AND THE TITANS
Real Name: Roy William Harper, Jr.
First Appearance / Golden Age: More Fun Comics #73
First Appearance / Silver Age: Adventure Comics #250 (origin: #262)
Known relatives:
Roy W. Harper, Sr. (father/deceased)
Lian Harper (daughter)
Jim Harper (uncle--hero: The Guardian/deceased)
Mary Harper (aunt)
Tommy Harper (cousin)
Bonnie Dotson (cousin)
Vandal Savage (ancestor)
Affliates / Groups:
Teen Titans / New Titans / Suicide Squad
Languages spoken: Diné Bizzad, English
some Spanish & Russian (as an adult)
Personals:
Hair: Red
Eyes: Blue/Green
Red tattoo on left arm / earring(s)
Nicknames:
Eagle Eye; Harp'; Cub;
Lost Arrow (from first Diné naming ceremony)
Interests: accomplished fletcher/archer;
artist; rock / blues drummer;
plays a mean game of darts
As Brave Bow grew gravely ill, he began to secretly search for someone suitable to care for Roy, preferably one who could also nurture the boy's obvious talent with a bow and arrow. Though initially annoyed with Roy's idolization of Star City's resident crime-fighter, Green Arrow, Brave Bow sought out the hero's assistance, and, after a carefully orchestrated archery contest (which Roy lost, due to magnitized arrowheads), Roy was spirited away to California by his new guardian, The Green Arrow's alter-ego, wealthy businessman Oliver Queen. The flame-haired boy bowman, now age thirteen, became "Speedy," the dazzlingly quick sidekick of the Emerald Archer.
While Ollie acted out scenes from his favorite Errol Flynn films, his young ward Roy relied both on the traditional methods of bowmanship learned from the Native American mentor of his youthful training and on his newfound detective training from his street-wise guardian. Socially, he became caught up in the swashbuckling, womanizing image of the brash and bold Green Arrow, a man who conducted his businesslife, social life and hero life in a reckless, devil-may-care manner.
When the Titans were implicated in the death of a world-famous peace activist, the JLA forbid them to operate and revoked their charter. (Robin and Aqualad were excluded as they had not been present during the actual incident). Roy seemed to take their mentor, Loren Jupiter, and his lessons in peaceful co-existence and non-powered self-reliance to heart, even learning enough patience to extend compassion to both an upset Aqualad and the ever-troublesome Hawk. Emancipated from his errant guardian, the now drug-free Roy became a volunteer with VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) and gave his time and services to anti-drug campaigns and youth drug-intervention programs. When the original Teen Titans eventually folded, Speedy became a solo hero and private investigator, never seen in costume along side Green Arrow again.
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