Deathstroke
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Deathstroke | |
---|---|
The New Teen Titans #2 (December 10th 1980) | |
Created by | |
In-story information | |
Alter ego | Slade Joseph Wilson |
Species | Metahuman |
Team affiliations | |
Notable aliases | Deathstroke the Terminator[1] |
Abilities |
|
Deathstroke is a
In his comic book appearances, Slade Wilson is depicted as an elite operative in the
Deathstroke has been adapted in various media incarnations, having been portrayed in television by
Publication history
Deathstroke the Terminator was created by
Due to his popularity, Deathstroke received his own series, Deathstroke the Terminator, in 1991.[2] 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 four 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.[3]
Despite predating James Cameron's film The Terminator by four years, the character is now simply called Deathstroke, though the full title has not completely fallen out of use, having been referenced as recently as Justice League Elite.
Characterization
Christopher Priest, the writer of Deathstroke's self-titled solo series in DC Rebirth, has said:
[N]ot only was Marv's Deathstroke a villain, he was also kind of an asshole, which I thought was unique. He wasn't some misunderstood anarchist; he deliberately did skeevy things – most notably sleeping with Terra, a presumably underage girl – in his quest to exact revenge against his enemies. I read that and went, "Whoa". This was beyond The Joker, well beyond Lex Luthor. Marv created the first modern supervillain. He broke every rule by making Deathstroke three-dimensional and giving him internal conflicts while maintaining a level of skeeve we weren't used to seeing from a typical 2-dimensional bad guy.[4]
Deathstroke is widely regarded as one of the most feared and deadly professional assassins in the world with a considerable seven figure fee and a six figure deposit.[5][6][7] He is infamous for completing nearly all of his contracts, having only failed his contract with H.I.V.E. to kill the Teen Titans. He uses his resources to hire lawyers to prevent law enforcement from proving that Slade Wilson and Deathstroke are the same person. Deathstroke has been described as being emotionally crippled, believing everyone else to be "idiots" and struggling to commit despite desperately loving his children and desiring closeness with them. He is a poor father and often suffers from past choices made between his children and wife, Adeline.[7]
Fictional character biography
Slade Wilson was 16 years old when he enlisted in the
Chosen for a secret experiment, the Army imbued him with a drug that allowed him to utilize and use up to 90% of his brain's capacity granting him enhanced physical powers and near-mastery control of his body (accelerated healing-factor and heightened senses) in an attempt to create metahuman super-soldiers 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.[8] However, Slade kept this career secret from his family, even though his wife was an expert military combat instructor.
A criminal named
After taking Joseph to the hospital, Adeline was enraged at his endangerment of her son and tried to kill Slade by shooting him, but only managed to destroy his right eye. Afterwards, 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 right eye. Without his mask, Slade wears an eye patch to cover his eye.
The Teen Titans
Slade has a long history as an enemy of the
Deathstroke next appeared in New York, holding officials hostage to lure the Titans into confronting him.
The Judas Contract
During
Nightwing, to confront Deathstroke and the
Slade was put on trial for his crimes, but the trial was deliberately sabotaged by Changeling so that he could kill Slade himself, believing that he was responsible for Terra's betrayal of the Titans. Slade agreed to the confrontation, but showed up out of costume. Changeling found himself unable to kill Slade, so instead they talked. Feeling some empathy for his grief, Slade explained his past with Terra, and Changeling realized that Slade was not to blame for the choices that Terra had made. The two men parted on peaceful terms, with Slade returning to Africa with Wintergreen.
Titans Plague
Months later, Slade encountered the Titans again while they were investigating mysterious attacks and disappearances. 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.
