"It's not only prisoners who grow coarse and hardened from corporal punishment, but those as well who perpetrate the act or who are present to witness it."

—Mark Scheffer quoting Anton Chekhov^[src]

Mark Scheffer (died March 2014), also known as Shrapnel, was a former toy shop owner and psychotic serial bomber. He terrorized Starling City and endangered the life of Sebastian Blood, before being stopped by the Arrow. He was later drafted into the Suicide Squad by Amanda Waller, but after disobeying orders and trying to escape, he was killed by a bomb implanted in his spine.  

Quick Answers

What led Mark Scheffer to become a serial bomber?

Mark Scheffer, known as Shrapnel, turned to serial bombing driven by his anti-government stance. He saw the government as corrupt and waged war against it, endangering innocent lives. Team Arrow identified him through his bombing methods. Later, Amanda Waller recruited him into the Suicide Squad, but his escape attempt resulted in his death by a bomb in his spine.

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What role did Mark Scheffer play in the Suicide Squad?

Mark Scheffer, known as Shrapnel, joined the Suicide Squad in the Arrow series. Previously a toy shop owner and serial bomber, he was recruited by Amanda Waller. Scheffer disobeyed orders and tried to escape, leading to his death by a bomb in his spine.

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How did Mark Scheffer get the name Shrapnel?

Mark Scheffer, known as Shrapnel, was a toy shop owner turned serial bomber in Starling City. He used 'Shrapnel' as an online alias, reflecting his radical and psychopathic tendencies. In the DC comics, Shrapnel is a supervillain with explosive abilities, but in the show, the name represents Scheffer's destructive nature.

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How did the Arrow stop Mark Scheffer in Starling City?

The Arrow stopped Mark Scheffer, also known as Shrapnel, in Starling City by capturing him after he set off bombs around the city. Scheffer targeted Sebastian Blood's 'Unity Rally' and trapped the Arrow in a bomb-laced store. With assistance from Felicity and Diggle, Oliver Queen apprehended Scheffer after he shot Diggle, stopping the bombings.

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Biography

Serial Bomber

Mark Scheffer is seen as an anti-government serial bomber, who follows a militia group. The group's M.O. is how he is identified by Team Arrow when they analyze the bomb remains given by Officer Quentin Lance. He goes by the alias of Shrapnel but does not appear visually or physically as Shrapnel. After bombing two government buildings in Starling, Shrapnel targets Sebastian Blood's Unity Rally and shoots John Diggle. After a brief chase, the Arrow manages to catch him, and sever the activation button for his devices. Subsequently, he is arrested.^[1]

Suicide Squad and Death

Later, Shrapnel joins Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad but eventually abandons Deadshot on a mission and attempts to escape, only to be blown up by Waller who implanted an explosive chip in his head.^[2]

Personality

"Freedom. Liberty. Justice. Too long have the people of this city suffered under the shackles of a corrupt government. Slaves to self-interested politicians and their lobbyist puppeteers. I declare war on them all."

—Mark Scheffer^[src]

Mark was a psychopath who believed that all government was corrupt. However, he had a complete disregard for innocent lives, which he put in danger. He was also very arrogant; when A.R.G.U.S. recruited him for Task Force X, he believed that they would just release him from prison without having him on a leash, leading him to attempt to abandon Task Force X; this attempt led to his death by the equally immoral Amanda Waller.

Abilities

"He's using cellular technology to detonate his bombs. Clearly, his expertise extends to obscuring that signal."

—Felicity Smoak^[src]

• Explosives expert: Mark was shown to be an exceptionally skilled explosives creator, making timed bombs, as well as explosives that blow in a specific way. He also knew how to use cellular technology to control his bombs.^[1]
• Computer specialist: Mark's skills with cellular technology allowed him to keep Felicity Smoak from tracking him, tricking her with another signal to follow while he escaped.^[1]
• Skilled marksman: Mark was shown to be skilled in the use of firearms.^[1]
• Expert driver: Mark was skilled in driving his van without accidents, allowing him to easily escape the Arrow with the combined usage of evasive driving, a smoke grenade, and fool Felicity by having her track a different signal than his.^[1] This was also his main to Task Force X.

Equipment

• Flashbangs: Mark used highly sophisticated flashbangs to blind his enemies, even once attempted to use it on the Arrow.^[1]
• Smoke grenades: Mark used smoke pellets to escape his enemies, which was how he was able to escape The Arrow when they first crossed paths.^[1]
• Grenades: Mark also kept regular based grenades as he attempted to kill innocent civilians with one at Sebastian Blood's Unity Rally.^[1]
• Gun: Mark was proficient in using a gun and used a gun to threaten and shoot John Diggle.^[1]

Appearances

Arrow

Season 2

• "Blast Radius"
• "Suicide Squad"

Gallery

Promotional images

Arrow

Season 2

Suicide Squad portrait.

Behind the scenes

• In the DC comics universe, Mark Scheffer is a supervillain by the name of Shrapnel, a being of organic metal who can explode and reconstitute his body at will. In the show, he uses "Shrapnel" simply as an online alias.
• This version of Shrapnel is very similar to the Batman Beyond character Mad Stan. Like Stan, Scheffer is a nonconformist radical psychopath who harbors a hatred for "the System", believing it to be corrupt. They also share a liking for explosives.
• This version of Shrapnel appears to replace Plastique as the Suicide Squad's demolitions expert.

References