Merlyn

History

The Man known as Merlyn "the Magician", was said to be the world's greatest archer. As a young boy, Oliver Queen was greatly impressed watching Merlyn publicly display his skill. As an adult, Queen became the costumed archer, Green Arrow. Early in Green Arrow's career, Merlyn challenged him to a public archery competition. Green Arrow accepted and lost. Soon afterward, Merlyn dropped out of the public eye.

Years later, Merlyn, now a member of the League of Assassins, was assigned to kill Batman, who had helped to thwart the Sensei's attack on the mystical land of Nanda Parbat. Merlyn trapped Batman and shot the arrow that would have killed him, but Green Arrow shot a bolt of his own that deflected Merlyn's arrow and saved Batman's life. Merlyn acknowledged that Green Arrow had finally bested him. Merlyn escaped, but did not return to the League of Assassins, who would have killed him for failing in his mission.

Later, Merlyn was among many criminals assembled by the Queen Bee to defeat the JLA. Merlyn and an ally temporarily captured Green Arrow and Black Canary through trickery. However, the JLA defeated the Queen Bee and her allies, sending them to prison.

Merlyn has returned on several occasions always trying to best Green Arrow.

Green Arrow finally got the drop on Merlyn, with Cupid conducting a death trap for him, but Green Arrow did not kill him as planned, instead he incapacitated him with Merlyn's own bow string. Later in the fight Cupid slit Merlyns throat and relied on Black Canary and Green Arrow to be distracted by saving him so that she could escape. Green Arrow and Black Canary got Merlyn to a hospital in time to save his life, but the doctors do not know how much brain damage was caused by the attack. The doctors to expect that Merlyn will never be able to talk again.

Powers and Abilities

Merlyn is an expert archer and assassin

In other media