Merlyn is a fictional supervillain who appears in comic books of the DC Comics Universe. He is the archenemy of Green Arrow, though over the years he has served as an antagonist for other superheroes, such as Batman. He was created by Mike Friedrich, Neal Adams, and Dick Dillin and first appeared in Justice League of America #94 (1971). Merlyn has since appeared in various forms of DC related media, his most prominent role being in the live action TV show Arrow, where "Malcolm Merlyn" serves as one of the main antagonists, portrayed by John Barrowman as a series regular.