Prometheus (Arrowverse)/Synopsis

Prometheus is the main antagonist in the fifth season of the TV series Arrow.

Origins
Simon Morrison was born April 21 1986 to Justin Claybourne and an unnamed woman with the surname Morrison who would later change her name to Amanda Westfield. Little else is known of his earlier life but he apparently grew up to be a psychopath according to his father's lawyer.

In 2004, he met Oliver Queen while he was trying to pick up his girlfriend, though Oliver wouldn't remember this until 2016.

At some point, Simon met a woman named Doris. He fell in love and the two eventually married. At that point, he was already known as Adrian Chase.

At some point in 2012, Adrian suffered a loss at the hands of the vigilante known as "The Hood"; who killed his father Justin Claybourne due to the latter's corruption. According to Amanda, after Justin's funeral, her son disappeared,. He'd also erased all evidence of his existence from the Internet and other sources.

Seeking revenge on the Hood for his loss, Adrian sought out and became a student of Talia al Ghul, a member of the League of Assassins, who supported him because Oliver killed her father as well. Adrian was trained by Talia in combat and archery, also learning specific moves from her. After his training was complete, he armed himself with weapons like those of the Hood, forging arrows from the SCPD's collection of the Hood's recovered arrows from various crime scenes. His costume resembles a black and more intimidating version of the Hood, and he took the name "Prometheus". He also became aware of "The List", the book that the Hood used to find his targets, and came to learn of time travel, the team known as the Legends, and the existence of parallel versions of "Earth-1".

After the demise of District Attorney Susanna at the hands of infamous terrorist and sorcerer Damien Darhk's henchmen, Adrian took her place. He became an assistant to the new Mayor of the city, Oliver Queen, who by now he is presumed to have known to be the Green Arrow. 5 months after Darhk's rampage is ended by the Green Arrow, Adrian begins his crusade against Oliver.

Starting his crusade
After having been kidnapped by crime lord Tobias Church, Star City mayor Oliver Queen creates a special force team of trusted police officers. When one of these officers leaves the precinct through a backdoor, he sees a figure looking like Green Arrow on the roof above him. Believing the person to be Green Arrow, the policeman asks whether Green Arrow wants something from him. The person, however, is not Green Arrow but Prometheus who shoots an arrow into the man's chest. Panicking, the man draws his pistol and shoots at Prometheus who easily dodges and evades the bullets. With a throwing knife, Prometheus disarms the policeman, who runs off, but is brought to fall by another of Prometheus' throwing stars. Prometheus approaches him and tells him that he is most certainly not Green Arrow before finishing off the policeman with a Katana. After Church had almost killed the Green Arrow in a fight, Prometheus confronts Church. After killing two of Church's henchmen with arrows, Prometheus hurls an axe in Church's back. To the injured Church, he reveals that he will kill him should he succeed in killing the Green Arrow, claiming that the Green Arrow belonged to him alone. He gives his name as Prometheus.

Later, Adrian, as the new DA, introduces himself to Oliver and tells him about the unfortunate "death" of Derek Sampson. When it is discovered that Sampson is actually alive, Adrian asked Oliver convince Judge Pittson to get a warrant to search known hideouts of Church. Oliver agrees, and in the resulting conversation Adrian reminds him about their meeting in 2004. He also meets the new Deputy Mayor, Quentin Lance, who is now known to have served Damien Darhk, but does not hold it against him, knowing that he wouldn't have done it had he had any other choice. They both later delivered a package from Palmer Tech directly to the SCPD evidence lockup, which turns out to be an activated bomb which goes off and allows Church to steal weapons from the lockup. That night, Adrian interrogates Church henchman Espinoza and threatens to beat the answers out of him. Espinoza does not believe him,but Adrian coldly assures him that justice in Star City is carried-out by vigilantes. Meanwhile, Church and his men arrive at the Anti-Crime Unit HQ and trap them there, but Ragman, Oliver's new protege, arrives to save them. The rest of Team Arrow, including Mr. Terrific and Artemis, arrive to assist.

Killing Church
After Church has clashed with the Green Arrow again, having kidnapped and tortured his protegee Wild Dog, Prometheus pays Church a visit again. He shoots an arrow at Church, which is dodged by Church's guard Scimitar. Prometheus tells Church to consider this as his second warning, also stressing that there will not be a third one. After Church ignores Prometheus' warning once more, having been ambushed and defeated by the Green Arrow and his team while trying to carry out his big plan, Prometheus attacks the convoy transferring Church to Iron Heights prison. After murdering every policeman guarding the convoy, Prometheus opens the door to the truck that holds Church. Church tries to bargain for his life, even telling Prometheus that the Green Arrow is Oliver Queen, but Prometheus kills him nonetheless by hurling a blade into his throat.

By having killed Church, Prometheus has made his presence known to Oliver. By using Church's cellphone, he lures Oliver, who is accompanied by John Diggle, into a warehouse where he has left a message for Oliver. Once the two enter the warehouse a paste on the floor ignites, forming the words "So it begins".

Revealing himself to Star City
In the next days, Prometheus starts killing citizens of Star City with throwing stars. The public eventually finds out and starts referring to Prometheus as the "Throwing Star Killer". The city starts panicking and when Prometheus is presumably spotted near a fair, a panicked riot ensues. Oliver and his team find out that the names of Prometheus' victims are anagrams to people whose names were on 'The List'. From these anagrams, the team deduces possible future victims of Prometheus and starts observing them. When Evelyn Sharp covers one of the targets in a metro, Prometheus indeed appears. Evelyn shoots at him, but the arrow bounces off his armor. Artemis attacks him in close combat and is able to make him bleed but is then beaten down by Prometheus, who turns around and almost murders his victim. Before he can do so, he is shot in the knee by an explosive arrow fired by the Green Arrow. Before the arrow explodes, Prometheus rips it out and hurls it into the train's ceiling. Prometheus escapes the train in the resulting explosion, leaving a bomb to take down Oliver, Evelyn and the team. The three escape the train before it can go off.

