Oliver Queen

Biography

Born to billionaire businessman Robert Queen and his wife Moira, Oliver Queen was orphaned at a young age when his parents were tragically killed on a safari. He was raised by his mother's cousin, William Glenmorgan, who also became the executor of the Queen estate.

Glenmorgan proved to be a poor role model for Oliver. Often found conspiring with fellow billionare orphan Bruce Wayne, the Queen heir developed a reputation as something of a black sheep, spending his trust fund on wild parties and stunts. Decreeing that he was undeserving of his inheritance, Glenmorgan sent Oliver to the military, to learn discipline.

Deployed overseas with the army, Oliver experienced anger and violence on a scale he'd never comprehended before. Seeing the lengths and means that enemy troops would resort to - treating civilian casualties as collateral; simple numbers - shattered much of his optimism and idealism, and left him deeply changed. He found himself feeling that despite his skills, and despite his wealth, there was nothing he could do to make a difference: and while his military service instilled in him a great sense of duty and honour, he began to increasingly feel - like many soldiers - that his hands were being tied by bureaucrats and politicians to prevent him from doing what needed to be done.

In Oliver's absense, Glenmorgan took the opportunity to usurp a controlling interest in Queen Industries, and froze much of Oliver's finances. When Oliver returned from the military, he found himself almost completely cut off, and with all of his aspirations to make a difference in the world dashed by a lack of resources. Fortunately, Oliver was able to turn to his childhood friend, Bruce.

Already well aware of the situation, Bruce Wayne offered Oliver a job at Wayne Enterprises, heading up Applied Sciences - not a role that appealed to Oliver initially, but it did provide him with the opportunity to consolidate and reassert himself, and so he graciously accepted. Eventually however, he began begun to realise that many of the abandoned prototypes developed by Applied Sciences have alternative applications, and Oliver has begun to use some of the gadgets and technology developed there to become something of a James Bond style vigilante.

So far, the main focus of Oliver's outside-the-law activities have related to investigating reports of corruption within Gotham's bureaucracy and corporations, and in particular within Queen Industries, in the hopes of liberating his company from Glenmorgan's control, and gaining access to the resources he needs to make a real difference in Gotham. Little does he realise that Bruce Wayne aspires to do exactly the same thing, under the guise of Batman.

RPs

• Dark Knights on Dark Nights

Out of Character

Jace has been around on the site since January 2007. He knows all the things, including board lore, random trivia, and really really terrible jokes and puns.