- "My identity is highly classified."
- — Amanda to Ben Turner[src]
Amanda Waller, known under the codename Mockingbird, is the leader of A.R.G.U.S. and the Suicide Squad.
Biography
Association with Edward Fyers and Oliver Queen
For unknown reasons, Waller sought out Yao Fei on the island of Lian Yu. She maintained radio contact with Edward Fyers. On the island she had been shipping military weapons for generally unknown reasons,[1] though at least one reason was to redirect cargo headed for China, indefinitely halting trade with China, causing the economy to fall. Right before this, Edward contacted her and told her how the plan was coming together.[2] However, the plan soon failed due to Oliver Queen and Slade Wilson's intervention, and Fyers and all of his men were killed.[3]
Amanda would later capture Oliver and sent him to China after he fought and supposedly killed Slade. Although the situation has yet to be shown, it was obviously ends badly as Amanda later asks Oliver (Chronologically - Season 2) if he was still mad at her and was apparently shocked Oliver wanted to kill someone else more than her.
Season 2
In "Keep Your Enemies Closer", she captures John Diggle telling him that she needs his help to rescue Lyla Michaels as she has gone dark in Moscow. She parts with a statement saying that A.R.G.U.S. are aware of what Oliver and him do at night.
In "Tremors", Amanda offers Ben Turner an employment opportunity for a "squad" (the Suicide Squad) in order to shorten his prison sentence.
In "Suicide Squad" Waller visits Lyla and Diggle at a hotel and requests both of their assistance to handle a chemical weapon situation, organised by Gholem Qadir an old friend/enemy of Diggle's stationed in Markovia. Waller then tasked them with getting the Suicide Squad into position to take down the chemical weapons and terminating Qadir. Phase one of the plan, getting Qadir's phone from him at an art exhibition, succeeded, but Shrapnel attempted to flee and Waller activated the bomb in his head as punishment. Later, when the squad found the chemical weapons, Waller sent in a drone strike to terminate the threat but intended to take Deadshot and dozens of civilians with it. However Diggle convinced Deadshot to flee with him. Since Waller's drone was homed in on Deadshot's tracking chip, Lyla was forced to cut it out of his neck and throw it away. The re-directed strike caused Waller to have to deal with the Markovian government on "unprovoked drone attack". Later, Oliver Queen visited Amanda in her office and the two are revealed to had some unspecified history together, apparently involving Slade Wilson, who Amanda believed to be dead just like Oliver did. When Oliver asked for information on Slade, Amanda gave him insight on a new mercenary named "Deathstroke" who she believed could be their old nemesis.
In "Streets of Fire", John Diggle and Felicity Smoak contacted Amanda to find Oliver after he had disappeared after Moira Queen's death, Amanda revealed that Oliver was at his second base. She sends A.R.G.U.S. soldiers to Starling City to cut off Slade Wilson's army from leaving the city when his invasion begins and was soon contacted by Oliver demanding she call off her men, but she retaliated by reminding him that she must do what she has to in order to defend the country and that was to send a armed drone to Starling City.
In "Unthinkable", she over saw the operation of A.R.G.U.S. soldiers in Starling, unaware of a squad she sent that were killed by Slade's army, she is soon held hostage by Diggle, Lyla and Deadshot where she revealed to Diggle that Lyla was pregnant with his child. She called off the drone after Oliver called her again and told her that Slade and his army were defeated.
In the flashbacks she saved Oliver from the Amazo's destruction and brought him to Hong Kong claiming they would have much to discuss.
Personality
Amanda is described as the "formidable and enigmatic". However she seems to be largely devoid of emotion and equally ruthless shown in the almost casual way she kills Shrapnel when he tries to abandon the Suicide Squad and there is certainly a trace of amusement in her voice when she orders Deadshot to remain in position as a beacon for the drone strike, and when she sees Oliver Queen in her office, asking if he still wants to kill her. This shows that whilst she maintains more composure over herself, and what she shows the people around her, she is little different to Bronze Tiger and Deadshot.
Amanda is also extremely immoral, as she is willing to sacrifice innocent civilians. Like when she planned to use a drone strike to bomb Starling City. She tried to justify this action of hers as a means to prevent Slade's soldiers from attacking the rest of the country, which Slade had no intention of doing (however Slade was aware of Amanda's tactics, and was using her own tactics against her). She is also arrogant, stubborn and slightly brave. When John Diggle, Lyla Michaels, and Floyd Lawton had her at gunpoint she refused to back down. Amanda also tries to twist things, like when she told Lyla that "What you're doing is treason". However it was the other way around, as Amanda had ordered a drone strike on Starling City, a civilian zone, seemingly without authorization from the United States government.
Appearances
Arrow
Season 1
- "The Odyssey" (voice)
- "Dead to Rights" (voice)
- "Darkness on the Edge of Town"
Season 2
- "Keep Your Enemies Closer"
- "Tremors"
- "Suicide Squad"
- "City of Blood"
- "Streets of Fire"
- "Unthinkable"
Trivia
- Amanda Waller is the eleventh person aware of Oliver Queen's secret identity; The Arrow.
- Oliver has a uneasy alliance, with Amanda.
- Oliver despises Amanda, for currently unknown reasons.
- In "Unthinkable", Floyd Lawton referred to Waller as "The Wall", this is a nod to her nickname in the comics. Since in the comics Waller is a very solid 5' 1" 200lb woman, the name is even more appropriate. Likewise, her pencil and ink iteration is a very formidable personality, being one of the few characters, especially unpowered, who does not back down from a confrontation with the Batman.
Behind the scenes
- The identity of Edward Fyers' benefactor was unknown during the first season of Arrow. However, in the second season, an identical camera is used on an identical pair of shoes worn by Waller on two occasions: once when meeting Ben Turner[4] and another when meeting Oliver Queen following his rescue.[5] The benefactor's identity as Amanda Waller was later confirmed by actor Stephen Amell.[6]