Chapter 9: Malcolm Arthur Merlyn AKA al Sa-her AKA Dark Archer

I used much of the Arrowverse!Malcolm for this character, but… totally messed with the timeline. Likewise, he is not as skilled as he wants to have other people to think he is. He is out of practice and has NOT had anyone with any skill to practice against since he left the League. Like any skill, if you don't practice it, you lose it. AGE is a factor. I kept Malcolm's soft edge of insanity. I like how he develops after Rebecca's death. The League helped him to temper his insanity, not eliminate it. However, DCU!Malcolm had a very interesting back story. I concorporated it in my Malcolm.

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ORIGIN:

Malcolm Arthur Merlyn was born Arthur King, son of Jasper King. He was privileged and wealthy in London. His greed drove him to start selling off his father's collection of artifacts. This led him to seek out treasure as he discovered that some of those artifacts were worth. He lied to a secret group called the Hidden to find a lost temple based on artifacts in his father's collection. The Hidden was being hunted by the League (of Assassins). Once they found the temple, he betrayed the Hidden and sacrificed the woman he said he loved to defend against the temple guardians. He then escaped and took on a new name.

While reinventing himself, Malcolm met Robert Queen and formed a friendship. Robert fell for Moira and Moira introduced Malcolm to Rebecca. Malcolm and Rebecca were married and had a son. Thomas Arthur Merlyn was born in 1992. Malcolm was able to successfully grow his new company the Merlyn Global Group with the seed money provided by Robert while enjoying his family.

In 2000, Rebecca was murdered on the way home from Angel's Rest Free Clinic in the Glades where she was one of the main emergency physicians. Malcolm was shattered and enraged. He decided to seek out the League to better learn how to get revenge on those who took from him. He left immediately after the reading of Rebecca's Will. He simply ensured that his son, Tommy, would be in the care of the Queens while he was gone. Tommy didn't hear from Malcolm for six years.

Malcolm was introduced to Ra's al Ghul and evaluated after witnessing the death of another recruit who desired revenge. Malcolm lied about his desire for revenge and spent six years in the League. He spent his first six months training and learning basic martial skills. His field training was at Shawka al Ghul, the Demon's Spine, to further hone his leadership skills. He was assigned to the Qarn al Ghul, the Demon's Horn, under Al-Owal. He learned all about various poisons, stealth, diversion, and technology while assigned to this branch of the League. He discovered that he didn't enjoy leading groups. He preferred not to depend on anyone else.

During his last year with the League, Malcolm began to resent all the time he was wasting in the League. He was assigned to the Makhlah al Ghul, the Demon's Claw his last year with the League. The Demon's Claw mostly utilized martial skills and stealth. He was focused on training the newest of the League to proper martial standards. However, it did allow him closer contact with Ra's al Ghul. He was able to convince Ra's al Ghul to release him from his oath to the League for the sake of his son, Tommy.

After six years, Malcolm asked Ra's al Ghul to be released from his oath. Ra's granted it with the provision that he upheld the League Code, the secrecy of the League, and supported no evil. Malcolm agreed and returned to Starling City.

Upon his return to Starling City, Malcolm immediately resecured his presence at Merlyn Global Group. He insisted on Tommy's return to the Merlyn Mansion. He was confused as to why his son was angry with him, but he felt that letting Tommy continue to seek out the Queens for parental duties was well worth a little distance between himself and his son. He had little time or patience for those duties himself.

Malcolm was able to reconnect with Robert. Their shared interests in business assisted him in breaking through to his old friend. Malcolm no longer had the same interests as Robert, but his skill with bending the truth and using lies and subterfuge served him well. He began to form a master plan for his revenge of Rebecca's murder. After he settled into his home in Starling, Malcolm began to recruit members to his newest plan. His storm. His Tempest.

Robert was his first recruit. Robert felt that getting criminals to assist in defending the city from other criminals was a worthy endeavor. Frank Chen was his second recruit. He got lucky when he discovered that Frank's daughter was raped and the men responsible were getting off without being charged. He used that to manipulate Frank into joining his Tempest. Malcolm planned on using his ties to the Triad to further destroy those people in the Glades.

Next, he recruited Carl Ballard, a real estate mogul. Carl owned many of the properties in the Glades, but had an issue with people paying or criminals using his housing. He was more than willing to join a group that would blackmail the criminals into better behavior.

Finally, he recruited Councilwoman Emily Pollard and Councilman Kullens. Both were looking for an easy path to votes and political sponsorship. He easily brought them in with promises to help them stay elected and to eliminate their competition.

While he was recruiting them, he was compiling a list. He used his skills at infiltration learned in the League to hack into various criminal enterprises to gain blackmail material. When he had the material, he used it to encourage these criminals to donate large sums of money to various organizations. It was during this time that his Dark Archer persona was most active. Within two years, he had a completed list of all the high-level criminals in Starling City. He used his influence in the city to ensure that certain criminals were protected from prosecution. This was how he controlled the criminals on his list.

