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- "From the moment your children are born, you worry what the world might do to them... but you never stop to think what you might do to them. That we could be our worst enemy."
- —Moira Queen to her son, Oliver[src]
Moira Queen (née Dearden;[1] born c. 1964[2]) is a philanthropist in Star City and the former CEO of Queen Consolidated. She is the widow of the late Robert Queen, the mother of the late Oliver Queen and Thea Queen, the mother-in-law of Felicity Smoak, the paternal grandmother of William Clayton and Mia Queen, the ex-wife of Walter Steele, and the former close friend/former lover-turned-enemy of the late Malcolm Merlyn.
After Oliver convinced her to do the right thing, Moira held a press conference and confessed her involvement in a conspiracy to destroy the Glades and everyone in it, masterminded by Malcolm Merlyn. She was immediately arrested for conspiracy to commit murder. Moira was tried and acquitted on all counts, due to threats made by Malcolm towards the jury members. It was also revealed that Thea is Malcolm's daughter, the result of a short-lived affair with Moira. Moira was running for mayor of Starling City but was killed by Slade Wilson with his sword in his mission of vengeance against Oliver.
When Oliver sacrificed himself to recreate the multiverse, Moira was brought back to life on Earth-Prime and given her original memories so she could remember her son's life. Moira attended Oliver's funeral to honor him and got to meet her grandson, William, and Robert's illegitimate daughter, Emiko Adachi.
Biography[]
Original multiverse[]
Early life[]
Moira Dearden was born in 1964 in Starling City and raised in an affluent family of great wealth and prestige.[3] She later met and married Robert Queen, and on May 16, 1985 (at age 21), Moira gave birth to their son, Oliver.[4] She was good friends with Rebecca Merlyn,[5] Jessica Danforth,[6] and Jean Loring.[7] At some point, Moira also met and became close friends with Malcolm Merlyn, Walter Steele, and Frank Chen.
Robert was frequently unfaithful and cheated on Moira with multiple women,[8][9] such as Isabel Rochev[10] and Kazumi Adachi. In her anger and frustration, Moira cheated on Robert with Malcolm shortly after Rebecca's death, though he was still grieving over his wife.[11] The affair was brief, but it resulted in the conception of Moira's second child and only daughter, Thea, who was born on January 21, 1995.[1] When Malcolm left Starling City after Rebecca's death, Moira and Robert took in Tommy Merlyn, whom they raised as their own son.[12]
Moira became acquainted with the Lance family through Oliver and Tommy's friendship with Laurel and Sara Lance. When Oliver started dating Laurel, Moira was supportive of their relationship.[13]
Oliver tells his mother that he made a girl pregnant.
In late 2005, Moira learned that Oliver got a girl, Samantha Clayton, pregnant. After a thorough investigation confirmed the child was indeed Oliver's, Moira believed this revelation could potentially ruin her son's life, so she went behind his back and made a compromise; Moira paid Samantha $2 million to tell Oliver she had a miscarriage and return to Central City to raise the baby in secret, away from the Queen family. Moira explained that "from one mother to another", she wanted both their children to have the best possible future and felt this was the right way.[14]
Samantha took the money, agreed to lie to Oliver, and moved to Central City, but she never cashed Moira's check. The attempted bribe also spurred Samantha to deny Moira access to the child, William. Moira was unable to pursue legal action against Samantha without alerting Oliver and her family to the truth.[15]
Losing Robert and Oliver, and involvement with Tempest[]
After they returned home from one of Ted Kord's fundraisers, Moira noticed Robert had been acting off and asked what was wrong. Robert revealed his accidental murder of local councilman Henry Goodwin, which prompted him to join Tempest as a way to atone for his mistake. He told Moira that Malcolm was planning on leveling the Glades, much to her horror. Moira begged Robert to stop The Undertaking, since murdering thousands of innocent people wouldn't absolve him of his mistake or help the city.
