Huntress is a violent mob-killing vigilante going after figures in the Starling City underworld.
History
Helena is the daughter of Frank Bertinelli, a prominent figure in the Starling City Mafia. Appearing on the surface to be loyal to her father; in reality, Helena considers him to be an evil man who must be punished for all the lives he has destroyed. She began gathering evidence of her family's criminal activities on her laptop, intending to hand it over to the FBI. Unbeknownst to her, Frank's caporegime, Nick Salviati, never fully trusted her and suspected a security leak in their organization. However, Salviati came to believe that Helena's fiance, Michael Staton, was the informant and executed him by shooting him in the heart (his personal calling card). After Michael's death, Helena was overwhelmed with guilt, but in time her anger outweighed her guilt. Taking on the mantle of the masked vigilante, the Huntress, Helena began a crusade to singlehandedly dismantle her father's criminal empire. However, she proves to be reckless and unfocused, with her third assassination leaving collateral damage. When the Hood begins his own crusade against Starling City's corrupt elite, she sees him as a kindred spirit. Likewise, Oliver believes he can steer her down a less lethal path. The two of them are eventually captured by Salviati, who tells Helena that she will burn in hell for betraying the family. Helena, giving into her anger, tells Salviati that it will be worth it, before brutally executing him as revenge for Michael's death. Oliver modifies her Huntress costume, and trains her to be a more focused combatant, and also gives her a crossbow. But as Helena falls in love with Oliver, she correctly deduces that he still harbors some feelings for Laurel Lance. Consequently, much of the progress that Oliver has made with Helena is destroyed. She targets the Starling City Triad, killing its Red Pole Enforcer, Zhi-Shan, knowing that his associate China White, will blame her father and go after him. While the Arrow battles White's thugs, Helena, in her Huntress disguise, tracks down Frank. Before she can kill her father, Arrow attacks her, but while they are fighting, Frank picks up Helena's crossbow and shoots her. The ballistic mesh in her upgraded costume ultimately saves her life, and Frank is arrested. However, the Huntress cannot forgive Arrow for stopping her. She tells Oliver that she realizes that justice and revenge are two different things, but it is revenge that she is after. She warns Oliver to stay out of her way, before leaving town on her motocycle.
After spending some time in Europe in the hopes of finding some peace, Helena begins to grudgingly accept the fact that her father will spend the rest of his life in prison. However, she soon learns that Frank has cut a deal with the Feds, if he testifies against some of his former associates, he will be placed in the Witness Protection Program. Blaming Oliver for this situation, Helena returns to Starling City, and after killing Frank's lawyer, blackmails Oliver into helping her kill Frank before he is moved beyond either of their reach. Helena eventually discovers the safehouse where her father is being kept, and kills the Marshals guarding him. Frank is tipped off by the gunfire and flees the grounds on foot. As Helena pursues him, she is cornered by Arrow, who threatens to use lethal force if she will not stand down. Their confrontation is interrupted by the arrival of Detective McKenna Hall, who had been shadowing the Huntress independently. Helena shoots McKenna in the leg, shattering her femur. While Oliver attends to McKenna's injuries, Helena escapes again.
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Powers and Abilities
Abilities
- Hand-to-Hand Combat (Advanced): Helena is a skilled martial artist, capable of holding her own against Green Arrow.
- Firearms: Helena is fairly proficient with automatic firearms, at least to the point where she can compensate for the muzzle climb associated with the full auto setting; however, her anger sometimes hinders her accuracy. She also is proficient with single-hand crossbows.
Paraphernalia
Transportation
Weapons
Notes
- This version of the character is exclusive to the continuity of the television series Arrow, its tie-in comic book series, and its related television series. It is an adaptation of Helena Bertinelli/Huntress. The original character was created by Joey Cavalieri and Joe Staton and first appeared in Huntress #1.
- Helena Bertinelli is portrayed by Jessica De Gouw.
- It was the first live-action appearance of the character Helena Bertinelli.
Related
- 17 Appearances of Helena Bertinelli (Arrowverse)
- 5 Images featuring Helena Bertinelli (Arrowverse)
- 2 Quotations by or about Helena Bertinelli (Arrowverse)
- Character Gallery: Helena Bertinelli (Arrowverse)
Footnotes
  This character is or was a member of the Green Arrow family of vigilante super-heroes, who fight crime using archery and martial arts. They are a loose connection brought together through family bonds and shared experiences. This template will categorize articles that include it into the category "Team Arrow members." |
 This character is or was primarily an enemy of Green Arrow, or his supporting cast including Black Canary and Team Arrow. This template will categorize articles that include it into the category "Green Arrow Villains." |
  This character is or was primarily an enemy of Black Canary. This template will categorize articles that include it into the category "Black Canary Villains." |