Deathstroke
Encyclopedia
Deathstroke the Terminator (Slade Wilson), originally simply the Terminator, and known by the Teen Titans as Slade, is a fictional character
, a supervillain
and sometimes antihero in the DC Comics
Universe
. He is a mercenary
and assassin
who first appeared in The New Teen Titans (vol. 1) #2 (1980
). Wizard Magazine
rated him the 84th greatest villain of all time and the 72nd greatest comic book character of all time. Also, in 2009, Deathstroke was ranked as IGN
's 32nd greatest comic book villain of all time.
, but he quickly became one of the main antagonists for the Titans. Deathstroke quickly became a fan favorite character and later in the series often allied with the Titans against mutual threats.
Due to his popularity, Deathstroke received his own series, Deathstroke the Terminator, in 1991
. It was retitled Deathstroke the Hunted for issues #0 and #41-45; and then simply Deathstroke for issues #46-60. The series was cancelled with issue #60. In total, Deathstroke ran for 65 issues (#1-60, plus 4 annuals and a special #0 issue).
Following his injury in DC Universe: Last Will and Testament, Deathstroke appears in one of the four Faces of Evil
one-shots, written by David Hine
. Hine has explained that the series is part of the set-up for future stories: "All of the characters in this ‘Faces of Evil’ series were selected for their potential as major players in the coming year."
Even though the character of Deathstroke the Terminator predates James Cameron
's film The Terminator
by four years, the Slade Wilson character is now simply called Deathstroke, even by characters who had called him Terminator for years. The full title has not completely fallen out of use, having been referenced as recently as Justice League Elite
.
supersoldier
s for the U.S. military, Deathstroke became a mercenary soon after the experiment when he defied orders and rescued his friend Wintergreen
, who had been sent on a suicide mission by a commanding officer with a grudge. However, he kept this career secret from his family, even though his wife was an expert military combat instructor—indeed, she had been responsible for a significant portion of his early training—until a criminal named the Jackal took his younger son, Joseph
, hostage to force Slade to divulge the name of a client who had hired him as an assassin. Slade refused to do so, claiming that it was against his personal honor code, and attacked and killed the kidnappers at the rendezvous. Unfortunately, Joseph's throat was slashed by one of the criminals before Slade could prevent it, destroying his vocal cords
and rendering him mute.
After taking Joseph to the hospital, Slade's wife, Adeline, enraged at his endangerment of her son, tried to kill Slade by shooting him, but only managed to destroy his right eye. Afterward, his confidence in his physical abilities was such that he made no secret of his impaired vision, marked by his mask which has a black, featureless half covering his lost eye. Without his mask, Slade wears an eye-patch.
Slade has a long history as an enemy of the Teen Titans, beginning when his other son, Grant, became an early Titans foe called the Ravager
, who was physically enhanced to fulfill a contract to kill or capture the Teen Titans. However, those enhancements proved fatal and Slade agreed to complete the contract. His first mission involved stealing the fictional element Promethium
from S.T.A.R. Labs
and selling it as the ultimate weapon. He then kidnapped the Titans and placed them in the path of a Promethium bomb to test his device for the buyers, effectively killing two birds with one stone. The Titans escaped and pursued Deathstroke, but he severely wounded Garfield Logan, then known as Changeling
, in his escape. This would be the start to a lasting animosity between the two.
Deathstroke next appeared in New York, holding officials hostage in order to lure the Titans into confronting him. Terra
, a new ally of the Titans, and Changeling were the only ones available to answer the call. Terra knocked Logan out in an effort to prove herself worthy of being a Titan and fought Deathstroke single-handedly. Slade escaped as the other Titans arrived, but by then Terra had proven herself and the team offered her membership. Later that night, it was revealed that both Terra and Deathstroke conspired to fake the fight in a plot to infiltrate the team. It was also revealed that both shared an intimate relationship, despite Terra being fifteen years old. The artist, George Pérez, noted that this constituted "statutory rape
."
is gassed at her photo studio, Garfield Logan is poisoned with tainted envelopes while responding to fan mail, Victor Stone
is electrocuted by a chair in his own apartment, Koriand'r
is ambushed with a device that affects her powers, and Raven
is taken down by Terra herself. Dick Grayson
, who had recently retired his Robin
costume, was last to be attacked and he was confronted by Deathstroke himself. He narrowly avoided being captured and soon discovered that his teammates had already been taken. Grayson arrived at Titans Tower
to discover Slade's ex-wife, Adeline, and her son, Joseph Wilson. She told Grayson that Terra was a traitor, how each of his teammates were captured, and related the origin of Deathstroke.
Grayson assumes the identity of Nightwing
in order to confront Deathstroke and the H.I.V.E.
, joined by Joseph, going by the name of Jericho
. During the confrontation, Deathstroke recognizes Jericho as his son which causes him to hesitate. Jericho freed the Titans by possessing his father's body. Terra turns on Deathstroke as she thinks that he has betrayed her as well. After her suicide, Slade is taken into custody.
Slade was put on trial for his crimes, but the trial was deliberately sabotaged by Garfield Logan so that he could kill Slade himself, believing he was responsible for Terra's betrayal of the Titans. Slade agreed to the confrontation, but showed up out of costume. Logan found himself unable to kill a defenseless Slade, so instead they talked. Feeling some empathy for his grief, Slade explained his past with Terra, and Logan realized Slade was not to blame for the choices Terra had made. The two men parted on peaceful terms afterward with Slade returning to Africa with Wintergreen.
, a later code-name for Donna Troy, is attacked by a group of strange beastmen and barely survives the encounter. Meanwhile, while attending a fundraiser with his father, Gar Logan recognizes Slade trying to maintain a low profile. When he finally catches up with Slade, he finds him about to kill the host of the fundraiser, Walter Lanier. He stops Deathstroke, but is surprised when Lanier turns into a bat-like creature and flies away. Slade reveals to the Titans that he was responsible for smuggling the drug the bestiamorphs were using to transform others, but did not realize what it was until it was too late. After Jericho and Raven were stricken by the plague, he aided them in destroying the beastmen and finding a cure for the contagion.
(Mento), an on-and-off member of the Doom Patrol
, hires Deathstroke to find the missing Titans. He eventually discovers with Nightwing that the abductions were the work of the Wildebeest Society, and that their leader was none other than Titan member Jericho, Deathstroke's son.
It was revealed that Jericho had been possessed by the corrupted souls of Azarath
, who were using him to capture the Titans and use them as physical hosts in order to survive. During the transfer process, Jericho's true self resurfaced briefly, begging his father to kill him. To spare his son any more pain and save the remaining Titans, Slade was forced to drive a sword through Jericho's heart, seemingly killing him. This act still haunts him to this day.
Afterward, Slade continued his life as a mercenary, but also acted as an occasional hero, aiding the Titans or acting on his own to help others, most notably during the Total Chaos storyline when the Team Titans
arrived in the 20th Century to assassinate Donna Troy before she could give birth to her son, who in their timeline had grown up into the tyrannical despot, Lord Chaos. Slade also met Pat Trayce, a tough former cop who would become the new costumed Vigilante
. Pat Trayce and Slade quickly became lovers, and began a tumultuous on-again/off-again relationship.
After Slade thwarted an assassination attempt on the President of the United States, he was subsequently framed for the murder of a U.S. Senator. The man responsible had taken on the identity of the Ravager and was hunting down Slade's friends and loved ones. Eventually, with the help of the Titans and Sarge Steel
, Slade was able to prove his innocence and the true culprit was revealed to be Steve Dayton, under the alias of the Crime Lord, who had again succumbed to mental instability caused by his Mento helmet.
Meanwhile, Slade's relationship with his estranged wife, Adeline, took a tragic turn as Slade underwent a process to gain the ability of physical regeneration, allowing him to survive any wound so long as his brain is intact (this power is limited, as Slade cannot regenerate his lost eye because that injury happened before he gained his healing factor). After gaining this power, Slade was forced to give his wife a blood transfusion to save her life, resulting in her gaining a similar healing factor which manifested itself as a form of immortality. This alteration of her DNA drove Adeline insane, shaming Deathstroke into going into a semi-retirement state.
In Titans (vol. 1) #12, Deathstroke teamed up with the Titans to face his wife Adeline, who in her insane state had revived the H.I.V.E. and sought to rid the world of all superhumans, blaming them for Jericho's death. During the battle, interrupted by Vandal Savage
and a band of villains that he had organized from recent Titans battles, Adeline's throat was slit. In a brief return of sanity, she begged Slade to kill her, requesting him to reunite her with "my... our children... " because her version of the healing factor would not heal the wound, but only allow her to live in spite of it. Deathstroke refused, but Koriand'r shocked her teammates and Deathstroke by using her starbolt blast to disintegrate her completely, per Adeline's wishes. This was a turning point, as Deathstroke renounced all ties with the Titans as a result of Starfire's act.
It was then revealed that Jericho managed to transfer his consciousness into Deathstroke in the instant before his death. Taking control of his father, Jericho forced Deathstroke to murder his longtime butler, mentor, and companion Wintergreen. He then launched a series of attacks against the current Teen Titans, most notably shattering Impulse
's knee with a shotgun blast, before leaving his father's body. Deathstroke has since manipulated his one remaining child, Rose Wilson
, into the mercenary business as the new Ravager, in order to find and kill Jericho, using a specially designed serum to heighten her hostility and push her over the edge. Unfortunately, the process also resulted in her being driven at least partially insane, to the extent that she cut out her own left eye in an attempt to prove to her father that she was just like him.
#23 as a mercenary against Black Canary
and Conner Hawke as part of the "Brotherhood of the Fist" tie-in to the No Man's Land story arc.
Deathstroke also appeared in Birds of Prey #22-24, where he was sent to Gorilla City
by Blockbuster to get an ape-heart. Blockbuster is accompanied by Lady Vic
, Grimm, and Black Canary, who is posing as Oracle
.
, who was being pursued by the Justice League of America
as a suspect in the murder of Sue Dibny
. In the ensuing battle, Deathstroke nearly beat the team of Elongated Man
, the Flash
(Wally West), Zatanna
, Hawkman
, Green Arrow
, Black Canary, the Atom, and Green Lantern
(Kyle Rayner). He systematically took out every member except for Rayner, whom he had the potential to disable through trying to usurp his ring's energies using his own formidable willpower. Fortunately, before the outcome of this conflict with Rayner ended, Green Arrow stuck an arrow in Deathstroke's right eye socket, enraging him. Slade went ballistic, which derailed his pre-planned strategy and began to beat Green Arrow, but was stopped when the majority of the team tackled Deathstroke to the ground. Dr. Light used his powers to allow the two to escape. Near the end of Identity Crisis, Deathstroke confronts Green Arrow on a rooftop. Arrow sees his reflection in the windows of a nearby building, but when he turns to confront Slade, Deathstroke is gone. Instead, Green Arrow finds Slade's cowl and a note stuck to the wall by the very arrow he stabbed in Slade's eye socket. The note reads, "This is yours - We're not done."
's Secret Society of Super Villains
in the Infinite Crisis
storyline. He was seen in Infinite Crisis #1, hiding in a warehouse south of Metropolis
waiting to ambush the Freedom Fighters
with several other members. The battle didn't last long, and by the end, Deathstroke had killed the Phantom Lady
. Slade is also the one who landed the final stroke on Uncle Sam by shooting him in the back (and leading to his apparent death).
He was the employer of an undercover Dick Grayson, whom he hired to train his daughter Rose. However, after the two had a confrontation with Superman
, Deathstroke discovered that Nightwing had been teaching Rose the values of heroism. He could not kill Grayson in front of his daughter, because doing so would undo all of Slade's teachings. Nightwing offered a deal: he would stay away from Rose if Slade would keep the metahuman
villains out of Blüdhaven
. The deal held for 34 hours until Infinite Crisis #4, when Slade, under the orders of Alexander Luthor, Jr.