By analyzing the throwing starts Prometheus used, Felicity finds out that the throwing starts are made out of remelted arrows used by Oliver throughout the years. The same moment, Deputy Mayor Lance wakes up at home, bearing the same wound Evelyn dealt to Prometheus. He also finds a throwing star next to himself, implicating him and making him scared as to what this means.

Manipulating Evelyn
Later, Prometheus meets Artemis and manipulates her into turning on the Green Arrow and siding with him; given that she had previously blamed him for the deaths of her parents at the hands of Damien Darhk. Through her, Prometheus learns the names of everyone on Team Arrow and, to make her hate him even more, reveals to Evelyn that the Hood and the Green Arrow, who has drastically-changed from his early vigilante days, are one and the same. While trying to locate the dangerous gunman Vigilante, who is after bank robber Eric Dunn, Adrian interrogates Dunn's associate Laura Buser. At first, she tells him to go to hell, but Adrian gives her a cold stare and assures her that he'd already been there. After Adrian slams his hand into her mask to intimidate her, Buser gives up Eric's location - the Papp Motel. However, despite Team Arrow's efforts, Vigilante manages to escape. The same night, Prometheus meets up with Evelyn Sharp, who tells him "they don't suspect a thing".

On a later night, Prometheus is visited in his lair by Artemis who hands him photos of every person close to Oliver, basically the entire Team Arrow. When Prometheus doesn't reply, Evelyn reminds him of the deal they struck - in exchange for intel Evelyn would be allowed to be present when Prometheus strikes down Oliver. When Evelyn stresses the point that she wants to be there when Prometheus kills Oliver, Prometheus claims that he won't kill Oliver but that he will make Oliver wish that he was dead.

Connection to Claybourne
The same night, during the mayor's holiday party at City Hall, Prometheus attacks Curtis Holt, a member of Team Arrow, and his husband Paul when they leave the building. When Curtis tries to defend the two of them, Prometheus easily knocks him down the stairs and hurls a blade into his chest. Prometheus disappears immediately afterwards. Curtis survives and describes the attack to Oliver, causing Oliver to realize that Prometheus knows that Oliver Queen is the Green Arrow. At the hospital, the doctors find out that the blade Curtis was attacked with was smeared in a drug called dychloserol. The drug is one the Green Arrow encountered before, while taking down the corrupt CEO of a pharmaceutical company. Oliver believes that the drug on the blade was a message from the CEO, Justin Claybourne, who was supposedly killed by Oliver, and believes Claybourne to be Prometheus. Oliver and his team head to the abandoned Claybourne factory where Oliver is easily able to overcome all security measures. Oliver realizes that Prometheus is letting him inside. Eventually, Oliver enters a room where he is awaited by Prometheus. Oliver addresses Prometheus as Claybourne, claiming that he failed the city. Prometheus replies that he did not fail it as much as Oliver. Oliver replies by shooting an arrow at Prometheus but Prometheus splits it perfectly in half by throwing a throwing star. Oliver and Prometheus start fighting, both displaying similar tactics during their fight. Prometheus eventually overpowers Oliver, drawing a sword and claiming that he waited four years for this. The same moment, Artemis and Wild Dog enter the room and Wild Dog shoots Prometheus' sword out of his hand. Evelyn then reveals her true colors by disarming Wild Dog as well. Evelyn then shoots an arrow to the floor, creating a bright explosion in which Evelyn and Prometheus escape. Later, ashes from an urn Prometheus carried with him are analyzed and are revealed to be Claybourne's, revealing that Claybourne is not Prometheus after all.

When GCPD officer Billy Malone, who is also the boyfriend of Felicity Smoak, later searches Claybourne's former office for information, he finds a picture of a baby in Claybourne's desk. He sends it to Felicity but is confronted and abducted by Prometheus immediately afterwards. Analyzing the picture, Felicity finds out that the child in the picture is Claybourne's son, who would be in his thirties today. Claybourne's son, whose name the team does not yet know, becomes their next suspect. Oliver also reveals to the team that Prometheus used a specific move during their fight, something Oliver was taught in Russia. Oliver suspects that Prometheus was trained by the same person Oliver learned the move from. Remembering where he encountered and killed Claybourne in the past, Oliver heads there. Prometheus awaits Oliver on the same spot Oliver killed Claybourne. When Oliver arrives, Prometheus asks whether Oliver hesitated even for a moment when he killed Claybourne or whether Claybourne was just another name for him. The two then battle again, with Prometheus fleeing into the building. Oliver follows him and while he searches the abandoned rooms for his enemy, Prometheus taunts Oliver via loudspeaker about how he knows everything about him. Prometheus promises Oliver that he is not a hero, he's a killer and that everything he touches dies. At the same moment the lights go on and, spotting a figure behind him, Oliver shoots three arrows into the chest of whom he believes to be Prometheus. However, he is shocked when he sees that the weapon was instead duct taped to the person's hand. Oliver realizes he did not kill Prometheus. Instead, Oliver has killed a tied and gagged Billy Malone whom Prometheus forced into the Prometheus suit. Prometheus taunts the Green Arrow once more through a speaker on Billy's chest that everything he touches dies.

Extorting Black Siren
A few days after, Prometheus travels to Central City, where he stealthily breaks into S.T.A.R. Labs and frees the meta-human and Earth-2 version of Laurel Lance, Black Siren. He sends her to Oliver and his team where she is to pose as the Earth-1 Laurel Lance, who has been miraculously resurrected, even telling her some details about her Earth-1 counterpart's life, as well as things about the Legends team. However, Black Siren's cover is blown rather easily and when she returns to Prometheus, he claims that her failure is unacceptable. When she blames Prometheus, finding his idea of 'role-playing' rather stupid, he throws her to the ground and warns her that her freedom and life are completely depending on her following his orders. The next day, Adrian is called to Oliver's office to assist in freeing John Diggle from prison, knowing that he'd been framed for mercenary work by General Walker. He wants Adrian to represent him and Adrian agrees. He visits Diggle at Iron Heights and tells him he will help, but then Walker appears to take Diggle away. Though Adrian put up a fight with Walker by bringing up various regulations he must abide by, Walker intimidates Adrian into shutting up, as he has friends in high places who could speed up the legal process. Walker gives in to Adrian's legal demands but warns Adrian that, if Walker isn't allowed to have Diggle in custody within 24 hours, he'd make sure Adrian lost his job.

