Arrow S3.5E02: Arrow through the Iron (Part 1)

Issue 2: Arrow through the Iron (Part 2) is the second comic book styled episode of Arrow: Season 3.5. It began production on July 4, 2015. It centers around Oliver Queen meeting up with Mari McCabe in Zambesi and finding the Iron Temple deserted and filled with bodies. Indicating that Oliver knows Mari from before, they scour the temple to find out what happened.

Synopsis
Coast City - Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak were dining on terras in Coast City, when Felicity remarked that Oliver was absent minded. Oliver admits he spoke with Thea who told him of the attack of the Bratva on Verdant. Felicity says she knows and reveals her tablet was directly connected to the security systems of the Foundry. Oliver then recieves a call from an unknown caller, who informs him of the situation in the Iron Temple in Zambesi. On the other side was revealed to be Mari McCabe. Oliver looks at Felicity and promises Mari he'll see if he can come. Felicity asks what their relation was and Oliver tells her of how Mari helped him through a pretty dark period in the five year he was gone. Felicity encourages him to meet with her, she is going to follow up on a friend in Coast City. Oliver kisses her and calls the airport to get a seat on the next flight to Zambesi.

Iron Temple - Zambesi - Mari was standing near one of the decaying bodies when she heard movement. She drew her bo-staff, but it was caught by Oliver. Mari thanks him for coming and she leads her through the chambers, including the one leading to the chamber with the entrance through the ceiling. Oliver tells Mari to get his equipment from the car outside the main gate, he is going to take a look. While Mari goes back down to the main gate, where she is met by a hooded man, which she recognizes as Master Phace. She bows, but quickly realizes its a trap, when the chamber around the main gate is sealed off by automatic gates, making her unable to contact Oliver. Mari says this is impossible, she thought everyone died, after which Master Phace reveals not everyone as another person steps out of the shadows, which Mari then recognizes as Alba Garcia. Garcia says its been a long time. Mari says she should have finished it before and then engages Garcia in a bo-staff fight.

Oliver investigates the ground inside the chamber and find a hidden switch. As he pulls it, gas pours into the room and he starts to convulse, seeing hallucinations of Sara Lance, Helena Bertinelli, Thea Queen, Moira Queen and Laurel Lance. Being taunted by them, telling him he failed as the Arrow and to protect the city. He then faces another hallucination, that of the unnamed woman he met in Central City, carrying the baby, but the hallucinations turn violent, attacking Oliver. Oliver is barely able to defend himself, knowing they are only hallucinations, but their attacks are very real. He then spreads his eyes, realizing what he is up against, closes his eyes and defeats the hallucinations one by one. As the gas disappears from the chamber, the hallucinations turn out to be monks of the Bannerless Legion. Oliver finds the switch again and pulls it up, parting the ground, revealing an underground Lazarus Pit.

Mari and Garcia fight it off in front of Master Phace. Using her animalistic powers, increasing her strength to that of a Gorilla she gains the upper hand and Garcia reveals she has been a student of the Bannerless Legion far longer then she has, the Bannerless Legion will annihilate every dark face in the world and every light face if they have to. Master Phace turns out to be an hallucination created by gas pouring into the Temple, but Alba Garcia is very real. When Oliver arrives in the main gate chamber looking for Mari, Alba Garcia escapes through the main gate and locks down the temple, making it unable for Oliver and Mari to escape. Oliver says he needs to show Mari something, leading her back to the chamber where he was held, revealing the still existing Lazarus Pit. He demands to know what Mari knows what the Bannerless Legion wants with a Lazarus Pit. As Mari confesses to not know anything, gas once again streams into the chambers, this time knocking Oliver and Mari out cold.

To be continued ...

Issues
1 - 2