited he made a brief cameo. Blink and you may miss it, but he appears in the episode "Dead Reckoning.

Merlyn becomes "Vordigan" during his appearance in two episodes of the Superman show Smallville Ads referred to him for the first time ever as "The Dark Archer. Vordigan is later assigned to assassinate Green Arrow.

Merlyn has made a couple appearances in video games that are pretty easy to miss. He shows up in Green Arrow's S. R Labs instead, which he refused. Malcolm then stopped Oliver, claiming that, despite his actions, he loved Thea and that he'd rather lose her than to use the Pit to resurrect her. Oliver ignored this and ordered Malcolm to get on the plane, which he did.

Malcolm, along with Oliver, Diggle, and Sarab , joined the ritual to resurrect Thea. A few moments after she entered the Pit, Thea jumped and kicked Oliver to the ground, releasing an animalistic growl, much to Malcolm's horror. After Thea was sedated, Malcolm stood by her bedside with Oliver. Thea woke up with her memories scattered, believing Oliver is dead but recognizing Malcolm as her father. Malcolm reassures Thea that she is in a safe place. When she asks about her mother, Mclolm avoided the question, simply saying she isn't there and told her to rest.

Thea complies and tells Malcolm she loves him. Malcolm is briefly happy but after Thea is asleep, he berates Oliver for using the Pit. Later that night, Malcolm met with Diggle and Felicity, where he saw that Felicity had drugged Oliver in hopes of escaping with him. Malcolm warned Felicity that if are found, Ra's would kill them all. However, he agreed to aid group in their escape to the catacombs.

Malcolm effortlessly defeated a member of the League and took his sword. Shortly afterward, he met three others, whom he kills quickly with the sword and proceeded to the temple. They are aided by Maseo, who shot three other members of the League.

Although they do reach the catacombs, Thea's hallucinations delay the group long enough for them to be surrounded by the League. He advised the group that they don't want to be taken alive, from past experience. They are saved at the last minute by Oliver, who ordered the League to put their weapons down, claiming to be the new Heir to the Demon.

Malcolm is later seen when Oliver bid farewell to the group, charging Malcolm to take care of Thea. The following day, Malcolm greeted a confused Thea, to which she responded negatively. Seeing she doesn't seem to remember what happened, Malcolm explained how Ra's nearly killed her that, in order to save her, Oliver had to join the League. She panicked upon hearing this but Malcolm tried to assure her that he will make up for this and everything else that happened before.

Thea said that is impossible but Malcolm happily stated it is and he is now a free man and that he could go anywhere in the world, but he wants to take care of her, just like she did when he was injured. A few weeks later, Thea asked Malcolm if it was true Oliver was hunting down Nyssa. Malcolm mentioned that he learned from his sources that he wants to kill her to protect his reign as Heir to the Demon.

Thea told him he should be stopped and that he should not be a killer. Malcolm told her Oliver is now the Heir to the Demon and that he will be a killer for them. Thea mentioned he had been brainwashed to kill just like Malcolm did to her. Malcolm said he did not sacrifice himself for her so she could risk her life fighting the League. Thea mentioned she could not stop him trading his life for hers however she can stop this. Malcolm mentioned she is a warrior even before he trained her and her brother is aware of this as well.

He then asked Thea how he could help her. Dark Archer later traveled back to Nanda Parbat where he was intercepted by Oliver Queen who was revealed to be working with Malcolm in order to bring the League down from the inside who was shocked to not only hear that Ra's had the alpha-omega virus but Oliver was ascending to the title of Ra's so quick, he anticipated it would take months, Oliver gave Malcolm the name of someone who could help them, that person was Tatsu Yamashiro , Oliver's friend and Maseo's wife.

He later contacted Team Arrow and brought them to an unknown location where he revealed to them of Oliver's hoax but to their anger and upset, Malcolm introduced them to Tatsu who revealed the alpha-omega virus and Ra's plot to poison Starling City. The team traveled to Nanda Parbat to stop a plane from spreading the virus, they stopped the plane and engaged a huge group of assassins.

During the fight Malcolm took out dozens of assassins and saved both Laurel and Felicity. They killed many members of the League but were eventually overrun by Oliver and Ra's and were captured.