, the real leader of the Society, went with several villains (including old Titans and Doom Patrol foes and Brotherhood of Evil
members Monsieur Mallah
and Brain
) to drop Chemo
, another fellow villain who appeared to be a nearly brainless monster made of pure energy and radioactive chemicals, on Blüdhaven, killing over one-hundred thousand people. Slade gave the explanation to the Brotherhood that Nightwing should be made to believe that he can never go home again.
Grayson took the first of his revenge by bursting in on Deathstroke and Rose's training session, revealing to the latter that the Kryptonite
that Deathstroke had implanted in place of her missing eye was radioactive and deadly to humans as well as to Kryptonian
s (though slower in its effects on humans, as revealed by Lex Luthor's old possession of a Kryptonite ring that forced him to transfer his brain to a cloned body). Angered, Slade went after Nightwing with a grenade, only to have Rose try to stop him. Amid the smoke of the resulting explosion, Rose fled, telling her father that she hated him. Dick disappeared as well, but not before leaving a note for Slade warning him that he would be back to make him pay for Blüdhaven.
At the climactic Battle of Metropolis at the conclusion of Infinite Crisis, Slade was confronted by Batman
, Robin
(Tim Drake), and Nightwing. During the struggle, he was questioned regarding his motives for aiding the Secret Society. His claims of monetary motivation were deemed unsatisfactory; Batman accused him of having forsaken his code of honor, and Nightwing said it was because his family had abandoned him. An enraged Slade said that was because of Nightwing, and that it was always because of him, before Batman told him to take responsibility for his actions and he was rendered unconscious.
Slade appears in the Green Arrow series after the one year jump
in DC Comics' storylines. Apparently in hiding, he nearly murders a crony of several Star City
businessmen who want to hire him for a murder. Before finishing his violent refusal, he asks the name of the target. When informed that it was to be the mayor of Star City, Oliver Queen (whom Deathstroke knows is secretly Green Arrow), he spares the lackey and decides to take the job.
However, things do not quite go according to plan, with Green Arrow using the resources of both his identities, trapping him within a ring of armed National Guardsmen. The fight ends with Deathstroke's arrest and subsequent conviction and incarceration; however, this is revealed as a ploy to gain access to another jailed foe of Green Arrow who has information on the hero's activities in the lost year, which include Green Arrow studying under an assassin who once trained Deathstroke himself.
Deathstroke is also active behind the scenes in Teen Titans, currently in the process of organizing a counter-team of teen superhumans that will be known as Titans East
. The current Titans team included Ravager, who now wanted nothing to do with her father. Deathstroke seemingly intended to "reclaim" Ravager and a recently resurrected Jericho from the Titans or, if that failed, to crush them along with the rest of the team. For these reasons, he specially selected each member of Titans East, believing that, overall, each member would successfully counteract every member of the current Teen Titans line-up.
As indicated over the course of the subsequent issues, Deathstroke was manipulating every member of his new team in one way or another. He had blackmailed former Titan Risk
while at the same time offering him an outlet for his rage; was drugging Cassandra Cain
(Batgirl) with the same serum he had used on Rose; and supplied Inertia
with a formula which granted superhuman speed to compensate for the loss of the Speed Force
following the initial battle with Superboy-Prime. His team, however, slowly fell apart over the course of the attack, as Robin managed to free Batgirl of his mind control serum and Raven convinced Duela Dent
to switch sides. Slade and his remaining Titans subsequently faced off against both the current Titans and a group of old Titans led by Nightwing. Although he was defeated, he still managed to escape with the aid of Inertia. In the end, however, it was revealed to the readers that Slade's real mission was to provide his children with something he could never offer them: a real family, in the form of the Teen Titans. By attacking the Titans, he insured that Rose and Jericho would become more trusted by their associates, and thus grow closer to the team.
Recently, Deathstroke took credit for somehow twisting (through unknown means) the powers of Brion Markov
(Geo-Force), the half-brother of the original Terra, into the same powers as his traitorous sister. Using this leverage, Deathstroke offered to reverse the process only if Geo-Force became his own personal spy within the Justice League. Unfortunately for Deathstroke, Geo-Force alerted Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman
of Deathstroke's scheme, which culminated in Geo-Force alerting the League that Deathstroke (whose rivalry with Green Arrow has reached vendetta-level proportions) planned on using an army of supervillains to crash Green Arrow and Black Canary
's wedding. Weeks later, Geo-Force was tortured by Gorilla Grodd
after the League was kidnapped by the Injustice League
, and ultimately transferred to Batman's newest incarnation of the Outsiders
afterward, robbing Deathstroke of his potential pawn.
Deathstroke can be seen as a member of Libra
's Secret Society of Super Villains.
Deathstroke is gravely injured with his own sword by Geo-Force in DC Universe: Last Will and Testament. Following his injury, he is recuperating at Belle Reve
while doctors labor to save him. Deathstroke dreams of his family members and all of the people that he has let down. When he awakens, he vows that he will never again be haunted by the past.
Ravager comes to visit him, but in fact, wants to finish her father off. She tries to strangle him with a plastic wire, but Deathstroke is recuperated enough that he can fend off her attack. He escapes from the facility and steals a helicopter. Later, Deathstroke finds a young street urchin that he decides to take under his wing.
. Deathstroke and Rose are forced to work together and fight for their lives against the Black Lanterns.
The two hopelessly fight the regenerating Black Lanterns until Jericho, cured from his earlier insanity, arrives and turns the tide of the fight. During the course of the battle, Deathstroke confesses to his children that part of the reason why he menaced the Teen Titans for so many years was that he felt that by forcing his children to hate him, they would have a chance of escaping the sorrow and pain a life with him would entail. Just as Slade is overwhelmed and about to be killed, Jericho somehow uses his abilities to sever the connection between the Black Lanterns and their power rings, permanently sending them back to the grave. After realizing that her mother was not reborn as a member of the Black Lantern Corps, Rose comes to the conclusion that she must somehow still be alive, and leaves after threatening to kill Slade if he tries to stop her. Jericho chooses to stay with his father, reasoning that only Slade would have the courage to kill him if he were to ever return to madness.
, controlling the body and physical actions of the current Robin, Damian Wayne
, in order to kill Dick Grayson, who has taken up the mantle of Batman. Deathstroke is able to control Damian's actions thanks to a neural-implant inserted into Damian's spine by his mother while it was being surgically replaced. Grayson defeats Deathstroke by taking advantage of the two-way connection between him and Damian by using a taser on Damian, the resulting electric shock overwhelming Deathstroke's enhanced senses. He then tracks Slade down and attacks him in his hospital bed for controlling Damian and for the Chemo attack, informing Slade that what happened then is just a 'trailer' for what he will do later.
, Cheshire
, Osiris
, and the new character Cinder following the launch of Brightest Day
. The team ambushes Ryan Choi in his home, and then battles him. This ends with Deathstroke driving his sword through Ryan's chest, killing him. He then gives the deceased hero's body to Dwarfstar.
Following the assassination of the Atom, Deathstroke and the Titans are hired to kill Lex Luthor during his stay in Midway City
. The attack is revealed to be a ruse crafted by Slade and Luthor in order to draw out a traitor on Luthor's security staff who is revealed to be a shape-shifting assassin named Facade. After the Titans capture Facade and turn him over to the scientists at LexCorp
, Luthor rewards Slade by examining technology that he had earlier ordered Tattooed Man and Cheshire to steal. Slade claims that this will bring him one step closer to his true goal: the ability to somehow cheat death itself. He also succeeds in recruiting Arsenal
, a former member of the Teen Titans and Justice League, into the team. Shortly after inducting Arsenal into the team, Slade accepts a mission to rescue a child from a drug lord named Elijah. After discovering that Elijah is using the bodies of kidnapped children to create an addictive drug called Bliss, the Titans promptly kill the gangster and shut down his operation. As the Titans are preparing to return to the Labyrinth, Cheshire notices that Slade has tied up DJ Molecule, a powerful metahuman who was working for Elijah as a bodyguard. When asked what he is doing with the young man, Slade cryptically responds by saying that he only accepted the mission in order capture Molecule for some unknown purpose.
Afterward, Slade and his team arrive at South Pacific Island to kill cult leader Drago over the arena production of blind warriors; however, his team, Arsenal, and Cheshire betray him, revealing that they had been working with Drago. While Slade is held captive, Drago arrives and reveals to him that he is actually Slade's old friend, Corporal Daniel Rogers, who abandoned him during the civil war in Afghanistan. Drago then gouges out Slade’s left eye making him blind. Slade is then imprisoned along with Arsenal and begins to tell him about his past with Drago. Later, Drago takes a trip down memory lane with Slade, explaining how he lost his sight, and basically re-telling his origin and how it involved Jeremiah, right before he throws Slade beneath the complex to fend for his life against a crazed subhuman. During the fights, Slade's left eye was restored due to his metahuman healing factor, and the Titans arrive to rescue him. Slade and the Titans break into Drago's mansion in attacks. Shade drugs him that he cannot focus his telepathy mind. When Drago was defeated, Slade allows him to live and the Titans then leave from his island. While returning to the labyrinth, Slade and the Titans are approached by the Atom and the Justice League attempt to arrest them for the murder of Ryan Choi.
During the battle of Slade's Titans against the Justice League in Khandaq, the battle was stopped by Isis
, who forces them to choose between leaving or continuing the fight and starting World War III. The Justice League chose to retreat and Slade retrieves from Supergirl
's Kryptonian blood. Upon returning to the labyrinth, with his workers, Doctor Sivana
and Doctor Impossible
, Slade reveals to the Titans that their efforts support creation of a diabolical invention call the "Methuselah Device" for his dying son, Jericho
.
The machine successfully heals Jericho, and Slade offers its abilities to all the Titans, offering to restore their deceased loved ones as payment for their services. All agree but Cinder, who does not want her brothers to live forever, as she claims to be doing. She attacks Cheshire and Osiris, and is then joineded by Tattooed Man and Arsenal. As the Titans come to blows, Deathstroke attempts to take Jericho and leave, but Jericho, disgusted at what his father did to achieve his restoration, takes over his body, intending to destroy first the Methuselah Device, then himself and Deathstroke. While the Titans fight over the Methuselah Device, its power source, a metahuman named DJ Molecule, is released. DJ Molecule blasts Slade, knocking Jericho out of his body. Arsenal then attacks him for stealing the Titans legacy. Slade escaped and the Methuselah Device is destroyed by Cinder. Afterwards, Slade berates and becomes Deathstroke once more.
Green Arrow (vol. 4) #66 claims that an assassin known as Natas
taught Deathstroke "almost everything he knows" (a retcon of his origin in The New Teen Titans: Judas Contract, where his future wife, Adeline Kane, trained him while he was in the military). Deathstroke is also skilled in the use of many weapons including guns, rifles, and swords, which are usually among his current weapons of choice. His signature weapon is a power staff that fires lethal and non-lethal energy blasts from both ends. The staff can also be used to strike using energy at each end. His body armor is composed of a mesh-woven, kevlar
, chainlink mail
, capable of stopping small arms fire. Most of the metal he wears and uses is Promethium
.
Deathstroke also has enhanced-reflexes, which is how he was able to blast apart Impulse's knee cap with a shotgun and impale the Flash while both were running at super-speed.
