Connor Hawke

For other uses, seeConnor Hawke (disambiguation).

Green Arrow
Artwork for a variant cover ofGreen Arrow 80th Anniversary Spectacular#1 (June, 2021) byHoward Porter,featuring Connor Hawke as the Green Arrow
Publication information
Publisher	DC Comics
First appearance	Green Arrow(vol. 2) #0 (October 1994)
Created by	Kelley Puckett(writer) Jim Aparo(artist)
In-story information
Alter ego	Connor Hawke
Species	Metahuman
Team affiliations	Justice League League of Lazarus
Partnerships	Oliver Queen / Green Arrow Green Lantern / Kyle Rayner Cassandra Cain Tim Drake
Abilities	Peak of human physical condition Healing Factor Mastermartial artist,kyūdōarcher,and marksman

Connor Hawkeis a fictionalDC Comicssuperherowho operated as the secondGreen Arrow,created byKelley PuckettandJim Aparo.In the post-Zero Hourcontinuity, Connor is the eldest son of Oliver Queen, the original Green Arrow, and his former college girlfriend Sandra "Moonday" Hawke, making him Oliver's heir of his estates and the Green Arrow legacy. Connor Hawke first appeared inGreen Arrow(vol. 2) #0 (1994).

The character's prominence in DC comics has gone up and down at many points following his short-lived tenure as a full-time replacement for Oliver Queen. For a decade, from 2011 to 2021, the character was largely absent after DC attempted to make Oliver Queen a younger man again and to reintroduce his supporting cast gradually as part of itsThe New 52relaunch, although versions of the character continued to appear in comics set elsewhere in theDC Comics Multiverse.With the publisher'sInfinite Frontierinitiative in 2021, Connor is restored to prominence, reintroduced as the second Green Arrow and Oliver's illegitimate son. The publisher has also chosen to place greater emphasis on Connor's multi-racial background, as a superhero of mixedEuropean-American,black American,andKorean-Americanancestry, with his mother and Korean grandmother added to his supporting cast.TheDC Pride 2022anthology confirmed that Connor isasexual.

Outside of comics, multiple versions of Connor appear inThe CW'sArrowverse,where Connor Hawke is the pseudonym of a son of supporting characterJohn Diggle,played byJoseph David-Jones.Separately, another loose adaptation of Connor's comic book origin story involves Oliver discovering he has an illegitimate son namedWilliam Clayton,is also depicted onArrowwith the present day version played by Jack Moore and the future adult version played byBen Lewis.

Fictional character biography

Meeting Oliver Queen

Connor Hawke metOliver Queenafter Oliver came to stay at theashramwhere Connor had been studying for some years. Oliver who had previously retreated to the ashram decades before, looking for peace after accidentally killing a criminal,returned to the ashram under similar circumstances, haunted by the thought that he had killed his former best friendHal Jordan,who, at the time, was involuntarily serving as the host of thesupervillainParallax.Thanks to Connor, who was a big fan of Green Arrow, Oliver was able to regain a semblance of inner peace and venture out into the world again, especially after numerous attempts on his life had been made.

Connor decided to journey with Oliver, and created a costume similar to his. Connor served as Oliver's sidekick, also meeting withEddie Fyers,the former federal agent that acted as a form of counsel for Oliver. It was during this time that Oliver learned about his connection to Connor from the ghost of Hal Jordan: Connor was Oliver's son, conceived during Oliver's college years.Eddie Fyers had already deduced this, but Oliver did not take the revelation well. He subsequently agreed to go undercover in aneco-terroristgroup called theEden Corpsfor the government. The mission turned out to be fatal for Oliver, as his arm was connected to a bomb in a plane that was headed forMetropolis.Rather than endanger Metropolis, and refusing to allow his arm to be amputated, he sacrificed himself to let the bomb explode away from the city. With his father dead, Connor decided to take up the mantle of Green Arrow and continue his hero's work. Following Oliver's death, Connor metBlack Canary,Oliver's former and longtime romantic interest, and informed her of Oliver's passing. She immediately deduced Connor was Oliver's son, and gifted him one of Oliver's old bows, which Connor would use from then on.

The new Green Arrow

Connor Hawke's debut as Green Arrow inGreen Arrow(vol. 2) #0 (1994). Art by Jim Aparo.

