Deathstroke the Terminator (
Slade Wilson), originally simply the
Terminator, is a
fictional characterA character is the representation of a person in a narrative or dramatic work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr through its Latin transcription character, the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its...
, a
supervillainA supervillain or supervillainess is a variant of the villain character type, commonly found in comic books, action movies and science fiction in various mediums.They are often used as foils to superheroes and other fictional heroes...
and sometime
anti-heroIn fiction, an antihero is a protagonist archetype whose character or goals are antithetical to traditional heroism. The term dates to 1714, although literary criticism identifies the trope in earlier literature. - History :...
in the
DC ComicsDC Comics is one of the largest and most popular American comic book and related media companies, along with Marvel Comics. It is the publishing division of DC Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary company of Warner Bros. Entertainment...
UniverseThe 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
mercenaryA mercenary is a professional soldier hired by a foreign army, as opposed to a soldier enlisted in the armed forces of a sovereign state. He or she takes part in armed conflict on many different scales, and is "motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain...
and
assassinAn Assassination is the targeted killing of a public figure.Assassinations may be prompted by ideological, political, or military reasons. Additionally, assassins may be motivated by financial gain, revenge, personal public recognition, or mental illness....
who first appeared in
The New Teen Titans (vol. 1) #2 (
1980- March :*March 1: Richard Allen "Dick" Dillin, Blackhawk and Justice League of America penciller, dies at age 50.-First issues by title:Epic IllustratedReid Fleming, World's Toughest MilkmanNew Teen Titans...
).
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
IGNIGN is a multimedia news and reviews website that focuses heavily on video games...
's 32nd Greatest Comic Book Villain of All Time.
Publication history
Deathstroke received his own series,
Deathstroke the Terminator, in
1991-April:* X-Force debuts in New Mutants vol. 1, #100 - Marvel Comics* April 4: Graham Ingels dies at age 75....
; It was retitled to
Deathstroke the Hunted for issues #0 and #41-45 and then simply "Deathstroke" from 46 through 60. The series was canceled with issue 60 shortly after the conclusion of
Zero HourZero Hour: Crisis in Time is a five-issue comic book limited series and crossover storyline published by DC Comics in 1994. In it, the one-time hero Hal Jordan, who had until then been a member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, mad with grief after the destruction...
. In total, Deathstroke ran for 65 issues (#1-60, plus 4 annuals and a special #0 issue).
Following his injury in "Last Will and Testament," Deathstroke appears in one of the four
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-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
Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian American bodybuilder, actor, businessman, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the state of California....
's film
The TerminatorThe Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed and co-written by James Cameron and distributed by the independent film studio Orion Pictures. It features Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator, Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor and Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese. The film was followed by...
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 EliteJustice 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 metahuman soldiers for the U.S. military, Deathstroke the Terminator (called simply "Terminator" for the first 11 years of his publication history) became a mercenary soon after the experiment when he defied orders and rescued his friend
WintergreenWilliam Randolph Wintergreen, is a fictional character in DC Comics Teen Titans comics.-History: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 kidnapped his younger son,
JosephJericho is a fictional character, originally a superhero who was a member of the Teen Titans in the acclaimed 1980s period of New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, published by DC Comics. Since the early 1990s, Jericho has been depicted as a villain.-Childhood:Joseph was the younger...
, as a 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 cordsThe vocal folds, also known commonly as vocal cords, are composed of twin infoldings of mucous membrane stretched horizontally across the larynx. They vibrate, modulating the flow of air being expelled from the lungs during phonation...
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 eyepatch.
The Teen Titans
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
RavagerRavager 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
PromethiumPromethium 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. LabsThe Scientific and Technological Advanced Research Laboratories, usually shortened to S.T.A.R. Labs, is a research organization shown in various stories published by DC Comics. S.T.A.R. Labs is most often seen in the Superman and Teen Titans comics.-Fictional history and locations:S.T.A.R...
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
ChangelingGarfield 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.
TerraTerra 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 vol...
