"I have loved two men in my life with all my soul. They're both dead now. No matter what, love always ends in death. That's why it's in the vows. I'm just cutting out the middleman. Love is death."

—Cupid^[src]

Carrie Hartnell Cutter (November 21, 1987 - December 10, 2019),^[1] also known as Cupid, is a former police officer and S.W.A.T. member of the Starling City Police Department. For a time following her police career, she became obsessed with The Arrow and practiced archery (using arrowheads in the shape of a heart). This obsession escalated until she began killing and threatening people in an attempt to get his attention. After he took her down, she was taken in by Amanda Waller as a part of the Suicide Squad. However, she managed to work off her sentence and was released from A.R.G.U.S. custody, only to start a killing spree and be stopped by Team Arrow.

Quick Answers

What led to Carrie Cutter's obsession with The Arrow?

Carrie Cutter, known as Cupid in DC, became obsessed with The Arrow after he rescued her from a Mirakuru-enhanced henchman's attack. Diagnosed with attachment disorder, she saw The Arrow as a reflection of her emotional state. She honed her archery skills, enlisted hacker Kirby Bates, and gathered information on The Arrow. Her fixation drove her to extreme measures, including murder, to be with The Arrow.

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Why does Carrie Cutter use arrowheads in the shape of a heart?

In the DC universe, Carrie Cutter, known as Cupid, uses arrows with heart-shaped tips, symbolizing her obsession with the Arrow, a vigilante who saved her life. Her heart-themed weaponry, including arrows and flechettes, reflects her attachment disorder and her subsequent training in archery.

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What was Carrie Cutter's role in the Starling City Police Department?

In 2008, Carrie Cutter joined the Starling City Police Department, initially serving as a beat cop. She made history by becoming the first female member of the S.W.A.T. unit. In 2011, her unit responded to a bomb threat in the Glades, which led to a confrontation with the Culebra crime gang. Later, she was diagnosed with attachment disorder following a psychiatric evaluation at St. Walker's Hospital.

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How did Carrie Cutter transition from a police officer to the character Cupid?

Carrie Cutter, a former police officer and S.W.A.T. member of Starling City Police Department, transitioned into the character Cupid after her police career. She was the S.W.A.T. unit's first female member and was involved in a bomb threat incident by the Culebra crime gang in 2011. As Cupid, she wore a dark green suit while working for Liza Warner's crew and the Ghost Initiative.

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Biography

Early life

Carrie Cutter was born on November 21, 1987 to Oscar and Isabel Cutter in Starling City. She had a normal, happy childhood with loving parents. Carrie achieved top marks in her studies and also participated in, and helped win, many gymnastics competitions for her high school. She attended Starling University from 2004 to 2008 on a full ride scholarship. There, Carrie met and fell in love with Jesse Ruckert, and they eventually got engaged. However, not long after graduation, he disappeared.^[1] Carrie was reportedly severely shaken up by her fiancé's fate, but managed to pick herself back up.^[2]

Work as a police officer

In 2008, Carrie joined the Starling City Police Department as a beat cop.^[1] It's implied that she had once arrested Rene Ramirez.^[3] Two years later, Carrie eventually rose to become the S.W.A.T. unit's first female member. In early 2011, her unit was called in to sort out a bomb threat in The Glades, which turned out to be a setup and they were forced to engage the Culebra crime gang. During the encounter, Carrie was shielded from enemy gunfire by fellow S.W.A.T. member Jonathan Greer.

Afterwards, Carrie became fixated with Jonathan, prompting the SCPD to put her on limited duty. When she didn't cease her courting, Carrie was suspended from the precinct with full pay and received therapy from Dr. Avery Pressnall at St. Walker's Hospital. After three months, she was diagnosed with attachment disorder.^[1][2]

Obsession with the Arrow

"If I'm out of my mind, it's because that’s what love is - our own little slice of insanity."

