Mia Dearden (New Earth)

Mia was a teenaged girl who ran away from home after being abused by her father. Unable to survive on her own, she fell in love with a man named Richard, who offered her shelter and food in exchange for exploiting her in child prostitution. ^[1] Mia was rescued from one of her clients, a depraved local politician, by "Green Arrow" Oliver Queen, who had just recently returned from the dead. Mia continued to work with Oliver, who was busy trying to reconstruct his own life, and she began to train at archery under his reluctant tutelage. Mia continually petitioned Green Arrow to allow her to serve as his sidekick, but Oliver continually demurred, not wanting to put another youngster at risk. As Oliver Queen got his life back in order, Mia fantasized that she would one day become Green Arrow's new crime-fighting partner and began taking up practice with the bow. Once the Emerald Archer learned of her desire, he nipped it in the bud, instead emphasizing that she concentrate on her academic studies. Mia began to work after classes in the Star City Youth Recreational Center with Queen and his son, Connor Hawke.

When Mia tested positive for HIV, a legacy from her years on the street, she was more determined than ever to do something special with her life. Green Arrow felt he at least owed it to Mia to give her a chance. Mia became his sidekick, the second one to don the costumed identity of Speedy. ^[2] To complement her training, Mia also joined the Teen Titans at Ollie's request, though she did so at first reluctantly. After facing foes such as Doctor Light and the new Brother Blood, Mia left the Titans shortly following the events of Infinite Crisis. During the Lost Year, she trained heavily in various forms of the martial arts alongside Ollie and Connor under the tutelage of many of the world's greatest martial artists. She has committed herself to working with Team Arrow, and has already begun establishing her own network of street contacts throughout Star City.

After the marriage of Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance, Mia continued to operate as Speedy, and accompanied Team Arrow throughout the rescue of Oliver from Themyscira and the subsequent pursuit of the League of Assassins. During this time, she met and developed a crush on British ally Dodger, who she began a relationship with. She has since relocated to London to be with him.

Powers and Abilities

Abilities

Green Arrow has taken Mia under his wing, training her with a bow and arrow. Although her archery is nowhere in the same league as Oliver's or Connor Hawke's, Mia has been ardently practicing her skills, and honing her bowmanship techniques. Mia is a vastly above-average fighter and acrobat, having trained underneath many of the world's top martial artists.

Strength level

Mia Dearden possesses the strength level of a girl her age, size and weight who engages in intensive regular exercise. On occasion, her strength levels wane as a side-effect of her prescribed AIDS-related medication, which she takes on a regular basis.

Weaknesses

Having contracted HIV, Mia Dearden must take the AIDS cocktail and keep herself in excellent physical condition.

Paraphernalia

Weapons

Bow and trick arrows.

Trivia

It was often joked throughout her appearances that Mia harbors somewhat of a schoolgirl crush on Green Arrow Connor Hawke. In more recent times, her attention has been focused more upon Dodger, who she is now romantically attached to.

Links and References

Footnotes

[0] Green Arrow (Volume 3) #2

[1] Green Arrow (Volume 3) #45

[1]

[2]