PERSONAL DATA
Alter Ego: Roy Harper, Jr.
Formerly: Speedy
Occupation: Adventurer. Member of the JLA. Former Government Agent.
Marital Status: Married
Known Relatives: Roy William Harper, Sr. (father, deceased), Biri Harper (wife), Jim Harper (alias the Guardian, uncle, deceased),
Lian Harper (daughter), Oliver Queen (Guardian/ unofficial foster-father,deceased), Mary Harper (aunt)
,Tommy Harper (cousin), Vandal Savage (ancient ancestor)
Group Affiliation: JLA. Former Titans. Former Checkmate. Former Teen Titans I and New Titans. Former partner of the
Green Arrow (Ollie Queen).
Base of Operations: Worldwide
Current Status: Active
Height: 5' 11 1/2"
Weight: 180 lbs.
Eyes: Bluish Green
Hair: Auburn Red
HISTORY
Arsenal's father, Roy Harper, Senior, was a forest ranger who was very
close with a tribe of Navajo in Arizona. The tribe called Ranger Roy
Harper, Senior by the name Belican Nex-which meanet tall American. Roy
Senior was killed in the line of duty before his son turned three. There is
little information on Roy's mom.
The young boy was taken in by the Navajo where he was placed under the
custody of a Navajo Indian chief/medicine man named Brave Bow. His
English name was Raymond Begay. Brave Bow's tribe was known as the Tachini - they lived out in Arizona
past El Capitan in the Tsegi, under the cliffs of Sleeping Mountain, near this place called Olijato, "land of the
moonlit waters."
Roy grew up, torn between his identity as an Anglo by birth and an Indian by upbringing. Roy buried himself in
the Indian heritage, learning to ride and shoot the bow and arrow. Brave Bow was a renowned archer, and
taught Roy archery until the boy became a finer archer than Brave Bow himself.
Due to his devotion to the bow and arrow, Roy came down with a serious case
of hero worship for Green Arrow. When the Missionary kids brought magazines
and stuff to the school, Roy read, watched, and enjoyed the exploits and
adventures of the Emerald Archer.
When Roy Harper reached the age of thirteen, he was asked to leave the tribe.
Roy believe that he was being kicked out of the tribe because he was Hassasi -
"enemy of our people". He was different than the other Dinne, and after he
started running his mouth off about getting married someday to a woman within
the tribe, he was told that he would have to leave.
At the same time, Brave Bow, who was dying of liver cancer, wanted Roy to
find a new guardian. Brave Bow asked Green Arrow if he would take the
responsibility of raising a teenage boy. Oliver Queen answered, "Sure, why not?"
A deal was worked outwith Oliver Queen that hewould take care of Roy and the
young teen was placed under his tutelege. Millionaire Oliver Queen become his
guardian.
But before Roy became the sidekick of Green Arrow, Brave Bow and Green
Arrow staged a test for Roy at the Greenville Fair. Roy was determined to
become the Emerald Archer's assistant and wanted to prove that he was up to
the task of becoming his partner. The youth 's demonstration of his archery skills
failed because, unknown to him, Roy's arrows had accidentally become
magnetized, causing them to go off course. Roy did win several track
competitions at the fair.
The arrows were tampered with to give Roy the image that he was a poor archer to his fellow Diine. It was a
rouse to keep his identity secret. Later Roy aided Green Arrow in apprehending some fleeing criminals by firing
an arrow that punctured a tire of their car. Impressed, Green Arrow knew he had made the right decision in
letting Roy become his partner.
Green Arrow nicknamed Roy calling him "Speedy" because in Ollie's own words, "'cause you're fast like me,
kid." Almost immediately upon arriving in Star City, Oliver gave Roy a new costume that was red and similiar in
design to his green outfit. The partnership of the Battling Bowmen thus began with Green Arrow and Speedy
protecting the citizens of Star City and the world. The two archers had the resources of Oliver's money that
afforded the Arrow Car, an Arrow Cave to place their secret base underneath the Queen Estates Mansion, and
an arsenal of trick arrows to use in their quest to defeat wrong doers.