—Carrie Cutter to The Arrow^[src]

When Slade Wilson's army attacked Starling City, Carrie was assaulted by one of the Mirakuru-enhanced henchmen, the Arrow passed by and rescued her by shooting the henchman. After this, Carrie began to develop an obsession with the vigilante. She began to train in archery, recruited Kirby Bates, a hacker and began collecting data on the Arrow by visiting crime scenes where he had been involved. In her apartment, Carrie had accumulated a collection of sketches and news articles on the Arrow, as well as a collection of his arrows.^[1]

Around six months later, Carrie went to another of the Arrow's suspected crime scenes at the Wildcat Gym, where Laurel Lance walked past her. She also later walked past a van that John Diggle was parking whilst backing up the Arrow and Ted Grant. Later that night, Carrie injured two policemen who were escorting Isaac Stanzler. When Isaac asked her who she was, Carrie introduced herself as Cupid before killing him with an arrow.^[4]

Carrie clothed Isaac in a costume similar to that of the Arrow and left him in the streets for the real one to find. She included a letter with the address of her apartment in the arrow tip. As the Arrow and John searched Carrie's apartment, she watched them from a nearby building. Carrie called a cellphone she left there and told the Arrow she wanted to be with him and help him fight crime. She also sent a picture of a mob boss she had captured earlier and suggested they should punish him together. Felicity Smoak managed to trace Carrie's SIM card, allowing Team Arrow to discover her identity. Carrie was traced to Sherwood Florist based on the fertilizer in the picture she sent.

The Arrow and Arsenal broke into Sherwood Florist and split up. Carrie snuck up on Roy and easily knocked him out. Using his earpiece, Carrie taunted and tried to flirt with the Arrow. She held the mob boss hostage by making him stand on a chair with a bomb vest and wired detonator around his neck. When the Arrow refused her advances, she kicked the chair away and fled the scene while the Arrow saved the mob boss. Visiting Kirby Bates, a hacker she had hired, Carrie discovered Verdant as the base of the Arrow's operations. She began to kiss Kirby and then killed him by stabbing an arrow in his neck.

Carrie attended Verdant's grand reopening and walked past Roy without him recognizing her. After ordering a Cupid's Kiss from Thea Queen, Carrie was called by Oliver and she lightheartedly joked about using a club as his base. Oliver tried to persuade her to meet him elsewhere to get her away from Thea. Carrie agreed but warned him she would kill everyone in the club if he did not show up.

Meeting at the place the Arrow first saved her, Carrie once again expressed her desire for them to become lovers. He tried to tell her that she isn't well but Carrie refused to listen, after which the Arrow tried to empathize with Carrie, explaining that he understands what it's like to love someone you can't be with. Angered by his rejection, Carrie attacked him and the two got into a fierce brawl. After getting knocked down, Carrie kicked and broke the lock of a metal grate and the two fell down, landing on a train track with the Arrow losing his bow during the fall. Carrie quickly restrained and cuffed the Arrow to the tracks, stating that if she could not have him, no one would. The Arrow tried to reason with her but Carrie prepared for them to die together as a train drove towards them. The Arrow then dislocated his thumb to escape from the cuffs and pulled Carrie away just in time, saving her again, much to her shock and joy.

Carrie was handed over to Amanda Waller for the Suicide Squad so she would have something to focus her talents and energy on.^[1]

Work as part of the Suicide Squad

Carrie traveled to the Republic of Kasnia with Lyla Michaels and Floyd in a mission to rescue United States Senator Joseph Cray, who was taken hostage while opening a Kasnian hospital. John decided to tag along to help Lyla, as they just had been married. Carrie, John, Lyla, and Floyd parachuted down in Kasnia and as they prepared, Carrie asked Lyla about her recent wedding. Carrie explained how for her wedding with the Arrow, she will spend less on the flowers to save more money for the dress and soon, she and the Arrow would "make strong, beautiful babies". Floyd bluntly told Carrie that a love-life and family is not possible for people who do what they do, but John disagreed.

While Floyd took down the guards with his sniper rifle, Carrie, John, and Lyla burst into the Kasnian hospital and killed the terrorists in a firefight. As they prepared to free the hostages, Senator Cray suddenly pulled out a gun and shot at Carrie but Floyd tackled her to the ground, taking the bullet for her. Carrie was visibly touched as the Squad escaped, falling in love with Floyd. Over the radio, Senator Cray revealed that the hostage situation was just theater to make him a hero and eventually allow him to run for president. Floyd assured a distressed John and Lyla that they will survive to get back to their daughter. His speech seemed to arouse Carrie, who made some flirting remarks towards him.

