This week with the news of updating Batman’s sidekicks in Wave 3 I thought it was time to look at another side kick with a ton of costumes to choose from, Roy Harper, aka Speedy, aka Arsenal.
Last week it looks like everyone wants Fire to be on fire.
Read last week’s article here .
Roy Harper’s life started off hard, losing two fathers at an early age. His first father who was a forest ranger died saving the life a local Navajo chief. Brave bow, the chief, raised Roy as his own son, teaching Roy to shoot a bow and arrow with great speed and accuracy and how to be a long distance runner. Roy grew up following the career of Green Arrow, striving to be a great as his hero. During a visit to Roy’s home town the Green Arrow was impressed with the skills Roy displayed while foiling a robbery.
When Brave Bow died Roy was taken in as Oliver’s ward and would become his sidekick Speedy. Roy and Ollie became a great team, each joining other teams: Ollie the JLA and Roy the Titans, becoming some of the world’s top heroes. Roy 
would make friends and help start the first sidekick team, the Teen Titans. Roy would find a family in the Titans, making bonds which would eventually allow him to grow out of the sidekick role. When Ollie left for a while with the Green Lantern to cross the USA, Speedy was left behind. Roy, feeling alone, became depressed and turned to drugs. Roy became a heroin addict, and an embarrassment to Ollie. Only with the help of Dinah Lance the Black Canary Roy was able to kick the habit, though the scar that was left would be long lasting.
Roy would leave his life as a sidekick and join the Central Bureau of Investigation. Roy’s mission to Japan would be to track Cheshire, a dangerous assassin. Roy and 
Cheshire fell in love and had a daughter. When Cheshire was arrested Roy would gain custody of their daughter Lain. Roy would leave the CBI and join the spy organization, Checkmate, leaving his sidekick name Speedy behind and taking the name Arsenal.
Roy in time would try to recapture some of his youth by reforming the Titans with the support of the government. In time the team would turn like the old team did and most would go their own way. Roy, still trying to hold on, would ask Nightwing to help him form a new different group, the Outsiders. The two would run the team with help from who Roy thought was Batman, but who was discovered to be Deathstroke. Roy, both embarrassed and ashamed of this mistake, would leave Dick in Charge of the Outsiders. Roy finally elevated himself out of the sidekick second in command role and was invited to join the JLA. Now Roy goes by the name Red Arrow following in the foot steps of his former mentor Oliver Queen, the Green Arrow.
What version of Roy do you want to see? As Speedy, multiple versions of Arsenal, or Red Arrow, or maybe forget Roy all together and a new Female Speedy Mia?
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