Later, Black Siren manages to lure Oliver and his team to an abandoned warehouse. There, she gains the team's attention while Prometheus approaches the facility as well. On his way inside, Prometheus knocks out Ragman, one of Oliver's team-members. Inside the facility, he eventually encounters Oliver whom he engages in battle. During the fight, Oliver manages to strike Prometheus with an arrow dosed in a drug but Prometheus is not affected and even claims to have developed some resistance against this particular drug. Additionally, while Prometheus battles Oliver, Black Siren threatens to kill Felicity. Claiming that Oliver must choose between saving Felicity or capturing Prometheus, Prometheus then watches as Oliver turns to save Felicity. In the time it takes Oliver to save Felicity, Prometheus escapes. Adrian visits Diggle again at Iron Heights, 24 hours having passed. Walker arrives to take Diggle away, but Adrian prevents this by quietly ordering Diggle to hit him. Diggle complies, hitting Adrian in the face in a pretended burst of anger. Adrian tells Walker that, if a prisoner should commit an offence against a DA within his jurisdiction, said DA would be able to personally oversee Diggle's sentence and the legal process, thus buying Diggle time to be proven innocent of his crimes.

Adrian receives a tip from a friend of his in the NSA about their investigation into General Walker's possible corruption. Later, he receives a tip from an anonymous source (Felicity Smoak) about Walker's true corruption, which he then sends to a judge. After this, Adrian manages to get Diggle released on bail while Walker is taken into custody for his crimes.

Letter to the ACU
As Adrian is congratulated at City Hall by Oliver during a press conference, City Hall is attacked by a sole gunman who shoots up the mayor's office, killing seven. During the shooting, Adrian is wounded, but manages to survive. On Oliver's behest, Adrian is brought to the hospital, where he is visited by Doris. When Oliver visits him in the hospital, Adrian claims that his wounds will not stop him from returning to work to help Oliver investigate the attack. However, Oliver and Doris manage to talk Adrian out of it and he remains in hospital to recover.

To find out Prometheus' true name, Team Arrow searches for Justin Clayborne's mistress Amanda Westfield. Although they eventually find the woman, she claims that if her son is truly responsible, he is doing what he is doing because he is hurt. She also claims that the Green Arrow is the real monster for murdering Justin Clayborne, refusing to give up the name of her son.Days later, the SCPD gets an anonymous letter in which it is revealed that the Green Arrow murdered Detective Malone. This causes the enraged ACU to hunt down the Green Arrow, as he killed one of their own. Oliver assumes that the letter was sent by Prometheus, as it originated from the city Amanda lives in. Oliver also assumes that this was a hidden message from Prometheus, revealing that Prometheus is aware that Oliver visited Clayborne's mistress. After the letter to the police does not yield the expected results, Prometheus leaks evidence to the press that Oliver and his administration faked autopsy reports to protect the murderer of Detective Malone. Prometheus even accepts incriminating himself, as Adrian Chase was majorly responsible for said action. The revelation leads to a massive uproar and the city calls out for Oliver's impeachment. Soon, the press starts besieging the mayor's office at City Hall. While Oliver is discussing what to do now with his closest associates, Adrian enters the room and offers Oliver to take the complete responsibility for the action and to resign immediately. Oliver refuses, however, and instead tells Adrian that he will be Oliver's lawyer at the hearing.

Oliver's impeachment hearing
At the hearing, the doctor who did Malone's autopsy reveals that after she made her autopsy, detailing how the wounds are similar to the wounds Oliver's arrows cause, Adrian Chase came to her and told her to change the report by telling that the request came from the mayor himself. Other witnesses also claim that Oliver and Adrian are guilty.

With Oliver's "corruption" revealed to the public, Prometheus inadvertently also calls in Vigilante, who intends to kill Oliver for his crimes. This leads to Oliver being attacked by Vigilante after the first day of the hearing. After Vigilante is fended off, Adrian arrives with an ambulance and the police. When Dinah, who works as a police officer in addition to being part of Team Arrow, finds a part of Vigilante's visor at the crime scene, she informs the team on her phone. However, she is then approached by Adrian, and she lies that the call was about a family emergency. Adrian tells her that family is important and offers her to bring in the evidence in her stead so that she can head to her family immediately. With no other choice, Dinah hands the fragment over to Adrian. Hours later, Adrian uses the fragment to track down Vigilante. As Prometheus, he hunts down Vigilante and confronts him on a rooftop. Making his presence known by hurling a throwing star at Vigilante, Prometheus then claims that Oliver Queen belongs to him alone. Vigilante replies that he will be there first and opens fire at Prometheus who heads for cover. From another direction, he then hurls another throwing knife into Vigilante and attacks him in close combat. After a brief fight, Prometheus throws Vigilante off the roof, but finds that his body has disappeared from the ground, meaning that he has survived somehow. Afterwards, he removes his hood, calls the police and tells them that he wishes to report a Vigilante sighting.

After his fight with Vigilante, Adrian returns to the SCPD, where he deliberately places Vigilante's mask piece near Dinah's desk so that she can snatch it and deliver it to Oliver. Back at City Hall, Adrian attempts to convince Oliver to either let him or Billy Malone take the fall. Oliver, however, announces to him that he will give a press conference and blame the Green Arrow. Indeed, Oliver publicly announces that the Green Arrow has gone rogue and that he is a villain to the public; as he does so, Team Arrow manages to fight Vigilante and stop him from sniping Oliver from a distance, saving his life and ensuring that Prometheus would still get to finish him on his own. After Oliver's confession, the council votes against impeachment, but the damage to the Green Arrow's reputation is already done, thus making him "Public Enemy #1".

After this, Adrian approaches reporter Susan Williams in a parking lot, noting that she has gotten her job back after she had been discredited by Thea. He tells her that he has an "exclusive" to give her, which he considered to be a "matter of life and death".