Later, Carrie, John, and Lyla took down most of the mercenaries at the Kasnian hospital but Cray threatened to activate some bombs. Floyd positioned himself on the rooftop and shot the detonator out of his hand. After a short fight, the Squad took out most of the mercenaries and began guiding the hostages out of the building. Carrie and John urged Floyd to get down, as the building would explode soon. However, Floyd revealed he lied and will cover their escape from the rooftop so they could make it out alive. Floyd supported them as Carrie, John and Lyla fought their way out of the building and got the hostages to safety. As the building exploded, seemingly killing Floyd, Carrie screamed in despair. She attempted to run towards the burning building but John held her back.^[5]

The following paragraph is considered non-canon, due to the fact that it occurred in The Flash: Season Zero​​​.

The Suicide Squad, consisting of Cupid, Captain Boomerang and Floyd Lawton, surveyed King Shark from destroying an aquarium. King Shark was later trapped in by the Suicide Squad. Captain Boomerang threw a boomerang, but King Shark simply bit through it. Deadshot shot him, knocking him over, followed by Cupid shooting a trick arrow, which expanded in to a net, trapping him.^[6][7]

Eventually, Carrie worked off her sentence through the Suicide Squad missions and was released from A.R.G.U.S. custody.^[8]

Anti-love crusade

Struggling with the death of Floyd Lawton and her failure at finding love, Carrie became convinced that love was just a lie and that this was something she had to demonstrate to the people. Setting up her base at the storage facility of Colao Wedding Dress Services, she began to collect data on celebrity couples who were to be married soon. Carrie first kidnapped Blaine and Shannon. She made them both admit their love for each other before shooting them simultaneously with her bow. Carrie left their bodies on the streets, positioned in the shape of a heart, with a note that read "Love is Dead". 

Next, Carrie targeted Allison Lee and Robert Joyce. After their wedding, Carrie tied them up and drove them away in their car, sadistically taunting them. Soon, Carrie noticed Green Arrow and Speedy pursuing her by motorcycle. In the ensuing chase, Speedy managed to board her car. However, Carrie drove through the wall of a warehouse, knocking the archer off. Blocking the steering wheel, Carrie leapt out of the car and ambushed Green Arrow from behind, knocking him down. She aimed an arrow at him but he blocked her shot and they engaged in a fight. Carrie proclaimed that Green Arrow was nothing like the Arrow, who she once loved. Green Arrow used a trick arrow to ensnare her and attended to her hostages. Carrie cut herself loose and escaped by scaling the wall with a grappling hook arrow.

Learning that Oliver was about to marry Felicity at the Hochman Hotel, Carrie decided to target them next. After rigging the building with C4, she proceeded to listen to their vows before confronting them in the chapel. Carrie told Oliver that love made him weak and shot an arrow in his chest. However, Oliver got back up, revealing that his Kevlar vest protected him. Carrie then revealed the C4 detonator and claimed that love was false, resulting only in death. Oliver and Felicity's marriage made them look like a fairytale and by killing them, she would show the people this truth. However, Felicity opposed Carrie, giving a rousing speech of how her and Oliver's love was the best thing to ever happen to her and asserted that even if she died today, she would never regret this. Carrie was touched by her speech and Speedy took the opportunity to shoot the detonator out of her hand. Carrie simultaneously fought Speedy and Spartan, eventually overpowering them. She then went for the detonator but got ensnared by a trick arrow. As she tried to free herself, Oliver used Spartan's gun to shoot Carrie with a dart that stunned her.

Afterwards, Carrie was arrested by the SCPD. As they took her away, she told Oliver and Felicity, "You two give the rest of us hope."^[8]

New allies

Following Carrie's anti-love crusade, she was incarcerated in Iron Heights Prison. While there, she met Chien Na Wei and Liza Warner, eventually partnering up to steal Tobias Church's money. The three then escaped and went on another killing spree, this time targeting gangs once affiliated to Church. First targeting the Chinese Triad, massacring many gang members. They next targeted the Bertinelli Crime Family. But this would be interrupted; by the Green Arrow. Carrie and her allies would later target other gangsters who did know the location of the money. Following this they hired many criminals to defend them should anybody interrupt them. Team Arrow would arrive to prevent their escape and fight ensued, during which Carrie manage to injure Rene Ramirez and Curtis Holt. She only stopped when the ACU arrived and arrested her.^[3]

Return to Task Force X

At some point, Carrie was returned to A.R.G.U.S. custody. Barry Allen and Leonard Snart came across her cell while on a heist, with Barry noting that it was where the Suicide Squad members were kept.^[9]