Connor continued to travel with Eddie, accompanied at times by Connor's martial arts mentor Master Jansen. Connor tried to find his place not only in the hero world, but also in the legacy of Green Arrow. Akin to the friendship between his father and Hal Jordan, Connor became quick friends with the newGreen Lantern(Kyle Rayner), who himself was struggling to live up to a legacy.

Besides making other friends such asRobin(Tim Drake),he also made significant enemies in the fighting world, including the Silver Monkey, an assassin and member of the Monkey Fist martial arts cult. Their first encounter resulted in a decisive loss for Connor, which was also filmed and sold underground. Connor's close win in a rematch resulted in a loss of face for the Monkey Fist cult and set Connor on a path that would bring him face to face withLady Shiva,said to be the deadliest assassin in the world. During the Brotherhood of the Fist storyline, the Monkey Fist schools attacked various world-class martial artists attempting to prove their worthiness and skill after having been dishonored by the Silver Monkey's loss. Under the alias "Paper Monkey," Shiva arrived in Gotham City where Connor had allied withBatman,Nightwing,and Robin. Shiva's final opponent was Connor, who was the prime target of the Monkey Fist. Though a close and ta xing contest, Shiva was the victor, with Connor unconscious and defenseless. Thankfully, Shiva's old pupil, Tim Drake who had saved her life during a previous encounter, asked her not to kill Connor, trading a life for a life. After warning Robin that using the favor now meant she would challenge and kill the boy wonder when he was older, she refrained from killing Connor and departed. Batman warned Connor that he would be perceived as surviving a battle with Shiva through his own skill and would therefore be a possible target for any fighters building their way up to a battle against her.

Connor also applied for membership in the JLA, replacing his father.On the date of his second interview, he singlehandedly saved the League from the hands of theKey,defeating the Key's robots by using his father's old trick arrows after the Key had destroyed his own. In the end, he knocked out the Key using his father's trademark bo xing glove arrow, and was accepted as a member of the JLA.

He would later be used by Batman as a "traitor" in the League in a ploy to defeatLex Luthor's Injustice Gang.Connor left the League afterward, feeling he was better suited for the street-level work and out of his element in the epic adventures of the Justice League, although he did remain on reserve status. During this time, he also developed a friendship withKyle Rayner,the latest Green Lantern, occasionally contacting Kyle for help if he felt that he was dealing with a problem that went beyond his skillset. One unique mission against the Eden Corps- the organisation responsible for Oliver Queen's death- saw Connor team up with a temporally-displacedHal Jordan,pulled from early in his career as a hero, with the two musing on how they had each never had a chance to know Oliver (As Hal was from a point before he had developed his close ties to the archer). He and Eddie returned for a time to the ashram where Connor was raised, although they both often returned to the outside world, aidingRobinat one point when his Brentwood Academy roommate had been attacked by a demon, and again when Robin, theSpoiler,andBatgirlwere attempting to protect Robin's father from an ancient cult.

Return to action

When Oliver returned from the dead, Connor left the ashram and tracked him down. After Connor manages to save his father from warlock Stanley Dover, Connor and Oliver move in together inStar City.The two live withMia Dearden,a runaway that Oliver has taken in and trained as his new sidekickSpeedy.Since returning to the superhero life, Connor has been wounded seriously twice, once by the villainOnomatopoeiaand once byConstantine Drakon,but he continues in his hero role. He is the voice of reason for Oliver, and the two have since formed a real father-son relationship. During his recovery from Onomatopoeia's attack, Oliver Queen and his former sidekickRoy Harperwent on a trip across the country recovering old possessions. One of them was an old photograph which revealed that Oliver had been present at Connor's birth, but later ran from the responsibility of being a father.Oliver kept this fact from his son. However, Connor already learned the truth years ago from his mother, and has already forgiven him without Oliver's knowledge.

"One Year Later"

During the 2006 "One Year Later"storyline, Connor is revealed to be on an island withMia DeardenandOliver Queenas Oliver trains for his return to Star City.

In November 2006, Connor starred in his own six issue miniseries, entitledConnor Hawke: Dragon's Blood.It was written byChuck Dixonwith art by Derec Donovan. Dixon stated, "A big surprise leads to major changes in Connor's life, particularly as it relates to his father."