Malcolm begged for his life with Ra's, exposing Oliver's deception in exchange for joining the League again but Oliver kept the ruse up and Malcolm was returned to prison where Ra's exposed him, Felicity, Ray, Diggle and Laurel to the virus and was sealed inside their cell and left to die. Tatsu was removed from the cell since her inoculation during the Hong Kong outbreak. After Felicity, Ray, Diggle and Laurel and Malcolm awoke, still alive, Malcolm revealed to them he had inoculated himself by Oliver's blood before going to Nanda Parbat to make himself immune to the virus.

He explained that he had vaccinated them as well through a skin graft and that their plan was to deceive Ra's to make him believe Oliver is committed to his cause. As the group wondered how they could escape, Malcolm simply stated would have to wait for the thunder.

The Flash burst into Nanda Parbat and overpowered the assassins. After Barry was annoyed that Felicity mentioned his name in Malcolm's presence, thus revealing the speedster's identity to the villain, he quickly freed them. After the group retrieved their weapons, Barry explained that Oliver would need them even if he did not realize it, and left. The group went to the plane to return to Starling City and stop the Outbreak. However, Tatsu did not join them as she wanted to return to her life in solitude.

Arriving at Palmer Technologies , Malcolm told them they had to get ready for a virus attack in case Oliver failed to kill Ra's. Oliver and Nyssa came in and the team learned that their attempt to crash the plane to kill Ra's had failed. Palmer went to work to get the antidote.

The group tried to find Ra's but was unable to find any leads on where he could be. Malcolm noticed an entire hotel floor had been hired and the group learned Damien Darhk was in town. The group realised that Ra's his goal was to kill Damien. Oliver told them they could capture Damien and trade him with Ra's for the virus.

Malcolm was impressed with Oliver by the ruthlessness of this plan. The group went to the hotel and quickly took out his bodyguards. Oliver confronted the assistant of Damien and learned that Damien had been aware and left in time. Ra's called him and told him he would spread the virus in Starling. The team eventually narrowed down the locations of the league agents dispersing the virus and Dark Archer partook in the effort to stop them, killing at least one though Felicity begged him not to kill anyone else in the process.

Oliver managed to kill Ra's after a duel, and they managed to contain the virus. The group reunited at Palmer industries. Oliver talked to the group and thanked all of them as together they had managed to save the city, he then revealed he would leave the city for a while. Malcolm later visited Thea and told her he would leave Starling as well, he told her he loves her and that he would always be there for her.

Thea was cold at him but accepted that he did make her strong as he had promised. Oliver came in and gave Malcolm the Demon's Head ring. Malcolm thanked him, commenting on how he always had looked at Oliver like a son and was glad they worked together.

However, Oliver noted he would never forgive what Malcolm had done to Sara and Thea. When Malcolm asked if they would be enemies, Oliver responded that depended on what he would do with his power. Nyssa came in and believed told him this was his goal all along. Malcolm told her he just wanted to be free from Ra's just like her and when he was captured, Ra's had tortured him with his sword but he had survived, like the prophecy.

Nyssa warned him she would make him pay for what he had done to Sara. Malcolm told her she was welcome to try and then ordered her and the assassins to kneel. After a brief moment, Nyssa kneeled before him. Malcolm retreats from his duties as Ra's al Ghul to return to his secret research team in South America only to be met by Lourdes , figure from his past who's out for vengeance. She watched as her son cut his finger off, adorned with an ancient ring, intending to send it to Malcolm Merlyn.

They attacked his fortress, causing him and a number to retreat inside. Sealed in a room with no way out, Merlyn's team discovers a clue about their attacker's shadowy motive. The Hidden set charges on the wall and exploded a hole through.

Once down in the tunnel, Saracon used inter-species telepathy to send bats at their enemy, allowing them to catch up.

However, before they could be caught, they escaped again, having discovered a secret hole in the ground. They followed them down to the Sea of Souls, where they all fought. Although the Hidden were almost overwhelmed, the local man and Rainie escaped, leaving only Malcolm. Lourdes and Saracon chained him up and Saracon began torturing him, wishing for Merlyn to confess to his sins, thus admitting to his true name and telling the story of his earlier days as part of the Hidden.