Green Arrow and Speedy worked together for little over a year as the Battling Bowmen defending Star City
from trouble and fighting super villains and everyday crooks. The two prominent archers were almost constant
news headliners where they were applauded by the masses. Green Arrow and Speedy fought such villains as
Clock King, the Rainbow Archer, the Red Dart, and a multitude of other minor villains.
Though Speedy was Green Arrow's sidekick, almost immediately a pattern began to develop when Oliver Queen
would actually have a hard time trying to fit Roy Harper into his schedule. Only between midnight and three
seemed to be the norm when Green Arrow could roam the streets at night fighting crime with his partner once
the "Arrow Signal" was fired into the sky. No matter, Roy Harper still valued every living moment that he could
get with Oliver Queen who was larger than life and never did anything halfway.
During that first year, a new hero came to town in Star City. She was the second Black Canary who had caught
the eye of Oliver Queen. Oliver bragged that he was in love with the beauty and it was love at first site. This
new "blond bombshell" became an overnight sensation herself when she formed the Justice League of America
with Green Lantern, Flash, Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter.Unknown to anyone Roy and even the JLA,
Oliver Queen began to secretly fund this new group of heroes in an attempt to help them out. With Ollie's now
continued involvement with this new superhero team of adult heroes, he began to go out less frequently with his
sidekick Speedy , only taking him along with the JLA in a minor capacity during special events or needs. This
began to alienate the teen archer from his mentor and would be the beginning of a quick wedge that would split
the Battling Bowmen for years.
The two heroes inspired other heroes such as Miss Arrowette and many
others. But with Green Arrow's choice to join the JLA, Speedy decided to
join another group of teen heroes and form the Teen Titans. Roy eventually
became a full-time member of the Teen Titans, replacing Aqualad. Speedy
continued to be a wiseguy much like his mentor, but when Green Arrow left
to travel about the country with the Black Canary and Green Lantern after
losing his fortune, Roy felt abandoned and went out on his own, seeking
solace through drugs, he became a heroin addict.
Roy overcame his addiction one evening when Hal Jordan brought the lad
to the door step of Dinah Laurel Lance. Through a long and painful night of
going cold turkey, Dinah Lance helped Roy Harper kick his heroin
addiction.
Since then, Roy resumed his superhero career, and has especially devoted
himself to capturing criminals dealing in drugs. He was under special
probation with the Teen Titans and many of his closest friends, Wally West
(Kid Flash), Dick Grayson (Robin), Donna Troy (Wondergirl), and Garth
(Aqualad) had a big hand in helping him. There was even a point in which
Roy Harper joined a band called "Great Frog" where he tried to divert other energies and interests. But,
unfortunately one afternoon, Roy Harper had a confrontational moment with Oliver Queen where Roy blamed
Ollie for many things including not being there and supportive of him. Roy received some trust money from Ollie
and placed one of the Arrowjets in his ownership for when he came of proper age.The partnership of the
Battling Bowmen was split in two and Roy went out on his own at a very young age.
Roy Harper wnet through some public work and rehabilitation with the Teen Titans.
He then hooked up with the D.E.A. It was the onlyway to make his connection to the
drug world pay out. From that, he graduated to the C.B.I. (Central Bureau of
Intelligence), otherwise known as Checkmate. With that, he came under the command
of Sarge Steel. With his new role in th C.B.I., Agent Roy Harper was ordered and
forced to take out a sniper in a campus watch towere who was killing and shooting
innocents. Roy at first balked at the idea saying he was a "bow and arrow" man and
that he didn't kill. Sarge Steel gave him direct orders and with one shot of a rifle, Roy
Harper was forced to kill the other sniper when the target was about to kill another
Checkmate agent.