The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans, Deathstroke meets his equal in the form of Wolverine
; the two fight to a near standstill. At the same time, however, he proved skilled enough to defeat Colossus
in a one-on-one fight despite the latter's superior physical strength. Colossus, however, isn't known for his fighting prowess on the level of Wolverine and Deathstroke.
character Deadpool is similar to Deathstroke. Deadpool commonly uses the name "Wade Wilson," similar to "Slade Wilson." In Superman/Batman Annual #1, written by former Deadpool author Joe Kelly
, Deathstroke from the antimatter universe appears and has similar characteristics to Deadpool (such as Deadpool's "merc with a mouth" wisecracks, and a black spot on his mask over his eye somewhat resembling Deadpool's). While this character did not seem to be as skilled at fighting as Deathstroke, his healing factor seemed far more effective, with Slade becoming annoyed at how hard he was to kill. This character tries to introduce his name multiple times but is always interrupted. The most he was able to get out was "Dea-". It could be implied that Deadpool is the Marvel counterpart of Deathstroke, who was created eleven years earlier. Marvel seemingly acknowledged this in the Cable/Deadpool series, where Deadpool sometimes answers a letters column. Deadpool claimed that he did not want to be in a Marvel/DC crossover, because people might mistake him for a certain DC character.
, Deathstroke is combined with Marvel's Daredevil
to become "Dare the Terminator," real name Slade Murdock. Unlike Wilson and Murdock, Dare is a woman. Though Dare is legally blind, she wears an eye-patch because of her mangled right eye. She also has horns surgically attached to her forehead. She uses a sword in combat.
, Deathstroke is an armored supervillain and a member of the Fatal Five
. This version exists on Earth-97 of the Old Multiverse and Earth-9 of the New Multiverse.
storyline "Mash-Up," elements of Slade are combined with parts of Doomsday
, creating the villain "Doomstroke."
reality, Deathstroke is a pirate, searching with his crew formed by Sonar
, who he broke out of a floating prison, Icicle
, Fisherman, Clayface
, Machiste, and the Eel for any sunken loot to steal in the flooded remains of Paris, and also for his daughter Rose
, who has been kidnapped by persons unknown. Deathstroke and his crew were however soon attacked by Aquaman
and his brother the Ocean Master
. Aquaman stabs Deathstroke in the chest with his trident telling Ocean Master "no survivors". After the attack, Deathstroke was saved from death by Sonar, who demanded to be made second-in-command in return. While continuing their journey, the pirates were ambushed by the fleet of Warlord
and forced to surrender, but are then saved by Jenny Blitz who destroyed one of Warlord's ships. Afterwards, Blitz agrees to join Deathstroke in searching for his daughter and developed a relationship in-between. Soon Deathstroke and Blitz were alerted that his crew were planning a mutiny. Deathstroke and Blitz fought and killed the treacherous crew, but Sonar manage to contact another pirate fleet under the leadership of the Caretaker before Deathstroke shot him. Later, Deathstroke and Jenny approaches the Caretaker's fleet and discovers Rose is being held captive. Deathstroke formulates a plan by offering to exchange Caretaker with a stasis-like Jenny for Rose's freedom. However, the Caretaker double-crosses on their deal and have his crew to attack him. But Deathstroke unleashes Jenny from her stasis upon Caretaker's fleet. During the battle, Deathstroke ignited a grenade at a weapon stockpile which destroyed Caretaker's ship and it's crew with it. Deathstroke and Blitz were rescued by Rose. Reunited with his daughter, Deathstroke sails towards an unknown destination.
ous series has been collected into a trade paperback
:
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, a supervillain
Supervillain
A supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various media.They are sometimes used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
and sometimes antihero in the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
Universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
. He is a mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
and assassin
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
who first appeared in The New Teen Titans (vol. 1) #2 (1980
1980 in comics
-Year overall:* Big Rapids Distribution, a major Midwestern comics distributor, goes under, and two former employees , form Capital City Distribution, headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin....
). Wizard Magazine
Wizard (magazine)
Wizard or Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by Wizard Entertainment from July 1991 to January 2011...
rated him the 84th greatest villain of all time and the 72nd greatest comic book character of all time. Also, in 2009, Deathstroke was ranked as IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's 32nd greatest comic book villain of all time.
Publication history
Deathstroke the Terminator first appeared in 1980, in the second issue of the book New Teen Titans. He was originally introduced as "the Terminator", a mercenary who was completing the terms of a contract undertaken by his son, RavagerRavager (comics)
Ravager is the name of five fictional comic book characters in the DC Universe. All five are villains, and four have appeared in series featuring the Titans and have a connection the villain Deathstroke, Slade Wilson.-Grant Wilson:...
, but he quickly became one of the main antagonists for the Titans. Deathstroke quickly became a fan favorite character and later in the series often allied with the Titans against mutual threats.
Due to his popularity, Deathstroke received his own series, Deathstroke the Terminator, in 1991
1991 in comics
-January:* Checkmate is canceled by DC Comics with issue #33.* El Diablo vol. 2 is canceled by DC with issue #16.* Count Duckula is canceled by the Marvel Comics imprint Star Comics with issue #15....
. It was retitled Deathstroke the Hunted for issues #0 and #41-45; and then simply Deathstroke for issues #46-60. The series was cancelled with issue #60. In total, Deathstroke ran for 65 issues (#1-60, plus 4 annuals and a special #0 issue).
Following his injury in DC Universe: Last Will and Testament, Deathstroke appears in one of the four Faces of Evil
Faces of Evil
"Faces of Evil" is a DC Comics "event" in January 2009, that editor Dan DiDio described as "inspirationally tied to Final Crisis" as they aim to address the question the series raises: "What happens when evil wins?" Numerous monthly books will have villains displayed on their covers while four...
one-shots, written by David Hine
David Hine
-Biography:Hine has been working in comics since the early 1980s. For Crisis he drew the series Sticky Fingers in 1989, and wrote and drew a number of short pieces in 1990 and 1991...
. Hine has explained that the series is part of the set-up for future stories: "All of the characters in this ‘Faces of Evil’ series were selected for their potential as major players in the coming year."
Even though the character of Deathstroke the Terminator predates James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
's film The Terminator
The Terminator
The Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los...
by four years, the Slade Wilson character is now simply called Deathstroke, even by characters who had called him Terminator for years. The full title has not completely fallen out of use, having been referenced as recently as Justice League Elite
Justice League Elite
Justice League Elite was a twelve-issue comic book limited series published monthly by DC Comics in 2004 and 2005. The title was created by writer Joe Kelly and penciller Doug Mahnke....
.
Origins
Imbued with enhanced physical powers by secret army experiments attempting to create metahumanMetahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
supersoldier
Supersoldier
Supersoldier is a term often used to describe a soldier that operates beyond normal human limits or abilities. Supersoldiers are common in science fiction literature, films, TV programs, computer, conspiracy theories, and video games, but have also made appearances in other related genres, such as...
s for the U.S. military, Deathstroke became a mercenary soon after the experiment when he defied orders and rescued his friend Wintergreen
Wintergreen (comics)
William Randolph Wintergreen, is a fictional character in DC Comics Teen Titans comics.-Fictional character biography:He was introduced in New Teen Titans #2 as the butler of Deathstroke the Terminator...
, who had been sent on a suicide mission by a commanding officer with a grudge. However, he kept this career secret from his family, even though his wife was an expert military combat instructor—indeed, she had been responsible for a significant portion of his early training—until a criminal named the Jackal took his younger son, Joseph
Jericho (comics)
Jericho is a fictional character, originally a superhero who was a member of the Teen Titans in the acclaimed 1980s period of The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, published by DC Comics...
, hostage to force Slade to divulge the name of a client who had hired him as an assassin. Slade refused to do so, claiming that it was against his personal honor code, and attacked and killed the kidnappers at the rendezvous. Unfortunately, Joseph's throat was slashed by one of the criminals before Slade could prevent it, destroying his vocal cords
Vocal folds
The vocal folds, also known commonly as vocal cords, are composed of twin infoldings of mucous membrane stretched horizontally across the larynx...
and rendering him mute.
After taking Joseph to the hospital, Slade's wife, Adeline, enraged at his endangerment of her son, tried to kill Slade by shooting him, but only managed to destroy his right eye. Afterward, his confidence in his physical abilities was such that he made no secret of his impaired vision, marked by his mask which has a black, featureless half covering his lost eye. Without his mask, Slade wears an eye-patch.
The Teen Titans
Ravager (comics)
Ravager is the name of five fictional comic book characters in the DC Universe. All five are villains, and four have appeared in series featuring the Titans and have a connection the villain Deathstroke, Slade Wilson.-Grant Wilson:...
, who was physically enhanced to fulfill a contract to kill or capture the Teen Titans. However, those enhancements proved fatal and Slade agreed to complete the contract. His first mission involved stealing the fictional element Promethium
Promethium (comics)
Promethium is the name used for two different fictional substances; one from the DC Comics universe and one from the Marvel Comics universe. These should not be confused with promethium, which is an actual chemical element.-Depleted promethium:...
from S.T.A.R. Labs
S.T.A.R. Labs
S.T.A.R. Labs, is a fictional research facility, and comic book organization appearing in titles published by DC Comics. They first appeared in Superman vol. 1 #246 , and was created by Cary Bates and Rich Buckler.-Publication history:...
and selling it as the ultimate weapon. He then kidnapped the Titans and placed them in the path of a Promethium bomb to test his device for the buyers, effectively killing two birds with one stone. The Titans escaped and pursued Deathstroke, but he severely wounded Garfield Logan, then known as Changeling
Beast Boy
Garfield Mark "Gar" Logan, known as Beast Boy or Changeling, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics...
, in his escape. This would be the start to a lasting animosity between the two.
Deathstroke next appeared in New York, holding officials hostage in order to lure the Titans into confronting him. Terra
Terra (comics)
Terra is the name used by three fictional characters published by DC Comics. The first Terra was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, and debuted in New Teen Titans Terra is the name used by three fictional characters published by DC Comics. The first Terra was created by Marv Wolfman and...
, a new ally of the Titans, and Changeling were the only ones available to answer the call. Terra knocked Logan out in an effort to prove herself worthy of being a Titan and fought Deathstroke single-handedly. Slade escaped as the other Titans arrived, but by then Terra had proven herself and the team offered her membership. Later that night, it was revealed that both Terra and Deathstroke conspired to fake the fight in a plot to infiltrate the team. It was also revealed that both shared an intimate relationship, despite Terra being fifteen years old. The artist, George Pérez, noted that this constituted "statutory rape
Statutory rape
The phrase statutory rape is a term used in some legal jurisdictions to describe sexual activities where one participant is below the age required to legally consent to the behavior...
."
Judas Contract
The Titans eventually entrust Terra with all of their secret identities. Once Slade has this information, he uses it to systematically take down each of the Titans, exploiting them at their weakest moments. Donna TroyDonna Troy
Donna Troy is a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #60 , and was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani...
is gassed at her photo studio, Garfield Logan is poisoned with tainted envelopes while responding to fan mail, Victor Stone
Cyborg (comics)
Cyborg is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez, and first appears in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26...
is electrocuted by a chair in his own apartment, Koriand'r
Starfire (comics)
Starfire is the name of several fictional comic book characters published by DC Comics. The most prominent Starfire is Koriand'r, the fourth character to use that name...
is ambushed with a device that affects her powers, and Raven
Raven (comics)
Raven is a fictional superheroine who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a special insert in DC Comics Presents #26 , and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez...
is taken down by Terra herself. Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
, who had recently retired his Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
costume, was last to be attacked and he was confronted by Deathstroke himself. He narrowly avoided being captured and soon discovered that his teammates had already been taken. Grayson arrived at Titans Tower
Titans Tower
Titans Tower is a fictional building in the DC Comics universe. Its various incarnations have been home to the superhero team called the Titans...
to discover Slade's ex-wife, Adeline, and her son, Joseph Wilson. She told Grayson that Terra was a traitor, how each of his teammates were captured, and related the origin of Deathstroke.
Grayson assumes the identity of Nightwing
Nightwing
Nightwing is a name that has been used by several fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe. It was conceived as a Kryptonian analogue to the character of Batman, with Nightwing's frequent partner Flamebird based on Robin...
in order to confront Deathstroke and the H.I.V.E.
H.I.V.E.
The H.I.V.E., which stands for the Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination, is a DC Comics supervillain organization.-1st Incarnation:...
