Demythify: Top 3 Developments From CW Arrow’s Muse of Fire Including John Barrowman Identity Reveal! (Season 1, Episode 7 with DC Comics’ Huntress & Merlyn Spoilers) Plus Deathstroke

Columns, Features, Media, News, Official Images, Screen Shots, Top Story

Thanks for popping by and checking out my weekly Monday Demythify column.

This week we look back at the big 3 developments from last Wednesday’s CW Arrow Season 1, Episode 7 offering called “Muse of Fire”. A lot of the hype for the episode was the on-screen debut of Helena Bertinelli, played by Jessica De Gouw, who in the comics is the vigilante Huntress – sometimes she’s Batman’s daughter, sometimes she’s not, long story. However, even that debut didn’t happen as expected in a screenplay that DC Comics Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns had a hand in.

This all follows earlier news involving the casting of Deathstroke – so we can now do maskless scenes – and other teaser images from upcoming episodes including a mysterious Dark Archer and more of Huntress in action.

The CW Arrow series has been so successful ratings-wise that DC Comics seems to be looking to resuscitate its flagging Green Arrow comic book series by making it a bit darker and making Oliver’s previous island years more integral to the plot. With a top writer on the project and an up-and-coming artist, can DC make archery cool in two media? This time for DC Comics’ New 52 initiative? I’m on board to find to out and I will keep you posted. The new era for the comic book begins in February 2013. If you like CW Arrow you may want to at least sample the kick-off issue Green Arrow #17.

Anyhow, back to the TV show! Buckle up, here are the top 3 developments from CW Arrow’s Muse of Fire.

You have been warned! Spoiler’ish news content and analysis follows. ;)


Green Arrow As The Flash?

We know Oliver Queen spent 5 years on a not-so-deserted island where we had a former Chinese military mentor train him to be the vigilante he is today. He tangled with Deathstroke on that island and was tortured leaving him heavily scarred. On the island he learned hand-to-hand combat, different languages, marksmanship and pushed his body to peak performance.

In episode 7 we see him run pretty impressively in an attempt to catch a motorcycle whose assassin shot and killed a mobbed-up businessman trying to make a deal with Oliver’s mother Moira in front of her office complex. It doesn’t look like super speed a la DC Comics’ signature speedster The Flash (who also had a live action TV series years ago), but in the episode Oliver does tell his bodyguard and confidante Diggle that we can run faster than most. He doesn’t catch the cycle, but seemingly throws a bar into its rear tire, but he’s cut off by… a garbage truck. Oh well. I bet he finds out who the assassin is later in the episode. ;)


Dinah, Who?

It looks like Helena Bertinelli is the motorcycle vigilante targeting her mob boss father’s associates. She isn’t a great shot with a gun and tends to fire several shots hoping one will hit her target. That’s why Oliver’s mom Moira was shot unintentionally.

It doesn’t appear Helena is the Huntress yet though. That appears to come in this week’s CW Arrow Episode 8 titled “Vendetta” according to the teaser pics. I imagine she’ll be inspired by Oliver to done a mask and she’ll switch from a gun to a miniature hand-held cross-bow, which will likely be passed off as improving her accuracy in perhaps a less lethal manner. Maim instead of kill?

In the episode, since both Oliver and Helena were captured by the mob, escaped using their hand-to-hand prowess, they appear to have stumbled onto each other’s secret personas and later stumble onto… a bed. They also had an earlier costumed exchange that seems to have tipped each other off to their night-time activities too. Vigilante foreplay?

Will Helena help Oliver move past Helena? Or could she be doomed if this week’s teaser comes to pass?


Two Merlyns Better Than One?

The character of Merlyn in the DC Comics is a dark archer assassin. In the CW Arrow series Oliver Queen’s best friend is Tommy Merlyn. Will Tommy turn on Oliver and don the dark archer costume seen in the teaser for December 12’s “Year End” episode? Or, will actor John Barrowman of Doctor Who and Torchwood infamy take on that role? Afterall this week it was revealed Barrowman character on CW Arrow is as… Tommy’s father. We assume his last name is Merlyn as well.

Seems dear old dad has cut off trust fund man-child Tommy who he finds an embarrassment. He pulls his money from Tommy’s trust fund and cancels his credit cards leading to an awkward dinner date with Dinah where she presumably has to pick up the tab. Oh, and he’s been kicked out of the family estate too.

Will Tommy become the dark archer and rob from the rich to line his own coffers? Well, the future seems interesting.

Can’t wait for Episode 8 “Vendetta” this week.

Thanks for reading. All feedback welcome. :)


Staying Connected

For my contact information, please see my profile below “related articles”.

Please follow me on twitter and kindly friend me at Facebook too.

BabosScribe is the handle. :)


John is a long-time pop culture fan, comics historian, and blogger. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief at Comics Nexus. Prior to being EIC he has produced several column series including DEMYTHIFY, NEAR MINT MEMORIES and the ONE FAN'S TRIALS at the Nexus plus a stint at Bleeding Cool producing the COMICS REALISM column. As BabosScribe, John is active on his twitter account, his facebook page, his instagram feed and welcomes any and all feedback. Bring it on!