, 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 singlehandedly. 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 Perez noted that this constituted "
statutory rapeThe phrase statutory rape is a term used in some legal jurisdictions to describe sexual relations that occur when 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 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.-Introduction:...
is gassed at her photo studio, Garfield Logan is poisoned with tainted envelopes while responding to fan mail,
Victor StoneCyborg 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 DC Comics Presents #26...
is electrocuted by a chair in his own apartment,
Koriand'rStarfire is the name of several fictional comic book characters published by DC Comics. The most prominent Starfire is Koriand'r, the third character to use that name...
is ambushed with a device that affects her powers, and
RavenRaven is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #26 , and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez. Raven is an empath who can teleport and control her "Soul Self", which can fight physically as...
is taken down by Terra herself.
Dick GraysonRichard John "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 on April 1940....
, who had recently retired his
RobinRobin is the name of 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. The team of Batman and Robin is commonly referred to as the Dynamic Duo or the Caped...
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
NightwingNightwing 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., joined by Joseph going by the name of
JerichoJericho is a fictional character, originally a superhero who was a member of the Teen Titans in the acclaimed 1980s period of New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, published by DC Comics. Since the early 1990s, Jericho has been depicted as a villain.-Childhood:Joseph was the younger...
. 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 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.-Introduction:...
is attacked by 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. He 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
JerichoJericho is a fictional character, originally a superhero who was a member of the Teen Titans in the acclaimed 1980s period of New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, published by DC Comics. Since the early 1990s, Jericho has been depicted as a villain.-Childhood:Joseph was the younger...
and
RavenRaven is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #26 , and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez. Raven is an empath who can teleport and control her "Soul Self", which can fight physically as...
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 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:...
hires Deathstroke to find the missing Titans. He eventually discovers with Nightwing that the abductions were the work of the
Wildebeest SocietyWildebeest is a name used by several fictional characters in DC Comics New Titans series.-The Wildebeest Society:The original Wildebeest was an unrevealed supervillain who set up the Wildebeest Society; a supervillain team in which only one villain operated at a time, wearing the same exosuit and...
, 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
AzarathAzarath 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, though Jericho later turned out to have survived death by transferring his mind into his father's body seconds before his death.
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 TitansTeam Titans was a comic book published by DC Comics that spun out of DC's New Titans series. It began in 1992 and ended in 1994. The Team Titans were first introduced as a shadowy group stalking the Titans. Their backstory was revealed in New Titans Annual #7 by writer Marv Wolfman, and were...
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
VigilanteVigilante 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 himself by one year.-Greg Saunders:...
. Pat Trayce and Slade quickly became lovers, and began a tumultuous on again/off again relationship.
Family business
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 SteelSarge 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 DaytonMento 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:...
, under the alias of the Crimelord, who had again succumbed to mental instability caused by his Mento helmet.
Meanwhile, his 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 since 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.The H.I.V.E., which stands for the Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination, is a DC Comics supervillain team.-1st Incarnation:...
and sought to rid the world of all superhumans, blaming them for Jericho's death. During the battle, interrupted by
Vandal SavageVandal 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 Titan 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... " since her version of the healing factor wouldn't heal the wound, but only allow her to live in spite of it. Deathstroke refused, but
Koriand'rStarfire is the name of several fictional comic book characters published by DC Comics. The most prominent Starfire is Koriand'r, the third character to use that name...
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 this act of mercy on Starfire's part.
Recently, it was 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
ImpulseBartholomew "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 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 :...
, 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.
Identity Crisis
In the
Identity CrisisIdentity Crisis is a seven-issue comic book limited series published by DC Comics from June to December in 2004. It was created by writer Brad Meltzer and the artistic team of penciler Rags Morales and inker Michael Bair.-Publication history:...
miniseries, Deathstroke was enlisted as a bodyguard for
Doctor LightArthur Light is a fictional comic book supervillain appearing in 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 AmericaThe 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 DibnySusan "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 ManThe 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 The Flash vol. 1, #112...
, the
FlashThe Flash is a fictional character, a comic book superhero in the DC Comics Universe. He is the first Kid Flash and the third Flash.-Kid Flash:...