When Robert was about to board the Queen's Gambit to China, he assured a worried Moira he knew what to do to stop The Undertaking. Oliver arrived at the last minute, wanting to accompany Robert. He revealed he dropped out of his fourth college, much to their exasperation. Moira bid her husband and son farewell.[9] Soon after, Moira learned that the Queen's Gambit was supposedly lost at sea, much to her shock and devastation. She also found out from the dockmaster that Sara was on the yacht as well, prompting an even more heartbroken Moira to sadly disclose the news to Laurel and the girls' father, Quentin Lance.[16]
Following her husband and son's funerals, Moira fell into a state of depression for a time and began to shut herself out from the world, including Thea, eventually becoming a recluse.[17] One afternoon however, Walter arrived at the mansion and insisted he and Moira go out for lunch. With this, Moira gradually returned to the world and soon began a relationship with Walter.[18]
Moira suspected Malcolm was involved in the sinking of the Queen's Gambit, but didn't have any evidence. She formed a crew to search for the wreckage of the yacht. which was successfully found and retrieved in 2009 in the North China Sea, though no bodies were found. When the search team discovered that C2 explosives had been placed into the ship's hull, Moira realized the sinking wasn't an accident and ordered the team to investigate for any forensic evidence. When one of the workers tried to call Malcolm, Moira's bodyguard caught him. The man refused to say anything under interrogation, but Moira had her suspicions confirmed. Moira decided to shoot the worker dead, but couldn't bring herself to pull the trigger, so her bodyguard did it himself. Unbeknownst to them, the captain of the ship had called Malcolm and revealed Moira knew about the bomb.[19] Malcolm subsequently forced Moira to aid him in The Undertaking scheme by threatening her and Thea, and she reluctantly agreed.
In 2011, Moira and Walter got married.[20]
Oliver's return and Malcolm's Undertaking[]
In late 2012, Moira was preparing for an outing when she received a call from Oliver, her thought-to-be-dead son. Initially believing it to be a cruel prank, Moira tried to hang up but her son pleaded for her to listen. Oliver revealed he survived the sinking of the Queen's Gambit and was about to return home. Overjoyed, Moira proclaimed that she loved Oliver, crying over the phone.[21]
When Oliver arrived in Starling City, Moira went to see him at Starling General Hospital and was warned by Dr. Neil Lamb that "the Oliver [she] lost may not be the one they found ". He also told her that her son's body was full with scars. Moira brought her son home the next day, watching happily as Oliver reunited with Raisa and his sister, Thea. Over dinner that night, Moira was surprised when Oliver deduced she had remarried to Walter Steele and tried to assure her son she didn't mean to disrespect Robert's memory. That night, Moira went to check on her son as he slept and found him having a nightmare. She tried to wake him up, only for Oliver to suddenly flip her over and begin choking her. Oliver profusely apologized to his mother, but Moira assured him it was fine and he is home now.
Later when Oliver and Tommy Merlyn were kidnapped, Moira voiced concern over her son's safety, hiring John Diggle to be his bodyguard. The next night, Moira met with an associate, who assured her the police wouldn't track down Oliver's kidnappers. Moira decided not to arrange another abduction, choosing to use "other ways" to determine what Oliver knew about Robert.[20]
Upon hearing of a vigilante targeting the wealthy in the city, Moira was especially worried for her family's safety. In court when her son was legally resurrected, she became distressed as Oliver recounted his presumed death. Afterwards, Moira was eager for her son to tour Queen Consolidated, but Oliver declined due to apparent stress from court. That night when Diggle lost track of Oliver again, Moira confronted him over her son's disappearances, and when Oliver returned home, he claimed he needed company after being alone for so long. Upset over Oliver's carelessness, Moira expressed that she lost her son once and doesn't want to do so again, so she needs Diggle to accompany him whenever he goes out.