, joined by Joseph, going by the name of Jericho
Jericho (comics)
Jericho is a fictional character, originally a superhero who was a member of the Teen Titans in the acclaimed 1980s period of The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, published by DC Comics...
. During the confrontation, Deathstroke recognizes Jericho as his son which causes him to hesitate. Jericho freed the Titans by possessing his father's body. Terra turns on Deathstroke as she thinks that he has betrayed her as well. After her suicide, Slade is taken into custody.
Slade was put on trial for his crimes, but the trial was deliberately sabotaged by Garfield Logan so that he could kill Slade himself, believing he was responsible for Terra's betrayal of the Titans. Slade agreed to the confrontation, but showed up out of costume. Logan found himself unable to kill a defenseless Slade, so instead they talked. Feeling some empathy for his grief, Slade explained his past with Terra, and Logan realized Slade was not to blame for the choices Terra had made. The two men parted on peaceful terms afterward with Slade returning to Africa with Wintergreen.
Titans Plague
Months later, Slade encountered the Titans again while they were investigating mysterious attacks and disappearances. TroiaDonna Troy
Donna Troy is a comic book superheroine published by DC Comics. She first appeared in The Brave and the Bold vol. 1 #60 , and was created by Bob Haney and Bruno Premiani...
, a later code-name for Donna Troy, is attacked by a group of strange beastmen and barely survives the encounter. Meanwhile, while attending a fundraiser with his father, Gar Logan recognizes Slade trying to maintain a low profile. When he finally catches up with Slade, he finds him about to kill the host of the fundraiser, Walter Lanier. He stops Deathstroke, but is surprised when Lanier turns into a bat-like creature and flies away. Slade reveals to the Titans that he was responsible for smuggling the drug the bestiamorphs were using to transform others, but did not realize what it was until it was too late. After Jericho and Raven were stricken by the plague, he aided them in destroying the beastmen and finding a cure for the contagion.
Titans Hunt
Shortly after this, he came to the Titans' assistance again during the Titans Hunt storyline. The members of the Titans, as well as many inactive members, all disappeared in a manner very similar to how they were abducted during the Judas Contract. Logan's stepfather, Steve DaytonMento (comics)
Mento is a fictional superhero published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Doom Patrol #91 , and was created by Arnold Drake and Bruno Premiani.-Fictional character biography:...
(Mento), an on-and-off member of the Doom Patrol
Doom Patrol
The Doom Patrol is a superhero team appearing in publications from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
, hires Deathstroke to find the missing Titans. He eventually discovers with Nightwing that the abductions were the work of the Wildebeest Society, and that their leader was none other than Titan member Jericho, Deathstroke's son.
It was revealed that Jericho had been possessed by the corrupted souls of Azarath
Azarath
Azarath is a fictional dimension featured in the Teen Titans comic book series and animated series. It is the birthplace of the character Raven.-Fictional history:...
, who were using him to capture the Titans and use them as physical hosts in order to survive. During the transfer process, Jericho's true self resurfaced briefly, begging his father to kill him. To spare his son any more pain and save the remaining Titans, Slade was forced to drive a sword through Jericho's heart, seemingly killing him. This act still haunts him to this day.
Afterward, Slade continued his life as a mercenary, but also acted as an occasional hero, aiding the Titans or acting on his own to help others, most notably during the Total Chaos storyline when the Team Titans
Team Titans
Team Titans was a comic book published by DC Comics that spun out of DC's New Titans series. It began in September 1992 and ended in September 1994. The Team Titans were first introduced as a shadowy group stalking the Titans...
arrived in the 20th Century to assassinate Donna Troy before she could give birth to her son, who in their timeline had grown up into the tyrannical despot, Lord Chaos. Slade also met Pat Trayce, a tough former cop who would become the new costumed Vigilante
Vigilante (comics)
Vigilante is the name used by several fictional characters appearing in DC Comics. The original character was one of the first DC Comics characters adapted for live-action film, beating Superman by one year.-Greg Saunders:...
. Pat Trayce and Slade quickly became lovers, and began a tumultuous on-again/off-again relationship.
Family business
Sarge Steel
Sarge Steel is a detective/spy character published by Charlton Comics during the 1960s. As he was published during the time of Charlton's Action Heroes line of superheroes, and had loose ties to some, he is sometimes included with that group...
, Slade was able to prove his innocence and the true culprit was revealed to be Steve Dayton, under the alias of the Crime Lord, who had again succumbed to mental instability caused by his Mento helmet.
Meanwhile, Slade's relationship with his estranged wife, Adeline, took a tragic turn as Slade underwent a process to gain the ability of physical regeneration, allowing him to survive any wound so long as his brain is intact (this power is limited, as Slade cannot regenerate his lost eye because that injury happened before he gained his healing factor). After gaining this power, Slade was forced to give his wife a blood transfusion to save her life, resulting in her gaining a similar healing factor which manifested itself as a form of immortality. This alteration of her DNA drove Adeline insane, shaming Deathstroke into going into a semi-retirement state.
In Titans (vol. 1) #12, Deathstroke teamed up with the Titans to face his wife Adeline, who in her insane state had revived the H.I.V.E. and sought to rid the world of all superhumans, blaming them for Jericho's death. During the battle, interrupted by Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage
Vandal Savage is a fictional character, a supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Green Lantern vol. 1 #10 , and was created by Alfred Bester and Martin Nodell....
and a band of villains that he had organized from recent Titans battles, Adeline's throat was slit. In a brief return of sanity, she begged Slade to kill her, requesting him to reunite her with "my... our children... " because her version of the healing factor would not heal the wound, but only allow her to live in spite of it. Deathstroke refused, but Koriand'r shocked her teammates and Deathstroke by using her starbolt blast to disintegrate her completely, per Adeline's wishes. This was a turning point, as Deathstroke renounced all ties with the Titans as a result of Starfire's act.
It was then revealed that Jericho managed to transfer his consciousness into Deathstroke in the instant before his death. Taking control of his father, Jericho forced Deathstroke to murder his longtime butler, mentor, and companion Wintergreen. He then launched a series of attacks against the current Teen Titans, most notably shattering Impulse
Bart Allen
Bartholomew "Bart" Allen is a superhero in the . Allen first appeared as the superhero Impulse. He would later go on to become the second Kid Flash and the fourth Flash. Allen's first cameo appearance was in The Flash #91, while his first full appearance was in issue #92...
's knee with a shotgun blast, before leaving his father's body. Deathstroke has since manipulated his one remaining child, Rose Wilson
Rose Wilson
Rose Wilson is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. She is a member of the Teen Titans and the illegitimate daughter of Deathstroke the Terminator.-Fictional character biography:...
, into the mercenary business as the new Ravager, in order to find and kill Jericho, using a specially designed serum to heighten her hostility and push her over the edge. Unfortunately, the process also resulted in her being driven at least partially insane, to the extent that she cut out her own left eye in an attempt to prove to her father that she was just like him.
Nightwing and Birds of Prey
Deathstroke appeared in NightwingNightwing
Nightwing is a name that has been used by several fictional characters in the DC Comics Universe. It was conceived as a Kryptonian analogue to the character of Batman, with Nightwing's frequent partner Flamebird based on Robin...
#23 as a mercenary against Black Canary
Black Canary
Black Canary is the name of two fictional characters, DC Comics superheroines created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino. The first Black Canary debuted appeared in Flash Comics #86 . The first Black Canary was the alter-ego of Dinah Drake, who took part in Golden Age adventures...
and Conner Hawke as part of the "Brotherhood of the Fist" tie-in to the No Man's Land story arc.
Deathstroke also appeared in Birds of Prey #22-24, where he was sent to Gorilla City
Gorilla City
Gorilla City is a fictional city in the DC Comics Universe. The city, hidden in the jungles of Africa, is home to a race of super-intelligent gorillas, that gained their powers from a meteorite. The supervillain Gorilla Grodd is also from the city. Gorilla City first appears in The Flash vol...
by Blockbuster to get an ape-heart. Blockbuster is accompanied by Lady Vic
Lady Vic
Lady Elaine Marsh-Morton, a.k.a. “Lady Vic” is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. She is an English noblewoman who works secretly as an assassin, bounty hunter, and mercenary. She is employed on a semi-regular basis by Roland Desmond, a.k.a...
, Grimm, and Black Canary, who is posing as Oracle
Barbara Gordon
Barbara Gordon is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media, created by Gardner Fox and Carmine Infantino...
.
Identity Crisis
In the Identity Crisis miniseries, Deathstroke was enlisted as a bodyguard for Doctor LightDoctor Light (Arthur Light)
Doctor Arthur Light is a fictional supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the third individual to have adopted the persona of Doctor Light, after a Golden Age foe of Doctor Mid-Nite and Arthur's associate Jacob Finlay...
, who was being pursued by the Justice League of America
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
as a suspect in the murder of Sue Dibny
Sue Dibny
Susan "Sue" Dearbon Dibny is a fictional character from DC Comics associated with the Elongated Man. Created by John Broome and Carmine Infantino, the character first appeared in Flash vol. 1 #119...
. In the ensuing battle, Deathstroke nearly beat the team of Elongated Man
Elongated Man
The Elongated Man is a fictional comic book superhero in the DC universe. He is a reserve member of the Justice League. His first appearance was in The Flash vol. 1, #112...
, the Flash
Wally West
The Flash is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash....
(Wally West), Zatanna
Zatanna
Zatanna Zatara is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Murphy Anderson, Zatanna first appeared in Hawkman vol. 1 #4...
, Hawkman
Hawkman
Hawkman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Dennis Neville, the original Hawkman first appeared in Flash Comics #1, published by All-American Publications in 1940....
, Green Arrow
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
, Black Canary, the Atom, and Green Lantern
Kyle Rayner
Kyle Rayner is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in books published by DC Comics, usually in those starring the Green Lantern Corps, an extraterrestrial police force of which Rayner is a member. Created by writer Ron Marz and artist Darryl Banks, Rayner first appeared in Green Lantern vol...
(Kyle Rayner). He systematically took out every member except for Rayner, whom he had the potential to disable through trying to usurp his ring's energies using his own formidable willpower. Fortunately, before the outcome of this conflict with Rayner ended, Green Arrow stuck an arrow in Deathstroke's right eye socket, enraging him. Slade went ballistic, which derailed his pre-planned strategy and began to beat Green Arrow, but was stopped when the majority of the team tackled Deathstroke to the ground. Dr. Light used his powers to allow the two to escape. Near the end of Identity Crisis, Deathstroke confronts Green Arrow on a rooftop. Arrow sees his reflection in the windows of a nearby building, but when he turns to confront Slade, Deathstroke is gone. Instead, Green Arrow finds Slade's cowl and a note stuck to the wall by the very arrow he stabbed in Slade's eye socket. The note reads, "This is yours - We're not done."
Infinite Crisis
Deathstroke was a founding member of Lex LuthorLex Luthor
Lex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and the archenemy of Superman, although given his high status as a supervillain, he has also come into conflict with Batman and other superheroes in the DC Universe. Created by Jerry Siegel and...
's Secret Society of Super Villains
Secret Society of Super Villains
The Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
in the Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis
Infinite Crisis is a 2005 - 2006 comic book storyline published by DC Comics, consisting of an eponymous, seven-issue comic book limited series written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway, and a number of tie-in books...
storyline. He was seen in Infinite Crisis #1, hiding in a warehouse south of Metropolis
Metropolis (comics)
Metropolis is a fictional city that appears in comic books published by DC Comics, and is the home of Superman. Metropolis first appeared by name in Action Comics #16 ....
waiting to ambush the Freedom Fighters
Freedom Fighters (comics)
Freedom Fighters is a DC Comics comic book superhero team made up of characters acquired from the defunct company Quality Comics. Although the characters were created by Quality, they never were gathered in a group before acquired by DC...
with several other members. The battle didn't last long, and by the end, Deathstroke had killed the Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady
Phantom Lady is a fictional superheroine, one of the first female superhero characters to debut in the 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books. Originally published by Quality Comics, the character was subsequently published by a series of now-defunct comic book companies, and a new version of the...