Carrie later got recruited for the Ghost Initiative. Carrie, Chien, and Joe Wilson teamed up with Ricardo Diaz. After Chien, Diaz, and Joe nearly killed each other when a training session escalated, Diggle reminded them of the importance of their mission. Led by Diaz, Carrie, Chien, and Joe met up with an associate of Dante. It was however revealed to be an ambush to kidnap Diaz and a large group attacked the Ghost Initiative group. Carrie and the others worked together well and swiftly took out the attackers but Dante's associate took his own life to avoid capture. Carrie then returned to A.R.G.U.S. after the mission got called off.^[10][11]

After the Ghost Initiative at A.R.G.U.S. was disbanded by the United States government, Carrie was presumably released from their custody. During the crisis after the wave of antimatter destroy Earth-1 she likely died and after the new multiverse recreation because she is never mentioned remains dead.

Personality

"Attachment disorder, the inability to form real, lasting relationships. They push everyone away, and fixate on a single person. Someone they feel mirrors their emotional state."

—Avery Pressnall^[src]

Seemingly playful and flirtatious, Carrie is revealed to go to extreme lengths to satisfy her desire to be with the Arrow, including killing. She seemed to build her entire world around the vigilante, explicitly stating she did not touch Arsenal and even killed Kirby Bates when he tried to get intimate with her. Carrie referred to the archer as her "lover" and "boyfriend", believing they were meant for each other. She seemed to ignore laws and moral boundaries alike, killing Isaac Stanzler and injuring two police officers just to get The Arrow's attention. She even threatened to kill everyone in Verdant if The Arrow did not agree to her demands.

Avery Pressnall diagnosed her with attachment disorder: Carrie lacks the ability to form genuine relationships with others and pushes them away, fixating on a single person whom she feels mirrors her emotional state. Carrie desires honesty and sincerity, noticing whenever people lie to her.^[1]

Carrie quickly becomes angry whenever people confront her with her mental disorder, believing there was nothing wrong with her and despising the psychiatrist who treated her. After The Arrow rejected her, Carrie grew enraged and tried to kill him. In a last-ditch effort to be with her crush, Carrie planned to die with The Arrow by standing in front of an oncoming train so they would be together in death. When The Arrow saved her again, Carrie came to believe that he did so out of love for her.

As a result of being placed in Task Force X, her personality and behavior seem much more stable, though Carrie still believes she can have a future with the Arrow, even cheerfully detailing the wedding she imagined they would have. After Floyd Lawton took a bullet for her, Carrie quickly became fond of and shifted her desires onto him.

After Floyd's death, Carrie was heartbroken and devastated, growing disillusioned with love. She began to believe Floyd's mantra that the emotion was "a bullet to the brain" and felt that if she couldn't find love, then no one could. To make this point, Carrie began to kill couples on their wedding day in cold blood, believing her murders were for the greater good. However, after talking with Felicity Smoak, who highlighted the strengths of true love, Carrie was deeply moved and began to doubt her stance. This indicates that her newfound attitude is simply an overreaction to cope with her own failed love life since The Arrow rejected her and Floyd Lawton died.  

When Carrie was arrested, she told Oliver and Felicity they give hope to people like her, hinting she may be moving past her anti-love beliefs.  