The next day, Walter and Moira gave Oliver a tour of Queen Consolidated, with Moira insisting that he follow in Robert's footsteps and take a leading position at the company. However, Oliver refused, prompting a brief argument over his legacy as Robert's son and leaving Moira disappointed. She attended the opening of the Robert Queen Applied Sciences Center, witnessing a "drunk" Oliver's speech about how he isn't like his father. Albeit somewhat mortified, Moira ultimately accepted that her son needed to follow his own path.[17] The next day, she met with Malcolm Merlyn[22] in a limousine, nervously confirming that Oliver is unaware of their plans or the fact that the Queen's Gambit was sabotaged.[17]
When Thea was arrested for breaking into a store and underage drinking, Moira was called out by Oliver for enabling her daughter by not disciplining Thea enough over her mistakes, just as she had done with him. This prompted Moira to draw the line, starting with grounding Thea for two weeks. A couple days later, Moira sat down with Thea and talked about Robert, something she hadn't done in years since his death. Moira acknowledged that she and her daughter have both have fallen into "bad habits", but expressed her belief that things could still change. That night, Moira and Walter attended the Unidac Industries auction. Thea showed up as well, much to her mother's pleasant surprise. Suddenly, the auction came under fire from a sniper. During the chaos, Moira and Thea were immediately taken to safety by Diggle.[23]
After Diggle quit as Oliver's bodyguard, Moira hired Rob Scott as his replacement. The next day when Walter was late for a lunch date, Moira came to collect him from Queen Consolidated. Walter explained he was dealing with a disappearance of $2.6 million from a subsidiary, slightly alarming Moira. That night, she attempted to prevent her husband from continuing to pursue the money trail by claiming she authorized the withdrawal to invest in a friend's start-up back in 2009, which seemingly placated him. Later, Moira met with Malcolm, who revealed to her that the vigilante isn't just going after the rich, but specifically targeting those on "The List". Afterwards, she witnessed Detective Quentin Lance arresting Oliver, accusing him of being the vigilante.[22]
While Oliver was being interrogated, Moira and Walter barged into the room, with Moira furiously accusing Quentin of arresting her son based solely on old grudges. Moira was incredulous when Oliver wanted Laurel Lance to represent him in court, but conceded out of desperation when he refused any other attorney. She approached Laurel at CNRI, but Laurel initially declined. Although saddened, Moira gracefully accepted her choice, apologizing for putting Laurel in this position and complimenting her idealism. Later though, Moira was present in court to see Laurel arrange for Oliver to be released on house arrest.
Back at the mansion, Moira was upset over Oliver being forced to wear an ankle monitor and became frustrated when he decided to throw a house party. She is later interrogated by Malcolm who suspects Oliver of being the Hood because of the evidence but Moira assures him that he is not. Moira later visits Walter who tells her that he has found the remains of the Queen's Gambit and Josiah Hudson was killed trying to move the wreck but Moira tells him not to look any further into the matter.
When Moira returns, a gunman has attempted to kill Oliver and Moira openly blames Quentin for accusing her son publicly and making him a target, Oliver is then cleared of charges when Quentin states that the Hood was seen elsewhere at the time and Moira offers her sympathies for his family's troubles, but calmly demands that he leave her home. She later visits Malcolm, knowing that he sent the gunman to kill Oliver and had Josiah killed, and threatens to destroy everything Malcolm was worked toward. Later, Walter leaves but doesn't know when he'll be back, much to Moira's concern.[4]
Moira burned the book that was known as "The List". She later had a brief meeting with Malcolm Merlyn which Diggle eavesdropped on and recorded, learning about the Undertaking that they have planned. Oliver, while hesitant to believe that Moira would be involved in such a thing, was convinced after hearing Diggle's recording. Oliver confronted Moira as The Hood to ask her about the Undertaking.
Moira shot The Hood in self-defense and nearly killed him. Later, Moira was questioned about The Hood confronting her by Quentin Lance.
Moira tried again to back out of the Undertaking and failed. She decided to pay the Chinese Triad, represented by China White, to kill Merlyn for her. Malcolm survived and asked Moira to discover who tried to have him killed. When Malcolm seemed on the verge of uncovering her plot, Moira betrayed her co-conspirator Frank Chen and set him up to be killed by Malcolm so that Malcolm would not discover she was the one behind the assassination attempt. She then begged that the life of Frank's daughter be spared, and Malcolm, as the Dark Archer, agreed.
Moira welcomed Tommy and Laurel into her home, while they were hiding from the assassin who was trying to kill the child they are watching over. When she was talking to Laurel later, she admitted that she liked who Oliver was when she was dating him.
Moira was online shopping with Thea when Oliver came in to tell them that Walter was dead. She went straight to Malcolm, furious with him for having Walter killed. Malcolm called someone to turn on a camera, and she was shown that Walter is actually alive. Oliver heard her admit that she contributed to the Undertaking.
Walter was distant from Moira as he realized that she was behind his kidnapping. He filed for divorce soon after. Oliver later talked to her, and they were both kidnapped by Diggle, disguised as The Hood. She confessed her involvement in the Undertaking, after John hit Oliver multiple times.