It was revealed that Jericho had been possessed by the corrupted souls of
Afterward, Slade continued his life as a mercenary, but also acted as an occasional ally to the Titans, aiding them when mutual threats outweighed their rivalry, most notably during the Total Chaos storyline when the
Family business
After Slade foiled 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 (but 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 #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 apparent 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 confidant 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, 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
Deathstroke also appeared in
Identity Crisis
In the Identity Crisis miniseries, Deathstroke was enlisted as a bodyguard for Doctor Light, 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, Flash, Zatanna, Hawkman, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Atom and Green Lantern. 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. But before the outcome of this conflict with Green Lantern 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 Luthor'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 did not 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).[8]
He was the employer of Nightwing, whom he hired to train his daughter Rose. However, after the two have a confrontation with
Nightwing 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 Kryptonians (as revealed by Luthor's old possession of a kryptonite ring that had 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. Nightwing 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 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. 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 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.[13]
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
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
Recently, Deathstroke took credit for somehow twisting (through unknown means) the powers of
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.[19]
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 Lanterns. Deathstroke and Rose are forced to work together and fight for their lives against the Black Lanterns.[20]
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 that 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.[21]
Batman and Robin
Recently, Deathstroke has been seen working with Talia al Ghul, controlling the body and physical actions of the current Robin to kill the recent Batman. Deathstroke is able to control Robin's actions, thanks to a neural-implant inserted into Robin's spine by his mother while it was being surgically replaced. Batman defeats Deathstroke by taking advantage of the two-way connection between him and Robin by using a taser on Robin, the resulting electric shock overwhelming Deathstroke's enhanced senses. He then tracks Slade down and attacks him in his hospital bed for controlling Robin and for the Chemo attack, informing Slade that what happened then is just a 'trailer' for what he will do later.[22]
Titans: Villains for Hire
Following the encounter with the Black Lanterns, Deathstroke recruits a team of supervillains consisting of
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 to draw out a traitor on Luthor's security staff, who is revealed to be a shape-shifting assassin named Facade.
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.[27] Slade is then imprisoned along with Arsenal and begins to tell him about his past with Drago.[28] 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.[29] 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 and attack. Slade drugs Drago so that he cannot focus his telepathic powers. When Drago is defeated, Slade allows him to live and the Titans then leave his island. While returning to the labyrinth, Slade and the Titans are approached by the Atom and the Justice League, who attempt to arrest them for the murder of Ryan Choi.[30]
During the battle of Slade's Titans against the Justice League in
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 joined 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.[32] 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 escapes and the Methuselah Device is destroyed by Cinder. Afterwards, Slade berates himself and becomes Deathstroke once more.[33]
The New 52
In 2011, "
Slade takes a contract from Harvest, to bring the
Origins
Deathstroke's altered origin is introduced in Deathstroke (vol. 2) #0. The fact that he participated in the military at 16 and met Adeline has not changed. Already a legend in the army, Slade was drafted into Team 7 and went on many missions. In one mission, Slade was gravely injured and had to undergo an operation that enhanced his abilities, making him virtually a superhuman. After this, he married Adeline and had two sons, Grant and Joseph. Around this time, Slade received intel that his best friend, Wintergreen, was caught in Somalia. He donned a mask and flew to Somalia to rescue Wintergreen, slaughtering all the captors. Deathstroke the Terminator was born. As his fame grew, his enemies did too. An attack targeting his house seemingly killed Joseph and Adeline. With evidence that the attack was from North Korea, Slade killed a group of North Korean soldiers, but lost his right eye in the process. It is later shown that Joseph and Adeline are still alive.
This origin was again changed in Teen Titans: Deathstroke #1. After a mission that involved destroying a children's hospital which Slade was unaware of, he quit the army. After Team 7's termination, Slade started to operate under the Deathstroke identity. He took Grant on his mission, considering him as not only his son, but as a business partner, and the only person he could trust. But during a mission in North Korea, their refuge was infiltrated and North Korean soldiers barged in, firing into the house. Grant was shot, and as Slade looked back at his son, a bullet penetrated his right eye, blinding it. Enraged, Slade went on a massacre and slew the soldiers. However, Grant was presumed dead. Now, Slade works for the sake of his daughter Rose, as he knows the only thing that will keep Rose safe after he is gone is money. It is unclear if Rose's mother is Adeline or not.
