| “ | Malcolm: She bled out into the pavement while people passed and did nothing. Your mother built her clinic in the Glades because she wanted to save this city. It can't be saved, because the people there don't want it to be saved. Tommy: So you kill them all? Malcolm: YES! THEY DESERVE TO DIE! ALL OF THEM! THE WAY SHE DIED! |
„ |
| ~ Malcolm Merlyn snapping at his son, Tommy, while explaining the reason for the Undertaking. |
| “ | I thought of you as a son once, Oliver. I had more in common with you than my own blood. But that's not the reason I'm not going to kill you. Neither the fact that you are my daughter's brother. The reason you get to live is because death would be a mercy compared to the debt I now owe you! | „ |
| ~ Malcolm threatening Oliver after Nyssa disbands the League of Assassins. |
| “ | You may not think of me as your father, Thea. But you'll always be my daughter. | „ |
| ~ Malcolm to Thea before blowing himself up, thus redeeming himself. |
Malcolm Merlyn, born Arthur King and also known as the Dark Archer, is one of the two secondary antagonists (alongside Damien Darhk) of DC‘s Arrowverse.
He is the father of Thea Queen and the late Tommy Merlyn, and the archenemy of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow, being the one responsible for his shipwreck on Lian Yu. He is also the mastermind behind the Undertaking and the former leader of Tempest and League of Assassins. He is also a member of the Legion of Doom. Despite performing several heroic acts, Merlyn remains as Oliver's greatest enemy.
He was portrayed by John Barrowman.
His Evil Ranking[]
What Makes Him Heinous[]
Background/In General[]
- He used his superior, Ibaden, as a human shield and then left him at the mercy of the League of Assassins.
- He murdered the man who he thought killed his wife, Rebecca, out of revenge.
- After Rebecca’s death, Malcolm left his grieving son for the sake of traveling to Nanda Parbat, leading the Queen family to take Tommy in until Malcolm returned.
- He formed the organization Tempest to leverage numerous of Starling City’s corrupt citizens by blackmailing them. Though this was for noble reasons, it still made him no better than them.
- He sought to destroy The Glades and the thousands of people in it with a seismic device from Unidac industries so he could rebuild Starling City into something better, simply because he believed the people deserved to die for ignoring his wife bleeding in the streets.
- He had Robert Queen’s boat sabotaged to have him killed for trying to prevent the Undertaking. This makes him indirectly responsible for Oliver Queen and Sara Lance getting shipwrecked and subjected to five years of torture and darkness. Due to causing Oliver to become Green Arrow, Malcolm is indirectly responsible for the villainies of Deathstroke and Prometheus.
- After Moira discovered he had the Queen’s Gambit sabotaged, Malcolm forced her to work for him by threatening her husband and daughter’s lives.
- He worked with Konstantine Kovar to acquire the necessary resources to execute his plan to destroy the Glades.
- After Konstantine Kovar was fatally wounded by Oliver Queen, Malcolm brought him to surgery and helped him recover, allowing Kovar to follow Oliver back to Lian Yu and torture him.
- Despite having good intentions, this doesn’t stop Malcolm from taking sadistic pleasure in the pain of others.
- Despite genuinely caring for his children, Malcolm has an unhealthy fixation on both Tommy and Thea, willing to do monstrous things for the sake of “protecting” them and even at times endangering their lives just to save his own skin.
- Despite the High Heinous Standards of the Arrowverse, Malcolm stands out due to his ability to threaten thousands of people without any superpowers, as well as having less resources than the likes of Deathstroke, Ra’s Al Ghul, and Damien Darhk. He also has personal villainy towards the Queen family and his actions have a large impact on the story. He has done several things to spite them just for the sake of it, such as murdering Robert, forcing Thea to kill Sara and instigating a war in a selfish gambit to get his own blood debt removed, kidnapping Oliver’s son to spite him for cutting off his hand and getting him removed as head of the League of Assassins, and attempting to assist Damien Darhk in destroying the Earth just to save his own skin.
Season 1[]
- It’s likely he forced Moira to arrange Oliver’s kidnapping, given that she only did it to prove to Malcolm that Oliver knew nothing of the Undertaking.
- When Oliver Queen was suspected of being the vigilante known as the Hood, he sent an assassin to kill him at the Queen mansion.
- Tired of his son’s financial irresponsibility, he cut off Tommy’s trust fund. While he had a good reason in doing this, Malcolm still mocked his son because of his tiresome, lazy attitude, making it come off more as a Kick The Dog moment.
- He murdered Adam Hunt and Nelson Ravich for the sole purpose of luring out the Hood for a showdown, so he could kill him for interfering in his plans. He also framed the vigilante for these murders so the public would lose faith in him.