Oliver convinced Moira that she had to do something. She held a press conference where she admitted her culpability in the Undertaking out of fear for her family's life, and that Merlyn planned to destroy the Glades. After the statement in front of the Starling City press, she was arrested for conspiracy to commit murder.
After her arrest, Moira was denied the chance to attend Tommy's funeral.[24]
Prison, Trial and Malcolm's return[]
Moira was serving time in Iron Heights Prison and awaiting trial for her involvement in the Undertaking. Thea refused to visit her for five months, as she was still angry with her. After his second return from the island, Oliver visited Moira in prison, where she warned him not to trust Isabel Rochev. It is also implied that she suggested that Oliver ask her ex-husband, Walter Steele, for help to save the company from falling into Isabel's hands. After being kidnapped by The Hoods, Thea realized Moira was only trying to protect her and Oliver from danger. Thea visited Moira in prison for the first time since her arrest, and they shared a tearful exchange and hug.
Oliver and Thea at Moira's trial.
Thea visited Moira in Iron Heights prison and picked out a few clothes for her court appearance. Later that day she appeared in court and was threatened with the possibility of the death penalty however it was not decided. Later in her prison cell talking to her lawyer she says that her Thea and Oliver are in a good place and that she should stop digging into it as there are some questions that must never be answered.
Jean suggests to Thea that she break up with Roy, a previously convicted felon, to uphold Moira's reputation as a devoted mother who raised good children. Thea dumps Roy but does not reveal the real reason until Moira contacts Roy and Thea from the prison, bringing them together again.
Moira is put on trial for her involvement in the Undertaking and the resulting deaths of 503 people in the Glades. Laurel Lance tries to dissuade Moira from testifying in her own defense after discovering ADA Adam Donner has a "trump card" that will swing the jury against her. Moira later confesses to her children that Donner's trump card is the fact that she once had an affair with Malcolm Merlyn.
During the trial, Moira decides to take the witness stand. Laurel cross-examines her and reveals the affair with Merlyn in open court. However, the jury finds Moira not guilty on all counts despite the apparent strength of the prosecution's case. After she is released, Moira is taken by her driver to meet a very alive Malcolm Merlyn, who informs a stunned Moira that it was he who manipulated the jury to get her acquitted, and that he knows Thea is his daughter. It is implied that her and Malcolm's affair was not as brief as Moira claimed it to be.
When Malcolm demanded that Moira tell Thea the truth about her parentage, he made the mistake of mentioning Nanda Parbat. Moira did some investigating and learned that Malcolm was once a member of the League of Assassins. Thus, Moira contacted an emissary of Ra's al Ghul and informed him of Malcolm's survival. When Malcolm later visited her, Moira informed him that Ra's was displeased with his Undertaking and personally wants him dead. Having no choice but to run, Malcolm swore he wasn't done.
Moira and Thea attend Alderman Blood's unity rally for the citizens of Starling City. When the bomber Shrapnel attacks the rally, a lighting tower falls and nearly crushes Moira, but she is saved by Roy Harper, revealing his Mirakuru-enhanced strength to Thea.
Mayoral campaign[]
Moira has dinner with Walter and one of his colleagues, who try and convince her to run for mayor against Sebastian Blood, whose policies they believe would threaten the corporations of Starling City. At first, she believes both of them are in way over their heads as she doesn't believe anyone in Starling City would vote for her as a result of the Undertaking. However, Walter later points out that 43% of the people in Starling City do not blame her for the Undertaking, and that everyone loves a redemption story. After talking with Thea, who agrees with Walter and believes that Moira would make a great mayor, Moira soon agrees to run, but tells Walter (who is revealed to be aware that Thea is not Robert's daughter), that her OBGYN knows about Thea's true parentage and must be silenced throughout her campaign.
Moira is confronted by Felicity Smoak, who has figured out Thea's true parentage. Manipulating Felicity's feelings towards her son, Moira convinces her not to tell Oliver the truth.
She kicks off her mayoral campaign, with Oliver and Thea by her side. Later she then meets with Sebastian Blood, who tells her to get out of the mayoral race; she refuses and warns Blood not to underestimate her. An angry Oliver later meets with Moira, furious that she has hidden the truth about Thea from everyone, and even tried threaten Felicity to keep it from him. Moira pleads that she was doing it to protect their family, but Oliver declares that their relationship is over.