Lourdes joined them, having left men inside the tunnel. She began to get angry at Merlyn, strangling him, but Saracon reminded her that he needed a full confession, causing her to step back. Malcolm had told almost everything about his past with Lourdes and his motive for joining The Hidden is revealed. Freed from the chains, Malcolm fights for his life against Saracon.

While the boy was unconscious, the injured Lourdes revealed to Merlyn that Saracon was their common son when the Hidden came for her, Ra's al Ghul kept his own blood Nyssa al Ghul , their daughter, in exchange for Lourdes and her son's release. While they were distracted by conversation, Saracon awoke and absorbed the power of the heart, wanting to become a true sacred son of Ashkiri.

Lourdes begged Malcolm to spare their son from this reckless act, but Merlyn said that if the power in Ashkiri's heart doesn't kill him, he way be worth saving.

The eaten heart has repeatedly strengthened the power of Saracon and he began to destroy everything around, but Lourdes' minutes were numbered. She died in the arms of her son and he was very saddened by this fact.

Not caring about Lourdes, Malcolm focused on his newfound son. He tried to persuade Saracon to leave with him, saying that they could do great things together, after all he got what he came for. Saracon refused, and father and son continued their battle, until Malcolm's reinforcements with Rainie and Nyssa arrived.

The injured son decides to escape from the collapsing cave through underwater tunnels, promising Malcolm a meeting next time. Rainie shows him Saracon's severed finger and confirms that a DNA test has shown that he is indeed Malcolm's son. Nyssa looks into the depths of the cave and sees Lourdes' corpse, not knowing that she is her own mother.

She asks Malcolm who she was and he lied that Lourdes was no one Nyssa knew. After that, they leave the collapsing cave, leaving Lourdes' corpse behind. Over 5 months later, Malcolm and Nyssa were engaged in one of their sparring matches, which Malcolm enjoyed. Nyssa inflicted a minor cut on his neck before Malcolm disarmed and defeated her. He then used Lazarus pit water to heal the wound. A member of the League came in, informing them that Thea and Laurel arrived. He quickly refused, knowing it would do more harm than good.

Laurel pointed out that he owed it to Sara since he killed her and had previously used the pit on Thea. However, Malcolm explained that Thea didn't die and the pit has never been used to bring a person back to life. He apologized to Laurel and warned her that it wouldn't be Sara who comes out of the pit.

That night, Malcolm met Thea in her room to question her about how she was coping in the aftermath of being revived by the pit. He explained that the Lazarus Pit contains traces of all the people who have ever been in it and leaves its users with a bloodlust, which will be temporarily satisfied if Thea gives into her killer instinct, but she refused. Malcolm then claimed he knew of a man in the mountains with healing abilities who could possibly help and told Thea they will leave at sunrise to meet him.

That night, Malcolm had two League members enter Thea's room to try and assassinate her. The next morning, he found them killed by Thea. Malcolm confirmed there was no cure for the bloodlust and he helped Thea by satiating it for a few weeks.

He revealed the only known way to be free from the bloodlust was for Thea to kill the one who hurt her, which was impossible since Ra's was already dead. Later, Thea still refused to go on a killing spree, so Malcolm then allowed Sara to be resurrected by the Lazarus pit to appease his daughter. Sara rose, and everyone, including Malcolm, was shocked that it worked. After the ceremony, Sara jumped out of the pit and was restrained by two League members while Malcolm tranquilized her.

Sara was later tied up and Thea, Laurel, and Malcolm visited her. Malcolm warned Laurel that they had no idea what was happening to Sara and that she should prepare for the worst.

A League member then walked in, warning them something happened to Lazarus pit. The group found Nyssa standing over it, having destroyed the pit with her father's potion as revenge for Sara's resurrection. She swore to kill Malcolm, stating that there would be no coming back. A distraught Malcolm ordered the guards to take Nyssa away. Afterwards, Malcolm secretly gathered his loyalists from the League to form the Thanatos Guild. With their help, he began an investigation to find more Lazarus Pit water and eventually succeeded in discovering three other pits.

Malcolm created a map of the Earth's Ley lines that revealed the pits' locations, which could only be unlocked using his blood. He hid the map's container in a specialized warehouse in Star City, intending to have Thea by his side when he took control of the pits. The only person whom Malcolm shared the map's location with was Tigressa , who had an affection for him. Several weeks later, knowing that Thea's bloodlust was close to its peak, Malcolm attempted to contact her but she continually ignored him.