(Wally West),
ZatannaZatanna 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 . She appeared in vol...
,
HawkmanHawkman is a fictional superhero that 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 ArrowGreen Arrow is a fictional character, published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in 1941...
,
Black CanaryBlack Canary is a fictional character, a DC Comics superheroine. Created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino, the character first appeared in Flash Comics #86 ....
, the Atom, and
Green LanternKyle Rayner is a fictional character, a superhero from the DC Comics universe, known for most of his publication history as Green Lantern, and at the time, the only member of the intergalactic police force known as the Green Lantern Corps, and at times as Ion.Created by writer Ron Marz and artist...
(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 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, and the two escaped. 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 is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Superman and first appeared in Action Comics #23 , and was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Luthor is described as "a power-mad, evil scientist" of incredible...
's
Secret Society of Super VillainsThe Secret Society of Super Villains is a group of comic book supervillains that exist in the DC Universe...
in the
Infinite CrisisInfinite Crisis is a seven-issue limited series of comic books written by Geoff Johns and illustrated by Phil Jimenez, George Pérez, Ivan Reis, and Jerry Ordway. The series was published by DC Comics, beginning in October of 2005...
storyline. He was seen in
Infinite Crisis #1, hiding in a warehouse south of
MetropolisMetropolis 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, in 1939....
waiting to ambush the
Freedom FightersFreedom Fighters is a DC Comics comic book superhero team made up of characters acquired from the defunct company Quality Comics. The team first appeared in a Justice League of America/Justice Society of America team-up, which ran in Justice League of America #'s 107 and 108 , written by Len Wein...
with several other members. The battle didn't last long, and by the end, Deathstroke had killed the
Phantom LadyPhantom 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 is currently owned by DC...
. 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 GraysonRichard John "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 on April 1940....
, whom he hired to train his daughter Rose. However, after the two had a confrontation with
SupermanSuperman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc...
, 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
metahumanMetahuman 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
BlüdhavenBlüdhaven 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. 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 - who included old Titans and
Doom PatrolThe Doom Patrol is a superhero team appearing in publications from DC Comics. The original Doom Patrol first appeared in My Greatest Adventure #80...
foes and
Brotherhood of EvilThe Brotherhood of Evil is a group of DC Comics supervillains, arch-enemies 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 MallahMonsieur Mallah is a sapient gorilla with a genius level IQ in publications of DC Comics. He is the supervillain partner of the Brain in the...
and
BrainThe Brain is a DC Comics supervillain and frequent enemy of the Doom Patrol. He is a French mastermind and criminal genius.-Fictional character biography:...
- to drop
ChemoChemo is a DC Comics supervillain, and an enemy of the Metal Men. He first appeared in Showcase #39 .-Fictional character biography:...
, 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
RoseRose 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 :...
's training session, revealing to the latter that the
KryptoniteKryptonite is a fictional element from the Superman mythos, originating in the Superman radio show series.The material is usually shown as having been created from the remains of Superman's native planet of Krypton, and generally has detrimental effects on Superman and other Kryptonians...
that Deathstroke had implanted in place of her missing eye was radioactive and deadly to humans as well as to
KryptonianKryptonians are a fictional extraterrestrial race of the DC Comics universe who hail from the planet Krypton. The best-known Kryptonian is Superman...
s (though slower in its effects on humans, as revealed by
Lex LuthorLex Luthor is a fictional character, a supervillain who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Superman and first appeared in Action Comics #23 , and was created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Luthor is described as "a power-mad, evil scientist" of incredible...
'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'd 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.
One Year Later
Slade appears in the
Green Arrow series after the
one year"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...
jump in DC Comics's storylines. Apparently in hiding, he nearly murders a crony of several
Star CityStar 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. Beyond that, it is also known to other characters of the DC Universe as both a port city and a haven...
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 don't quite go according to plan, with Green Arrow using the resources of both his identities, then 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's 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 EastTitans East is the name of several DC Comics teams. The team appears 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 first appears in Teen Titans...