Slade's revenge[]
Moira is shown having an interview about her mayoral campaign. Thea interrupts the interview to states that Moira can no longer use Verdant for her campaign rally. Moira reminds Thea that she signed a contract, further alienating her daughter. Moira's campaign manager advises her that Moira cannot be a candidate and a mother at the same time. Later, she is shown telling Sebastian Blood that she is dropping out of the mayoral race, even though she is ahead in the polls. Sebastian requests an explanation, and Moira replies it's because her family needs her. Later, she is getting ready for her speech at the rally. Oliver comes in and demands to know why she is dropping out. She says that she needs to be with Thea. Oliver says that she should show Thea that she is a good person by changing Starling City as mayor. Moira then reveals that she has known that Oliver is the Arrow after the events of the Undertaking, and says she has never been so proud of him.
Oliver watch as Slade holds his mother and sister at gunpoint.
She makes her speech and decides to keep running for mayor. Then, she flees along with everyone else in Verdant when Roy Harper comes in. Later she is shown in a limousine with Thea and Oliver. Thea says that Oliver and Moira should tell the truth. Moira is about to reveal something to Thea and Oliver about Malcolm Merlyn (presumably that he is still alive) when the car is crashed into, knocking all the passengers out. Moira, Thea and Oliver were captured and tied up by Slade, who ordered Oliver to choose whether Moira or Thea should be killed. Moira volunteered herself to ensure that both of her children will live despite Oliver and Thea's protests. Slade expressed how Moira had true courage and it was a shame that it wasn't passed on to her son. Slade then stabbed Moira through her chest with his sword, killing her instantly. Oliver collapsed in shock and grief as Thea cried over her mother's body.[14]
New multiverse[]
During the Anti-Monitor Crisis, Oliver sacrificed his life to reboot the multiverse, creating a new universe, Earth-Prime, where another version of Moira existed with the same personal history as the former Earth-1 version, albeit with several key changes.[25]
In 2014, after Moira, Thea, and Oliver were abducted by Slade Wilson in his quest for revenge, Moira offered to sacrifice herself in order to protect Thea and Oliver. However, before Slade could kill her, Oliver broke free from his binds and quickly subdued him, which allowed Moira, unlike her previous Earth-1 counterpart, to survive the encounter.[25]
Oliver's funeral[]
Oliver's funeral.
Several years later, following the conclusion of the Anti-Monitor Crisis, Moira was made aware of her previous fate and Oliver's sacrifice, expressing disbelief that there used to exist a universe where she was dead and gratitude that her son was the reason that reality changed so she could live. Later, she attended Oliver's funeral along with Thea, meeting Robert's illegitimate daughter, Emiko Adachi and Oliver's son, William Clayton for the first time. She told Emiko that she was welcome to go to the Queen Mansion.[25]
Alternate reality[]
Oliver sees ghosts from his past.
In the alternate reality created by the Dominators, Moira was still alive and married to Robert. She had a good relationship with Oliver and Thea, proud of the people they became. Moira was delighted that Oliver was getting married to Laurel and would soon take over Queen Consolidated.[26]
Legacy[]
Original multiverse[]
Moira's funeral.
Moira's funeral was held at Starling City Cemetery, though Oliver couldn't bring himself to attend. After her death, Sebastian Blood was sworn in as mayor in Moira's place.[27]
Moira loved both of her children very much and despite her mistakes, she was not afraid to die to save them. However, Moira's constant secrets and lies greatly tarnished her relationships with Oliver and Thea.
