Anthony and Doc cover Ollie Queen’s former sidekick ROY HARPER! From abandonment to drug addiction to child death, this is a very heavy episode – there’s even a content warning at the start. This is not a light and fun one, but it’s worthwhile to listen to.

SHOW NOTES:

• Intro

• Background (3:08)

  • Roy Harper created by Mort Weisinger & George Papp in More Fun Comics #73 (November 1941)

  • Originally known as Speedy, sidekick to Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow

  • Raised by Brave Bow, a Navajo medicine chief after his father died, he was adopted by Green Arrow and became Oliver’s sidekick

  • Became a member of the original Teen Titans, and dated Donna Troy before they broke up

  • Famously became addicted to heroin in “Snowbirds Don’t Fly” in 1971 – abandoned by Ollie and taken care of by Black Canary until he got clean

  • Fell in love with villain Cheshire, and they had a daughter (Lian) that Roy didn’t know about until much later

  • Rejoined the Titans and adopted the name Arsenal – after the Titans broke up, he lead a group called the Outsiders for a while

  • Joins the Justice League under the name Red Arrow, until the villain Prometheus cuts his arm off, and the Electrocutioner blows up Star City, killing Lian – with a cybernetic arm built by Cyborg, he goes to the prison and kills the Electrocutioner – has temporary heroin relapse

  • New 52 – Lian no longer exists and his arm is intact, and he is now good friends with Jason Todd – now merely an alcoholic instead of a recovering drug addict, he is a member of the Outlaws – killed in a rehab center by Wally West

  • Rebirth – his past of being Speedy and drug addiction were restored

• Issues (11:58)

  • Abandonment & father issues – birth father died, then Brave Bow dies of cancer, then Ollie left him – this is what led to…

  • Drug use – constantly dealing with effects of addiction, and fears relapse

  • Paternal regret – great father to Lian, but wasn’t there when she died, and has nightmares about it (38:02)

• Break
  • Plugs for Into the Knight and Talk Me Into

• Treatment (47:11)

  • In-universe

  • Out of universe

• Skit (63:35)

• Ending

  • Next episode: Ghost Rider (?)

  • Confirmed at Rogue Comics, Cranford NJ, 11/13 at 6:30 PM

References:

• Hank Pym episode – Anthony (21:08)
• Sackler family – Anthony (38:21)
• Multiple Man episode – Doc (38:34)

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