. 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
RiskRisk 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 CainCassandra Cain is a fictional character in the DC Universe who served as Batgirl from 1999 to 2009. The daughter of assassins David Cain and Lady Shiva, she was deprived of speech and human contact during her childhood as conditioning to become the world's greatest assassin...
with the same serum he'd used on Rose, and supplied
Inertia]]|caption=Inertia, in art from Flash: The Fastest Man Alive #5, by Ron Adrian.|character_name=Inertia|real_name=Thaddeus Thawne|publisher=DC Comics|debut=Impulse #50 |creators=Todd DeZago
Mike Wieringo|alliances=Titans East
Rogues...
with a formula which granted superhuman speed to compensate for the loss of the
Speed ForceThe 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
RobinTimothy "Tim" Jackson Wayne is a fictional character, a comic book superhero from the DC Comics universe. As the third Robin in the Batman comics, he served as Batman's sidekick, and a superhero in his own right...
managed to free Batgirl of his mind control serum and Raven convinced
Duela DentDuela 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 manages 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 MarkovGeo-Force is the superhero alias of Brion Markov, a fictional character from 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 The Brave and the Bold # 200 . The character was...
, the half-brother of the original
TerraTerra 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 vol...
, into the same powers as his traitorous sister's. 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 LeagueThe Injustice League is the name of two fictional teams of supervillains in the DC Comics Universe.-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" afterward, robbing Deathstroke of his potential pawn.
He can be seen as the member of
LibraLibra 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
Last Will and Testament. Following his injury in "Last Will and Testament," Deathstroke appears in one of the four
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-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." Deathstroke is at Belle Reve, recuperating from a vicious injury wrought by Geo-Force. 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.
Powers and abilities
Deathstroke possesses various enhanced abilities. 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 brainThe 10% of brain myth is the widely-perpetuated myth that humans only use 10% of their brains. By association, it is often suggested that by some process a human being may harness this unused potential and in so doing inherit several magnitudes more intelligence.Though many factors of intelligence...
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; it does have limitations as he could not heal his 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.
He is also a highly formidable opponent in physical combat to the point that even
BatmanThe Batman, originally referred to as the Bat-Man, is a fictional character, a comic book superhero co-created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger , appearing in publications by DC Comics...
cannot defeat him solo (and only succeeded in defeating him with the aid of his sidekicks, in
Infinite Crisis). Deathstroke, who was sick and tired, soundly defeated Batman in Deathstroke the Terminator (vol 1) #7, beating him unconscious in Batman's home turf of Gotham City. Deathstroke easily defeated Batman twice more in Detective Comics (vol 1) #710. Finally in their third confrontation in the issue Batman managed to secure Deathstroke momentarily by catching him off guard and knocked Deathstroke out with his own gun. Batman then turned his attention elsewhere and when returned Deathstroke was gone. Deathstroke left his mask and sword as a sign he could have taken Batman out from behind as well to proving that Batman couldn't defeat him in a straight fight or without assistance.
Green Arrow (vol. 4) #66 claims that an assassin known as
NatasNatas is a fictional character in the DC Universe. He is a martial arts master who first appeared in Green Arrow comics. His name spelled backwards is Satan.-Green Arrow:...
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 Slade was in the military). There has been argument among fans as to how good a martial artist Deathstroke is. While he has defeated multiple opponents in hand-to-hand combat and has even been acknowledged by Cassandra Cain as "toying with me, he is holding back", he is not considered one of the DCU's greatest martial artists despite his impressive record, as his enhanced capabilities and artificial enhancements provide him with an unfair advantage. Deathstroke is also skilled in the use of many weapons ranging from 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
PromethiumPromethium 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:...
.
Other versions
- In the intercompany 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 WolverineWolverine is a fictional Canadian superhero who appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Incredible Hulk #180 and was created by writer Len Wein and Marvel art director John Romita Sr., who designed the character, and was first drawn for publication by...
; the two fight to a near standstill. At the same time, however, he proved skilled enough to defeat ColossusColossus 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 . A Russian mutant, the character is a member of the X-Men, and is by far the physically strongest X-Man...
in a one-on-one fight despite the latter's superior physical strength.