. Slade is also the one who landed the final stroke on Uncle Sam by shooting him in the back (and leading to his apparent death).
He was the employer of an undercover Dick Grayson, whom he hired to train his daughter Rose. However, after the two had a confrontation with Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, Deathstroke discovered that Nightwing had been teaching Rose the values of heroism. He could not kill Grayson in front of his daughter, because doing so would undo all of Slade's teachings. Nightwing offered a deal: he would stay away from Rose if Slade would keep the metahuman
Metahuman
Metahuman is a term to describe superhumans in DC Comics' shared universe, the DC Universe. It is roughly synonymous with both mutant and mutate and posthuman in the Wildstorm and Ultimate Marvel Universes. Use of the term in reference to superheroes was coined in 1986 by author George R. R...
villains out of Blüdhaven
Blüdhaven
Blüdhaven is a fictional city in the . Created by Chuck Dixon and Scott McDaniel in 1996, it was originally intended to serve as a backdrop for the Nightwing comics series.-Fictional geography:...
. The deal held for 34 hours until Infinite Crisis #4, when Slade, under the orders of Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor, Jr.
Alexander Luthor Jr. is a DC Comics character who turned from a hero to a villain. Created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Alexander has a prominent role in the DC Universe storylines Crisis on Infinite Earths and Infinite Crisis....
, the real leader of the Society, went with several villains (including old Titans and Doom Patrol foes and Brotherhood of Evil
Brotherhood of Evil
The Brotherhood of Evil is a group of DC Comics supervillains, archenemies of the original Doom Patrol and the Teen Titans.-Origins:The Brotherhood of Evil was founded by the engimatic villain the Brain. In the beginning, the group's motivation was world domination...
members Monsieur Mallah
Monsieur Mallah
Monsieur Mallah is a fictional character, a superintelligent gorilla supervillain in the and the criminal and romantic partner of the Brain. Monsieur Mallah first appeared in Doom Patrol Monsieur Mallah is a fictional character, a superintelligent gorilla supervillain in the and the criminal and...
and Brain
Brain (comics)
The Brain is a fictional character, a supervillain in the and frequent enemy of the Doom Patrol. He is a French mastermind and criminal genius...
) to drop Chemo
Chemo (comics)
Chemo is a fictional supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Showcase #39 Chemo is a fictional supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Showcase #39 Chemo is a fictional supervillain...
, another fellow villain who appeared to be a nearly brainless monster made of pure energy and radioactive chemicals, on Blüdhaven, killing over one-hundred thousand people. Slade gave the explanation to the Brotherhood that Nightwing should be made to believe that he can never go home again.
Grayson took the first of his revenge by bursting in on Deathstroke and Rose's training session, revealing to the latter that the Kryptonite
Kryptonite
Kryptonite is a fictional material from the Superman mythos —the ore form of a radioactive element from Superman's home planet of Krypton. It is famous for being the ultimate physical weakness of Superman, and the word kryptonite has since become synonymous with an Achilles' heel —the one weakness...
that Deathstroke had implanted in place of her missing eye was radioactive and deadly to humans as well as to Kryptonian
Kryptonian
Kryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race of the DC Comics universe who hail from the planet Krypton. The term originated from the stories of DC Comics superhero, Superman...
s (though slower in its effects on humans, as revealed by Lex Luthor's old possession of a Kryptonite ring that forced him to transfer his brain to a cloned body). Angered, Slade went after Nightwing with a grenade, only to have Rose try to stop him. Amid the smoke of the resulting explosion, Rose fled, telling her father that she hated him. Dick disappeared as well, but not before leaving a note for Slade warning him that he would be back to make him pay for Blüdhaven.
At the climactic Battle of Metropolis at the conclusion of Infinite Crisis, Slade was confronted by Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, Robin
Tim Drake
Timothy "Tim" Drake is a superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics and in related media. The character was created by Marv Wolfman and Pat Broderick. From 1989 to 2009, he was known as Robin in the Batman comics, becoming the third character to take up the identity...
(Tim Drake), and Nightwing. During the struggle, he was questioned regarding his motives for aiding the Secret Society. His claims of monetary motivation were deemed unsatisfactory; Batman accused him of having forsaken his code of honor, and Nightwing said it was because his family had abandoned him. An enraged Slade said that was because of Nightwing, and that it was always because of him, before Batman told him to take responsibility for his actions and he was rendered unconscious.
One Year Later
One Year Later
"One Year Later" was a 2006 storyline event running through the DC Universe. As the title suggests, it involves a narrative jump exactly one year into the future of the DC Comics Universe following the events of the Infinite Crisis event, to explore major changes within the continuities of the many...
in DC Comics' storylines. Apparently in hiding, he nearly murders a crony of several Star City
Star City (comics)
Star City is a fictional city that appears in stories published by DC Comics, best known as the traditional home of the superheroes known by, or affiliated with, the shared alias of the Green Arrow...
businessmen who want to hire him for a murder. Before finishing his violent refusal, he asks the name of the target. When informed that it was to be the mayor of Star City, Oliver Queen (whom Deathstroke knows is secretly Green Arrow), he spares the lackey and decides to take the job.
However, things do not quite go according to plan, with Green Arrow using the resources of both his identities, trapping him within a ring of armed National Guardsmen. The fight ends with Deathstroke's arrest and subsequent conviction and incarceration; however, this is revealed as a ploy to gain access to another jailed foe of Green Arrow who has information on the hero's activities in the lost year, which include Green Arrow studying under an assassin who once trained Deathstroke himself.
Deathstroke is also active behind the scenes in Teen Titans, currently in the process of organizing a counter-team of teen superhumans that will be known as Titans East
Titans East
Titans East is the name of several DC Comics teams. The teams appear in the Teen Titans comic books and animated series. The comic book incarnation of Titans East first appeared in the "Titans Tomorrow" storyline, which is set in the future. The first modern incarnation appeared in Teen Titans vol....
. The current Titans team included Ravager, who now wanted nothing to do with her father. Deathstroke seemingly intended to "reclaim" Ravager and a recently resurrected Jericho from the Titans or, if that failed, to crush them along with the rest of the team. For these reasons, he specially selected each member of Titans East, believing that, overall, each member would successfully counteract every member of the current Teen Titans line-up.
As indicated over the course of the subsequent issues, Deathstroke was manipulating every member of his new team in one way or another. He had blackmailed former Titan Risk
Risk (comics)
Risk is a comic book character appearing in publications from DC Comics.-Origins:Raised in the Colorado community of Cosmos, Cody Driscoll has lived alone with his mother in one of the worst trailer parks. His father died when he was just six months old...
while at the same time offering him an outlet for his rage; was drugging Cassandra Cain
Cassandra Cain
Cassandra Cain is a fictional character in the , one of several who has served as Batgirl, an important character in the Batman comic book franchise. Cassandra's backstory presents her as the daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva, she was deprived of speech and human contact during her...
(Batgirl) with the same serum he had used on Rose; and supplied Inertia
Inertia (DC Comics)
Inertia or Kid Zoom is a fictional character, a supervillain in the DC Comics universe.-Creation:When questioned as to who created Inertia, Ethan van Sciver wrote that he could only accept five percent of the credit. The rest was offered to Mike Wieringo , Grant Morrison , and Todd Dezago...
with a formula which granted superhuman speed to compensate for the loss of the Speed Force
Speed Force
The Speed Force is a concept presented in various comic books published by DC Comics, primarily in relation to the various speedsters in the DC Universe.-Empowered:...
following the initial battle with Superboy-Prime. His team, however, slowly fell apart over the course of the attack, as Robin managed to free Batgirl of his mind control serum and Raven convinced Duela Dent
Duela Dent
Duela Dent is a fictional character in the DC Universe. She is a former member of both the Teen Titans and Titans East. Introduced under the alias of Joker's Daughter, she has also used the aliases "Catgirl", "Scarecrone", "Riddler's Daughter", "Penguin's Daughter", "Card Queen", and...
to switch sides. Slade and his remaining Titans subsequently faced off against both the current Titans and a group of old Titans led by Nightwing. Although he was defeated, he still managed to escape with the aid of Inertia. In the end, however, it was revealed to the readers that Slade's real mission was to provide his children with something he could never offer them: a real family, in the form of the Teen Titans. By attacking the Titans, he insured that Rose and Jericho would become more trusted by their associates, and thus grow closer to the team.
Recently, Deathstroke took credit for somehow twisting (through unknown means) the powers of Brion Markov
Geo-Force
Geo-Force is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Markov is Prince of Markovia and the half-brother of Terra. Geo-Force is one of the founding members of the superhero group the Outsiders. He first appeared in a special insert in The Brave and the...
(Geo-Force), the half-brother of the original Terra, into the same powers as his traitorous sister. Using this leverage, Deathstroke offered to reverse the process only if Geo-Force became his own personal spy within the Justice League. Unfortunately for Deathstroke, Geo-Force alerted Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
of Deathstroke's scheme, which culminated in Geo-Force alerting the League that Deathstroke (whose rivalry with Green Arrow has reached vendetta-level proportions) planned on using an army of supervillains to crash Green Arrow and Black Canary
Black Canary
Black Canary is the name of two fictional characters, DC Comics superheroines created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino. The first Black Canary debuted appeared in Flash Comics #86 . The first Black Canary was the alter-ego of Dinah Drake, who took part in Golden Age adventures...
's wedding. Weeks later, Geo-Force was tortured by Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd
Gorilla Grodd is a supervillain appearing in DC Comics, primarily as an enemy of The Flash. He debuted in Flash v.1 #106 , and was created by writer John Broome and artist Carmine Infantino....
after the League was kidnapped by the Injustice League
Injustice League
The Injustice League is the name of two fictional teams of supervillains in the .-Original League :The original Injustice League was the brainchild of the interplanetary conqueror Agamemno. Bored of his dominion, he set out to conquer Earth and their champions, the Justice League...
, and ultimately transferred to Batman's newest incarnation of the Outsiders
Outsiders (comics)
The Outsiders are a fictional DC Comics superhero team. As its name suggests, the team consists of superheroes who allegedly do not fit the norms of the mainstream superhero community, namely the Justice League....
afterward, robbing Deathstroke of his potential pawn.
Deathstroke can be seen as a member of Libra
Libra (DC Comics)
Libra is a fictional character, a supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Justice League of America #111, published in June 1974, where he formed the first incarnation of the Injustice Gang...
's Secret Society of Super Villains.
Deathstroke is gravely injured with his own sword by Geo-Force in DC Universe: Last Will and Testament. Following his injury, he is recuperating at Belle Reve
Belle Reve
Belle Reve Penitentiary is a fictional prison and sanitorium in the DC Universe, first appearing in Suicide Squad #1 by John Ostrander and Luke McDonnell.-Fictional background:...
while doctors labor to save him. Deathstroke dreams of his family members and all of the people that he has let down. When he awakens, he vows that he will never again be haunted by the past.
Ravager comes to visit him, but in fact, wants to finish her father off. She tries to strangle him with a plastic wire, but Deathstroke is recuperated enough that he can fend off her attack. He escapes from the facility and steals a helicopter. Later, Deathstroke finds a young street urchin that he decides to take under his wing.
Blackest Night
In the Teen Titans (vol. 3) tie-in to the Blackest Night crossover event, Deathstroke is living in the deceased Wintergreen's house and reading his journal, when he is attacked by Rose again. During the fight, the two are attacked by their deceased relatives Grant, Wade, and Adeline, who, along with Wintergreen, have all been reanimated as Black LanternsBlack Lantern Corps
The Black Lantern Corps is a fictional organization of revenants appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The group is composed of deceased fictional characters that seek to eliminate all life from the DC Universe.-Publication history:...