- He lured The Hood into a warehouse and rigged it with explosives in an attempt to kill him.
- He took several innocents hostage and threatened to kill them all if the Hood doesn’t show up for a showdown.
- He brutally beat the Hood and nearly killed him in their fight. This led to Oliver having nightmares and his near-death experience scared him so much that he refused to suit up again out of fear for his family. Fortunately, John Diggle was able to snap him out of this.
- He had Walter kidnapped and imprisoned for 6 months when he got too close to discovering the Undertaking. He’s also indirectly responsible for Moira and Walter’s divorce after Oliver rescued him.
- He ordered Moira to destroy the wreckage of The Queen’s Gambit, not caring the ship was essentially the only thing Moira had to remember Robert by.
- His continued association with her led Thea to believe that the two were having an affair, leading her to drive under the influence of the Vertigo Drug and nearly getting imprisoned.
- He remorselessly killed two members of the Triad in front of Tommy, much to his horror. Though, this was out of self-defense, it wasn’t necessary to kill them.
- He’s indirectly responsible for Oliver and Tommy’s fallout as Oliver was forced to reveal his secret identity to the latter in order to save Malcolm’s life after he was shot by Deadshot.
- He murdered Frank Chen after Moira sold him out for orchestrating the attempt on Malcolm’s life. He was also willing to kill Chen’s daughter as well to send a message not to betray him, but chose not to at Moira’s request.
- He killed the dozens of scientists involved in creating the Markov device to tie up loose ends, even killing two innocent scientists who witnessed the event.
- He defeated Oliver in their second fight and had him chained up to prevent him from interfering with his plans.
- He puts Oliver in a strangle-hold during their fights and threatens to kill his mother and sister once he’s done with him, leading Oliver to stab himself and Malcolm with an arrow.
- After being stabbed by Oliver with an arrow, Malcolm smugly reveals that he planted a second Markov device in the city, succeeding in causing an earthquake that claims hundreds of lives, including Tommy, who died saving Laurel, leading to a guilt-ridden Oliver exiling himself to Lian Yu. His actions also resulted in Moira Queen getting arrested after revealing her involvement in The Undertaking. Furthermore, The Undertaking also allowed Count Vertigo to escape from his cell and release the Dollmaker, making Malcolm responsible for the latter murdering two innocent women and nearly killing Laurel as well, causing her to develop PTSD, become addicted to alcohol and drugs, get fired from her job as a district attorney, and not being able to warn her father about Sebastian Blood working for Slade Wilson.
Season 2[]
- His actions caused crime to escalate in the Glades, allowing Slade Wilson to take advantage of the chaos to start his plans to get revenge on Oliver.
- He needlessly killed the driver that brought Moira to a remote location to meet with him, simply to reveal to Moira that he was still alive and his knowledge that Thea is his daughter.
- He tries forcing Moira to reveal the truth to Thea, even trying to blackmail her into living under his thumb once again, only backing off after Moira informed Ra’s Al Ghul of his survival.
- After Thea shoots him, instead of being angered, Malcolm takes sadistic glee in the fact Thea had more resolve than Tommy did.
- He convinces Thea to leave Starling City and train with him. This led to Thea ending her relationship with Roy Harper after Malcolm told her not to trust him.
Season 3[]
- As part of his training with Thea, he poured boiling water onto her hand against her wishes, just to prove to her that pain is “inevitable”. After Thea failed this exercise, Malcolm began physically hurting her to provoke Thea to retaliate.
- He drugged Thea with Vitura and forced her to murder Sara Lance in a selfish gambit to get his blood debt removed from the League of Assassins, making Malcolm responsible for everything that happened in the third season as his actions would indirectly cause Oliver’s conflict with Ra’s Al Ghul. Though Malcolm claimed he did this for his daughter, it’s clear he was more interested in saving himself. His actions also devastated Thea and caused her to become guilt-ridden to the point where she was willing to commit suicide by having Nyssa kill her. This also caused Laurel to become Black Canary and Quentin turning against Team Arrow in the long-run.
- He lies to Oliver that he played no part in Sara’s murder to manipulate Oliver into fighting against Nyssa Al Ghul when she started hunting Malcolm.
- He blackmails Oliver with footage of Thea killing Sara, threatening to show it to the League of Assassins unless Oliver challenges Ra’s Al Ghul to a trial by combat to protect Thea, which results in Oliver nearly being killed by Ra’s in the process.