Thea was devastated over her mother's death, regretful that Moira died believing the former hated her. She initially decided to leave Starling City after her mother's funeral.[27] While Moira did not live to see this, Thea ultimately matured even more after her death. Ironically, the one who helped her to do so is Malcolm Merlyn; the very person Moira failed to keep away from her daughter.[28]
Oliver was broken and defeated by his mother's murder and initially considered surrendering to Slade Wilson until Felicity, Diggle, and Laurel talked him out of it.[27] Moira got justice for her death after Oliver defeated Slade and imprisoned him on Lian Yu.[29]
When Thea was saddened on how Oliver changed and was no longer the person he was before, he reminded her that Robert and Moira sacrificed themselves so that they can live.[28]
During Oliver's duel with Ra's al Ghul, he was fatally stabbed through the abdomen and saw visions of Robert, Moira, Thea, and Felicity in his mind before falling to his presumed death.[30]
As Thea recovered from her resurrection by a Lazarus Pit, she initially believed Moira was still alive and began asking for her mother. Malcolm played into the idea, fearing that Thea would break down if she learned the truth in her current state. A day later though, Thea regained her memories and remembered Moira's murder.[31]
A year and a half after Moira's death, her good friend Jessica Danforth decided to run for mayor of Star City until her daughter, Madison, was kidnapped by Lonnie Machin. Madison was later rescued by Team Arrow and Jessica decided to step down from the election in fear of her daughter's safety. Inspired by the words of Quentin and Jessica about the city needing a hero in the light, Oliver decided to follow in his mother's footsteps and run for mayor,[6] eventually succeeding in May 2016.[32]
In late 2015, Oliver learned that Moira secretly paid off Samantha Clayton to keep their son, William, a secret from him. This revelation complicates his life and proves to be another one of Moira's mistakes; Oliver wants to be a father to William but is unable to acknowledge his son due to his mother's actions, leaving him hurt and angered at Moira for depriving him of his own child.[33]
Oliver used his mother's wedding ring to propose to Felicity.[34][35]
When Oliver tried to learn to use Light Magic against Damien Darhk, he needed to fight his own inner darkness; Moira's death was one of his visions which initially stopped Oliver from doing so.[36]
In late 2016, during the Dominator invasion, when Barry Allen/The Flash felt guilty for what happened by the "Flashpoint" timeline, Oliver comforted him to stop blaming himself by telling him about Robert's suicide and Moira's murder.[37]
When Thea began making increasingly morally dubious choices as Oliver's chief of staff to protect his identity and mayoral career, including slander and blackmail, Oliver warned her that she was becoming just like Moira, who had committed similar acts in the name of protecting her children. Upon realizing this, Thea decided to resign and leave the city for some time.[38][39]
Three years after Moira's death, Slade's mind was completely cleansed from the effects of the Mirakuru and he felt great remorse for his murder of the Queen matriarch. To atone for this, Slade helped Oliver battle Adrian Chase on Lian Yu and rescue his family and friends. Thea also hasn't forgiven Slade for murdering her mother, even expressing rage that Oliver would ask him for help since Slade was responsible for orphaning her and brother.[21]
Upon learning the existence of Emiko Adachi and how Moira made sure she and her mother were never taken care of, like Robert wanted, Oliver was completely disgusted by what she did and found it unforgivable.[40]
Oliver and Felicity's daughter, Mia Queen, was named after Moira.[41]
Moira was one of the people Oliver mentioned when confronting Emiko for her actions.[42]
In fall 2019, when Oliver visited Earth-2 to help Mar Novu in the upcoming crisis, he was overjoyed to meet Moira's doppelgänger. As Oliver spent time with Earth-2 Moira, he finally came to accept that his mother's decisions, while harmful, were always out of concern and love for children, having recently become a parent himself. Later while escaping Earth-2's Starling City during the planet's destruction, Oliver sadly embraced Moira's doppelgänger one last time before she was vaporized by antimatter, showing that he still loves his mother deep down.[43]
Personality[]
- "You possess true courage."
- —Slade Wilson to Moira before her death[src]
Moira was often immoral and ruthless, in an ends-justify-the-means sense; as she had Oliver, her own son, kidnapped, but tried to justify it as doing so to; prove that; he knew nothing about the Undertaking to protect him from Malcolm Merlyn. Despite her participation in the Undertaking, Moira was disgusted about this endeavor and ashamed of her actions, only complying to protect herself and her family, knowing that; Malcolm would kill them ;since he was responsible for Robert's death. Moira once tried to have Malcolm assassinated; by the Triad to prevent the deaths of thousands of innocents and ensure that; she and her family would be out from under his thumb; when the attempt failed, she betrayed her co-conspirator and old friend, Frank Chen to avoid her own implication. But Moira apologized to Frank; before he was killed and convinced Malcolm to spare Frank's daughter, Amanda.