. Deathstroke and Rose are forced to work together and fight for their lives against the Black Lanterns.
The two hopelessly fight the regenerating Black Lanterns until Jericho, cured from his earlier insanity, arrives and turns the tide of the fight. During the course of the battle, Deathstroke confesses to his children that part of the reason why he menaced the Teen Titans for so many years was that he felt that by forcing his children to hate him, they would have a chance of escaping the sorrow and pain a life with him would entail. Just as Slade is overwhelmed and about to be killed, Jericho somehow uses his abilities to sever the connection between the Black Lanterns and their power rings, permanently sending them back to the grave. After realizing that her mother was not reborn as a member of the Black Lantern Corps, Rose comes to the conclusion that she must somehow still be alive, and leaves after threatening to kill Slade if he tries to stop her. Jericho chooses to stay with his father, reasoning that only Slade would have the courage to kill him if he were to ever return to madness.
Batman and Robin
Recently, Deathstroke has been seen working with Talia al GhulTalia al Ghul
Talia al Ghul is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe, the now-estranged daughter of the supervillain Ra's al Ghul, a love interest of Batman, and the mother of his son Damian Wayne, the fifth Robin...
, controlling the body and physical actions of the current Robin, Damian Wayne
Damian Wayne
Damian Wayne is a fictional character in the . Damian is the child of Bruce Wayne and Talia al Ghul, and thus the grandson of Batman villain Ra's al Ghul....
, in order to kill Dick Grayson, who has taken up the mantle of Batman. Deathstroke is able to control Damian's actions thanks to a neural-implant inserted into Damian's spine by his mother while it was being surgically replaced. Grayson defeats Deathstroke by taking advantage of the two-way connection between him and Damian by using a taser on Damian, the resulting electric shock overwhelming Deathstroke's enhanced senses. He then tracks Slade down and attacks him in his hospital bed for controlling Damian and for the Chemo attack, informing Slade that what happened then is just a 'trailer' for what he will do later.
Titans: Villains for Hire
Following the encounter with the Black Lanterns, Deathstroke recruits a team of supervillains consisting of Tattooed ManTattooed Man
The Tattooed Man is the name of two of Green Lantern's enemies, as well as of one related character.-Abel Tarrant:The first Tattooed Man first appeared in Green Lantern v2, #23 ....
, Cheshire
Cheshire (comics)
Cheshire is a DC Comics villain that first appeared in New Teen Titans Annual #2 .-Fictional character biography:Born to a French father and a Vietnamese mother, Jade Nguyen had an unhappy childhood and was sold into slavery...
, Osiris
Osiris (DC Comics)
Osiris is the name of three fictional characters published by DC Comics. The first appeared in 1994 as a foil for the Justice League. The second appeared under the Vertigo Comics imprint in a spin-off of The Sandman in 2002. The third debuted in the pages of Teen Titans and 52 in 2006.-Publication...
, and the new character Cinder following the launch of Brightest Day
Brightest Day
Brightest Day is a year-long comic book maxi-series that began in April 2010. The story follows the ending of the series Blackest Night and how the aftermath of these events affect the entire DC Universe.-Plot:...
. The team ambushes Ryan Choi in his home, and then battles him. This ends with Deathstroke driving his sword through Ryan's chest, killing him. He then gives the deceased hero's body to Dwarfstar.
Following the assassination of the Atom, Deathstroke and the Titans are hired to kill Lex Luthor during his stay in Midway City
Midway City
Midway City is a fictional city in the DC Universe, the shared universe of comic book titles published by DC Comics. Midway is always shown to be a midwestern city based loosely on the real world city of Chicago, Illinois...
. The attack is revealed to be a ruse crafted by Slade and Luthor in order to draw out a traitor on Luthor's security staff who is revealed to be a shape-shifting assassin named Facade. After the Titans capture Facade and turn him over to the scientists at LexCorp
LexCorp
LexCorp is the fictional company founded by Lex Luthor in the popular DC Comics Superman series. It made its first proper appearance in John Byrne's The Man of Steel miniseries, which established the post-Crisis Superman setting...
, Luthor rewards Slade by examining technology that he had earlier ordered Tattooed Man and Cheshire to steal. Slade claims that this will bring him one step closer to his true goal: the ability to somehow cheat death itself. He also succeeds in recruiting Arsenal
Roy Harper (comics)
Roy Harper is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics Universe. He was known for over fifty years as Green Arrow's teenage sidekick Speedy. He first appeared alongside his mentor in More Fun Comics #73...
, a former member of the Teen Titans and Justice League, into the team. Shortly after inducting Arsenal into the team, Slade accepts a mission to rescue a child from a drug lord named Elijah. After discovering that Elijah is using the bodies of kidnapped children to create an addictive drug called Bliss, the Titans promptly kill the gangster and shut down his operation. As the Titans are preparing to return to the Labyrinth, Cheshire notices that Slade has tied up DJ Molecule, a powerful metahuman who was working for Elijah as a bodyguard. When asked what he is doing with the young man, Slade cryptically responds by saying that he only accepted the mission in order capture Molecule for some unknown purpose.
Afterward, Slade and his team arrive at South Pacific Island to kill cult leader Drago over the arena production of blind warriors; however, his team, Arsenal, and Cheshire betray him, revealing that they had been working with Drago. While Slade is held captive, Drago arrives and reveals to him that he is actually Slade's old friend, Corporal Daniel Rogers, who abandoned him during the civil war in Afghanistan. Drago then gouges out Slade’s left eye making him blind. Slade is then imprisoned along with Arsenal and begins to tell him about his past with Drago. Later, Drago takes a trip down memory lane with Slade, explaining how he lost his sight, and basically re-telling his origin and how it involved Jeremiah, right before he throws Slade beneath the complex to fend for his life against a crazed subhuman. During the fights, Slade's left eye was restored due to his metahuman healing factor, and the Titans arrive to rescue him. Slade and the Titans break into Drago's mansion in attacks. Shade drugs him that he cannot focus his telepathy mind. When Drago was defeated, Slade allows him to live and the Titans then leave from his island. While returning to the labyrinth, Slade and the Titans are approached by the Atom and the Justice League attempt to arrest them for the murder of Ryan Choi.
During the battle of Slade's Titans against the Justice League in Khandaq, the battle was stopped by Isis
Isis (DC Comics)
Isis is a DC Comics superhero, as well as a separate Egyptian goddess also living in the DC Universe. The recent superhero character is modeled closely after the main character of The Secrets of Isis, a live-action American Saturday Morning television program that served as the second half of The...
, who forces them to choose between leaving or continuing the fight and starting World War III. The Justice League chose to retreat and Slade retrieves from Supergirl
Supergirl (Kara Zor-El)
Kara Zor-El is a fictional character appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and related media, created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino. As Supergirl, Kara Zor-El serves as the biological cousin and female counterpart to DC Comic's iconic superhero Superman, created...
's Kryptonian blood. Upon returning to the labyrinth, with his workers, Doctor Sivana
Doctor Sivana
Doctor Thaddeus Bodog Sivana is a fictional comic book supervillain. Created by Bill Parker and C. C. Beck, he first appeared opposite superhero Captain Marvel in Whiz Comics #2 by Fawcett Comics...
and Doctor Impossible
Doctor Impossible
For the Doctor Impossible created by Austin Grossman, see Soon I Will Be Invincible.Doctor Impossible is a fictional character, a DC Comics supervillain that first appeared in Justice League of America, vol. 2 #1...
, Slade reveals to the Titans that their efforts support creation of a diabolical invention call the "Methuselah Device" for his dying son, Jericho
Jericho (comics)
Jericho is a fictional character, originally a superhero who was a member of the Teen Titans in the acclaimed 1980s period of The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, published by DC Comics...
.
The machine successfully heals Jericho, and Slade offers its abilities to all the Titans, offering to restore their deceased loved ones as payment for their services. All agree but Cinder, who does not want her brothers to live forever, as she claims to be doing. She attacks Cheshire and Osiris, and is then joineded by Tattooed Man and Arsenal. As the Titans come to blows, Deathstroke attempts to take Jericho and leave, but Jericho, disgusted at what his father did to achieve his restoration, takes over his body, intending to destroy first the Methuselah Device, then himself and Deathstroke. While the Titans fight over the Methuselah Device, its power source, a metahuman named DJ Molecule, is released. DJ Molecule blasts Slade, knocking Jericho out of his body. Arsenal then attacks him for stealing the Titans legacy. Slade escaped and the Methuselah Device is destroyed by Cinder. Afterwards, Slade berates and becomes Deathstroke once more.
Powers and abilities
Deathstroke possesses various enhanced abilities stated to be almost superhuman according to DC Bio's and Comic bio's. These include the strength of ten men and heightened speed, agility, stamina, and reflexes. He has the capacity to use up to 90% of his brain at any one time, making him a tactical genius, adept at turning opponents' own abilities against them; this can also be attributed to his years in the military and combat with various heroes. Deathstroke also possesses a healing factor in his blood that enables him to heal from physical injury much faster than a normal person; however, it does have limitations, as he could not heal his missing eye and cannot regenerate entire limbs. This enables him to recover from what would otherwise be fatal injuries, though recovering from such injuries renders him insane and animalistic for a short period. Deathstroke is also a highly formidable opponent in physical combat to the point where he can and has defeated Batman in solo combat. Batman has only managed to at best subdue Deathstroke briefly with the aid of others or by taking him off guard in the midst of a large battle.Green Arrow (vol. 4) #66 claims that an assassin known as Natas
Natas (comics)
Natas is a fictional character in the DC Universe. He is a martial arts master who first appeared in Green Arrow comics. In keeping with his ultimate betrayal of Green Arrow, his name is "Satan" spelled backwards.-Fictional character biography:...
taught Deathstroke "almost everything he knows" (a retcon of his origin in The New Teen Titans: Judas Contract, where his future wife, Adeline Kane, trained him while he was in the military). Deathstroke is also skilled in the use of many weapons including guns, rifles, and swords, which are usually among his current weapons of choice. His signature weapon is a power staff that fires lethal and non-lethal energy blasts from both ends. The staff can also be used to strike using energy at each end. His body armor is composed of a mesh-woven, kevlar
Kevlar
Kevlar is the registered trademark for a para-aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora. Developed at DuPont in 1965, this high strength material was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires...
, chainlink mail
Mail (armour)
Mail is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh.-History:Mail was a highly successful type of armour and was used by nearly every metalworking culture....
, capable of stopping small arms fire. Most of the metal he wears and uses is Promethium
Promethium (comics)
Promethium is the name used for two different fictional substances; one from the DC Comics universe and one from the Marvel Comics universe. These should not be confused with promethium, which is an actual chemical element.-Depleted promethium:...
.
Deathstroke also has enhanced-reflexes, which is how he was able to blast apart Impulse's knee cap with a shotgun and impale the Flash while both were running at super-speed.
Uncanny X-Men/Teen Titans
In the intercompany crossoverIntercompany crossover
In comic books, an intercompany crossover is a comic or series of comics where characters published by one company meet those published by another...
The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans, Deathstroke meets his equal in the form of Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
; the two fight to a near standstill. At the same time, however, he proved skilled enough to defeat Colossus
Colossus (comics)
Colossus is a fictional character, a superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Len Wein and illustrator Dave Cockrum, he first appeared in Giant-Size X-Men #1...
in a one-on-one fight despite the latter's superior physical strength. Colossus, however, isn't known for his fighting prowess on the level of Wolverine and Deathstroke.
Deathstroke/Deadpool Comparison
The Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
character Deadpool is similar to Deathstroke. Deadpool commonly uses the name "Wade Wilson," similar to "Slade Wilson." In Superman/Batman Annual #1, written by former Deadpool author Joe Kelly
Joe Kelly (comics)
Joseph "Joe" Kelly is an American comic book writer, penciler and editor who has written such titles as Deadpool, Uncanny X-Men, Action Comics, and JLA...