- He tried to kill Danny Brickwell to avenge the murder of his wife, after realizing Brickwell was the true culprit in her death. Though Malcolm was willing to work with Team Arrow to help them take down Brickwell, it’s clear Malcolm was only interested in pursuing his own vendetta.
- He freed Slade Wilson from his prison on Lian Yu to manipulate Oliver and Thea into killing him in order to eliminate their fear of killing. When Oliver and Thea confront him on his actions, Malcolm twistedly claims his actions were out of “love”.
- He pathetically begs Ra’s Al Ghul for undeserved mercy, even “offering” him his loyalty. Even Ra’s was disgusted by his behavior and told him to at least die with dignity.
Season 4[]
- He deliberately set up two of his own men to be killed by Thea, just to satisfy her bloodlust and turn her into a killer.
- When Vandal Savage threatened to destroy Star City and Central City, Malcolm was willing to turn Kendra Saunders and Carter Hall over to Vandal Savage to be killed. When Oliver disagreed and vowed to find another way, Malcolm threatened his life if Thea was harmed in any way.
- After Oliver and Barry Allen seemingly killed Savage, Malcolm secretly collects his ashes so he would “owe” him once he regenerated.
- When Nyssa offered to cure Thea’s bloodlust in exchange for The Demon’s Head Ring, Malcolm seemingly agrees, only to double-cross her and arrive with an army of League Members, causing many innocent bystanders to be killed. This forced Oliver to fight Malcolm and cut off his hand to save Thea’s life. This proved that Malcolm cared more about being the League’s leader than the life of his own daughter.
- He spitefully told Damien Darhk about Oliver’s son, William, after the latter got him removed as Ra’s Al Ghul.
- He willingly assists Damien Darhk in his plans to nuke the entire Earth just to get himself and his daughter spared from it.
- He abducted Oliver’s son, William under Darhk’s orders to blackmail Oliver to drop out of the mayoral race. When Thea confronted him on his actions, Malcolm feigned ignorance and showed no remorse. Even after Malcolm rejoined Team Arrow to defeat Darhk in the finale, Oliver makes it clear he would never forgive Malcolm for this petty act.
- He had several of his loyalists hijack a missile shipment into the city to distract Oliver and John, while Malcolm secretly raided the Arrowcave and stole the Khushu Idol to restore Darhk’s powers.
- He broke Darhk out of Iron Heights Prison so he could continue his plans, indirectly enabling Darhk to murder Laurel Lance and continue on with his plans.
- After Lonnie Machin escaped, he forcefully brainwashed Thea with H.I.V.E.’s suggestive pills to ensure she would be compliant.
- Though he ends up with nothing at the end of the season, losing his power and influence, his friendships, and a relationship with his daughter, it isn’t particularly played for sympathy and it’s more than well-deserved for everything he did.
Legends of Tomorrow[]
- Joining the Legion of Doom, Malcolm, with Eobard Thawne and Damien Darhk helped the crime lord Al Capone remain in power to draw out the Legends.
- He kidnapped Sara Lance and Martin Stein, offering the former a chance to join Eobard’s cause in order to undo the tragedies in her life.
- He led several of Capone’s men to raid the Waverider and kill the Legends so they could steal the amulet for Eobard.
- After Sara defeated him in combat, Malcolm blackmails her into sparing him and giving up the amulet in exchange for Martin Stein’s location.
- He and Damien Darhk killed two bikers for their vehicles just because they were tired of walking. Though the two bikers intended to rob them, they still didn’t deserve to die.
- He infiltrated a Police Station with Darhk to kidnap Rip Hunter, needlessly killing numerous cops while looking for him.
- He and Darhk forced Amaya Vixen, Ray Palmer, Nate Heywood, and George Lucas to search for the Spear of Destiny in a dumpster, even turning on the compactor to build up pressure. Malcolm even suggested killing one of them to motivate the others.
- He and Darhk tortured Rip Hunter to discover the location of the spear, but to no avail. He later attempted to use a hypnotic technique on Hunter to find out the information.
- He attempted to use Rip to break into a bank to obtain a disc containing Rip’s memories, killing two guards when they were found out.
- He attempted to kill Damien in a duel, only stopping after Rip convinced the two to stop fighting each other.
- He and Darhk infiltrated the bank a second time, even torturing a bank manager by cutting off three of his fingers to learn the override code.
- He, along with other Legion of Doom members, used the Spear of Destiny to rewrite reality in his own image. In the new reality created, Malcolm forced Nyssa to live in poverty out of spite towards her. Though he scolds Darhk and Eobard for sparing the Legends, this was only because Malcolm believed them to dangerous to be left alive.
- He nearly kills Martin Stein by shooting him with an arrow, forcing the future version of Jax to jump in the way and die in the process.
