Real Name: Oliver Queen
Voiced by Kin Shriner
Oliver Queen has never discussed the events that left him an orphan, but his parent's deaths left him the sole heir to a billion dollar manufacturing empire. Sleepwalking through life as an idle playboy, Queen wrestled with his emerging social consciousness and a desire to help his fellow man, but was uncertain as to how to go about doing that. However, the steps towards that destiny were taken when he found himself stranded on an island in the South Seas after falling off a cruise ship. Alone on a deserted island, Queen survived by developing his archery skills, using a makeshift bow and arrow set and a costume made of green leaves for camouflage purposes while hunting game. Eventually he was rescued and returned to his hometown of Star City, where he reassumed his stifling former life. No doubt nostalgic for his time on the island, he purchased a Robin Hood costume reminiscent of his improvised camouflage for use at a costume party, but found himself using it and his archery skills to foil a bank robbery during the event. Nicknamed Green Arrow by witnesses, he finally realized that his calling was to be a crimefighter.
Selling off his company, Oliver Queen took his assets and devoted them to being Green Arrow full-time. Developing a set of non-lethal trick arrows—such as the handcuff arrow, the net arrow, and the boxing glove arrow—to use in concert with his regular cache of arrows, Queen hit the streets as the emerald archer, and found the adventure that his former existence sorely lacked. A far-left liberal, Queen is also keen to the causes of crime, such as poverty and corruption, and also found himself as dedicated to many social causes meant to improve the society that he protects. Not cowed by the system, Green Arrow fights against all forms of injustice, whether his opponents are small-time criminals, such as burglars and drug dealers, or big-time criminals, such as politicians and businessmen.
Dedicated to helping "the little guy," Queen was reluctant to join the Justice League, seeing them as an organization too concerned with "the big picture" to notice the small details, but quickly rethought his position once he realized how hot fellow Leaguer Black Canary was. He has since grown to be an important member of the expanded team, providing the team with a vital viewpoint and his own steel resolve.
Cartoon Network on Green Arrow: “Former billionaire Oliver Queen sold off his company and took up his bow and arrow to defend the little guy. As Green Arrow, he employs a variety of trick arrows to get the job done, including net arrows, stun arrows, knock-out gas arrows, and boxing glove arrows (courtesy of Cartoon Network).”
Joaquim Dos Santos on Green Arrow: “I think Arrow could have his own series. He’s a more outspoken Batman; he gets his hands dirty. He’s not acting like a lot of the other heroes do, like gods. He’s just a normal guy. He gets injured, beat up (courtesy of ToyFare Magazine).”
Kin Shriner on voicing Green Arrow #1:
“When you’re a cartoon voice, there are no bad angles.
They asked me to do another [episode], and I asked if I had to come back
to
Kin Shriner on voicing Green Arrow #2: "I really need to hit the gym. I don't want to show up at the comic book conventions and have all the kids going, 'That's Green Arrow (courtesy of TV Guide)?'"
Images
Green Arrow Image #1 (Unused STAS Design) #1 | Green Arrow Image #2 (Unused JLU Image)
Green Arrow Image #3 (JLU Design)
Commentary
Commentary coming soon!
Images courtesy of Toon Zone, Wizard Magazine, Cartoon Network, and Modern Masters, Volume Three: Bruce Timm.