- The Marvel Comics
Marvel Publishing, Inc., a company doing business as Marvel Comics, produces American comic books and related media. It forms a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment, Inc....
character DeadpoolDeadpool is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by artist Rob Liefeld and writer Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool first appeared in The New Mutants #98 ....
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 KellyJoseph "Joe" Kelly is an American comic book writer who has written such titles as Uncanny X-Men, Action Comics, and JLA. As part of the comics creator group Man of Action, Kelly is one of the creators of the animated series Ben 10....
, Deathstroke from the antimatter universe appears and has similar characteristics related to Deadpool (such as Deadpool's "merc with a mouth" wisecracks, a black spot on his mask over his eye somewhat resembling Deadpool's. While this character didn't 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 Deadpool is the Marvel counterpart of Deathstroke, who was created 11 years earlier. Marvel seemingly acknowledged this in the Cable/Deadpool series, where Deadpool sometimes answers a letters column. Deadpool claimed that he didn't want to be in a Marvel/DC crossover, because people might mistake him for a certain DC character.
- In Amalgam Comics
Amalgam Comics was an American comic book publisher of metafiction; it was a collaboration between Marvel Comics and DC Comics, in which the two comic book publishers merged their characters to create new ones...
, Deathstroke is combined with Marvel's DaredevilDaredevil, in comics, may refer to:*Daredevil *Daredevil *The Daredevils, a Marvel UK title...
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 eyepatch because of her mangled right eye. She also has horns surgically attached to her forehead. She uses a sword in combat.
- In Tangent 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, Batman, and the Flash...
, Deathstroke is an armoured supervillain and a member of the Fatal FiveThe 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.
- In the Superman/Batman
Superman/Batman is 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 DoomsdayDoomsday 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 #17 , and was created by writer-artist Dan Jurgens. Since 1992, Doomsday is the only supervillain to have successfully killed Superman,...
, creating the villain Doomstroke.
- In the Teen Titans
Teen Titans is an American animated television series based on the popular DC Comics characters. 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...
animated series, Slade has superior physical strength and fighting skills that surpass RobinRobin is the name of 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. The team of Batman and Robin is commonly referred to as the Dynamic Duo or the Caped...
's, having beaten him every time they fought in the series. It eventually took all 5 of the Teen Titans to defeat him, though they did so soundly. He is a bona-fide geniusA genius is a person, a body of work, or a singular achievement of surpassing excellence. More than just originality, creativity, or intelligence, genius is associated with achievement of insight which has transformational power. A work of genius fundamentally alters the expectations of its...
, with great knowledge in roboticsRobotics is the engineering science and technology of robots, and their design, manufacture, and application. Robotics is related to electronics, mechanics, and software. The word robot was introduced to the public by Czech writer Karel Čapek in his play R.U.R. , published in 1920...
, 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, sometimes known as sorcery, is the practice of consciousness manipulation and/or autosuggestion to achieve a desired result, usually by techniques described in various conceptual systems...
(as seen in 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 minionsThe word "henchman" referred originally to one who attended on a horse for , that is, a horse groom. Hence, like constable and marshal, also originally stable staff, henchman became the title of a 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.
Lois & Clark
In the fourth and final season of
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of SupermanLois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman is 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. is an American actor and male 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...
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 afterwards 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.
The couple take the name Bob and Carol when they arrive in Metropolis; they become friends with
Clark KentClark Joseph Kent is a fictional character created by Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. He serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
and
Lois LaneLois Joanne Lane-Kent 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
SupermanSuperman is a fictional character, a comic book superhero widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective Comics, Inc...
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.
Teen Titans
Deathstroke appears in the
Teen TitansTeen Titans is an American animated television series based on the popular DC Comics characters. 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...
animated series, portrayed by voice-actor
Ron PerlmanRonald Francis "Ron" Perlman is an American television, film and voice over actor. He is known for playing the character Vincent in the television series Beauty and the Beast and the comic book character Hellboy in the film of the same name and its sequel, Hellboy II: The Golden Army.-Personal...