Abilities

• Peak of human physical condition: As a former police officer, Carrie is shown to be in top physical condition. During her fights against the Arrow, she displayed incredible feats of speed and dexterity. Despite falling down more than 12 feet, Carrie got back up and kept fighting without any visible injuries.
  • Acrobatics/Free-running: As a former gymnast, Carrie is very agile and nimble, having developed free-running and parkour skills. She can drop from a height of several feet without injuring herself.
• Expert archer: Carrie is a skilled archer, able to accurately fire an arrow into Isaac Stanzler's chest and shoot two police officers in their legs with precision shots.^[4] While working for Task Force X, Carrie kept using archery instead of firearms, which she used to kill heavily armed mercenaries.^[5] Later, Carrie was able to fire two arrows at once and hit two targets simultaneously in their hearts.^[8]
• Master hand-to-hand combatant/Martial artist: Carrie excels in close combat, proving herself a creative and dangerous fighter by using her slender build, flexibility, and speed to her advantage. As a former S.W.A.T. police officer, she has experience in making difficult arrests and dealing with dangerous criminals, often incorporating restraining techniques against her opponents. Carrie was able to easily beat the heavily armed Arsenal and hold her own against the Arrow, despite fighting him unarmed while he used his bow as a melee weapon, though he was likely holding back. After the Arrow lost his bow, Carrie managed to restrain and cuff him.^[1] She was also later able to keep up with Speedy and Spartan, even briefly subduing them both before being knocked down by Spartan.^[8] Later, along with Chien Na Wei, Carrie could hold her own against Green Arrow, who was able to initially swiftly outpace them until he was knocked down and the ACU interfered. Carrie was also able to fight on par against Mr. Terrific and quickly best him with help from Liza Warner.^[3]
  • Expert stick-fighter: Carrie is an accomplished stick-fighter, able to land a few blows at Green Arrow by using her bow as a melee weapon.
• Expert markswoman/Firearms: As a former police officer, Carrie is an expert in the use of firearms.
• High-level intellect/Expert tactician: Carrie is an excellent tactician, capable of designing complex plans. She was able to abduct a heavily guarded mob boss and lure the Arrow to their location by leaving trails of clues, predicting his exact actions. She was also able to lure out the Arrow by threatening the clubbers in Verdant. Carrie also is highly adept at using her surroundings to her advantage. According to her psychiatrist, Carrie can sense when people lie to her.
  • Explosives expert: Possibly due to her S.W.A.T. training, Carrie has excellent experience with explosives, using a bomb vest and a wired detonator to hold a mob boss hostage.^[1] She was also able to rig an entire building with C4 explosives.^[8]
  • Expert of deception/Manipulator: Carrie is skilled in manipulating others, seducing Kirby Bates into helping her.^[1] She also used a clueless facade to distract a correction officer, allowing Liza to kill him.^[3]
  • Gardening: Carrie is a skilled gardener, having been a member of the Sherwood Florist gardening club.^[1]
• Stealth: Carrie has experience in stealth and stalking others, blending in with her surroundings to avoid getting noticed. She was able to follow along with Team Arrow and Ted Grant tracking Isaac Stanzler without being spotted.^[4]

Equipment

"Love is a bullet to the brain... or an arrow to the heart."

—Cupid paraphrasing Deadshot^[src]

• Cupid suit: As Cupid, Carrie wore a suit consisting of tight black pants, a dark green top, and a long dark jacket. She kept her suit when working for Task Force X and Liza Warner's crew.
• Custom-made bow: Carrie is shown wielding a custom-made bow. It is unknown what type of bow it is.
• Quiver: Carrie wears a quiver, which she carries her arrows in, during her confrontations with The Arrow.

"Hand-soldered out of high-carbon steel."

—Oliver Queen to John Diggle^[src]

• Custom-made arrows: As Cupid, Carrie uses custom-made arrows. These arrows had tips made from carbon fiber-reinforced polymer, and are heart-shaped and colored red.
• Handcuffs: Carrie keeps a pair of handcuffs on her person. She used these in her fight with the Arrow to cuff him to some railroad tracks.
• Flechettes: Carrie carries small heart-shaped flechettes in her sleeves. She used a flechette to cut herself free after being ensnared by a trick arrow.
• Trick arrows: Carrie used a grappling hook arrow to scale a wall to escape from Green Arrow.

Appearances

Arrow

The Flash

Season 3

• "Infantino Street" (mentioned)

DC's Legends of Tomorrow

Season 3

• "Crisis on Earth-X, Part 4" (mentioned)
• "No Country for Old Dads" (pictured)

Comics

The Flash: Season Zero

• "Fish Fry"
• "Blood Loss"
• "A Little Help from Some Friends"
• "The Impossible Mission"
• "A Minor Setback"
• "A New Home"

Trivia

• Carrie shares many similarities with Evelyn Sharp/Artemis:
  • Both were top students and gymnasts at their respective schools.
  • Both are archers codenamed after greek/roman deities.
  • Both have a personal grudge of some sorts against Oliver Queen/Green Arrow.
  • Both joined a team of villains during Season 5.
• Carrie is one of the few known individuals to be able to overpower and nearly kill Oliver in combat, and is also one of the few known individuals to do so without any powers.
• Carrie is 5'5'' tall.^[2]

Behind the scenes

• In the DC comics, Carrie Cutter is a super-villain known as Cupid. She is an enemy of Green Arrow and Black Canary, being obsessed with the vigilante archer. Carrie grew insane after volunteering for a top-secret program called Cobalt, which turned her emotions up to the extreme when it came to falling in love. Other effects included memory loss and increased strength.

References