Provoking Oliver and the team
After Oliver learns that Adrian is Prometheus, he heads back to Star City where he heads to City Hall and confronts Adrian in the conference room during a meeting. To not let the others in on both Adrian's and his own's secrets, Oliver says that he wants to talk to Adrian in private but Adrian brushes him off, claiming that he and the councilmen have to finish their business first. He also taunts Oliver in a way the councilmen cannot understand. By refering to Oliver's ragged appearance - asking whether Oliver looks like this because he is tired or because he has been asleep all the time - Adrian mocks Oliver for not realizing that Prometheus had been under his nose all the time while also revealing that he knows that Oliver knows his identity. With no chance to expose Adrian without endangering his own secret, Oliver is forced to leave the conference room.

After the meeting, Oliver confronts Adrian as the Green Arrow. He shoots an arrow at Adrian's car in the parking lot to get Adrian's attention but Adrian does not seem to be impressed. He casually turns around and asks Oliver how he thinks the Green Arrow costume will play into this, given that the city is not too fond of the Green Arrow right now. When Adrian realizes that Oliver will not kill him but intends to bring him to justice, Adrian reveals himself to be disappointed. Oliver tells Adrian that he will not kill Adrian, be it only because that is what Adrian wants. Adrian replies that so far, Oliver has done everything Adrian wanted anyhow. Adrian then reveals to Oliver that he kidnapped Oliver's girlfriend Susan Williams and that Susan will die of dehydration of Adrian does not return to her location. Adrian acknowledges that Oliver could torture him for Susan's location but then asks Oliver who he thinks will last longer, Susan or Adrian? As Oliver stands there dumbstruck, Adrian laughs and states that while Adrian is ten steps ahead of Oliver, Oliver has not even figured out what game they are playing. He then enters his car and drives off. After Oliver has briefed the team, Dinah and Curtis head to the house of Adrian's mother for leverage but only find a video tape of Prometheus intimidating and possibly torturing Susan. Meanwhile, Adrian visibly enjoys the situation at City Hall as he has left Team Arrow with no options. He even confronts and casually insults René and Lance when they cross his way. When Quentin claims that Adrian has some nerve continuing showing up at City Hall, Adrian replies that of course he came back; he takes his job very seriously. Adrian continuously outsmarts Quentin and René and keeps mentioning their secrets in an implied way. He also refers to Wild Dog's position at the mayor's office, claiming that he wants René to provide him with some SCPD reports by the next morning.

Eventually, Felicity finds out that Adrian's real name is Simon Morrison. Believing that Adrian's false background is enough evidence to have him arrested. However, before this can be done, Oliver must head back to City Hall because he has to make a statement about the Green Arrow breaking into Chase's house. This was done by Oliver who had hoped to find information on Susan. At City Hall, Chase holds a brief speech before Oliver can do so, claiming that they believe the Green Arrow was retaliating because of the mayor's statements about his crimes. When it is Oliver's turn to make a statement, he orders the Green Arrow to surrender immediately. He also reveals that he will give the SCPD the permission to shoot on sight should the Green Arrow not turn himself in. Oliver hands the evidence against Chase to SCPD captain Frank Pike. However, Pike is stabbed the same evening and falls into a coma, removing him a threat to Adrian. Pike is brought to a hospital and the moment Oliver learns of it, he heads there himself. Arriving at the hospital, Oliver finds Chase already there. Oliver immediately tells Adrian that he will not let Adrian hurt anybody else. Adrian replies that so far, Oliver has not really done anything to stop him. He adds that Susan is fine, alive at the very least. Oliver coldly tells Adrian that he and his team will find Susan and the second they do, Oliver will put an arrow through Adrian's heart. Claiming that he is not playing anymore, Oliver grabs Adrian but Adrian claims that Oliver has no chance but to play, elsewise Susan will be as dead as Oliver's mother, Shado, Tommy, Laurel and probably Pike. Adrian intends to goad Oliver into killing him, believing that the resulting death of Susan will be more than Oliver can cope with and will destroy him completely. When Oliver realizes the gravity of Adrian's words he lets go of Adrian. Adrian is disappointed and claims that in this case, Adrian must find another way to goad Oliver into killing him. As he turns to leave, Adrian comments on the beauty of the fact that by killing Adrian, Oliver would ultimately be killing himself.

Capturing Oliver
With help of the hacker organization Helix, Felicity manages to find the building in which Prometheus holds Susan. The team, minus Diggle whom Oliver sent on a different task, heads out to save her and Oliver eventually finds Susan tied up in an elevator. He frees her but the elevator doors then close, transporting both into the building's basement. Oliver tells Susan to take the elevator back up and enters the basement alone where he is confronted by Prometheus. Adrian removes his mask and claims that he is glad Talia told Oliver Prometheus' true identity, as this allows them to fight face to face with a certain honesty to it. Oliver replies that he will keep Adrian in the building until the explosives Adrian hit all around the building bring the building down. Adrian replies that in that case, Oliver would die but Oliver accepts this if it means Adrian's death as well. Adrian then claims that Oliver must have realized by now that he would not let that happen. He then uses a remote control to deactivate the explosives while reminding Oliver of his quote from earlier that he is ten steps ahead of Oliver. However, Oliver claims that in that case, Adrian must have seen the following coming. The same moment, Diggle enters the room with Doris. Seeing his wife, Adrian is horrified and shockedly claims that Doris should not be there. In tears, Doris replies that she would not have found out the truth elsewise; that Adrian was the one to murder all the people whose killings had been accredited to Prometheus and the Throwing Star Killer. Adrian meekly replies that it is not that simple but Doris tells him that if he killed people, it is simple. Adrian then hugs his wife, telling her that he is sorry. While hugging her, the aghast Adrian asks why he made Doris come to this place. It is Doris who answers, claiming that Adrian has to stop killing. She tells Adrian to surrender himself to the police and Adrian states that she is right and that he has to take care of this. However, he then stabs Doris in the stomach. John grabs Doris and carries her to safety while Oliver rushes at Adrian. In the resulting fight, both men drop their weapons and attack each other with their bare fists. Eventually, Adrian claims that he told Oliver that he will not kill Oliver and that Oliver cannot kill him. Oliver replies that Adrian is wrong and that Oliver can kill him, but Oliver is suddenly shot in the leg by a tranquilizer dart. Turning around, he sees that it was Talia al Ghul who fired the arrow at him. When the team rushes back into the building to help Oliver fight Adrian, the building is completely empty.