Moira wasn't an ideal parent, always giving her children too much space. But after receiving encouragement from the reformed Oliver, Moira tried to be a better, more attentive parent; for example, she grounded Thea; when her partying behavior began to escalate.
Despite Robert's infidelity throughout their marriage, Moira cared for him deeply and was devastated over his death. She; even (initially) desired to keep Robert's cheating ways a secret from Oliver and Thea to preserve their memory of their father.
After the events of the Undertaking, Moira felt guilt and remorse for her involvement, and being partly responsible for the deaths of 503 people; including Tommy Merlyn; who was like a son to her, she almost went through; with the then-ADA, Adam Donner's agreement, both as penance and so her children would never learn of her affair; with Malcolm and that; he was Thea's biological father.
Upon discovering that; Malcolm was still alive, Moira revealed his status to Ra's al Ghul in a failed attempt to keep him away from Thea; Moira now openly despises Malcolm and will do anything to destroy his legacy as revenge for the atrocities he committed against her family.
Moira was; proven to be impressed in the face of determination and strength; despite her initial opposition; she expressed admiration for Oliver, Tommy and Thea's business venture, Verdant, acknowledging the nightclub as a success. She; even complimented Felicity Smoak's intelligence and capability; when the latter had discovered Thea's paternity; by tracing a wire payment on Tempest to Dr. Gill.
Moira had failed to learn from her mistakes; particularly keeping secrets from her children; when Felicity had revealed that; she had discovered the truth about Thea's paternity, and advised Moira to tell Oliver and Thea herself, Moira refused and; even tried to manipulate Felicity; into keeping quiet; by using the latter's feelings for Oliver; which ultimately backfired, thus; once the truth came out, Oliver disowned his mother for her lies and deceptions. Moira attempted to justify this; by claiming that; she was protecting her children; but in truth; she was actually protecting herself from how Oliver and Thea would react if they found out. Moira also never revealed to Oliver the truth about his son, William Clayton; even after he returned as a changed man from Lian Yu. Once Oliver found out a year and a half after her death, he was furious at his late mother for lying to him again, as well as for depriving him of his own son.
But after Thea was kidnapped; by Slade Wilson and learned her true paternity from him; which estranged her from Moira and Oliver, Moira finally realized that; her secrets nearly destroyed her family and willingly started to take responsibility for her mistakes. She; made amends; with Oliver and didn't appear to hold any ill will against Felicity for telling him the truth.
Moira initially considered backing out from her goal to become mayor of Starling City to work on being a better mother and mend her damaged relationship; with Thea, acknowledging that; she can't run a platform based on family when her own has fallen apart.
But; when Oliver had pointed out that; she could help save Starling City as mayor; which would both atone for her role in the Undertaking and allow Thea to see her as a good person, Moira decided to stay in the election, determined to turn over a new leaf and become the person the city and her family need.
Moira was revealed to have known about Oliver's secret identity as the Arrow for nearly a year; but fully accepted this, proud of the man that; her son had become. She even decided to tell Oliver and Thea the truth about Malcolm's fate; but was unable to; when all three of them were captured; by Slade. Moira; without any hesitation, sacrificed herself to ensure her children will live and spare Oliver the burden of choosing between her and Thea; demonstrating that; Moira was ultimately a complicated, yet loving mother; who's only goal was to protect her children at any cost.
Abilities[]
- "The people of Starling know that I have a vision, and the experienced apparatus to make that vision a reality."
- —Moira Queen[src]
- High-level intellect/Great business acumen/Expert tactician/Leader: Moira was an intelligent and cunning businesswoman, as seen when she ran Queen Consolidated and helped finalize the company's merger with Unidac Industries. She also (unwillingly) helped Malcolm Merlyn successfully plan the Undertaking and secretly coordinated an assassination attempt on the latter. Moira was very charismatic and a skilled leader, being Malcolm's right-hand woman in Tempest. Following her release from prison, she was able to eventually salvage her reputation by running for Mayor of Starling City and would have won the election had it not been for her murder.
- Expert investigator: Moira was an excellent investigator, as she was able to eventually track down and uncover the remains of the Queen's Gambit after it sank and was presumed lost. She is also a very observant woman, having deduced Felicity Smoak's romantic feelings for her son, Oliver, despite only knowing Felicity briefly. Moira even figured out Oliver's identity as the Arrow during the Undertaking.