At the end ofTony Bedard'sBlack Canaryminiseries, Connor takes Dinah's adoptive daughterSinto a safe location at Oliver's request. After the wedding of Oliver and Dinah, Connor resumes the mantle of Green Arrow after it is believed that his father has once more been killed. Along with Dinah and Batman, Connor is one of the few people who believes that Oliver is still alive. His suspicions are confirmed when it is revealed that Oliver is being held captive by theAmazons,and Connor and Dinah decide to stage a rescue attempt.Following the rescue of Oliver, as the family is reunited, Connor is shot through the chest byLeague of Assassinsmembers manipulated byShado.After taking Connor to the hospital, Oliver learns from Mia that Connor already knew of his father's abandonment. The doctors and Hal Jordan are able to save his life, but the bullet was coated with a devastating toxin, leaving Connor in apersistent vegetative statefrom which he may never emerge. Oliver is devastated by the knowledge that his son may never wake up and that Connor had forgiven him years ago. He vows never to leave his son again.

However, after Oliver and Dinah return home from getting married (the first marriage being void, with animposterposing as Oliver), the nurses tending to Connor are found dead, with Connor himself missing. Oliver begins a quest to find his missing son.This quest leads him toDoctor Sivana,who has utilized a neural patch to turn Connor into a mindless drone. Connor is rescued by Oliver and returned to his hospital bed, where he finally awakens from his comatose state.

After his coma, however, Connor starts exhibiting several unusual traits. Physically healthy, he's now amnesiac and oblivious to everything happened to him before waking up (even his life as a superhero) and he feels no pain at all and exhibits a strong healing factor, forcing Dinah to ask for outside help.

A brief examination of his physical make-up, made byBatmanandDoctor Mid-Nite,reveals how his DNA is now spliced withPlastic Man's, along with several other alterations fully accounting for his new healing factor and his currently very high pain threshold. His memories however come back only in a fragmentary, confused way, with none of the emotional attachments previously experienced, and his archery prowess was absent. To make up for his inability to use ranged weaponry Connor retains his mastery of the martial arts, enhanced by his advanced healing factor, able to close up bullet wounds in mere seconds.

"Blackest Night" and return

During the 2009–2010 "Blackest Night"storyline, Connor travels toCoast Cityand faces Oliver after he has been transformed into aBlack LanternbyNekron.Connor once again takes the mantle of Green Arrow. During their battle, Oliver mocks Connor by telling him that he always hated him because he reminded him of how old he was getting. Connor is hesitant to fight his father, but eventually stops him by spraying him withliquid nitrogen,freezing him solid. After Oliver's defeat, Connor, Mia, and Dinah join in the fight against the other Black Lanterns.

After this, Connor returns to the ruins of Star City (which had been destroyed just prior toBlackest Night) and tries to help maintain order. Connor is approached by Oliver, now a fugitive after having murderedPrometheus,the villain that destroyed the city in the first place. Oliver tries to talk to his son, but Connor angrily states that his battle with his Black Lantern father somehow jogged his memory, and that he now remembers all the terrible things Oliver had done to him. When Oliver tells Connor that he had thought he had forgiven him, Connor states that he no longer has the strength to forgive him for his transgressions. Though he refuses to turn Oliver over to the Justice League, he also refuses to help him, instead telling him to do the right thing for once in his life.

Infinite Frontier

Following DC Comics' 2011rebootof its continuity,The New 52,Green Arrow stories reverted to depicting a young Oliver Queen, with no known son.

Connor is eventually introduced to the post-Flashpointtimeline as a member of the League of Shadows, a splinter faction of theLeague of Assassins.He enters a fighting tournament held by the League of Lazarus, another offshoot of the Assassins. This version of Connor is shown to be a highly skilled and merciless fighter.He is confirmed to be the estranged illegitimate son of Oliver Queen.

TheDC Pride 2022anthology confirmed that Connor isasexual;"Connor is a character who a number of fans have interpreted to be asexual for decades, as he has often shied away from sexual moments or innuendos".The debut story, titled "Think of Me", was created by an entirely-asexual team consisting of Ro Stein, Ted Brandt, and Frank Cvetkovic.

