Moira Queen

"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 to Oliver Queen

Moira Dearden Queen (c. 1964 — April 24, 2014 ) was the wife of the late Robert Queen, the mother of Oliver Queen and Thea Queen, the grandmother of William Clayton, the ex-wife of Walter Steele, the former close friend/former lover-turned-enemy of Malcolm Merlyn, a former friend of the late Frank Chen, and an old friend of Jean Loring and Jessica Danforth. After Walter was kidnapped by Malcolm, she became the new acting CEO of Queen Consolidated. After Oliver convinced her to do the right thing, she 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.

Early life
Moira was born in 1964. She met and married a man named Robert Queen, and in 1985 (at age 21) she had his son, Oliver. At some point Moira met and became close friends with Malcolm Merlyn, Walter Steele and Frank Chen. She also became good friends with Jessica Danforth and Jean Loring.

Robert was frequently unfaithful, and in her anger and frustration Moira cheated on Robert with his best friend Malcolm, who was grieving over his wife Rebecca's death. The affair was brief, but it resulted in the conception of Moira's second child and only daughter, Thea, who was born in 1995.

In 2007, Oliver got a girl, Samantha Clayton, pregnant. After a thorough investigation confirmed the child was in fact Oliver's, Moira went behind Oliver's back and made a compromise. Believing this could potentially ruin Oliver's life, she offered Samantha one million dollars if she told Oliver she had a miscarriage and another one million if she moved to Central City and never spoke to Oliver again, allowing both Oliver and her grandchild to have a "bright future." Although Samantha took the money, agreed to lie to Oliver, and moved to Central City, it was later revealed that she never cashed Moira's check. She also denied Moira access to the child, William. Moira was unable to pursue legal action against Samantha without alerting Oliver and her family to the truth.

Moira later tried to get out of Tempest and Malcolm Merlyn's scheme. In response, Malcolm slapped Moira.

Oliver's Return and Malcolm's Undertaking
Moira received a call from her thought-to-be-dead son, who had assured her that he was alive and well, and was about to return home. When her son returned, Moira went to the hospital and was told by Doctor Neil Lamb that "the Oliver you lost may not be the one they found". When Oliver was abducted, she voiced concern over his safety and hired John Diggle to be his bodyguard. However, she was later revealed to be the one behind Oliver's abduction after his arrival.

Moira was seen accompanying Oliver with the rest of her family and Tommy Merlyn to go to court to get Oliver legally resurrected. Later on, as Oliver was taken to his father's company, Walter and Moira tried to convince Oliver that he needs to be the one to run the company, although they were unsuccessful. After Oliver eludes his bodyguard Diggle again and again, Moira expresses to Oliver that she lost him once and doesn't want to do so again, so she wants Diggle to accompany him when he goes out. She is later seen getting into a limousine with Merlyn, talking with him and revealing that the ship Oliver and his father were on didn't shipwreck but was sabotaged by Moira and Malcolm.

Moira was further questioned by Merlyn, who informed her there is a hooded vigilante isn't going after the rich, but is targeting those on "the List". Later, Quentin arrived with multiple police officers and arrested Oliver, accusing him of being the vigilante.

When Oliver is in the interrogation room Moira and Walter barged in and stop it while talking to Oliver about attorneys to use but Oliver wants Laurel. Though hesitant at first Moira then does ask Laurel but she declines but eventually decides to do so and Moira is present to see it in court, though Oliver isn't arrested he is put under house arrest. Furthermore, Oliver decides to have a house party much to Moira's concern. 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 Oliver 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 apologists for his family's troubles but calmly tells him to get the hell out. 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.

She 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.

During flashback sequences, Robert confided in Moira about the Undertaking and she tried to convince him not to do it. In the present, she went 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 contributes 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.

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.

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 hers and Malcolm's affair was not as brief as she 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. Moira pleads that she was doing it to protect their family, but Oliver declares that their relationship is over.

Moira also appears in a flashback sequence, visiting Quentin and Laurel Lance in order to tell them that Sara was on the Queen's Gambit when it sank.

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. 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 hit. Moira is then shown tied up with Thea and Oliver, and Slade Wilson asks Oliver to choose which one of them should be killed. Moira volunteers herself, stating that both of her children will live. Slade states that Moira has true courage, and that it is a shame that it wasn't passed on to Oliver, then he stabs Moira to death with his sword.

Throughout the episode, Moira appears in a flashback sequence from seven years ago. Oliver finds out that he has gotten a girl pregnant, and Moira resolves the situation by giving the girl two million dollars to never contact Oliver again and say that she lost the baby.

