Felicity's Backstory Has To Change for 'Arrow'

What has to be the most anticipated episode of Arrow Season 3 is finally here: "The Secret Origin of Felicity Smoak." Apart from small little asides here and there, like the fact that she's from Las Vegas, where her mother is a cocktail waitress, we don't know a whole lot about our fearless, crime-fighting tech wizard's background. But all of that will change with this episode when we finally get a greater understanding of Felicity's backstory, and probably what ultimately led her to Starling City. But — and yes, this is a huge but — Felicity's Arrow backstory will differ the Green Arrow comics. Not that I'm complaining, since I'm all for creative liberties. But just for general knowledge, what was Felicity like in the comics? Was she the same adorkable computer genius we know and love?

For starters, in the comics Felicity has much more in common with The CW's other superhero show, The Flash, than she does with Arrow. Felicity is married to Edward Raymond, the father of Ronnie Raymond, aka Firestorm, aka Caitlin Snow's allegedly deceased fiancé on The Flash. Clearly, the TV series are not going that route. In the comics, Felicity is older than the twenty-something girl we see on Arrow. She also lives in New York City, and is a manager at a computer software firm. At first she doesn't like Firestorm very much, after he accidentally magnetizes computer equipment and claims that he is going to cost her a ton of money for his mistake. However, she grows to forgive the vigilante, and once Felicity marries Ed, Ronnie admits to her that he's the guy behind the mask. All is forgiven.

Just last year, DC rebooted some of their comics — again — and actually created a new version of Felicity Smoak in the likeliness of Emily Bett Rickards. That's probably the coolest thing ever, if you ask me. But this new Felicity, though she looks like the Felicity we're accustomed to, is in fact a new character. How so? Well, when we first meet her we learn she's been hired to kill the Green Arrow, not help him. Also, Batman makes an appearance. Those are two things I don't think we're ever going to see on The CW. However, this comic Felicity rambles on just as much as TV Felicity.

Regardless of whatever comic incarnation we're talking about, Felicity has always had one trait that's stayed with her: she's a strong, determined woman. And now we're finally getting a little taste of what brought her to Starling City and her fierce crime-fighting ways.

Images: Cate Cameron/The CW; Giphy