This page may contain some of the same content as the DC Database article. A more complete and current article is at the DC Comics Database League of Assassins (Arrowverse). |

History
Infiltrating Starling City
When Malcolm Merlyn's' wife, Rebecca, was killed in the Glades, the slums of Starling City, he eventually came into contact with the League and trained with them at Nanda Parbat, becoming one of their Shadow Warriors. The anger over his wife's death enabled the League to convince Malcolm that the Glades had reached the pinnacle of corruption and needed to be cleansed, a task they called "the Undertaking." They sent Merlyn back to Starling City as an advance agent; as a member of its wealthy elite, he was well-positioned to find potential allies, and potential threats. The names of those who needed to be co-opted or eliminated were carefully compiled on an all inclusive list. However, as the time for "the Undertaking" drew closer, many of Merlyn's would be accomplices were leery, considering it too extreme. One of the biggest dissenters was Robert Queen. As Queen's crisis of conscience became a problem, it was decided that he needed to be eliminated. The opportunity presented itself when Queen decided to take his yacht, the Queen's Gambit, out to sea, with his son, Oliver, and Sara Lance.
The Crucible
A well-placed bomb destroyed the Queen's Gambit off the coast of China, all hands were assumed lost. Not long after, Robert's widow, Moira, became privy to the kind of men her husband was involved with. Though unaware of the League's actual existence or inner workings, she was genuinely terrified of the Shadow Warrior (actually Merlyn himself) that ensured her loyalty to the Undertaking. Unbeknownst to almost all on the mainland, Robert survived long enough to ensure Oliver's survival, and to give him a copy of Merlyn's list. Sara also survived, but ended up being rescued by a member of the League. She was eventually brought to Nanda Parbat, where she trained and was given the moniker Ta-er al-Safar.
The Undertaking
As the Undertaking neared its end stages, Oliver returned to Starling City and assumed the guise of a hooded vigilante who would be come to known as the Arrow. The Arrow actively targeted names on the list, an act that did not go unnoticed by the League. Merlyn donned his Assassin gear to confront the Arrow himself, effectively defeating him, but was forced to flee before he could finish him off. As the Arrow recovered and targeted more individuals on the list, the League transported the weapon that would be used to destroy the Glades, a powerful seismic device which effectively causes earthquakes. By this time, Moira had publicly exposed what she knew of the Undertaking, but it was too late to stop it. The Arrow had his final showdown with Merlyn, while his allies deactivated the earthquake machine. However, a second machine, hidden in a more secure location, was still able to trigger, destroying a sizable portion of the Glades.
Post-Undertaking
Several months after the destruction of the Glades and the presumed death of Merlyn, the League returns to Starling City in search of Sara, who had defected from their ranks. When she refuses to return to them, they declare war on her, sending Al-Owal to eliminate her. When Al-Owal is killed, Nyssa Raakto is sent to retrieve her. After some encounters involving Sara and the Arrow, Nyssa ultimately decides to release Sara from the League. It is also discovered that Merlyn survived, and that the League had been hunting him; he had violated their tenets by destroying the Glades. When Slade Wilson and Brother Blood unleashed a metahuman army to wreak havoc on the city, the League arrives to provide assistance, under the condition that Sara definitively return to their fold.
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Paraphernalia
Equipment: None known.
Transportation: None known.
Weapons: None known.
Notes
- No special notes.
Trivia
- This is second live-action adaptation of the League and the first televised adaptation of the League to be called the League of Assassins, rather then the League of Shadows or Society of Shadows.
- Malcolm Merlyn and Sara Lance were the only members of the League that were released of their obligations.
- Many of the Leagues practices and equipment are outdated compared to other more modern groups such as A.R.G.U.S. as they use smoke signals to communicate with each other and only use medieval weaponry such as bows and arrows; swords, and tomahawks rather then use more modern methods and equipment such as firearms or emailing.
- Each member of the league has their own signature weapon.
See Also
- 2 Appearances of League of Assassins (Arrowverse)
- Images that include League of Assassins (Arrowverse)
- Organization Gallery: League of Assassins (Arrowverse)
Links and References
- None.
Footnotes
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![]() ![]() 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." |
Template:Atom Villain
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." |