Legacy
Moira loved both of her children very much, although she made mistakes, she was also not afraid to die for her children, however, her constant lies was what eventually destroyed her relationship with Oliver and Thea. While Moira did not live to see this; Thea ultimately matured even more after her death. Ironically, the one who helped her mature is Malcolm Merlyn; the very person that she failed to keep away from Thea.

Over a year later, her friend Jessica Danforth decided to run for mayor until her daughter Madison Danforth was kidnapped by Lonnie Machin. Madison was saved by Oliver and Jessica decided to step down for her daughter's safety. Oliver was inspired by the words of Quentin and Jessica, he then decide to follow in his mother's footsteps and run for mayor.

Oliver eventually learns that Moira kept his son William with Samantha Clayton a secret from him 9 years later, which complicating his life instead of making it better as he does want to be a father, and thus proving to be another one of her mistakes; as Oliver becomes very angry that his late mother deprived him of his own child and how it could risk his relationship with Felicity.

Because of her manipulative and lying traits, Moira was never allowed access to her grandson William, as Samantha (correctly) believe the latter would be a bad influence on her son; this makes Samantha the opposite to Moira in parenthood, as the former has proven herself to be a good mother to her own child without resorting to manipulation and constantly lying to William.

Personality
Moira was oftentimes ruthless and immoral, in an ends-justify-the-means sense. She had her own son kidnapped, but tried to justify it as doing so to prove he knew nothing about the Undertaking, and to save his life. She attempted to have Malcolm Merlyn killed, so that she would be out from under his thumb, she and her children would be safe, and to prevent the deaths of innocent thousands. When the attempt failed, she betrayed her co-conspirator and old friend, Frank Chen, to avoid her own implication and so she and her children would not be killed. Malcolm, as the Dark Archer, killed Frank. Despite evident and prevalent flaws, it should be noted that Moira convinced the Dark Archer to spare Frank's daughter, however, she disregarded the fact that Frank was Amanda's only family left alive, as this did not stop from him from orphaning Amanda.

As a parent, Moira was a poor one, always giving her children too much space. After receiving encouragement from the reformed Oliver, Moira tried to be a better parent, trying to ground Thea for breaking into a store and underage drinking.

After the events of the Undertaking, Moira showed guilt and remorse for her involvement, for being partly responsible, the deaths of 503 including Tommy, she almost went through with the assistant district attorney agreement just so her children would not find out about her affair with Malcolm and that Malcolm is Thea's biological father, when Moira discovered that Malcolm is still alive, she reveals he is alive to Ra's al Ghul.

Moira had failed time and again to learn from her mistakes, as her constant lies was what eventually destroyed her relationship with her children.

Moira eventually reveals to Oliver that she knows he is the Arrow. She, Oliver and Thea are kidnapped by Slade Wilson. Slade then makes Oliver choose who to kill the same way Ivo did for Shado and Sara. Slade decides to kill Thea but, instead Moira chooses to sacrifice herself. Slade kills Moira with his sword into her heart, leaving her to die.

Arrow
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Season 5
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Arrow

 * "Time's Arrow"
 * "Prey"
 * "Fathoms"
 * "The Pieces Missing" (flashback)

Arrow: Season 2.5

 * "Haunted" (hallucination)

Novels

 * Arrow: Vengeance
 * Arrow: A Generation of Vipers

Trivia

 * 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.
 * Moira Queen and Henry Allen have certain similarities.
 * They are both the parent of a show's main heroes (Oliver Queen and Barry Allen).
 * They get introduced in the first season of their respective shows and get killed near the end of the second.
 * They both lose their spouses due to their respective shows' first season antagonists. Moira loses Robert Queen thanks to Malcolm Merlyn setting a bomb that led to Robert killing himself and Henry loses Nora Allen to Eobard Thawne stabbing her with a kitchen knife. Their spouses also both died in their respective shows' pilot episodes.
 * They get killed by the second seasons' main villains to cause their children misery. Moira gets killed by Slade Wilson out of vengeance and Henry gets killed by Hunter Zolomon to make Barry feel his pain.
 * They both served in prison and were released within a year before they were murdered.

Behind the scenes

 * In the DC comics Moira Queen is indeed a mother of Oliver Queen and a wife of Robert, but both of Oliver's parents die during a hunting accident in the safari, when they are mauled by lions.
 * In the DC comics, Mia Dearden is the name of the second Speedy. Here it's Moira's maiden name and intriguingly enough Thea used the name Mia as a alias in Season 3 and has the middle name Dearden.