He later arrived at her apartment to discuss her bloodlust but Thea claimed to have it under control. Malcolm offered an alternative: Lawrence Tanner , a pedophile who lived three blocks away as a potential kill for her. Thea declined and before leaving, she ordered Malcolm to be gone before she returned or the police will know he's alive.

Later, Thea called Malcolm back to her apartment to tell him she won't be taking his advice and has another means of stopping her bloodlust: Damien Darhk. Thea revealed that Damien attempted to use his dark magic on her but it backfired and her bloodlust was briefly suppressed. She asked Malcolm to help her find the means to make it permanent. Later when both Team Arrow and Team Flash had a close encounter with Vandal Savage , who sought to kill Kendra Saunders , Malcolm and several League members appeared in the Arrowcave to inform both teams of their nemesis and his powers.

Malcolm explained that Savage was immortal, having served as one of the right-hands of both Genghis Khan and Julius Caesar in their war efforts, and there was no means to stop him. After Carter Hall was captured, Malcolm reappeared and revealed that Savage had left Star City and would be after the Staff of Horus , an object previously used to kill Carter and Kendra in their past lives. At the meeting, Savage demanded Kendra and Carter, warned the Flash that if they refused, he would level all of Central City and then warned Green Arrow that he'll then travel to Star City and level it soon after and left.

Malcolm stressed to Green Arrow and Flash that delivering Kendra and Carter to Savage was the only way to save both cities, but they told Malcolm that they will stop Savage without sacrificing them. Malcolm however, still skeptical, made it clear to Green Arrow that if they failed and Thea was harmed in any way, he would come for him. After the team was able to destroy Savage with his own staff, reducing him to ashes, Malcolm secretly collected what was left of his remains, stating Savage will "owe him one".

Malcolm fought against Damien as the Green Arrow while Oliver was unable to. Malcolm visited Thea after Damien Darhk's latest attack to check up on her and wish her a Merry Christmas, but to also inform her that he had been looking into Darhk's powers and discovered that they do not originate from his use of the Lazarus waters.

Later Thea, John, and Felicity are abducted by Damien's men and Malcolm obtained a secure-encrypted phone from one of his men and arrived at the Arrowcave, indirectly exposing his survival to Quentin who he quickly disarmed when Quentin pulled a gun on him.

Despite having acquired the phone, Oliver stated that his only option is to turn himself in but Oliver injected himself with the same nano-technology used on Malcolm before, and Laurel and Malcolm found Oliver's location and headed out to find him. As the rest of the team tried to escape, Malcolm went after Damien himself. Using an explosive arrow, Malcolm knocked down Damien.

However, Damien used his powers and Malcolm was levitated and almost choked to death until Oliver distracted him, allowing Malcolm to shoot Darhk with arrows.

He left behind an explosive arrow that destroyed the facility but Darhk was still able to escape. When Thea's health begun to take a turn for the worse, Malcolm returned to Star City and explained to a confused Oliver that because she has resisted the bloodlust, it is beginning to kill her instead. And unlike Sara whose soul was restored by John Constantine , Thea's is still incomplete and if she doesn't indulge the urge, she will die.

Regardless, Thea insists that she won't and it's her choice to make. Later when Oliver returned, he thanked Malcolm for taking care of his sister. Just then, Thea's health took a darker turn and she is hospitalized. Oliver later approached Malcolm and informed him that Nyssa has obtained the Lotus elixir from Tatsu and it can heal Thea. Nyssa will inky give the Lotus if Oliver either kills Malcolm or if the latter surrenders the Demon's Head ring - ceding control of the League.

Unconvinced, Malcolm initially refuses but after Laurel obtains a sample of the Lotus from Nyssa and Malcolm sees the effects on Thea himself, he agrees to Nyssa's terms. However, at the meeting, Malcolm double-crossed Nyssa and instead arrived with an army of League members, just as Nyssa did. Both sides began fighting each other, which passed onto the streets, where several bystanders were killed in the crossfire.

Later, Malcolm returned to the Arrowcave to say goodbye to Thea. He reminisced to Oliver of the first time he met his daughter when she was an infant, and how he always felt a deeper connection to Thea.

