Michael Daingerfield

Oliver's confidence is shaken after being beaten by the Dark Archer and he takes a break from being Arrow. However, when Laurel calls Arrow for help investigating a firefighter's suspicious death, he reluctantly agrees, but his hesitance while fighting almost costs him his life. Meanwhile, Tommy throws a benefit for the firefighters and Thea tries to lift her mother out of her depressive state.

In the season premiere episode, Oliver searches for an identity beyond The Arrow. With crime in Starling City at an all-time low thanks to the Arrow and his team, Oliver thinks he can finally balance being both the Arrow and Oliver Queen and asks Felicity out on a date. However, when a new villain (guest star Peter Stormare) emerges, who has claimed the name Vertigo from the recently deceased Count, Oliver is caught off-guard and someone close to him is hurt. Oliver and a newly suited up Roy take on Vertigo. Meanwhile, Diggle becomes a father; Lance is promoted to Captain; Laurel joins Arrow's inner circle; and Felicity gets a part-time job at a tech store to make ends meet. Also, Oliver fights to regain his company, Queen Consolidated, but comes up against a very worthy opponent – the charming Ray Palmer (recurring guest star Brandon Routh).

Lex locates Morgan Edge (now played by PATRICK BERGIN - "Sleeping With the Enemy")--who has undergone facial reconstruction--and gets him to admit to criminal dealings with Lionel. But before Lex can report his knowledge to the authorities, someone tries to kill him at the mansion. After barely surviving, Lex flees and asks Clark for help. However, when Clark returns to the mansion to investigate, he finds nothing amiss. He begins to wonder if what Lex described really happened, especially after Lionel discloses that Lex has had a psychotic breakdown and must be institutionalized.

Clark is stunned when Kara (guest star LAURA VANDERVOORT) returns to Earth and tells him Jor El sent her to stop the dark force that is coming because he doesn't believe Clark can handle it. Meanwhile, Lois confronts Gordon Godfrey (guest star MICHAEL DAINGERFIELD), a shock jock radio DJ who has been crusading against heroes, after he threatens the Green Arrow. However, after Godfrey is possessed by the dark force, he takes Lois hostage and Clark and Kara have to come to her rescue.

Lois finds a video made for her by her mother, Ella Lane (guest star TERI HATCHER), before she died. After watching the tape, Lois makes a drastic decision about her relationship with Clark that takes her to the Fortress, where she comes face to face with Jor-El and Lara. Meanwhile, Tess has a nightmare involving herself as a child and a music box. Upon awakening, she finds the music box in Luthor mansion and sets out to find out who planted it there. Clark accompanies her to an orphanage run by Granny Goodness (guest star CHRISTINE WILLES) who may not have the young girls' best intentions in mind. One of the young women living there, Harriet (guest star LINDSAY HARTLEY), finds Clark snooping around and decides to take matters into her own very sharp hands.