EW's first look at Jessica De Gouw's Hunterss

The new issue of Entertainment Weekly premieres the first look at Jessica De Gouw as the Huntress on The CW's breakout drama "Arrow." Although the Australian actress doesn't sport the purple cape of her comic-book counterpart, DC fans may be pleased to see she still wears a mask and wields a crossbow.

The character will be introduced in the Nov. 28 episode as Helena, a vigilante (and a potential love interest for Oliver Queen) whose determination to destroy her father's criminal empire puts her on a collision course with Arrow. While the Huntress is only planned for a two-episode arc, there's a possibility should could return.

"The whole reason for bringing the Huntress on -- it isn't so we can just throw in a new DC Comics character, even though she's very cool. It's really about having an emotional effect on Oliver," co-showrunner Andrew Kreisberg told Comic Book Resources and other media outlets last month. "When we meet him in that storyline, he's lonely and he's feeling a little lost, and then, in comes to his life this girl who's the darker version of him who he thinks he can save."

He added to EW that, "On an emotional level, she and Oliver are both damaged by their pasts, and then the fact that she's hot and Oliver is into her makes it all the more complicated."

"Arrow," which stars Stephen Amell ("Hung") as a wealthy bad boy turned vigilante determined to clean up Starling City, has become a ratings sensation for The CW in only a few weeks. The superhero drama premiered Oct. 9 to 4.02 million viewers, making it the network's most-watched debut -- and first certified hit -- since "The Vampire Diaries" in September 2009. The show was given a full-season order last week.

With her Nov. 28 introduction, the Huntress will join a growing list of DC Comics guest stars that includes China White, Deadshot and, in the next two weeks, Deathstroke and the Royal Flush Gang. The casting of Firefly was announced on Wednesday.

Airing Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT, "Arrow" also stars Colin Donnell as Tommy Merlyn, Katie Cassidy as Laurel Lance, David Ramsey as John Diggle, Willa Holland as Thea Queen, Susanna Thompson as Moira Queen and Paul Blackthorne as Detective Quentin Lance.