Within the New Titans, Roy Harper met a
villainess named Cheshire. The two had a
tremendous attraction to each other and from their consumation, she gave
birth later to Roy's only child, a daughter named Lian. Months later once
Roy learned that she had beared his child, Speedy went out and took his
daughter away from Cheshire. She did not offer much resistance and from
that, Roy assumed that she was not going to give up much else of a fight to
get her back leaving the daughter in the hands of crimson archer.
Speedy has reconciled with Green Arrow, although they began working
separately. Speedy did undercover work for the United States government,
and during this period, he met the costumed assassin named Cheshire with
whom he fell in love with and had a child, a daughter named Lian.
Speedy would continue to operate out of Los Angeles and then work for the government. Roy Harper would
shed his identity as Green Arrow's sidekick partner "Speedy" and take on the new identity of "Arsenal". Roy
would use an arsenal in his method of combating crime. Roy adjusted his modes of operations as a result from
his experience in Checkmate and would don several different outfits over the years that took him further and
further away from his "Speedy" identity and connection to Green Arrow. Roy would work on and off with the
new Titans.
Shortly after gaining guardianship of his own daughter, Roy
Harper was kidnapped and brainwashed. He was given the
assignment to kill his old mentor, Oliver Queen, and his daughter
was being held captive for ransom. Roy shot an arrow into
Oliver's back nearly killng the archer. Overcoming the
brainwashing from the help of Shado, Black Canary, and
Ollie...the archers rescued Lian from the twisted criminal. In the
moments afterward, Roy Harper made up with Oliver with a
reconcilliation over pent up and feelings. He forgave Oliver Queen
and called him "Dad".
Several months later, Oliver Queen appeared to have sided with a
group known as Eden Corps. A young archer named Connor
Hawke who was wearing the same brand new "Green Arrow"
garb as Oliver was contacted Roy Harper with the help of Eddie
Fyers. The two "sons" of Ollie attempted to stop their father from
siding with a wrong and troublesome group. Roy parted ways and
failed to have had an influence on Ollie. A few days later, Roy
was washing dishes at home when the new came over the
television that Oliver Queen was killed over Metropolis while his
daughter, Lian, exclaimed, "There's Granpa!"
In recent days, Roy Harper as the hero Arsenal, briefly lead a group of new Teen Titans. The group has
disbanded again but another Titans team with the original members regrouping with him looms on the horizon.
Roy is settling into a new home with his three and a half year old daughter Lian, and he is trying to adjust to his
role in life and his past, present, and future obstacles.
Not to long ago, Arsenal became the leader of the Titans. During this short stint as leader of the new team, a
villain named Haze bestowed upon Roy Harper, because of what he believed were Roy Harper's deepest
desires, a new outfit. This new outfit gave the appearance that Roy should be changing his name from "Arsenal"
to "Red Arrow". Psychologically, Roy wasn't totally up to becoming "Red Arrow" but wore it for a short stint and
considers perhaps one day wearing it again. Arsenal has also made peace with Oliver Queen's "other son",
Connor Hawke, and the two worked quite well together and actually get along greatly. Roy has also married
with his old friend Dinah Lance recently,
With the recent confrontations that Arsenal has had with his ancient ancestor, Vandal Savage, Roy Harper has
yet again taken on a new outfit, similiar in feel to his previous "Red Arrow" outfit yet different. This new outfit
that Arsenal wears bears the emblem of a Navajo Ceremonial Spear upon the chest.
In recent days, brought together by yet another crisis, Arsenal finds himself joining the JLA with members from the
original "five".
Most recently, Roy discovered that his wife really hasn't been Dinah Lance this entire time, but a Durlan spy who'd replaced her for the past five years. Despite this, he remains in love with his wife, Biri being her real name, and now calling herself Mockingbird. He's dissolved his marriage with the real Blac Canary, and remarried Biri, continuing to be her devoted husband, and the devoted father to his first daughter Lian, and the child his new wife is soon to bear him.