, Deathstroke from the antimatter universe appears and has similar characteristics to Deadpool (such as Deadpool's "merc with a mouth" wisecracks, and a black spot on his mask over his eye somewhat resembling Deadpool's). While this character did not seem to be as skilled at fighting as Deathstroke, his healing factor seemed far more effective, with Slade becoming annoyed at how hard he was to kill. This character tries to introduce his name multiple times but is always interrupted. The most he was able to get out was "Dea-". It could be implied that Deadpool is the Marvel counterpart of Deathstroke, who was created eleven years earlier. Marvel seemingly acknowledged this in the Cable/Deadpool series, where Deadpool sometimes answers a letters column. Deadpool claimed that he did not want to be in a Marvel/DC crossover, because people might mistake him for a certain DC character.
Amalgam Comics
In Amalgam ComicsAmalgam Comics
Amalgam Comics was a publishing imprint shared by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters into new ones . These characters first appeared in a series of twelve comic books which were published in 1996, between issues 3 and 4 of the Marvel vs...
, Deathstroke is combined with Marvel's Daredevil
Daredevil (Marvel Comics)
Daredevil is a fictional character, a superhero in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with an unspecified amount of input from Jack Kirby, and first appeared in Daredevil #1 .Living in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood...
to become "Dare the Terminator," real name Slade Murdock. Unlike Wilson and Murdock, Dare is a woman. Though Dare is legally blind, she wears an eye-patch because of her mangled right eye. She also has horns surgically attached to her forehead. She uses a sword in combat.
Tangent Comics
In Tangent ComicsTangent Comics
Tangent Comics was a DC Comics imprint created in 1997–1998, developed from ideas created by Dan Jurgens. The line, formed from various one-shots, focused on creating all-new characters using established DC names, such as the Joker, Superman, and the Flash...
, Deathstroke is an armored supervillain and a member of the Fatal Five
Fatal Five
The Fatal Five are fictional characters, a supervillain team of the 30th century in the DC Comics universe. They were created by Jim Shooter and first appeared in Adventure Comics #352 as enemies of the Legion of Super-Heroes....
. This version exists on Earth-97 of the Old Multiverse and Earth-9 of the New Multiverse.
Mash-Up
In the Superman/BatmanSuperman/Batman
Superman/Batman was a monthly comic book series published by DC Comics that features the publisher's two most popular characters: Batman and Superman...
storyline "Mash-Up," elements of Slade are combined with parts of Doomsday
Doomsday (comics)
Doomsday is a fictional character, a supervillain that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appears in Superman: The Man of Steel #18 , and was created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens. IGN's list of the Top 100 Comic Book Villains of All Time ranked Doomsday as #46...
, creating the villain "Doomstroke."
Flashpoint
In the FlashpointFlashpoint (comics)
Flashpoint is an American comic book crossover story arc published by DC Comics. Consisting of an eponymous core limited series and a number of tie-in titles, the storyline premiered in May 2011...
reality, Deathstroke is a pirate, searching with his crew formed by Sonar
Sonar (comics)
Sonar is a DC Comics supervillain. He first appeared in Green Lantern #14, July , and was created by John Broome and Gil Kane.-Fictional character biography:...
, who he broke out of a floating prison, Icicle
Icicle (comics)
Icicle is the name of two fictional DC Comics supervillains.-Dr. Joar Mahkent:When noted European physicist Dr. Joar Mahkent arrived in America with his latest scientific discovery, spectators at dockside were astonished to witness the luxury liner upon which Mahkent was traveling suddenly frozen...
, Fisherman, Clayface
Clayface
Clayface is an alias used by several DC Comics fictional characters, most of them possessing claylike bodies and shape-shifting abilities. All of them have been enemies of Batman.-Publication history:...
, Machiste, and the Eel for any sunken loot to steal in the flooded remains of Paris, and also for his daughter Rose
Rose Wilson
Rose Wilson is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. She is a member of the Teen Titans and the illegitimate daughter of Deathstroke the Terminator.-Fictional character biography:...
, who has been kidnapped by persons unknown. Deathstroke and his crew were however soon attacked by Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
and his brother the Ocean Master
Ocean Master
The Ocean Master is a fictional supervillain published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Aquaman #29 , and was created by Bob Haney and Nick Cardy.-Pre-Crisis:...
. Aquaman stabs Deathstroke in the chest with his trident telling Ocean Master "no survivors". After the attack, Deathstroke was saved from death by Sonar, who demanded to be made second-in-command in return. While continuing their journey, the pirates were ambushed by the fleet of Warlord
Warlord (comics)
The Warlord is a sword and sorcery comic book published by DC Comics. The series and titular character debuted in 1st Issue Special #8 , and was created by Mike Grell.-Publication history:...
and forced to surrender, but are then saved by Jenny Blitz who destroyed one of Warlord's ships. Afterwards, Blitz agrees to join Deathstroke in searching for his daughter and developed a relationship in-between. Soon Deathstroke and Blitz were alerted that his crew were planning a mutiny. Deathstroke and Blitz fought and killed the treacherous crew, but Sonar manage to contact another pirate fleet under the leadership of the Caretaker before Deathstroke shot him. Later, Deathstroke and Jenny approaches the Caretaker's fleet and discovers Rose is being held captive. Deathstroke formulates a plan by offering to exchange Caretaker with a stasis-like Jenny for Rose's freedom. However, the Caretaker double-crosses on their deal and have his crew to attack him. But Deathstroke unleashes Jenny from her stasis upon Caretaker's fleet. During the battle, Deathstroke ignited a grenade at a weapon stockpile which destroyed Caretaker's ship and it's crew with it. Deathstroke and Blitz were rescued by Rose. Reunited with his daughter, Deathstroke sails towards an unknown destination.
Television
- In the fourth and final season of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanLois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was a live-action American television series based on the Superman comic books...
, an assassin by the name of Deathstroke appeared in "Bob and Carol and Lois and Clark," played by Antonio Sabàto, Jr.Antonio Sabàto, Jr.Antonio Sabàto, Jr. is an American actor and model. Born in Italy and raised in the U.S., Sabàto first became known as a Calvin Klein model and for his role on the soap opera General Hospital. He continued appearing in films and television series throughout the 1990s and 2000s.-Early life:Sabàto...
The only commonality is the fact that he is an international assassin known as Deathstroke. In Lois and Clark, Deathstroke is a former scientist. An accident in the lab exposed him to magnetic particles, permanently altering his body and granting him magnetic powers. His assistant, who afterward becomes his wife, helps by creating a special suit to contain his powers and keep metal from being drawn to him while out in public. The suit even has a symbol of its own resembling the force lines of a magnetic field, forming a stylized figure eight. After this, he becomes an assassin, murdering his targets with his powers, first by drawing the target to him, then by magnetizing the iron in their blood cells, causing a figure-eight mark on the chest as the person dies of a heart attack. He and his wife rationalize their actions as being the result of the accident, leaving them with no other way to make a living and rendering him a "freak". The couple take the name Bob and Carol when they arrive in Metropolis. They become friends with Clark KentClark KentClark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
and Lois LaneLois LaneLois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
as they discover that Lois is going to be interviewing an eccentric reclusive billionaire. The couple plan to assassinate the billionaire before he goes public, taking his identity and thus his fortune. The plan is foiled when Superman interferes, destroying Deathstroke's containment suit, which causes him to be magnetically drawn to a steel pillar until the police arrive. Very much like Superman, this Deathstroke kept a secret identity by wearing a pair of glasses.
- Deathstroke appears as the main antagonist in the two first seasons of the Teen TitansTeen Titans (TV series)Teen Titans is an American animated television series based on the DC Comics characters of the same name. The show was created by Glen Murakami, developed by David Slack, and produced by Warner Bros. Animation. It premiered on Cartoon Network on July 19, 2003, and the final episode "Things Change"...
animated series voiced by Ron PerlmanRon PerlmanRonald N. "Ron" Perlman is an American television, film and voice over actor. He is known for having played Vincent in the TV series Beauty and the Beast , a Deathstroke figure known as Slade in the animated series Teen Titans, Clarence "Clay" Morrow in Sons of Anarchy, the comic book character...
. As a nod to his comic counterpart, his mask only has one eye-hole, though his "true" face is never shown and his mask was only taken off half-way during his first battle with the Titans; but was silhouetted by a shadow (he was shown to have brightly colored slicked back hair), and then he was seen with his face as a skull with a scar running through his right eye socket when he accompanied Robin against a battle with Raven's father. In the episode "Forces of Nature," however, he wears a disguise that closely resembles his face from the comics. He is also changed from a mercenary and assassin to an enigmatic criminal mastermind (though in one episode he states that he enjoys working for someone else), dispatching slews of supervillains and android ninjas to kill the Teen Titans instead of directly coming after them himself. Most of Slade's plans are strictly scientific in nature, though he did summon a fire elemental in one episode. Slade is shown to be ambitious, calculating, and incredibly sadistic; however, his underestimating of the bonds that exist between all the Titans and his fury over not being able to sever those bonds have often led to his undoing. His main goal is apparently to kill the Titans and conquer the city, and quite possibly the world. In the first two seasons he seeks out an apprentice, starting with Robin in the first season, who he coerces into working for him by threatening to kill the other Titans with nanobotNanoroboticsNanorobotics is the emerging technology field of creating machines or robots whose components are at or close to the scale of a nanometer . More specifically, nanorobotics refers to the nanotechnology engineering discipline of designing and building nanorobots, with devices ranging in size from...
s, and then Terra, whose desire for control and acceptance he preys on. Slade is killed at the end of the second season by Terra, who drops him into a lava-filled pit, and is, as a result, mostly absent in the third season, with Brother BloodBrother BloodBrother Blood is the name of two fictional comic book characters in the DC Universe. The first Brother Blood debuted in New Teen Titans vol. 1 #21 , and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.-First Blood:...
acting as the main villain. In the Season 3 episode "Haunted," Slade appears as a figment of Robin's imagination, due to a chemical reagent released from his mask when Robin touched it, causing Robin to see hallucinations of Slade which attacked him. His mind made the injuries inflicted upon him real. Robin eventually figures out what is happening and overcomes the hallucination. However, it is revealed that this gas had been triggered from the outside by an unknown party. Slade returns in the fourth season as an undead servant of Raven's demonic father, TrigonTrigon (comics)Trigon is a fictional demon, a comic book character published by DC Comics. Trigon first appeared in New Teen Titans #2 and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.-Fictional character biography:...
. He is empowered with vast pyrokinetic abilities, superhuman strength and durability, flight, regeneration, phasing, electricity generation, teleportation, and other supernatural powers making him far stronger than the Teen Titans (except for Raven). Slade entered into the deal in exchange for being brought back to life, but was predictably betrayed. Intent on getting his due, he helps Robin find Raven, locating the source of power which restores his mortal form along the way. He aids the Teen Titans in defeating Trigon afterward. He escapes capture after the world is saved as both he and Robin noted the partnership changed nothing. After the fight with Trigon, Slade himself makes no more appearances throughout the show, however a robot duplicate of him does appear in the last episode of the series "Things Change," when Beast Boy is searching for answers on why a girl who appears to be a newly revived Terra seems to have lost all memory of her past or superpowers. Slade confronts Beast Boy denying anything to do with Terra's sudden return and stating that if Terra does not remember her past, it is because she does not want to remember and that he should leave her in peace. Infuriated by his speech, Beast Boy attacks Slade, only to find out that it is just another robot duplicate. In the Teen Titans: Know Your Foes interview on the Season 2 DVD, Slade is said to have enhanced strength and an enhanced healing factor. He is well-trained in most forms of combat, both unarmed and with weapons, to the point that he appears to be Robin's better, besting him many times during their fights but never delivering a finishing blow. It eventually took all five of the Teen Titans to defeat him, though they did so soundly. He also fought Beast Boy once in person, and though the fight was inconclusive, he could have killed Beast Boy at least twice during it. He is a bona-fide geniusGeniusGenius is something or someone embodying exceptional intellectual ability, creativity, or originality, typically to a degree that is associated with the achievement of unprecedented insight....