Ethnicity

Connor is of mixed Asian, African, and European heritage (his mother was of half African American and half Korean descent, while his father, Oliver, is of European ancestry), and was originally depicted with Asiatic features, dark skin, and fair hair and eyes. However, this has not been consistently maintained across different artists and colorists, and when theGreen Arrowseries was rebooted the character was depicted with European features and light skin (even though a childhood picture in the laterArcher's Queststoryline depicted him with dark skin). Connor's original features were later restored with Dixon'sDragon Bloodminiseries. He now appears to have a mix of Asian and African facial features, along with his father's blond hair.

The Earth 2 version of Connor Hawke in the New 52 resemblesRoy Harpermore than his pre- "Flashpoint" counterpart, with light skin and red hair.

Parentage confusion

There's been confusion as to the identity of Connor's mother. Throughout the later issues of the firstGreen Arrowseries written byChuck Dixon,Connor's mother was identified as Sandra "Moonday" Hawke; a flighty ex-hippie, who had reportedly been one of many conquests for a young Oliver Queen. Moonday played a frequent supporting role in the series, often requiring rescue due to the machinations of her husband - an arms dealer named Milo Armitage, who would be a frequent foe of the newGreen Arrow.

Shado,an assassin who also mothered a child with Oliver Queen, is often identified as Connor Hawke's mother. One reason for this is because of aWizard Magazineissue, which identified Connor's first appearance in comics being inGreen Arrow(vol. 2) #24. While this was the first appearance of Shado's infant son (who was later revealed to be named Robert), Connor appeared as a man in his early-twenties inGreen Arrow(vol. 2) #0. Both Robert and Connor were seen together, many years apart in age, in Chuck Dixon's 2007Dragon's Bloodminiseries. Furthermore, inBirds of Prey#109, in whichBarbara Gordonidentifies Shado as Connor Hawke's mother when running down a list of women with whom Oliver Queen cheated on long-time girlfriendDinah Lance.WriterTony Bedardacknowledged this as an error on his part,with the error being removed in future printings.

Powers and abilities

Connor possesses no constant superpowers.

Connor does not possess the same level of skill as anarcherormarksmanthat Oliver does, but he is shown to be a far better hand-to-hand combatant/martial artist than his father and is still a very talented archer in his own right.

Throughout his various iterations, Connor is consistently shown to be one of the most skilled hand-to-hand combatants in theDC Universe.Connor has been able to stalemate and match talented combatants likeDamian WayneandLady Shiva,both some of the most talented fighters in the DC Universe. He is also a proficient swordsman, similar to his father and adopted sister Mia.

Due to Connor's training in the ashram, he can mimic fighting styles that he witnesses, though this is a learned skill and not ametahumanpower. WriterChuck Dixonused the Brotherhood of the Fist storyline to establish Connor as being among the best hand-to-hand combatants in the world, even going so far as to fight Lady Shiva to a standstill, in a battle for the title of the World's Deadliest Martial Artist. One Year AfterInfinite Crisis,Connor furthered his training, and like his father and Mia, is able to wield a sword proficiently.

According to the 2007 miniseries,Connor Hawke: Dragon's Blood,Connor has possibly received some measure of immortality, enhanced strength, and speed by bathing in the blood of a dragon. However, no mention of this has been made since the miniseries.

After the events told in theGreen Arrow and Black Canary2008 series, Connor is infected with a brain-damagingneurotoxinand spliced with DNA coming fromPlastic Manand other still unnamed sources; as a result, he's left largely amnesiac and unable to wield a bow with the necessary ability and coordination, but he's granted a highly effective healing factor and an even higher pain threshold. His martial arts mastery however is not influenced by his brain damage: in fact, coupled with his newly discovered metahuman powers, this makes him a feared warrior, almost unable to be deterred by pain and wounds. During the battle with Oliver during theBlackest Night,Connor is shown to be very proficient in the use of Japaneseshuriken.After theBlackest Night,Connor regained his memories.

Other versions

DC Animated Universe Comics

Connor Hawke appears inAdventures in the DC Universe#13 and #16.

Earth-16

The Earth-16 version of the character appears inThe Multiversity:The Just#1 (December, 2014). He is son ofOliver Queenand the father ofArrowette.He is a member ofJustice League.

