Notable aliases Overwatch | Full name Felicity Megan Smoak | |
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First appearance The Fury of Firestorm # 23, (May 1984) Similar Oliver Queen, John Diggle, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Speedy | ||
Felicity Smoak is a DC Comics character. Her first appearance was in The Fury of Firestorm #23 (May 1984), created by writer Gerry Conway and artist Rafael Kayanan. She was originally the manager of a computer software firm who opposed the superhero Firestorm because of his recklessness, eventually becoming the second wife of Edward Raymond and stepmother to Ronnie Raymond, one-half of the integrated dual identity of the superhero.
Contents
- The Fury of Firestorm
- The New 52
- DC Bombshells
- Live action
- Print media
- Animation and video games
- References
A re-imagined Jewish version of the character is portrayed by Emily Bett Rickards in the television series Arrow, who later operates under the alias Overwatch, with a similar version of Felicity introduced briefly as the New 52 incarnation of the character in Green Arrow (vol. 5) #35.
The Fury of Firestorm
Portrayed as the supervisor of a New York computer software firm in her 1984 debut appearance, Firestorm first encounters her in the course of one of his battles with a villain, where he inadvertently magnetizes and effectively destroys several of the computers storing the software programs in development. This results in millions of dollars in property damage, which threatens to ruin the software firm and leads to a heated confrontation between Felicity and Firestorm where she threatened to organize a class action lawsuit against him. Felicity would make recurring appearance, often taking an adversarial role against Firestorm and making a point of explaining what the collateral damage of his battles cost her and other civilians. On one occasion, a frustrated Firestorm lashes out against Felicity's confrontational behavior by using his molecular transmutation powers to transform her clothes to soap suds, a tactic he previously used on the supervillain Plastique. Humiliated from being rendered nude in public, Felicity retaliates by filing a lawsuit against him.
At some point, Felicity develops a romantic relationship with Ed Raymond. She has no idea that Ed's son Ronnie is the other half of Firestorm. When Ronald discovers that Felicity is seeing his father, he is uncertain how to treat her due to their past interactions. Over time, Felicity and Ed fall deeply in love and are married. After the wedding Felicity learns the truth about Ronnie's secret dual identity, but by this point she had forgiven him for his past transgressions and stopped berating him, although she would still insist on reminding him about the importance of using his superpowers in a responsible manner.
The New 52
DC Comics rebooted its comic properties in 2011 as part of a relaunch entitled The New 52, which led to the character of Felicity Smoak being brought back in a fashion similar to the version seen on Arrow. The New 52 version of Felicity Smoak is introduced in 2014 in Green Arrow #35, the first issue of that book to be written by Arrow showrunner Andrew Kreisberg. In #35, she is introduced in an end-of-issue cliffhanger as an assassin out to kill Oliver, but quickly explains that while she is a hacker-for-hire who has "done questionable things" in her past, "leading a hero to his death isn't one of them", explaining she did not know her target was the Green Arrow when she accepted the job. After proving her hacker credentials by explaining to him that she knows his secret identity, as well as highly specific details from his superhero, personal, professional and family lives, she offers to become a part of his team out of a desire to help him save the city. Surmising that whoever hired her to kill Oliver has extremely evil plans, she teams up with Green Arrow to track down her client's other target, a woman named Mia Dearden, who they soon discover is being pursued by the deadly archer Merlyn.
Later in the same storyline, Felicity is arrested and placed in a Supermax facility for her many cybercrimes, where she shares a cell with Cheetah; it is established that Felicity had once been hired to dox Cheetah, putting the villain and her loved ones in added danger. Oliver saves her from Cheetah with some help from Steve Trevor of A.R.G.U.S. Ultimately, Oliver saves Mia from the man pursuing her and her father John King. Oliver also exposes him as a murderer who used bribery and corruption to control Seattle. Felicity is then invited by Trevor to join A.R.G.U.S., but appears to reject his offer in favour of working with Oliver.
DC Bombshells
In an alternate history version of World War II, a young Felicity and her family were evicted from their house in Gotham City by their landlord because they violated the law by taking care of some relatives, who have fled the horrors of Europe. The landlord tries to take some of their personal belongings, justifying as taking back rent. Felicity argues with him, saying she won't turn her back to her own family. Fortunately, a team of Batgirls come to the rescue, saving the Smoak family and all their belongings. Felicity and her family are later moved to a safe house by the young heroines. Smoak eventually joins the Batgirls and dons a costume herself.
Live-action
Felicity Smoak appears in the television series Arrow, a reimagining of the Green Arrow mythos, portrayed by Emily Bett Rickards. The character also makes appearances in Arrow spin-offs The Flash and and Legends of Tomorrow.
In season one, Felicity is a computer genius IT worker at Oliver's father's company who is recruited to work on technical matters for Oliver in his vigilante quest. She was originally introduced in the third episode of season one, "Lone Gunman", as a one-off character, Rickards went on to recur across season one as a result of positive reactions both from co-star Stephen Amell, and Warner Brothers producer Peter Roth. Felicity quickly deduces the nature of her assignments for Oliver and becomes a willing assistant to Oliver. As time develops, she becomes command central for Oliver and his small band of fellow vigilantes, and takes the codename Overwatch. From season two onwards, the show begins exploring Oliver and Felicity's romantic potential, and the two elope at the end of season three. In season four, they are engaged, but break up due to Oliver lying about having a son. However, Felicity remains a vital part of the team and occasionally provides assistance to Barry Allen, hers and Oliver's friend in Central City who operates as the Flash.
Print media
The character features in the tie-in comics, Arrow Season 2.5, which bridge the gap between the second and third seasons of the television show.
She also features in the tie-in novels published for the series, Arrow: Vengeance, written by Oscar Balderrama and Lauren Certo, The Flash: The Haunting of Barry Allen written by Susan and Clay Griffith, and its' up coming sequel Arrow: A Generation of Vipers from the same authors.
Animation and video games
Rickards provides the voice for the character on seasons 1 and 2 of the web-series Vixen.
The character also appears as a character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham as part of the Arrow DLC pack.