Team 7
Five years before taking the contract from Harvest, before taking the name Deathstroke, Slade once operated with Team 7. With metahuman threats rising, The Majestic Project, a plan to control future metahuman threats, was devised by John Lynch. And to secure the project, Team 7 was created and Slade was recruited. The first mission was retrieving the
Team 7's last mission was to salvage Pandora's Box. The Team, with new pilot Steve Trevor is sent to Gamorra. The Kaizen, who possessed Pandora's Box, prepared to unleash its power. When they reach the Kaizen's palace, the child precogs show the Team a future where Kaizen Gamorra has opened the Box and the whole world is going off the rails. Hearing the precogs say the Kaizen had to be stopped to prevent this fate, Majestic flies up into space, and impacts the coast of Gamorra with the force of a comet, creating a massive tidal wave, annihilating five million residents. But the Kaizen's palace stood however, and the team couldn't defeat him, until Majestic burst in. The Kaizen explains that Majestic is the key to opening the box, which also explains why he targeted Bronson in the first place. Majestic kills the Kaizen with a single blow. But he subdues to the Box's power, and starts attacking the team. Dinah lets out a canary cry that destroys the entire palace. In the chaos, Lynch is possessed by the box, but Amanda Waller knocks the box from his hands and tells Dinah to take the box away as far as possible. Lynch tries to take down the helicopter containing Dinah and the remaining team agents, but Waller shoots him from behind, seemingly killing Lynch and leading to Team 7's dissolution.
Forever Evil
During the "
DC Rebirth
This article needs to be updated.(August 2017) |
"DC Rebirth" is a comic book publishing initiative launched by DC Comics in May 2016. It was designed to be a relaunch of the entire DC Comics line, following the conclusion of the "New 52" era that began in 2011. DC Rebirth aimed to bring back many of the classic elements and characters that had been missing or altered during the New 52 era, while also introducing new storylines and characters. The initiative featured a mix of ongoing series and limited series, with some series continuing from the New 52 era and others starting fresh with new creative teams.
Deathstroke, along with
Deathstroke was later imprisoned in
Powers and abilities
Slade Wilson was given an experimental super-soldier serum that increased his physical and mental abilities to superhuman levels, granting him enhanced strength, speed, stamina, agility, durability, reflexes, and senses. Deathstroke also possesses a healing factor that allows him to recover from injuries at an accelerated rate, although he cannot regrow entire limbs or organs, such as his damaged eye. These regenerative abilities have given him a slowed aging process and extended longevity, in addition to a resistance to toxins.[7][5][6][46] While Deathstroke was originally stated to be able to use up to 90% of his brain's capacity, it was later clarified that his brain processes information nine times more efficiently than an ordinary human's.[5][6][7] Deathstroke also has an eidetic memory and has been described as a tactical genius with a strategic mind rivaling that of Batman.[47][48]
Even prior to acquiring his powers, Deathstroke mastered numerous hand-to-hand combat and martial art forms as well as swordsmanship and marksmanship as part of his elite training in the military. His arsenal of weapons include various swords, firearms, knives, and a ballistic staff capable of firing bolts of energy from each end.
Reception
Accolades
- In 2006, Wizard magazine ranked Deathstroke 24th in their "Top 100 Greatest Villains Ever" list.[49]
- In 2013, Complex ranked Deathstroke 14th in their "25 Greatest Comic Book Villains of All Time" list.[50]
- In 2014, IGN ranked Deathstroke 32nd in their "Top 100 Comic Book Vilains" list.[51]
Other versions
Just Imagine...