He gave a complete copy of the list to each member of Tempest. He told them how to read the list if needed. Then he told them to use these people for the good of the city. He encouraged his Councilmembers to generate legislation to push the criminal element into the Glades and encourage businesses to leave the Glades.

In 2012, Malcolm found a scientist, Dr. Markov, that could provide a clean way to eliminate the threat of the Glades. This was the solution that Malcolm had been looking for. The device wasn't even built yet. It was only a concept. He presented this solution to his Tempest. He was surprised at their resistance to the Undertaking. He had done all the work for them. All they needed to do was to push the criminals into the Glades while getting businesses out. The main dissenters to this plan were Robert, Frank, and Carl. Only Robert voiced his concerns.

Of all people, he felt most betrayed by Robert. Robert knew Rebecca. How could he not see how this would benefit the city? That this was right? He immediately put a plan into place to kill Robert. If Robert couldn't see how this would help the city, then Moira would. Rebecca was Moira's best friend. She would be better without Robert betraying her constantly.

After the sinking of the Queen's Gambit, Malcolm was all set to bring Moira into Tempest. She would want revenge on the scum that had killed Rebecca. Rebecca was her best friend. It was with surprise that Malcolm learned of the death of Tommy and Oliver. He had no intention of hurting either of the young men. He had miscalculated. Moira did not want revenge on the scum for killing Rebecca. She wanted revenge on him for killing her son.

Malcolm dismissed Moira's feelings for Robert and Tommy easily. Tommy was not her son and Robert was unfaithful to her, but Oliver was her son. Moira could not join Tempest. She would only work to bring it down because it was Malcolm's idea. He couldn't allow that. The Undertaking would do too much good to stop.

Malcolm couldn't even blackmail her into compliance with Thea's health. He knew Thea was his child. He had no time for a 11-year-old girl. Until Tommy died, he had a son. He didn't need a daughter, but now Thea was his only child. He needed to preserve her. What Tommy said in his Will, stuck with Malcolm. It festered on his mind as he started his plans for the Undertaking.

Malcolm finally decided to cut Moira and the Queens completely from Tempest. He would advise Moira to stay out of the Glades, but he would reassure her that he had no intention of revealing his status to Thea. That would protect her. Moira would protect her, as she had Tommy for those years.

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FAMILY:

Malcolm Merlyn married Dr. Rebecca Swann in 1991. Thomas Tommy Arthur Merlyn was born in 1992. Thea Dearden Queen was born in 2001 from an affair by Moira with Malcolm after the death of Rebecca. Malcolm was aware of his blood status with Thea, but he had no time or inclination to parent a girl child.

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MOTIVATION:

Malcolm's primary motivations are greed and revenge. As a young man, he allowed his greed to rule his mind. He sought out and eventually had to hide from the Hidden after he betrayed them. This incident did reveal the existence of the League to him.

Under his new identity as Malcolm Merlyn, he used cold and ruthless business practices to expand Merlyn Global Group. He married Rebecca initially because she was the sole heiress of the Swann Estate. However, Rebecca made sure to leave the Swann Estate to Swann blood by Willing it to Tommy and putting special conditions on his trust to ensure that Malcolm would not use it, except for Tommy.

After Rebecca's death, Malcolm was consumed with rage. He felt that the only way for him to purge this rage was with the League. He didn't understand the foundations of the League and its true purpose to ensure balance. However, in his own mind, everyone in the Glades was evil and must be eliminated. The fact that he could reason well enough to get businesses to move out of the Glades spoke to a very special kind of break with reality.

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PERSONALITY:

Malcolm is a very slick-talking man. He is smooth and cool in business. He is ruthless to those he sees as against him. He can be very personable when he wants to be. He can make complex plans. He specializes in strategy but fails in tactics. He tends to react poorly to setbacks. He reverts back to planning the demise of his obstacles.

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NOTES:

The Arrowverse had many flaws. One of them was in displaying the level of skill that Malcolm was able to achieve in two years and assigning him as a Horseman during that time. THEN maintaining that level of skill for 19 years with little ability to practice and no contemporary sparring partners. Sorry, no sale. Boxers who don't spar, lose their edge within months. I'm not buying that bridge.

That doesn't mean that he couldn't have achieved that level of skill with several YEARS of practice (like Ollie). However, to stay post-League fit 19 years later is a no-go AS HE AGES FOR THOSE 19 YEARS. No, not happening. I have him losing his edge after the 6 years he has been back from the League. He practices at archery and fences. Not exactly how you keep League-level skills sharp. That is like jogging around the block and thinking you are fit for a marathon. He will be less fit when Oliver, Laurel, and Tommy finally come home from the wreck.

That said, I love Malcolm as a villain. He is deeply complex and the actor was able to portray his level of insanity in a very convincing way. A reasonable insane man.

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