. The name "Deathstroke" did not make it through the censors due to hesitance to use the word "death" in a children's animated series, thus the character is referred to by his first name from the comics,
Slade. 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, and then he was seen with his face as a skull when he accompanied Robin against a battle with Raven's father. He is also changed from a mercenary and assassin to an enigmatic criminal mastermind -- somewhat akin to The Shredder from
Teenage Mutant Ninja TurtlesThe Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four mutant turtles, who were trained by a giant, talking rat sensei, Master Splinter, in the art of Ninjitsu...
-- dispatching slews of supervillains and android ninjas to kill the Teen Titans instead of directly coming after them himself. He is the primary antagonist for the first two seasons of the show, and is often considered to be the Titans' most formiddable adversary. Slade is the longest-running villain in the series, having appeared in a total of 17 episodes, more than double that of any other villain. Although the connection is never stated in the course of the series, Slade's son
JerichoJericho is a fictional character, originally a superhero who was a member of the Teen Titans in the acclaimed 1980s period of New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, published by DC Comics. Since the early 1990s, Jericho has been depicted as a villain.-Childhood:Joseph was the younger...
is also introduced into the Teen Titans series during the series finale. His daughter Rose is also introduced in the animated series based comic book
Teen Titans Go!; a painting of Slade, without his mask, is briefly seen in the comic book.
Slade is shown to be ambitious, calculating, and dispassionate; 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 both 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
nanobotNanorobotics is the technology of creating machines or robots at or close to the microscopic scale of a nanometer . More specifically, nanorobotics refers to the still largely hypothetical nanotechnology engineering discipline of designing and building nanorobots...
s, and then
TerraTerra 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 vol...
, whose desire for control and acceptance he preys on. 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. 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. Most of Slade's plans are strictly scientific in nature, though he did summon a fire elemental in one episode.
Slade is killed in 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 Blood is the name of two fictional comicbook 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 (in some aspects) Slade's 'replacement' (both as a villain and as the series' antagonist) during the third season. 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
RavenRaven is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in DC Comics Presents #26 , and was created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist George Pérez. Raven is an empath who can teleport and control her "Soul Self", which can fight physically as...
's demonic father
TrigonTrigon 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, nigh-invulnerability, flight, teleportation, and phasing powers making him far stronger than the Teen Titans. Slade entered into the deal in exchange for being brought back to life, but was predictably betrayed. Intent of 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.
Slade appears in the last episode of the series, "Things Change", when
Beast BoyGarfield Mark "Gar" Logan, known as Beast Boy or Changeling, is a fictional character, a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics...
is searching for answers on why a newly revived
TerraTerra 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 vol...
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 doesn't remember her past, it's because she doesn't 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's just another robot duplicate.
The Judas Contract
Deathstroke was going to appear in the upcoming 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. However, the film was put on hiatus.
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
On August 20 2008, Ed Boon announced Deathstroke as one of the DC villains who would appear in
Mortal Kombat vs. DC UniverseMortal Kombat vs. DC Universe is a crossover fighting game from Midway Games and Warner Bros. in the Mortal Kombat series, which was released on November 16, . The game contains characters from both the Mortal Kombat franchise and the DC Universe...
, and is played by
Chris Matthews and voiced by
Patrick SeitzPatrick Seitz is an American voice actor, script-adapter and ADR director, primarily known for his work in anime and video games....
who also voiced
ScorpionScorpion is a fictional character in the Mortal Kombat video game series.-About Scorpion:Formerly a human ninja, Scorpion is a hellspawned revenant, inexorably seeking vengeance against those responsible for the destruction of his clan and the death of his family. Although essentially neutral in...
over actor
Sorin Brouwers,
Shao KahnShao Kahn is a boss and recurring playable character from the Mortal Kombat fighting game series.-About Shao Kahn:One of the primary villains in the Mortal Kombat series, Shao Kahn is the Emperor of Outworld. He resembles an Asian warrior-king in many respects, and embodies evil in many forms...
over actor
Jorden Brun and the second voice of
Dark Kahn in the game. In the story, he attacks Sub-Zero, who is trying to hunt down Scorpion, seeing this new assassin as an enemy. Sub-Zero wins the battle, but doesn't 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 he teams up with Lex Luthor and the Joker and helps Joker try to take on Sonya Blade and Kano. Joker fights Sonya while Deathstroke battles Kano. During the middle of his fight, Deathstroke is pushed aside by Joker and the Joker defeats Kano, then turns on Deathstroke himself. 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.
