OF THE BOW

As for Ollie, what can I say? He became my world when I could no longer live with Brave Bow, and my style as an archer was altered as well. Ollie was the best; no one handled a bow and arrow in the sure-shot manner of The Emerald Archer---no one! The Green Arrow was known for his long bow, and he and I fashioned a scaled-down version of his bow for a bowman my size. I worked hard at adjusting my aim to fit my new weapon, just as I trained hard to be an even better athlete, spending countless hours pumping iron in that hateful, cold old weight room in Queen Manor. All that work won me a place on the team with my friends, The Titans, as well as another great honor: I lit the flames of the five symbolic rings during the opening ceremonies of the Olympic games! It was one of the proudest moments of my life; with my fire-tipped arrow lighting the night skies, I felt like a true son of Estsa'Natlehi!

Ollie was my guardian, and, at least in my mind, he was a surrogate father to me. I've never been sure if he ever accepted me in the same way; that was one thing he never seemed very capable of showing. I'm grateful for the attention he did show me, especially since there are two boys who were deprived of even the little affection I received---Ollie's sons.

Connor Hawke is a curious young man: thoughtful, quiet, and reflective, with a monastic education and an amazing deftness for martial arts. His skills with bow and arrow betray his parentage, since for a short period of time he was able to study the form of the great Oliver Queen, his father, Green Arrow 1. Ollie didn't accept his responsibility for this child any more than he did for me, which is tragic; he couldn't have asked for a more devoted son than Connor. Thankfully, Connor got to know his father at least briefly before Ollie's death and enlisted me to help him save the man from himself. We both tried but ultimately failed; gotta say it---with Ollie, it was always "tough love." I can't help but think of Connor as the little brother I never had, and I'm sure there are things about his father he'd like to ask me. The times we've teamed up...he's been a heck of an ally; I hope we'll become good friends. He chose to take on the mantle his father left behind and was accepted into the JLA, which, I suppose, is only right and fitting. The Justice League should have a Green Arrow, and that legacy should be carried on through Ollie's son.

And then there were three, for Dinah once told me about yet another heir to his father's title. Shado, the Asian warrior with whom Ollie had an intimate relationship, had a son by him. Whether Ollie accepted his responsibility for the child before he met his maker is anyone's guess and Shado's secret. Knowing Ollie, he turned tail and ran; he was never one to accept adult responsibilities. He suffered from terminal Peter Pan syndrome from the cradle to the grave.
May the Great Spirit protect his sons from this darkest side of his legacy!