Meanwhile, Lance brings Susan to the SCPD to make a statement against Adrian Chase. To the surprise of the two, Chase himself greets the two in the precinct. Lance shields Susan from Chase, telling him to step away from her, but Chase replies that Quentin should stay quiet because Adrian is in mourning - the Green Arrow killed his wife earlier this night. Adrian also adds that the mayor seems to be missing. Quentin asks Adrian why he shouldn't have him arrested just now and Adrian replies that Lance would not want his friend back in pieces. Adrian then heads to the location he imprisoned Oliver and confronts the shackeled Oliver together with Talia. Adrian once again promises Oliver not to kill him, instead telling him that Adrian will help Oliver find his true self because that's what Oliver did to Adrian. Adrian then leaves Oliver's cell, leaving Oliver to brood over what Adrian just said to him.

Torturing Oliver
With Oliver in his possession, Adrian starts torturing him in similar ways Oliver hurt his father. After submerging him in water, Adrian reveals to Oliver that he held Oliver under water for 145 seconds because that was precisely the time Justin Claybourne lived until he drowned in the pool. Adrian claims that Oliver's arrows did not kill Claybourne, he was still conscious enough to feel the pain of drowning. Adrian then explains to Oliver his motivation for choosing the name Prometheus and claims that Oliver's only way of getting out of Adrian's hands is to confess. Oliver asks whether Adrian wants him to confess that he killed Justin Claybourne but Adrian denies it, claiming that this would be far too easy. Adrian wants Oliver to tell him his secret, the only thing Oliver is afraid of. Oliver screams that he has no idea what Oliver is talking about but Adrian claims that he will come around eventually. He then submerges Oliver again, counting down the seconds. When Oliver regains consciousness, he is in his cell once more. He sees Adrian hanging photos of people on the wall. When he realizes that Oliver is awake, Adrian asks whether Oliver even remembers the names of all these people, revealing that they were victims of The Hood. Oliver claims that they all were horrible people and had victims in turn. Adrian replies that they also had husbands, wives and children. Oliver, however, calls Adrian a sick hypocrite and claims that nothing he has done can be compared to the atrocities Adrian commited, including murdering his own wife. Adrian, however, continues talking and mentions one of the victims on the photos - Cecil Adams. Adrian remembers Oliver that Oliver killed Adams with three arrows and threatens to shoot three arrow into Oliver as well should he not confess. Oliver tells Adrian to go to hell and Adrian fires three arrows into Oliver.

Ripping the arrows out of Oliver, Adrian then mentions how Oliver claimed that his friends were his strength when Adrian captured him. However, he states that they are also his weakness now. He tells Oliver that his friends are without protection as Oliver is his captive, citing Felicity and Oliver's son as examples. Oliver begs Adrian to stop and Adrian claims that Oliver only needs to say the words. However, as Oliver has no idea what Adrian wants, Adrian leaves Oliver in his cell and leaves the basement.

When Adrian returns, he has Evelyn with him. Oliver is shocked to see the wounded girl and Adrian claims that he made her more compliant. He then rams a knife into Oliver's chest and orders him to stand up. Throwing the knife between Oliver and Evelyn, Adrian reveals that he wants one of them to kill the other. He states that he will leave the cell and if Evelyn is not killed by Oliver when he returns, Adrian will break her neck. Eventually, Adrian returns to see both stil alive. He grabs Evelyn by the neck and once more orders Oliver to tell him the secret. Oliver panicks and screams that he does not know what Adrian wants and Adrian screams back that he wants Oliver to tell him what he was too afraid to tell Thea, Felicity or Diggle. Oliver does not understand and Adrian kills Evelyn. After her death, Adrian claims that the Hood was just a disguise for Oliver, that his crusade against criminals is only an excuse. When Oliver asks for what it is supposed to be an excuse, Adrian answers that this is what he wants to hear from Oliver. Eventually, Oliver snaps and screams at Adrian that he wanted to kill his victims and that he liked it. Adrian smiles at that. As Oliver slumps to the ground, Adrian slides down the wall himself. After a brief moment of silence, Adrian asks how it feels that Adrian saw what Oliver was too afraid to admit to anyone else. Before Oliver can answer, Evelyn gets back up and claims that she knew he'd break. Adrian tells her that this is because he knows Oliver better than he even knows himself. He then asks Evelyn for a moment alone with Oliver and Evelyn leaves the cell. Once she is gone, Adrian claims that he told Oliver that he infects every life he touches and that Oliver now knows why. He claims that Oliver's crusade was a false pretext and that he justified a killing spree with the memory of his father. Weak and broken, Oliver states that Adrian promised to let him go. Adrian agrees and claims that he is a man of his word. He adds that before he lets Oliver go, he has a gift for him first. Mentioning Oliver's Bratva tattoo, Adrian states that it most likely fills Oliver, the first American to become a Bratva captain, with pride and states that Adrian will change it so that it reminds Oliver of their time in the basement and the secret Oliver confessed instead. Oliver stammers that he is sorry and Adrian replies that he knows, he just doesn't care. After branding Oliver, Adrian lets Oliver go. Oliver returns to his team a broken man and decides to stop being a vigilante. He also disbands his team but Team Arrow continues without Oliver.

