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Tommy Merlyn was the son of prominent Starling City businessman Malcolm Merlyn and the best friend of Oliver Queen.

When he was eight years old, his mother was brutally murdered by an unknown assailant in the area known as the Glades. Following this his father disappeared for two years, returning a changed man.[1] As he watched Tommy grow to adulthood and become a playboy and womanizer, he was disheartened. He saw this as an indication that his son was too weak for the harsh realities of the world.

When his friend Oliver disappeared, Tommy became romantically involved with Laurel Lance. After Oliver returned, he thought that he had gotten his old friend back and tried to bring him back into the partying playboy lifestyle that they had previously enjoyed. Tommy soon realized that Oliver's five-year ordeal had changed his friend. During this time of reunion, his father finally tired of his playboy image and froze Tommy's assets.[2] At first infuriated by this, Tommy did bounce back and started to change his ways and mature. In part this was due to his taking a job as manager at Verdant, a night club that Oliver was opening.[3]

While running the club, his relationship with Oliver became strained. This came to a head when he found out about Oliver's dual identity.[4] Tommy stated put distance between himself and his old friend because of this.

Death

During his father's attempt to destroy the Glades, Tommy was among those in that section of the city. He risked his life to get Laurel out of the legal aid offices she ran. While she was able to escape, the building collapsed before he could. His lifeless and broken body was found by Oliver who, as the Hood, had arrived just as the building collapsed.[5]

Rewritten History

During a massive crisis throughout the multiverse in 2019, Oliver sacrificed himself to save the world and became a new super-powered ghost called the Spectre. With his power to change the past, Oliver resurrected Tommy and many of his other fallen friends as if they never had died.

In this new reality, Tommy had survived the incident in the Glades and married Laurel Lance. Laurel's death was not rewritten, and Tommy was widowed at some point.

After the crisis, Tommy attended Oliver's funeral.


Abilities

Other Characteristics


  • He did not like the Twilight books/movies.[7]
  • Tommy was the first main character of Arrow to die.
  • Tommy was born in February 1985 and died on May 15, 2013.[4][8]

Related

Footnotes


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