Cookie-Cutter Counterparts: Green Arrow and Speedy

From the outset, the Oliver Queens of Earths One and Two are near mirror images of one another. Each is a wealthy playboy who later becomes their world's most accomplished archer. And both have sidekicks known as Speedy.

That said, the golden age Arrow of Earth-Two had an interest in American Indian artifacts, which brought him to Lost Mesa where he met future ward Roy Harper and where both learned to love archery. The silver age Arrow of Earth-One found his footing as an archer while on a deserted island, later meeting Roy Harper.

Additionally, while the early Roy's first guardian was a native American named Quoag, the later Roy's was named Brave Bow. Neither were in the boys' lives for very long.

Another point of divergence was that at the point when Green Arrow and later Speedy were invited to join the Justice League and Teen Titans, respectively; their counterparts were already members of Law's Legionnaires when the Justice Society had been operating separately. Hence, the Earth-One battling bowmen were more part of the mainstream of superhero community, while the Earth-Two duo were not as highly acclaimed...although they joined the All-Star Squadron along with all mystery men of their day.

Then tragedy struck each yet in different ways. For the original pair, they along with their fellow Legionnaires were pulled through time after battling a cosmic entity to different centuries, with Arrow in the time of Robin Hood and Speedy in the days of ancient Greece. They were men out of time disconnected from the 1940's.

Meanwhile, the modern day Arrow found his fortune in essence stolen by a bitter rival, and found his beloved partner Speedy a heroin addict. Both men eventually recovered and picked up the pieces of their lives, although now together, deciding it best to live apart.

What is truly interesting is how, several months after Earth-One's Green Arrow and his girlfriend Black Canary faced Speedy's devastating decision to self-destruct, they encountered Earth-Two's Green Arrow and Speedy. No words seem to have been exchanged from the sole picture of blonde Oliver meeting his brunette haired twin and junior pal, perhaps this only reminded him of his own personal regrets at drifting away from his partner. Although it's telling how both Arrow is facing the young Speedy, with his back turned to the original Avenging Archer. And perhaps, seeing a lonely Arrow caused the Earth-Two pair to cling closer together and make a new life as civilians... retiring from the stress of their other lives. Although, years later after the passing of fellow Legionnaire Crimson Avenger, the tragedy of their time lost overwhelmed this Speedy.

During and after the Crisis on Infinite Earths, it was only Earth-Two's Green Arrow who participated as had his counterpart, with neither Speedy suited up for this conflict. And eventually, the golden age Ace Archer died during an attack by agents of the Anti-Matter Universe, while his young ward now no longer fitting into this new reality apparently ceased to exist. Or did he?

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An asides: Oliver Queen on Earth-One eventually became a commentator for Star City's Daily Star, while the Earth-Two Oliver's teammate Crimson Avenger was the publisher of the Daily Globe-Leader (its postulated these two organziations mirror each other similar to Metropolis' Daily Planet and Earth-Two Daily Star).