Attacked by the Bratva
The next day, Chase boldly turns up at City Hall again, confronting Oliver in the mayor's office. He plays with Oliver, claiming that Chase asked for bereavement leave, using his wife's death as an excuse, and that Oliver granted it. When Adrian states that Doris' death has been hard for him, Lance, who is also present, furiously claims that Adrian should not have killed her then. Oliver then asks Quentin to leave while he talks to Adrian alone. After Lance has gone, Oliver asks Chase why he is still there, as he has won and their game is over. Adrian reveals that the two of them are far from done and places a knife on Oliver's desk. He reveals that Oliver cannot kill Chase as the Green Arrow, given that Chase has been put in protective custody since the Green Arrow slaughtered his wife. Chase claims that Oliver must either kill him in broad daylight as Oliver Queen or he has to watch Adrian leave without punishment. When Oliver does not make a move, Adrian confesses his disappointment and turns to leave, stating that Oliver can keep the knife. Meanwhile, Felicity Smoak has started to pit the hacktivist group Helix against Chase. They even find video footage of the night Prometheus fought Vigilante and have a clear image of Adrian removing his hood. However, as Adrian used technology which automatically pixelates his face on camera, his face is not visible. Nonetheless, Helix is confident that they will be able to reverse-engineer Adrian's tech so that they can expose him. Oliver, however, has a different idea of dealing with Chase and he calls in the criminal organization Bratva and employs them to kill Adrian. He is even ready to allow the Bratva to steal medicine from a failing company in return, fully aware that the Bratva will use the medicine to create a drug which will soon flood Star City.

After learning that Oliver has employed the Bratva, the remaining Team Arrow decides to prevent the assassination from happening as they believe that Oliver is not thinking straight and would regret this action eventually. At the meantime, the Bratva make their attempt on Chase's life while he is being driven through Star City. They open fire at the car Chase is taking cover behind but are eventually confronted and defeated by Team Arrow. During the battle, Chases' remaining police officer orders Chase to make a run for it. Chase escapes into a nearby park where he is confronted by Curtis Holt. In the brief struggle, Chase manages to overpower Curtis but Curtis used the battle to get close enough to Chase in order to steal his face scrambling device. After the battle, Chase calls his remaining guards for help which allows Curtis to run off. After the incident, Chase is put into federal witness protection and even Oliver is not informed about his location. This means that the Bratva will have no further chance to attack Chase.

Identity revealed
Eventually, the video of Chase removing his mask is successfully de-scrambled and the video clearly shows that Adrian is Prometheus. Team Arrow, united once more, is thrilled as this means that Adrian is exposed and that he could not have possibly planned this. Team Arrow delivers the footage to the SCPD who inform the agents currently protecting Chase. However, due to the agent's reactions Chase notices that something is off. As the men get up to arrest him, Chase hurls his pen into the eye of one of them and kills the other by suffocating him. He then leaves the house immediately by car. A horde of police cars pass him by without noticing him as Chase makes his way back to Star City. After his identity has been revealed to the SCPD and the video of his unmasking has been uploaded to YouTube by Felicity, Chase is forced to remain hidden. However, weeks after the reveal, A.R.G.U.S. receives information that Chase has been seen near an abandoned arcade. A.R.G.U.S. sends a mercenary team which is accompanied by Oliver and his team to finally take out Chase. However, in the arcade it is revealed that Chase anticipated their arrival and set several booby-traps to engage the agents. Three A.R.G.U.S. agents are shot by Chase's devices immediately but Oliver and his team manage to take cover in time. When the team searches the arcade, they only find a mocking message, Chase having already fled the building through a secret tunnel.

By setting of an EMP, Chase traps both Oliver and Felicity inside the Arrowcave. While the team concentrates all their efforts on getting to them before they have used up all the air in the sealed bunker, Chase leaves Star City in order to kidnap Oliver's son William, succeeding just after Oliver and Felicity are rescued. He approaches William once the boy leaves the school bus. When Chase calls him by the name William, William replies that he is Matthew, as this is the name he was given in witness protection program. Chase replies that "Matthew" was called William, though, before he and his mother left Central City. William suspiciously asks whether Chase knows his mother and Chase replies that he knows William's father who, in turn, knew his father.

Broken by Oliver
As Chase has been revealed as a serial killer and psychopath, dozens of criminals that had ben prosecuted by Chase are released from prison. Amongst them is Derek Sampson, with whom Chase starts to work. Under his real name, Simon Morrison, Chase sends a crate to Oliver's office which contains the cemented corpse of a certain Henry Goodwin who died over fourteen years ago. The team soon finds out that it appears that Goodwin was killed by Oliver's father and soon, the story is all over the news. By analying the concrete, Oliver and Diggle are lured in a sub-company of Queen Consolidated. There, the two walk right into a trap of Prometheus who traps them in a losed room and starts pouring cement into it. The two are saved by Curtis and Dinah. This means that Curtis and Dinah can no longer observe Sampson who uses the opportunity to steal chemicals on Chase's orders. When Oliver hears which chemicals have been stolen, he recognizes them as part of the chemical Justin Claybourne planned to use to weaponize tuberculosis. However, the drugs are fare more refined than the ones Claybourne used in the past and the chemicals Chase now owns are capable of killing thousands.

Through a contact, Chase hands a flashdrive to Oliver. It contains video footage of Oliver's father pushing Goodwin into the liquid concrete during a struggle.

Felicity manages to track Chase's chemicals to a science centre named after Oliver's father. They find out that Sampson and his goons are located on the buildings roof and that they plan to release the gas from there. However, while Oliver, Curtis and Diggle sprint up the staircase they are confronted by Prometheus. While Curtis and Diggle head up to the roof, Oliver engages Prometheus and the two fight on the stairs. Eventually, Chase draws his sword and the battle comes to a brief calm. Adrian removes his hood and mockingly asks Oliver how he intends to beat Adrian when they were trained by the same teacher. He states that this is only one thing they have in common, another being that they are both sons of horrible men. Oliver replies that he is his own man but Adrian shrugs it off, claiming that Oliver is a man that will die knowing that every person in Star City was killed by Justin Claybourne's legacy. To this, Oliver replies by claiming that it is almost funny that Chase is speaking of his father's legacy. At first only confused, Adrian suddenly gets horrified about the idea of Oliver knowing something he does not. He aims his sword at Oliver, screaming and demanding that Oliver tells him what he finds so funny about his father's legacy. Oliver claims that the man Chase sent to hand over the flashdrive, Claybourne's former lawyer, told him that Claybourne intended to disown Chase, not because he was illegitimate but because he was insane. Oliver states that Claybourne was ashamed of Adrian and while Oliver knows his father was not perfect, at least Robert Queen would never have abandoned his own son.