Other Related Media
An action figure of Deathstroke has been released as part of the toy line for
The Dark KnightThe Dark Knight is a superhero crime thriller film directed and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins. Christian Bale reprises the lead role...
. There are some differences in the appearance of the figure from how the character usually appears including a dark blue jacket-like top instead of promethium chain mail and black pants instead of blue. His gloves, belt and boots have also been changed to black, and he has a slashing right arm attack. Deathstroke did not actually appear in
The Dark Knight despite the action figure release.
Similarities to other characters
A similarity between Deathstroke and the Marvel Comics mercenary
TaskmasterTaskmaster is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Universe. Created by writer David Michelinie and artist George Pérez, the character first appeared in Avengers #195. He is a main nemesis of Deadpool and Moon Knight, although he has reluctantly allied himself with Deadpool several...
was also noted in
Wizard Magazine #177: "Both Tasky and Slade are amoral profiteers, and thanks to mutual designer George Pérez, even their original costumes are similar." They share an orange/blue color scheme and many design elements (such as buccaneer boots, flared gloves, and a near-identical collection of weapon belts). The largest differences were their masks, Taskmaster's cloak, and the white in Taskmaster's costume. Both characters were designed by
George PérezGeorge Pérez is an illustrator and writer of comic books born of Latin-American descent. He was one of the most popular and influential artists in American superhero comic books in the 1980s. He primarily illustrates superhero comics, mainly published by DC Comics and Marvel Comics, and is known...
in 1980, within a few months of each other.
His original code name, Terminator, is the same as that of the antagonist in the film
The TerminatorThe Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed and co-written by James Cameron and distributed by the independent film studio Orion Pictures. It features Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator, Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor and Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese. The film was followed by...
, although there is no relationship between the characters.
Another Marvel Comics character having many similarities to Deathstroke is Deadpool. Both have similar costumes, professions, rhyming names (Deathstroke is Slade Wilson while Deadpool is Wade Wilson), and similar code names (Death=Dead, you do a "stroke" in a "pool"). However, the two have completely different personalities with Deathstroke being a brilliant cutthroat mercenary whereas Deadpool is a sarcastic "merc with a mouth".
There is also another Marvel character who is actually named Deathstroke. Differences are that he has two eyes, he has an arsenal of specially attributed throwing stars, and an energy sword that can cut through steel, oddly enough he also leads a team called the Terminators. (Note: This is not from the Marvel-D.C. cross over issues, he first appeared in Spider-Woman #39, and again in Captain America #395)
The Hanna-Barbera cartoons
Birdman and the Galaxy TrioBirdman and the Galaxy Trio is an animated science fiction series created by Alex Toth and produced at Hanna-Barbera. It debuted on NBC on September 9, 1967, and ran on Saturday mornings until September 6, 1969...
and the more recent
Harvey Birdman, Attorney at LawHarvey Birdman, Attorney at Law is a North American animated television series comedy created by Williams Street and produced by Cartoon Network Studios that aired on Cartoon Network during its Adult Swim late night programming block. It is one of four spin-offs of Space Ghost Coast to Coast. The...
both feature a character named "X, the Eliminator", who is similar to Deathstroke in both outfit and character - X is a mercenary hired by the agents of F.E.A.R to retrieve the crest on Birdman's helmet.
Collected editions
Part of the
eponymAn eponym is the name of a person, whether real or fictitious, after which a particular place, tribe, era, discovery, or other item is named or thought to be named. One who is referred to as eponymous is someone who gives his or her name to something, e.g...
ous series has been collected into a
trade paperbackIn 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 093028982X)
External links