, with great knowledge in roboticsRoboticsRobotics is the branch of technology that deals with the design, construction, operation, structural disposition, manufacture and application of robots...
, as well as military, political, and subversive strategy. However, he was easy to anger, which Robin eventually took advantage of. He seems to possess some knowledge of ceremonial magicMagic (paranormal)Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
(as seen in the episode Forces of Nature). He appears to have access to extremely advanced technology and various secret hideouts, nearly unlimited resources, and a vast army of robot minionsHenchmanHenchman referred originally to one who attended on a horse for his employer, that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a subordinate official in a royal court or noble household...
. However, Slade's most notable quality is that he is a master of manipulation and psychology, allowing him to get his foes to do almost anything he wants through shrewd manipulation.
- Michael Hogan portrays Slade Wilson in the tenth and final season of SmallvilleSmallvilleSmallville is the hometown of Superman in comic books published by DC Comics. While growing up in Smallville, the young Clark Kent attended Smallville High with best friends Lana Lang, Chloe Sullivan and Pete Ross...
. In the show, United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Lieutenant GeneralLieutenant General (United States)In the United States Army, the United States Air Force and the United States Marine Corps, lieutenant general is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general ranks above major general and below general...
Slade Wilson is behind the Vigilante Registration Act, anti-superhero legislation that he has propagated while under the influence of DarkseidDarkseidDarkseid is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #134 and was created by writer-artist Jack Kirby....
. In order to find out what Slade has planned, Oliver QueenGreen ArrowGreen Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
volunteers to register. Lois Lane meanwhile confronts Slade, and discovers that Slade is a suspected war-criminal, known for torture and illegal methods of torture and interrogation. She however is too late to warn Oliver, and he along with A.C.AquamanAquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
are captured by Slade in a holding facility which is equipped with holding cells that can adapt to the heroes' abilities. Clark Kent and MeraMera (comics)Mera is a fictional undersea queen that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. She first appeared in Aquaman #11 , and was created by Jack Miller and Nick Cardy.-Publication history:...
free Oliver and A.C., but Slade sets off the base's self-destruction. He survives the explosion but at the cost of his right eye. Having uncovered a significant amount of information about the Justice LeagueJustice League (Smallville)The Justice League is a fictional group of superheroes on the television series, Smallville, who were adapted for television by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar. The Justice League originally included Oliver Queen, Bart Allen, Victor Stone, and Arthur Curry; Clark Kent did not accept a role until...
, Wilson attacks Lois LaneLois Lane (Smallville)Lois Lane is a fictional character on the television series Smallville; she has been portrayed continually by Erica Durance since her first appearance in the season four premier "Crusade". Durance began as a guest star in season four, but was promoted to series regular status beginning in season five...
and tries to force her to lead him to Clark KentClark Kent (Smallville)Clark Kent is a fictional character on the television series Smallville. The character of Clark Kent, first created for comic books by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster in 1938 as the alternate identity of Superman, was adapted to television in 2001 by Alfred Gough and Miles Millar—this is the fourth...
and the group's secret headquarters. She is rescued by Hawkman, who dies saving her life. After surviving an explosion which would have killed a normal human, Wilson tells Clark that he is "beyond Death's stroke, now." Clark uses a KryptonKrypton (comics)Krypton is a fictional planet in the DC Comics universe, and the native world of the super-heroes Superman and, in some tellings, Supergirl and Krypto the Superdog. Krypton has been portrayed consistently as having been destroyed just after Superman's flight from the planet, with exact details of...
ian crystal to send him to the Phantom ZonePhantom ZoneThe Phantom Zone is a fictional prison dimension featured in the Superman comic books and related media published by DC Comics. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
later saying that he would release him to stand trial after the VRA is repealed. However, General ZodGeneral ZodGeneral Zod is a fictional character who appears in comic books published by DC Comics, a supervillain who is one of Superman's more-prominent enemies. The character first appeared in Adventure Comics #283 , and was created by Robert Bernstein and George Papp...
takes Slade and sends him back to Earth, unconscious and with no memory of his time away, through the Phantom Zone portal activated by Clark's blood- which Zod possessed due to Clark saving him with a blood transfusion on Earth- in an attempt to lure Clark into the Zone for revenge.
Film
- Bruce DavisonBruce DavisonBruce Davison is an American actor and director.-Early life:Davison was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Marian E. , a secretary, and Clair W. Davison, a musician, architect, and draftsman for the Army Engineers. His parents divorced when he was three years old. He was raised by his...
plays Slade Wilson in the DC Universe Animated Original Movie Justice League: Crisis on Two EarthsJustice League: Crisis on Two EarthsJustice League: Crisis on Two Earths is a 2010 original direct-to-video animated film released on February 23, 2010. It is based on the abandoned direct-to-video feature, Justice League: Worlds Collide, which was intended as a bridge between the then-concluding Justice League animated television...
. In this movie, Slade is a parallel universe version of Deathstroke and the President of the United States in the world controlled by the Crime Syndicate of AmericaCrime Syndicate of AmericaFor the concept of crime syndicates in general, see Organized crime.The Crime Syndicate are teams of fictional supervillains, from one of DC Comics' parallel universes, who are the evil counterparts of the Justice League of America. The original team was specifically known as Crime Syndicate of...
, and he still retains his white hair and eye-patch (except on his left eye, as opposed to his right). Unlike his counterpart, he never pursued the path as an assassin but rather tries to work for the betterment of the American people through his political career. He was, however, a former soldier, keeping in line with his mercenary counterpart's backstory, but considered as a respectable war hero. He is also shown needing a caneCaneCane are either of two genera of tall, perennial grasses with flexible, woody stalks from the family Poaceae that grow throughout the world in wet soils. They are related to and may include species of bamboo. The genus Arundo is native from the Mediterranean region to the Far East. Arundinaria...
for support, implying that he has health problems and never took the serum that would have given him his superhuman abilities. His daughter RoseRose WilsonRose Wilson is a fictional character in the DC Comics universe. She is a member of the Teen Titans and the illegitimate daughter of Deathstroke the Terminator.-Fictional character biography:...
(played by Freddi Rogers) publicly speaks out against the Crime Syndicate and was nearly assassinated by the Archer (evil Green Arrow), but was saved by the Martian ManhunterMartian ManhunterThe Martian Manhunter is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in publications published by DC Comics. Created by writer Joseph Samachson and artist Joe Certa, the character first appeared in Detective Comics #225...
. It was heavily implied that in his past, Slade's wife was assassinated by UltramanUltraman (comics)Ultraman is the name of several fictional characters, who are supervillains appearing in stories published by DC Comics. The characters are all evil alternate-universe counterparts of Superman. Ultraman first appeared in Justice League of America #29 .-Publication history:Ultraman first appeared as...
. He is initially reluctant to wage war against the Syndicate due to his concerns for his daughter and the country's safety. However, after Ultraman's last threat and Rose's attempted murder, Wilson decides to strike back at the Syndicate with the Justice League's aid, along with that of his world's Lex Luthor, and personally leads the United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
into the battle. After the Syndicate leaders' defeat, Slade orders the National Guard to work with law enforcement agencies to arrest the remaining members of the CSA.
- Deathstroke was going to appear in the straight-to-DVD film Teen Titans: The Judas Contract *an adaptation of the Terra storyline of the same name from the comics (unrelated to the more youth-oriented, anime-like Teen Titans animated series). However, the film was put on hiatus.
Video games
- On August 20, 2008, Ed BoonEd BoonEdward J. Boon is an American video game programmer who had been employed for over 15 years at Midway. He now works for Warner Bros...
announced Deathstroke as one of the DC villains who would appear in Mortal Kombat vs. DC UniverseMortal Kombat vs. DC UniverseMortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is a crossover fighting game from Midway Games and Warner Bros. Games. The eighth game in the Mortal Kombat series, MK vs. DC was released on November 16, . MK vs. DC contains characters from both the Mortal Kombat franchise and the DC Universe...
, played by Chris Matthews and voiced by Patrick SeitzPatrick SeitzPatrick Seitz is an American voice actor, ADR Director, and Script Writer primarily known for his work for Geneon Entertainment, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Bandai Entertainment, Media Blasters, NYAV Post, New Generation Pictures, Funimation Entertainment, and Viz Media...
. He is a counterpart of BarakaBarakaBaraka means blessing in Hebrew, Arabic and Arabic-influenced languages. It may refer to:* Baraka, also berakhah, in Judaism, a blessing usually recited during a ceremony...
. In the story, Deathstroke appears in Gotham where he beheads a thug who paid him the money he owed Deathstroke late. Then Deathstroke is attacked and defeated by Flash. When in Gotham City, he attacks Sub-ZeroSub-Zero (Mortal Kombat)Sub-Zero is the name given to two video game characters from the Mortal Kombat series. The older Sub-Zero first appeared in the first Mortal Kombat game, being replaced by his younger brother in Mortal Kombat II and the subsequent games...
(who is trying to hunt down Scorpion) seeing this new assassin as an enemy. Sub-Zero wins the battle, but does not bother finishing off Deathstroke fearing the essence of the Netherrealm that leads to Scorpion would become too weak to follow if he wasted any more time. Later, Deathstroke teams up with Lex Luthor and the JokerJoker (comics)The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
. He helps the Joker try to take on Sonya BladeSonya BladeSonya Blade is a player character from the Mortal Kombat series. She is portrayed in the games as an officer of the United States Special Forces.-In video games:...
and Kano. The Joker fights Sonya while Deathstroke battles Kano. In the middle of his fight, Deathstroke is pushed aside by the Joker and the Clown Prince of Crime defeats Kano, then turns on Deathstroke when the Combat Rage takes over Joker. Deathstroke's game ending has him realizing that other-worldy assassins are seen as unwelcome competition. As a caution, he creates an army of assassins in his image, becoming the leader of the "Deathstrike Clan" (the DC Universe's version of the Lin Kuei).
- Deathstroke appears in DC Universe OnlineDC Universe OnlineDC Universe Online or DCUO is an MMORPG by Sony Online Entertainment – Austin. Jim Lee serves as the game's Executive Creative Director, along with Carlos D'Anda, JJ Kirby, Oliver Nome, Eddie Nuñez, Livio Ramondelli, and Michael Lopez...
voiced by Tracy W. BushTracy W. BushTracy W. Bush is a video game music composer, sound designer and a foley artist. He is known for composing music for the popular games Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, World of Warcraft, StarCraft , and StarCraft: Brood War , and for sound design on Diablo II and...
.
Miscellaneous
- Although Slade wasn't seen in Teen Titans Go!Teen Titans Go!Teen Titans Go! is a comic book series that was published by DC Comics. It is based on the 2003 animated TV series Teen Titans which is itself loosely based on the team that starred in the popular 1980s comic The New Teen Titans. The series was written by J...
, his daughter Rose made an appearance. A painting of Slade, without his mask, is briefly seen in the comic book.
Collected editions
Part of the eponymEponym
An eponym is the name of a person or thing, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named...
ous series has been collected into a trade paperback
Trade paperback (comics)
In comics, a trade paperback is a collection of stories originally published in comic books, reprinted in book format, usually capturing one story arc from a single title or a series of stories with a connected story arc or common theme from one or more titles...
:
- Deathstroke the Terminator: Full Cycle (collects Deathstroke the Terminator #1-5 and New Titans #70, ISBN 978-0930289829)
External links
- The Origin of Deathstroke at DC Comics.com
- Deathstroke biography at Titans Tower
- Deathstroke at the DC Database Project