Injustice

In the tie-in comic forInjustice: Gods Among Us,Black Canarynames her and Oliver's son Connor.Doctor Fatebrought both Black Canary and her son to a parallel universe following Green Arrow's death, where the former's counterpart has long died and its Oliver Queen has retired his role as Green Arrow and becomes a recluse. After meeting the Black Canary, the alternate Oliver decides to raise Connor as his son with the baby's mother. InInjustice 2,Black Canary, Prime Earth Green Arrow, and Connor are revealed to have returned to Connor and Dinah's original universe after the fall of Superman's Regime after the Prime Earth Superman defeated his corrupted counterpart. Black Canary and Prime Earth Green Arrow assist Batman in fighting crime and rebuilding the world; the young Connor displays an excellent marksmanship like his late-father under Prime Earth Green Arrow's tutelage and having his mother's metahuman power.

Earth 2

In 2011, "The New 52"rebooted the DC universe. A revised interpretation of Connor Hawke appears in the seriesEarth 2,which is set in an alternative universe within the DC Comics Multiverse. InEarth 2Annual #1, an archer named Red Arrow debuts and is recruited to join the World Army; he is believed to be identified by the name Roy McQueen.It is revealed that his name is Connor Hawke.This version of Connor is seemingly killed by monsters unleashed by the invading forces of the planetApokolips.The seriesThe New 52: Futures Endshows a successor Earth 2 Red Arrow to beOliver Queen.

In other media

Television

Arrowverse

Joseph David-JonesasEarth-16 John Diggle, Jr./ Green ArrowinLegends of Tomorrow

• A character known as "Connor Hawke" appeared in theLegends of Tomorrowseason oneepisodes "Fail-Safe" and "Star City 2046", portrayed byJoseph David-Jones.He is the Earth-16 version ofJohn Diggle, Jrand the son ofJohn Diggle's Earth-16 counterpart. He appears as Green Arrow inStar City.Blaming himself for his father's death, he feels undeserving of his name and instead takes on the alias Connor Hawke. He becomes the new Green Arrow after he believes Earth-16 Oliver had died, and tries to defend the city from the newDeathstroke,Earth-16 Grant Wilson. After defeating Deathstroke together, he and Oliver partner to rebuild Star City.In the crossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths",it is retroactively established that this reality is not the future of Earth-1 but Earth-16's.
• Arrow'sseason sevenintroducesflashforwardsthat take place in 2040 and featureConnor Hawke,once again played by Joseph David-Jones. However, this version is not John Diggle, Jr., but the son ofBen Turner,later adopted by John Diggle andLyla Michaels.He is an agent ofKnightwatch,who are described as a "good version ofA.R.G.U.S.",and works alongsideMia Smoak,the daughter of Oliver andFelicity.The eighth season reveals that Connor Hawke has an estranged brother namedJohn Diggle Jr.(portrayed byCharlie Barnett) who is the leader of the Deathstroke Gang.
• InArrow,Oliver fathered his illegitimate son,William Clayton,with his college classmateSamantha Clayton.The character is later introduced in its spin-offThe Flash,as a preadolescent portrayed byJack Moore.After Samantha's death, Oliver takes his son in, providing William a family after he marries Felicity Smoak. The season seven flashforwards feature an adult William (played byBen Lewis) teaming up with a group of vigilantes, including his half-sister Mia, to save Star City from theGalaxy Onecompany. The adult William is shown to be openly gay, the fact that his father and stepmother have known for years since he was a teenager.

Film

• InJustice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part One,whenGreen ArrowasksBatmanhow he knew his secret identity, Batman pulls up his file on the Batcomputer, which lists "Connor Hawke:Speedy"as one of his known associates.

Video games

• A character namedConnor Lance-Queenappeared inInjustice 2.He is the son of Green Arrow and Black Canary. He and his parents go back to their original world so Black Canary and Green Arrow can assist Batman with Connor being taken care of by a babysitter while his parents are off fighting the Society and Brainiac's forces. In Black Canary's single player ending, she discovers that Connor has inherited her sonic scream, allowing him to fight off the Brainiac forces attacking him indicating he is aMetahumanlike his mother. Connor also makes a cameo appearance in Harley Quinn's Ending, where he is shown in the background with his parents as Harley is spending time with her daughter Lucy (under the guise as Lucy's aunt as Lucy is unaware that Harley is her biological mother).