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Speedy was a youthful superhero best known for being the ex-sidekick of Green Arrow. Like his mentor, he was a highly skilled archer who made use of an arsenal of trick arrows.
History
Speedy was a reserve member of the improved Justice League, as well as Green Arrow's old sidekick; however, he preferred to refer to himself as his ex-partner. Speedy was an archer on par with his old mentor, and equally equipped with a vast array of trick arrows. Speedy was summoned to fight General Eiling, who had mutated into a behemoth and ran amok in Metropolis. He spent all his arsenal of arrows and was reluctant to use the quantum arrow that Green Arrow told him to use in emergencies only. The two archers combined their arrows and unleashed a bombardment. However, it had little effect on Eiling. Even though he had run out of arrows, Speedy bravely charged at the brute, but was quickly subdued by his superior strength.
Background information
Speedy was featured for the first time in More Fun Comics #73 (Nov. 1941), and was created by Mort Weisinger and Paul Norris. Roy Harper, Jr. was taken in by a shaman called Brave Bow, after his father died saving members of a Navajo reservation from a fire. Brave Bow raised and taught the young orphan everything he knew about archery. Roy displayed great talent in the mastery of the bow, and soon came to the attention of Ollie Queen, the Green Arrow. After helping to stop a robber with his skill, Roy was adopted by Ollie, who revealed his secret identity. Roy took on the name of 'Speedy,' due to his quick drawing and firing, and fought alongside his mentor on many adventures. He also joined the Seven Soldiers of Victory and All-Star Squadron; however it was later revealed that this Speedy was the Earth-Two counterpart, who then died during the Crisis on Infinite Earths.
The Earth-One Speedy joined the Teen Titans, a team composed of young sidekicks, in which he served as a prominent member until his life began to unravel. Soon after the team disbanded, Roy felt neglected by Green Arrow, and soon developed a heroin addiction. Even though Roy recovered, this caused a rift in his friendship with Ollie that eventually led to the duo's split up. Roy then took on the name 'Arsenal,' and became an agent of Checkmate, a covert operations government agency. He now used an array of pistols and high-tech weaponry. On one of his missions, Roy had an affair with the villainess Cheshire, whom he was supposed to turn in, and sired a daughter, Lian. He then rejoined the Titans under the leadership of Nightwing, until it disbanded permanently and Roy set off to form the Outsiders but after the Outsiders were framed and thought dead Roy left the team. Later Roy was asked by Green Lantern, Hal Jordan to join the Justice League after being accepted Roy changed his name to Red Arrow's and begun wearing a costume similar to Green Arrow justifying it as a final "coming of age" and outgrowing his troubled relationship with his adoptive father.
Roy has since returned to his "Arsenal" persona, after a series of traumatic events caused by the supervillain Prometheus, who destroyed Star City, indirectly killing Lian, and severed his left arm, which he has since replaced with a bionic prosthetic. In his new stint as Arsenal, he became a vigilante bent on revenge, having killed the villain Electrocutioner (who supplied Prometheus with the teleporter that killed his daughter) and joined Deathstroke's team of Titans.
Mike Erwin, who voices the DCAU Speedy, reprised the role from the Teen Titans cartoon. That, and the similarity of their costumes, led many fans to speculate as to whether or not the Teen Titans cartoon follows the same continuity of the DC Animated Universe (although it appears unlikely and is simply just a nod).
See also
Appearances
Justice League Unlimited
References
External links
- Speedy at Wikipedia
- Speedy at the DC Database
| Members of the Justice League |
|---|
| Founding Members: |
| Batman • Flash • Green Lantern • Hawkgirl • Martian Manhunter • Superman • Wonder Woman |
| Expanded League: |
| Aquaman • Atom • Atom-Smasher • Aztek • B'wana Beast • Black Canary • Blue Devil • Booster Gold • Captain Atom • Captain Marvel • Commander Steel • The Creeper • The Crimson Avenger • Crimson Fox • Dove • Dr. Fate • Dr. Light • Dr. Mid-Nite • Elongated Man • Etrigan • Fire • Green Arrow • Gypsy • Hawk • Hourman • Huntress • Ice • Long Shadow • Metamorpho • Mr. Terrific • Nemesis • Obsidian • Orion • Plastic Man • Question • The Ray • Red Tornado • Rocket Red • Sand • Shining Knight • Speedy • Stargirl • Starman • Steel • S.T.R.I.P.E. • Supergirl • Johnny Thunder • Thunderbolt • Vibe • Vigilante • Vixen • Waverider • Wildcat • Zatanna |