As the saying goes, there are no wrong nicknames—only names that hit too close to the truth. And in Oliver Queen's case, Green Arrow isn't even the most accurate label.
Before becoming the Emerald Archer, Oliver Queen was a self-absorbed billionaire playboy. And after taking up the bow? Still a playboy—just one who could shoot trick arrows and give brooding speeches. Let's talk about two of his more infamous exes: sisters Laurel Lance and Sara Lance, better known as the Black Canary and White Canary.
Oliver dated Laurel first but then cheated on her with her own sister, Sara. He took her on a yacht cruise—without Laurel knowing—and that boat, the Queen's Gambit, just so happened to go down in a shipwreck. Oliver and Sara were presumed dead. While Oliver was busy surviving on Lian Yu, his best friend Tommy Merlyn swooped in and started dating Laurel. It was a whole soap opera of betrayal and guilt.
But here's the twist—Sara survived, too. And instead of coming home, she trained with the League of Assassins, became the White Canary, and now captains a time-traveling superhero squad known as the Legends of Tomorrow.
And let's just say, Sara didn't exactly go back to dating men. She's got a long history with women—arguably a longer list than Oliver's. Queen may be the Green Arrow, but Sara? She's the White Canary with rainbow energy.
Green Arrow. White Canary. Everyone's mixing it up, and fidelity seems optional.
Still, neither sister counts as the "main" love interest in the TV continuity. That spot goes to Felicity Smoak, the genius I.T. girl turned hacker-turned-Overwatch. She and Oliver had an on-again, off-again relationship sprinkled with a few other flings in between. And somehow, Green Arrow didn't seem to mind. Maybe it's a Queen family tradition?
Even Oliver's father got "green-lit," in a metaphorical sense.
Which brings us to another player: Malcolm Merlyn, father of Tommy, also known as the Dark Archer. Trained by Ra's al Ghul himself, Malcolm is one of the few villains in Starling City who actually feels like a credible threat.
His big evil plan? Destroy the Glades—Starling City's impoverished district—as revenge for his wife's death. He orchestrated the Queen's Gambit disaster, which killed Robert Queen and indirectly created the Green Arrow. The irony practically writes itself.
But the slums? Still standing after five years. If this were Gotham, the villains would have leveled half the city by now.
When Oliver returned as the Green Arrow and uncovered Malcolm's involvement, they clashed. But not before Tommy was caught in the crossfire and killed.
Malcolm's response? Shrug it off. After all, he still had a daughter—Thea Queen, Oliver's half-sister.
So what did Malcolm do? He brainwashed Thea, trained her in League of Assassins techniques, and had her kill Sara Lance under hypnosis. Later, he even became Ra's al Ghul—but let's face it, he never had the power to hold the title for long.
In the end, he sacrificed himself to save Thea, completing his weirdly twisted redemption arc. Still, you've got to admire the gall: The Merlyns managed to outmaneuver and emotionally devastate the Queen family at every turn. Jack Kadere couldn't help but give a sarcastic thumbs-up. If betrayal were an Olympic sport, they'd be gold medalists.
Unconsciously, the car had already entered the heart of Starling City. The city had a sharp modern edge—sleek glass buildings and towering structures—but there was an undeniable gloom lingering in the air. Though not as gothic as Gotham, Starling still carried its own brand of darkness. Crime was rampant, lurking in alleys and boardrooms alike. If Gotham was infamous for psychotic clowns and fear gas, Starling was home to its own steady stream of criminals—just not nearly as flashy or dangerous.
"Where should I drop you off?" Felicity asked, glancing over her shoulder.
"Your place," Jack Kadere replied casually, eyes still on the passing cityscape.
"Huh?" Felicity blinked.
"You live alone, right?" he added with a sly smile.
Felicity Smoak blinked rapidly, unsure if she'd heard him correctly. "You want to go to my place?"
Jack Kadere smiled casually. "What's wrong? Are you afraid I'll rob you?"
"No, it's just…" Felicity laughed awkwardly. "Most guys don't ask to crash at a girl's place five minutes after meeting her."
"But I'm not most guys." Jack leaned back in the seat, watching the city blur past the window.
Felicity rolled her eyes but said nothing. She wasn't sure if he was dangerous or just weirdly charming. Either way, something about Jack Kadere didn't sit right—but not in a threatening way. More like he was… unpredictable.
Seeing the nervous look on her face, Jack chuckled softly before clarifying, "Relax. I'm from Gotham—you've heard the stories, right? In Gotham, money's not the currency of survival. It's nerve, ability, power. Why pay for something you can just take if you're strong enough?"
That logic… oddly made sense to Felicity. But it also made her feel uneasy.
"I'm just saying," Jack continued, "I don't have any cash on me right now, and I need a place to crash. Maybe even…" He looked at her thoughtfully. "A body pillow."
"I… I thought you were a decent guy," Felicity stammered.
Jack grinned. "There. Lesson learned. Don't trust strangers just because they smile. Consider this a free education—no tuition required. I'll only be staying for a couple of days, alright?"
"Can I say no?" she asked weakly.
"Nope," he replied cheerfully.
Felicity was filled with regret. Why did I pick him up? What was I thinking? She stared blankly out the windshield before finally pulling over a few blocks later.
"I… I live here," she said with forced calm as she turned off the engine.
"Perfect," Jack said, opening the door.
As she stalled, hoping to grab her phone, Jack casually slung an arm around her shoulder, steering her toward the apartment building. That's when she truly started to panic. I should've rented a place with a doorman instead of spending money on those cute dresses…
Grudgingly, she led him up the stairs.
Fifth floor.
By the time they reached the top, Felicity was out of breath. She had no energy left to fight or run.
She fumbled with her keys, unlocked the door, and let them in.
Jack stepped inside, looked around, then turned to her and said with complete seriousness, "You're the first person I've met in this world who's made me feel like I don't have room to stand."
He paused, looked around again.
"…You might want to tidy up a little."