In
Earth One
In Teen Titans: Earth One continuity, an unscarred Slade is a member of S.T.A.R. Labs, which in this version are the main antagonistic force behind the creation of the Titans. His son Joseph and him as lead enforcers who engage the Titans.[53]
Deathstroke: Journey's End
The Deathstroke Annual for 1994 was an Elseworlds story featuring Deathstroke in a post-apocalyptic world. Deathstroke fights a legion of mutants and desperately tries to help humanity rise from the ashes of its ruined civilization.[54]
The Uncanny X-Men/The New Teen Titans
In the
Amalgam Comics
In
In another comic, there is a Deathstroke amalgam called "X-Stroke the Eliminator", who is a merging of Deathstroke and
Tangent Comics
In
Mash-Up
In the
Flashpoint
In the
Superman: American Alien
Deathstroke appears in Superman: American Alien, where he was sent by Carmine Falcone to assassinate a young Bruce Wayne who is supposedly on a yacht party. However, like everyone else on the boat, he mistakes a young Clark Kent for Bruce and is surprised when the neurotoxin he put in Clark's drink just makes him dizzy instead of killing him. He tries cutting him up with his sword, but is further befuddled when the sword breaks over Clark's durable skin, and Clark simply flicks him off of the yacht to defeat him.[62]
Collected editions
Part of the eponymous series has Vol. 1: Assassins (Deathstroke, the Terminator #1–9, New Titans #70 978-1401254285)
- Deathstroke, The Terminator Vol. 2: Sympathy For The Devil (Deathstroke, the Terminator #10–13, Annual #1, Superman Vol. 2 #68 978-1401258429)
- Deathstroke, The Terminator Vol. 3: Nuclear Winter (Deathstroke, the Terminator #14–20, Showcase '93 #6–11 978-1401260767)
- Deathstroke, The Terminator Vol. 4: Crash or Burn (Deathstroke, the Terminator #21–25, Annual #2 978-1401270834)
- Deathstroke, The Terminator Vol. 5: World Tour
(Deathstroke, the Terminator #26-34 978-1401285753)
The New 52
- Deathstroke Vol. 1: Legacy (collects Deathstroke Vol. 2 #1–8, 978-1-401234-81-2)
- Deathstroke Vol. 2: Lobo Hunt (Deathstroke Vol. 2 #0, #9–20)
- Deathstroke Vol. 1: Gods of War (Deathstroke Vol. 3 #1–6 978-1401254711)
- Deathstroke Vol. 2: God Killer (Deathstroke Vol. 3 #7–10, Annual #1, Sneak Preview from Convergence: Batman: Shadow of the Bat #2 978-1401261207)
- Deathstroke Vol. 3: Suicide Run (Deathstroke Vol. 3 #11–16 978-1401264550)
- Deathstroke Vol. 4: Family Business (Deathstroke Vol. 3 #17–20, Annual #2 978-1401267940)
DC Rebirth
- Deathstroke Vol. 1: The Professional (Deathstroke: Rebirth #1, Deathstroke Vol. 4 #1–5)
- Deathstroke Vol. 2: The Gospel of Slade (Deathstroke Vol. 4 #6–11)
- Deathstroke Vol. 3: Twilight (Deathstroke Vol. 4 #12–18)
- Deathstroke vol. 4: Defiance (Deathstroke Vol. 4 #21–25)
- Deathstroke Vol. 5: The Fall of Slade (Deathstroke Vol. 4 #26–29 and Annual #1)
- Batman vs. Deathstroke (Deathstroke Vol. 4 #30–35)
- Deathstroke' vol. 6: Arkham (Deathstroke Vol. 4 #36-40)
- Teen Titans/Deathstroke: The Terminus Agenda (Deathstroke Vol. 4 #41–43, Teen Titans Vol. 6 #28-30)
- Deathstroke: R.I.P. (Deathstroke Vol. 4 #44–50)
Infinite Frontier
- Deathstroke Inc. Vol. 1: King of the Supervillains (Deathstroke Inc. #1-7 and a story from Batman: Urban Legends #6)
- Batman: Shadow War (Shadow War: Alpha #1, Batman #122-123, Deathstroke Inc. #8-9, Robin #13-14, Shadow War Zone #1, and Shadow War: Omega #1)
In other media
Television
Live-action
- An original incarnation of Deathstroke named Earl Gregg appears in the Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman episode "Bob and Carol and Lois and Clark", portrayed by Antonio Sabàto Jr. Under the alias of Bob Stanford, this version is an assassin with unstable magnetic powers.
- Slade Wilson appears in the tenth season of Smallville, portrayed by Michael Hogan. This version is a corrupt U.S. Army general responsible for the Vigilante Registration Act. He loses his right eye and acquires a healing factor that puts him "beyond death's stroke" after being saved by Darkseid, but is imprisoned in the Phantom Zone by Clark Kent.