Completely broken by the realization he tried to defend the legacy of a man who did not care about him at all, Adrian suddenly loses all confidence. Realizing that Oliver beat him, Adrian silently kneels before Oliver and places his sword between the two. Adrian acknowledges Oliver's victory and urges Oliver to kill him. However, Oliver claims that he will not kill Adrian but watch him face justice. Oliver then knocks Adrian unconscious. As he cannot be simply put into prison or face a trial, Adrian is imprisoned at A.R.G.U.S. In his cell, Adrian later watches footage of the press conference Oliver is holding to acknowledge his father's mistakes. While Oliver talks about leaving the past behind, Adrian smiles sadistically, implying that he is not beaten yet and that his breakdown might have been just a farce.

Adrian's arrest is revealed in the news. The news also reveal that the Green Arrow, who is now redeemed, has been responsible for Adrian's arrest.

Taking down the team
Although he remains in prison, Prometheus' team is still at large. Having already abducted René Ramirez days ago, they secretly abduct Dinah Lance on Oliver's birthday without the rest of the team noticing. After the team eventually notices Dinah's disappearance, Curtis heads to her house but is abducted as well. Prometheus' team also busts out Black Siren from A.R.G.U.S. in order to have her manipulate Quentin Lance. Realizing that his friends' disappearances are no mere coincidence, Oliver assumes that Chase is behind it. He assumes that Adrian had help from Evelyn and Talia and heads for A.R.G.U.S. to interrogate Chase. At A.R.G.U.S. Adiran openly reveals that he knows exactly where Oliver's friends are. Oliver orders Adrian to tell him where they are, but Adrian states that Oliver kind of weakened his position when he revealed that he did not plan to kill Adrian. Oliver furiously claims that he will find his friends without Chase's help and storms out of the room, to which Chase laughs and silently replies that he will see Oliver later. The same day, Black Siren and Evelyn kidnap both Lance and Oliver's sister Thea. After being informed about all that, Oliver believes that Adrian wants to further humiliate him by exchanging Oliver's friends for his own freedom, and thus ensuring that it is Oliver who sets him free. Oliver returns to A.R.G.U.S. and beats up Adrian in his cell. He holds a gun to Adrian's head but makes sure that he will never kill Adrian, not planning to give him this satisfaction. Adrian only laughs, stating that he told Oliver from the beginning that everyone close to Oliver will suffer. As Oliver expected, Adrian offers an exchange for his own freedom but Oliver denies, claiming that he will find his own way. Adrian replies that Oliver better finds it quick, the offer will not stand forever. He also states that he knows that Oliver is only one loss away from being destroyed, rhetorically wondering who of the team will be the one to die.

After Diggle and Felicity have been kidnapped as well, by Talia and her rogue League-fighters, Oliver and his new ally Malcolm Merlyn realize that they are the only ones left. Oliver eventually returns to A.R.G.U.S. to ensure that Adrian's upcoming prison transfer is a success. Shortly before the transfer, an officer assures Oliver that they have orders to shoot Adrian should he try to escape. Before he heads for the transfer helicopter, Adrian is able to exchange a few words with Oliver. He tells Oliver that the moment Adrian enters the helicopter, his friens will kill Oliver's team. As the procession moves on, Adrian smugly tells Oliver that Oliver is about to get a phone call. Adrian is then driven off to the helicopter field and Oliver indeed gets a call. To his horror, it is a video message in which his son William is revealed to be Adrian's captive as well. Realizing that a successful transfer would mean William's death, Oliver and Malcolm rush after the convoy and attack the A.R.G.U.S. agents moments before they arrive at the airfield. As soon as the fighting breaks out, Adrian makes a run for the helicopter, drags the pilot out of it and knocks him out. Before he can enter the helicopter, he is grabbed by Oliver who screams at him to reveal where William is. Adrian, however, states that their deal was that Oliver's loved ones are safe if he lets Adrian go; and Adrian mentions that currently he is not going anywhere. Oliver lets go of Adrian but horrifiedly asks him why he involved William, an innocent child. Adrian claims that Oliver involved his wife Doris, who was innocent as well, and also remembers Oliver that Chase wants to hurt everyone close to Oliver. Chase then enters the helicopter, claiming that he will see Oliver "on the boat" and flies off into the night. Oliver manages to track the plane Adrian has entered after reaching an airfield. He realizes that Chase is heading to Lian Yu, where he has planned his grand finale.

Lian Yu
On Lian Yu, Adrian welcomes the entire captured Team Arrow. When Thea states that Oliver will come for them, Chase states that he is counting on it. He and his own team, consisting of Talia, Evelyn and Black Siren, then head into the forest to await Oliver's arrival. Once Oliver has arrived, Prometheus has an RPG launched at his plane, trapping Oliver with him on Lian Yu. One of his teams, consisting of Evelyn, Talia and newly-recruited Digger Harkness, are defeated by Oliver and Slade Wilson. Although Talia and Harkness manage to flee, Evelyn is left behind. Their hostages, Thea, Curtis, Felicity and William's mother Samantha, are freed as well. Chase only joins in the fighting himself after Talia has been taken out again. Together with the rest of Talia's disciples, Chase confronts Oliver, Nyssa, Curtis, Diggle and Slade in the abandoned monastery on the island, appearing just as Oliver prepares to look for him. Oliver demands to know where his son is and Adrian laughs, claiming that even in the end OIiver is ten steps behind. Chase only mocks Oliver, asking whether he is sure that William is his son because William is such a sweet kid. Oliver furiously screams at Chase to release William but Chase reminds Oliver that he already knows what he must do to free William. Oliver realizes that Chase wants Oliver to kill him and promises that he will never do that. Chase is still optimistic, however, and rushes at Oliver. While Oliver's friends fight Talia's students, Oliver and Chase violently battle their way through the monastery as well. Adrian is clearly not able to match Oliver but fights anyhow. Hitting him again and again, Oliver still screams at Chase to tell him where his son is. When Chase does not answer, Oliver breaks into tears and grabs Chase by the neck and starts throttling him, still demanding an answer.

