Damien Darhk (Arrowverse)

"You know, it is a shame that you won't live to see the new live that I breathe into this city...the new life I breathe into this world!"

- Darhk while fighting the Green Arrow "When I solve a problem, the problem dies!"

- Darhk

Damien Darhk is an antagonist in the TV series Arrow. He is mentioned in the third season and appears in the fourth season as the main antagonist. He also makes a guest appearance in two other co-existining shows The Flash and DC's Legends of Tomorrow.

Darhk is portrayed by Neal McDonough who also portrayed M. Bison and voiced Deadshot in Batman: Assault on Arkham.

Overwiev
Initially a member of the League of Assassins, Darhk was forced to flee after a falling out with Ra's al Ghul. Given that he lived before Ra's took over the league, he is at least 600 years old. He continued the League's ways, but through his own organzation called H.I.V.E.. As its leader, Darhk opposed the Green Arrow multiple times through agents, but the Arrow and his team did not connect the actions to Darhk. He send fellow H.I.V.E. member Milo Armitage to acquire Malcolm Merlyn's earthquake device, gave Gholem Qadir save haven to Markovia and hired another man to steal a file from A.R.G.U.S.

At one point, Darhk came into possession of a ancient idol which gained him the ability to perform magic. The idols' powers were caused through death - the more people Darhk killed the more powerful he became. Many members of H.I.V.E.'s leadership who were dissatisfied with Darhk were now forced to accept his superiority.

Darhk and H.I.V.E. eventually came to Star City in order to succeed with a H.I.V.E. operation called Genesis. The operation was supposed to cause complete nuclear annihilation and extermination in order for H.I.V.E., whose members would have safely endured the apocalypse in an underground bunker, to rebuild. At Star City, Darhk used his influence to get rid of the city's leadership to have the city sink into chaos, allowing him to take control unseen. While the Green Arrow found out about Darhk he tried to stop him but was swiftly defeated by Darhk's magic. Oliver tried to take down Darhk and his operation more than once but was defeated every time he came close to Darhk in combat.

Eventually, Oliver Queen announced his intention to become mayor of Star City, which did not sit well with Darhk who needed the city in chaos. Damien initially tried to bribe and threaten Oliver into stepping down but Oliver remained determined. A feud between the two men ensued and when Oliver released Darhk's name, photo and occupation as leader of the group terrorising Star City to the media, Darhk retorted by ordering the assassination of Oliver's spouse Felicity Smoak, though Felicity was merely rendered terminally paraplegic. While trying to prevent Oliver from becoming mayor he also sent his wife Ruvé into the preelection.

In one of his tries to get rid of the Green Arrow, Darhk hired the hitman Lonnie Machin but later gave him up to the police as Machin proved to be unreliable and chaotic. This caused a deep hatred for Darhk in Machin, eventually leading to Machin attacking Darhk's house and kidnapping Darhk's wife and daughter. Ironically Darhk's family was saved by Darhk's nemesis, the Green Arrow.

After finding out about Darhk's idol, Oliver and his team with aid of fellow heroine Vixen located the idol at Darhk's mansion at Skywoods. They launched an attack on Skywoods and with combined forces were able to steal and destroy the idol. Darhk, now powerless, was easily defeated by Oliver and taken into custody by the SCPD. During a trial in which Detective Lance confessed about working with Darhk, Damien was sentenced to prison confinment until his true trial could commence. In prison, Darhk was visited by Malcolm and told that H.I.V.E. would not free him but continue Genesis without him. He was later attacked and beaten up by a prison gang led by Murmur, making him realise the gravity of his situation. He however used the oppurtunity to gain Murmur as an ally by threatening his only living relative. After forcing Murmur to kill his two henchmen, Darhk told him to call his organization and have the "other message" delivered.

With help from Murmur's gang, Malcolm Merlyn and his hidden asset Andrew Diggle, Darhk was able to start a prison riot in which Malcolm returned the idol to him. With his powers refueled, Darhk killed Laurel Lance as punishment to her father before fleeing from the prison.

After breaking out, Darhk killed H.I.V.E. members Nixon and Armitage for leaving him in prison. He then attacked a A.R.G.U.S. convoy carrying the organization's leader Lyla Michaels. From her, he obtained the Rubikon codes, an important part for Genesis. He intended to kill Lyla but was stopped by the Green Arrow, who was able to repel Darhk's magic. Frightened by Oliver's new powers, Darhk fled the scene.

With the Rubikon codes, Darhk started the launch sequence for the nuclear missiles. Despite the best efforts of Team Arrow who managed to deactivate almost every missile, one missile hit the city of Havenrock, killing tens of thousands and thus gaining Darhk a gargantuan power boost. Genesis fails however, as Lonnie Machin infiltrated the Ark and captured Darhk's wife and daughter. Machin later killed Ruvé despite the best efforts of Team Arrow to stop him. The team fought Machin, causing a massive explosion that destroyed the entire bunker. After having received news of the death of his family (unaware that his daughter Nora was saved by the Green Arrow), Darhk ordered his men to reclaim Rubikon as he was ready to see the world burn.

Darhk was eventually engaged by Oliver once more which led to a fight between the two on the streets of Star City. While Darhk was joined by H.I.V.E., the citizens of Star City rallied behind Oliver which led to a final battle throughout the city. Eventually, Oliver managed to defeat Darhk and, despite Damien not believing that Oliver had it in him, stabbed and killed him with an arrow.

Killed Victims

 * Alvarez
 * Mina Fayad
 * Evelyn Sharp's father (Caused) 
 * Evelyn Sharp's mother (Caused)
 * Tomas
 * Laurel Lance / Black Canary
 * Sara Lance / White Canary (Erased Timeline)
 * Quentin Lance / Detective (Erased Timeline) 
 * Milo Armitage
 * Phaedra Nixon
 * Cooper Seldon
 * 10,000 + Havenrock residents (Caused) 
 * Several unnamed A.R.G.U.S. agents
 * Several unnamed H.I.V.E. members
 * Numerous unnamed people (Caused and Direct) 

Trivia

 * The wife of Neal McDonough, the actor who portrays Darhk, is also called Ruvé.
 * It seems that he doesn't know the Flash or at least does not recognize his signs, as he is completely oblivious what happened when Flash saves Oliver.
 * It is implied that Darhk has a reputation throughout the world of magic. Even a powerful sorcerer like John Constantine is frightened by him and would rather leave Star City than to face him.
 * During an argument at an arms auction in 1975, Damien was derisively nicknamed "The Master Race" by Mick Rory because of his blonde hair, blue eyes and nazi-esque uniform. Ironically Damien himself stated to have despised the Nazis.
 * Damien was aware that Malcolm Merlyn was Ra's al Ghul, and that his ex-best friend is dead; implying that he had some remaining connections within the League of Assassins before the league fell.