With no options left, Oliver suggested that Malcolm challenge Nyssa to a trial by combat. At the location of their fight, Oliver stepped in and took Nyssa's place. Oliver and Malcolm then dueled and after a brief but intense battle, Oliver subdued him and demanded that he hand over the ring. Malcolm defiantly refused, insisting that Oliver would have to kill him.

Oliver, instead of killing him, cut off Malcolm's hand and knocked him out before giving the ring to Nyssa. After getting his amputation healed, Malcolm visited Nyssa, now Ra's al Ghul, at her request along with Oliver and Laurel. Nyssa took off the ring and threw it into a fire, revealing that she had disbanded the League of Assassins and released its members from their vows, much to Malcolm's shock.

Engulfed in anger towards Oliver, he promised retribution. Later, Malcolm requested a meeting with Damien and offered a deal in exchange for information on who Oliver loves most.

Damien, however, was uninterested as he believed it was Felicity and they'd already taken care of her but Malcolm contradicted him. Damien's attention was now piqued and Malcolm revealed that the person Oliver loves most is his son, William Clayton. After he revealed the existence of William to Damien, Malcolm was made part of his consultant team and a H.

Later as part of Damien's plan to force Oliver out of the mayoral race, Malcolm abducted William from his house and brought him to Damien. Appearing in Thea's home, Malcolm adamantly denied his involvement in William's kidnapping and commented that Thea should know him better than to ask that question.

Later, after learning that Malcolm was the one responsible for kidnapping William all along, this proved to be the last straw for his daughter. Enraged, Thea ordered Malcolm out of her life, proclaiming she is done with his lies.

Infuriated, Malcolm ranted that Thea would have been dead ten times over had he not turned her from a spoiled rich kid into a warrior and all he has gotten from her in return was venomous spite. Malcolm left, but not before telling Thea that there are larger forces at play. Malcolm visited Damien in Iron Heights to inform him that H. He quipped that they wish Damien luck in the trial. In anger, Damien attempted to use his magic on Malcolm, but to no avail. Malcolm simply laughed and sarcastically reminded him that performance issues are common for his age.

However, Malcolm had secretly made a deal with Damien to return his destroyed idol to him and break him out of jail in exchange for sparing him and Thea from Genesis.

Malcolm later met up with Damien's "ace in the hole", Andy Diggle. Soon after, Malcolm was given a cybertronic hand by H. To obtain the idol, Malcolm had several of his League followers to hijack a missile shipment into the city as a distraction for Oliver and John. He had Andy go with them undercover to ensure they remained away from the Arrowcave. While this occurred, Dark Archer breached the Arrowcave with several of his followers and stole the idol but was confronted by Thea.

When Thea had him cornered though, she hesitated and Dark Archer managed to knock her out and fled with the idol. Malcolm snuck into Iron Heights to see Damien and presented the idol to him, but Damien revealed that a piece was missing and surmised that the team must have kept it hidden separately in case the idol was stolen. Later, Malcolm lured Team Arrow into a trap seemingly to kill Green Arrow, but it was really a set up for Andy to take the bullet, thereby gaining the team's trust enough to give up the last idol piece's location.

However, he ran into Thea and Laurel. Malcolm fought Thea alone and succeeded again, reminding his daughter that her hesitance to kill him will always stop her from truly beating him. Malcolm caught up with Damien after his powers had been restored and insisted they leave before the police arrive. Before doing so, Damien fatally stabbed Laurel with one of Green Arrow's own arrows. Malcolm escaped with Damien, Andy, and Michael soon after, but not before lingering in an apparent sign of regret.

When two members, Phaedra Nixon and Milo Armitage , resisted, Damien used his powers to kill them both. When Moira was almost shot at, she earned a concussion, and so had to stay in bed for several days. Malcolm visited her during this time, much to her distaste. He offered her friendship as they previously had, but she was hesitant.

Later, his son, Tommy, came asking why his father cancelled his credit card, while the elder was practicing fencing. His father replied that he had permanently cut Tommy off from his trust fund and the family. Another Archer begins to appeared in Starling City and begins killing all of the people Oliver had already confronted and brought to justice.

He killed Adam Hunt first by responding to a question with three arrows through the chest. After Adam Hunt was found killed in the apartment by Detective Quentin Lance he notices arrows are black instead of green, deducing that they were dealing with a copycat killer.