Meanwhile, Chase's men have all been slain or defeated and the rest of Oliver's team turns their attention to Oliver and Chase. Chase, still urging Oliver to kill him, also states that this will show Oliver's friends what kind of man he really is. However, Oliver ultimately lets go of Chase, who falls to the floor gasping for air. While Adrian lies there, Oliver tells him that the man Adrian hates is the man Oliver was, not the man Oliver is now. He claims that Adrian can hate him for killing his father but reveals that he himself is done blaming himself. As Oliver turns to leave, Adrian says "Your son is dead, Oliver". Oliver, however, turns around, grabs him by the head and tells him that he doesn't believe Adrian because Adrian is a liar and wants to manipulate Oliver into killing him. He adds that if Adrian truly killed William, Oliver will never turn in the person Adrian wants him to be. After shoving Adrian away from him, Oliver is called by Felicity who tells him that he cannot kill Adrian because Adrian rigged the entire island with explosives that will detonate should Adrian die. Adrian, in turn, uses the distraction to use one of Talia's smoke grenades to flee the monastery. Oliver tells his friends to get back to the plane and to leave immediately without him. When they are gone, Oliver goes after Chase, tracking him down to a makeshift dock where Chase has a boat. When Oliver arrives the shore, Adrian is already on the boat and, smiling, drives off. Oliver runs after him, managing to get to the dock and onto the boat seconds before Chase reaches the open water. Again, he attacks Chase and screams at him to reveal where William is but this time, he does not even get a response - only a smile. Oliver holds Adrian's head over the edge of the boat and punches him repeatedly. Eventually, he throws Adrian back onto the boat and nocks an arrow to interrogate him further. He pauses when Adrian, meanwhile bloody from Oliver's beatings, claims that it is interesting that Oliver is so worried about his kid when all his friends are on an island that is about to get blown up. Oliver tells him that his team and friends can take care of themselves and that they will leave the island but Chase rhetorically asks whether their means of escape could possibly be his airplane. Shocked, Oliver realizes that Adrian has once again outsmarted him and indeed, Chase has sabotaged the ship. When Oliver is contacted by his team and informed about the plane, he tells them to take the A.R.G.U.S. supply ship instead. Chase tells him that they will never reach it in time and suddenly opens the cabin door of the ship, grabbing William who was trapped inside all along. Oliver immediately nocks his arrow but Chase reminds him that Oliver already revealed to him that he won't kill Chase, no matter what. Chase smugly reveals that if Chase kills Oliver, everyone he loves except his son will die in the explosion of the island. If he doesn't kill Chase, however, Chase will snap William's neck. Seemingly unable to cope with the extent of the situation he is in, Oliver slowly lowers his bow. Chase smiles, believing that Oliver has chosen his friends over his son. Oliver then lets go of the arrow, which impales Adrian through the foot and in the pain, Adrian lets go of William who runs straight towards Oliver. Slumping to the floor near the cabin, Adrian maniacally tells William that eveything will be alright but Oliver furiously screams at him not to talk or even look at his son ever again. While Oliver hugs his son, Adrian slowly starts speaking. He says that Oliver won, he has his son back and his son now knows exactly what his father is, similar to how Oliver learned what his father was right on the waters they are on now. Adrian claims that William is younger than Oliver was, so he will likely not be as affected. Adrian adds that in addition, William will still have his father, which will be good. In a tone of vengeance and hate, Adrian then tells Oliver that it is good because it will be a lonely life without his mother, or Felicity. Adrian then draws a gun from his jacket and, similing one last vengeful smile, shoots himself in the head, detonating the explosives all over Lian Yu. He might had had some measure of success in this since Samantha died and William, Oliver's son with Samantha, briefly viewed Oliver as a "bad man," his death could be still considered in vain, since most of Oliver's friends survived the explosion.

Hallucination
Months later, Ricardo Diaz poisons Oliver with Vertigo. Although Oliver does not realize it at first, the drug affects him - most prominently when he hallucinates none other than Adrian himself arriving at his Arrowcave. Oliver is horrified to see Chase who mockingly greets him. Oliver states that Chase cannot be there, since he killed himself, but Chase replies that Oliver never came back for his body. Calling it careless, Chase suddenly draws a pistol and fires at Oliver, hitting him in the shoulder. While Oliver dives into cover, Chase mocks him because he evaded death himself more than once. Eventually, Oliver manages to disarm Chase and after a brief battle, breaks his neck when Chase threatens to murder everyone he loves. However, moments later, the body is gone and the gunwound Chase inflicted on Oliver has disappeared as well. Suddenly, another hallucination appears right beside Oliver and gleefully tells him that Oliver might have to think about the possibility that Chase is just not killable. Oliver replies that Chase is dead, that his body is still on Lian Yu, and that he himself is hallucinating. Oliver immediately runs a blood test on himself while Chase states that the more likely option is that Oliver is going crazy. Chase also admires Diaz' way of fighting Oliver - not hurting the ones Oliver loves but making them abandon him. After Oliver has the result of his blood analysis, Chase advises him not to tell Quentin Lance about it since he might just have Oliver commited. Adrian keeps provoking Oliver with the fact that everybody abandoned him and that Oliver is selfish. He also asks if Vertigo shows Oliver his worst fear, but Oliver replies that Chase is not even close to being his biggest fear. Adrian accepts that, claiming that Oliver's worst fear is Oliver himself.

Adrian keeps appearing to Oliver in the following hour, watching as Oliver has more and more hallucinations about different things and commenting them mockingly, for example reminding Oliver of the dark future that lies ahead for Laurel Lance. He also keeps mentioning how exactly Oliver is responsible for this tragedy in the future. He even appears to Oliver during Oliver's impeachment hearing, watching gleefully. When a break is called, Adrian mentions that while Oliver may be a half-decent mayor, he sure had a bad habit of appointing horrible district attourneys - refering both to Armand and himself. Eventually, Chase even manages to convince Oliver that in order to prove that he is a hero, he will have to confront Diaz. Although Oliver heads there, Felicity Smoak is able to talk Oliver out of this madness, causing the hallucination to disappear as the Vertigo in Oliver's system is gone.