- Expert of deception/Manipulator: Moira maintained her image of a philanthropist and businesswoman whilst planning the Undertaking. When confronted by the Hood, she manipulated the vigilante into lowering his guard, giving Moira an opening to shoot him. After the Triad's assassination of Malcolm failed, Moira was able to frame Frank Chen for the whole plan and make it seem as if she was still on Malcolm's side. Moira tried to use Felicity's feelings for Oliver to coerce her into keeping quiet about Thea's parentage, though this ultimately backfired, as Felicity refused to fall for it.
- Skilled markswoman: Moira was able to shoot the Hood in his chest from a fair distance whilst the latter was distracted,[44] just missing his carotid.[45]
- Network: As a former businesswoman, member of the social elite, and Tempest, Moira has many contacts with significant figures. Through Frank, she was also associated with the Chinese Triad and paid Chien Na Wei to assassinate Malcolm. Moira was even able to contact an emissary of Ra's al Ghul to inform the League of Assassins that Malcolm was alive.
Appearances[]
Arrow[]
Blood Rush[]
- "Roy to the Rescue" (mentioned)
The Flash[]
Season 1[]
- "Flash vs. Arrow" (mentioned)
Season 2[]
- "Legends of Today" (flashbacks)
Season 3[]
- "Invasion!" (mentioned)
Season 9[]
- "It's My Party and I'll Die If I Want To" (mentioned)
Comics[]
Arrow[]
- "Time's Arrow"
- "Prey"
- "Fathoms"
- "Huntress Year One"
- "The Pieces Missing" (flashbacks)
- "From the Darkness" (flashbacks)
- "Sacrifices: Part 2" (pictured)
Arrow: Season 2.5[]
- "Haunted" (vision)
Novels[]
Gallery[]
Promotional images[]
Arrow[]
Season 1[] |
Season 2[] |
Trivia[]
- Moira did yoga.[46]
- Moira enjoyed the salmon tartare at Table Salt.[47]
- Moira and Henry Allen have certain similarities;
- They are both the parent of their shows' main protagonists (Oliver Queen and Barry Allen).
- They were introduced in the first season of their respective shows and killed near the end of the second.
- They both lost their spouses due to their respective shows' first season antagonists; Moira lost Robert Queen due to Malcolm Merlyn setting a bomb on the Queen's Gambit that led to Robert killing himself. Henry lost Nora Allen to Eobard Thawne stabbing her with a kitchen knife.
- Their spouses also both died in their respective shows' pilot episodes, prior to the actual beginning time of the show.
- They learned about their children's secret hero identities and were supportive of them.
- They were killed by the second seasons' main villains to cause their children misery; Moira was killed by Slade Wilson out of vengeance (albeit he was under the influence of the Mirakuru at the time) and Henry was killed by Hunter Zolomon to make Barry feel his pain.
- They both served time in prison and were released within a year before they were murdered.
- Moira also bears similarities to the late Catherine Hamilton-Kane;
- Both were prominent businesswomen and philanthropists.
- Both embodied an end-justify-the-means philosophy regarding their questionable actions in protecting their respective families.
- Both became estranged from their families once their lies and deceptions were exposed.
- Both died protecting their children.
Behind the scenes[]
- Moira is the second character of Arrow, after Tommy Merlyn, within the main cast to die.
- Moira is one of the only main characters of Arrow that never visited any version of the Arrowcave. The other is Adrian Chase.
- In the DC comics, Moira Queen is indeed the mother of Oliver Queen and the wife of Robert Queen. She and her husband died during a hunting accident in the safari after being mauled by lions.
- In the DC comics, Mia Dearden is the name of the second Speedy. In the show, Dearden is Moira's maiden name.
- Intriguingly enough, Moira's daughter, Thea, used the name "Mia" as an alias while living in Corto Maltese[28] and has the middle name Dearden.
- The name was given to Moira's granddaughter, Mia Queen.
References[]
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| Other versions of Moira Queen | ||||
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| To see other versions of this character, click the Earth name below for that Earth's counterpart of Moira Queen. | ||||
| New multiverse | ||||
| Earth: Prime | ||||
| Original multiverse | ||||
| Earth: 1 • 2 | ||||
| Transmultiversal multiverse | ||||
| Earth: | ||||