Season 5[]
- While helping Oliver in freeing Adrian Chase from the authorities, Malcolm complained it would be easier if he could just kill the guards escorting Chase.
- When Oliver called in Nyssa to help him take down Chase, Malcolm initially refused to work with her out of his petty hatred for her. Though he does ultimately work for her, it was more out of reluctance, as Malcolm didn’t have much say in the matter. Even while working with her, Malcolm frequently argued with Nyssa and voiced his displeasure in having to work with her.
What Makes Him Inconsistent[]
- He’s extremely tragic, as he was once a loving father to Tommy, until his wife, Rebecca, was murdered in cold-blood. This led him to kill the man whom he thought responsible. Ashamed at what he had done, Malcolm joined the League of Assassins to make sure no one would ever hurt his family again. He only sought to destroy the Glades, because he believed its people deserved to die for doing nothing to help Rebecca while she bled to death.
- He is generally affable to his allies and enemies, such as introducing himself to Anatoly Knyazev and comforting Moira when she was shot by Helena Bertinelli. Even in the most tense of situations, Malcolm maintained his calm and level-headed personality but was prone to emotional outbursts on a few occasions.
- He cares for a few people:
- He cared for his wife and only executed the Undertaking in a misguided attempt to avenge her. He also felt remorse for having an affair with Moira, as Malcolm felt he was cheating on Rebecca. He even continued to wear his wedding ring many years after Rebecca’s death. He also revived Rebecca in the Doomworld, proving he still cared for her no matter how far his actions went. Despite how cold and distant he was to him, he cares about his son, Tommy, and only cut off his money to help him learn how to get by on his own. During the attempt on his life, Malcolm refused to flee until he knew Tommy was safe. He was also ashamed that his own actions led to his death. He even resurrected him in the Doomworld upon using the Spear of Destiny to rewrite reality.
- He cares for his daughter, Thea, rescuing her from Slade’s soldiers and trained her to defend herself. He also saw Thea as a second chance, as he failed with Tommy. Despite constantly using her as a pawn in his gamble to get his blood debt removed, he was genuinely distraught when she got fatally stabbed by Ra’s. Even though he was against using the Lazarus Pit on her, he didn’t want her to lose her humanity due to the effects the pit can have on one’s personality. He also genuinely wanted to help Thea with her bloodlust and wanted her to kill others in a twisted way to ensure the bloodlust wouldn’t eventually claim her life. In season 5, he teams up with Oliver to save Thea from Adrian Chase, ultimately sacrificing himself by saving Thea from a landmine and taking her place.
- He cared for Moira to some extent, as he is always polite to her, never went against his word to spare Walter, and even rigged her trial to clear her name from his crimes.
- Despite having Oliver at his mercy in the season 1 finale, he chooses not to kill him. He also treats him with respect, thanks him for saving his life, and expresses regret for killing his father. He also repeatedly states Oliver is like a son to him, despite Oliver hating him for his atrocities. Though their relationship becomes sour as the series progresses, especially after Malcolm kidnapped William, Malcolm later apologizes for this mistake.
- He is an extremist as he only wanted to destroy The Glades to save it, believing there were too many corrupt people in the city, and wanted to prevent what happened to Rebecca from happening to anyone else.
- He has several moments of honor:
- He chose to spare Chen’s daughter at Moira’s request, despite wanting to kill her to send a message.
- He was on the verge of killing Danny Brickwell to avenge his wife, but ultimately chose not to, as to set an example for Thea.
- Despite allying with Darhk, he doesn’t tell him who the Green Arrow, showing he still held some respect for Oliver, though Darhk would eventually figure it out himself.
- He lingered when Darhk spitefully killed Laurel, indicating Malcolm felt remorse and guilt for indirectly causing her death. He even tried to dissuade Damien from doing it beforehand.
- He genuinely apologized to Oliver for helping Damien kidnap William, stating he wasn’t thinking clearly and let his emotions get out of hand.
- He is On & Off as he was willing to team up with Oliver to defeat Ra’s Al Ghul and Damien Darhk, though both of which were for pragmatic reasons, he still had genuinely heroic moments while doing so. Ultimately, he redeems himself in the fifth season by helping Oliver stop Prometheus and dies saving Thea from a landmine.
Trivia[]
- Malcolm Merlyn is the first Inconsistently Heinous to appear in the Arrowverse.
- His Earth-2 counterpart does not count as IH, due to not doing anything remotely villainous.
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 Inconsistently Heinous
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Canon Arrow The Flash Supergirl Fanon See Also | ||
 Inconsistently Heinous
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