- Various characters adopt the Deathstroke persona in Arrow.
- Edward Fyers' mercenaries, after which Slade stabs him in the right eye and kills him.
- A.R.G.U.S.prison on Lian Yu, Slade makes minor appearances in subsequent seasons.
- Grant Wilson (portrayed by Jamie Andrew Cutler), Slade's youngest son, continues his father's legacy by forming the Deathstroke Gang. A possible future version of Grant from the year 2046 also appears in the spin-off series Legends of Tomorrow.
- Joe Wilson (portrayed by Liam Hall), Slade's eldest son, dons his father's armor during the "Elseworlds" event.
- John Diggle Jr. (portrayed by Charlie Barnett) becomes the new leader of the Deathstroke Gang in the year 2040.[63][64]
- fourth season.
Animation
- Deathstroke, referred to simply as Slade, appears in Teen Titans, voiced by Ron Perlman. This version is an enigmatic criminal mastermind who seeks to eliminate the Teen Titans, take over Jump City, and turn Robin and later Terra into his apprentice, though Terra sacrifices herself to kill Slade and save the Titans. Slade is later resurrected as an undead, pyrokinetic being by Trigon to aid in his conquest of earth. After being betrayed, Slade temporarily joins forces with the Titans to defeat Trigon and regain his mortality.
- Deathstroke appears in the Robot Chicken DC Comics Special as a member of the Legion of Doom.
- Deathstroke appears in Young Justice, voiced by Wentworth Miller in the episode "The Fix" and by Fred Tatasciore in subsequent appearances.[68] Introduced in the second season, this version initially serves as an enforcer for the Light, before replacing Ra's al Ghul as one of its council members and the leader of the League of Shadows in the third season.
- Deathstroke appears in CIA agent who was terminated by his mentor Alfred Pennyworth. Deathstroke poses as "Dane Lisslow" to seek revenge against Pennyworth and his new protégé Batman, but loses his right eye during their final battle.
- Deathstroke, referred to simply as Slade, makes cameo appearances in Teen Titans Go!, voiced by Khary Payton in the episode "The Cape".
- Deathstroke appears in the DC Super Hero Girls episode "#DinnerForFive", voiced by D. C. Douglas.[69]
- Deathstroke appears in Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons, voiced by Michael Chiklis.[70][71][72] The series was later released direct-to-video as Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons: The Movie.
- Slade Wilson appears in Task Force X who loses his right eye to Livewire.
Film
Live-action
Slade Wilson / Deathstroke appears in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), portrayed by Joe Manganiello. In the post-credits scene of Justice League (2017), Lex Luthor recruits him to form their own team in response to the Justice League's formation.[74] In the director's cut of the film, Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021), Deathstroke learns of Batman's secret identity from Luthor, and a possible future version of the character also appears in an apocalyptic dream.[75] Manganiello was originally slated to reprise the role in The Batman and a Deathstroke origin film, but these projects were removed from the DCEU's continuity and canceled, respectively.[76][77][78][79]
Animation
- A parallel universe version of Slade Wilson appears in Crime Syndicate.
- Deathstroke appears in Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League vs. Bizarro League (2015), voiced by John DiMaggio.[80]
- Deathstroke appears in Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League - Attack of the Legion of Doom(2015).
- Deathstroke appears in Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: Justice League: Gotham City Breakout(2016), voiced again by John DiMaggio.
- Deathstroke appears in Lego DC Comics Super Heroes: The Flash (2018).
- A Feudal Japan-inspired incarnation of Deathstroke appears in Batman Ninja (2018),[81] voiced by Junichi Suwabe in the Japanese version and again by Fred Tatasciore in the English dub.[82][83]
- Deathstroke, referred to simply as Slade, appears in Teen Titans Go! To the Movies (2018), voiced by Will Arnett.[84] He also masquerades as filmmaker "Jade Wilson" (voiced by Kristen Bell).
DC Animated Movie Universe
- Deathstroke appears in Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox (2013), voiced again by Ron Perlman.[85] In the altered "Flashpoint" reality, he is the captain of a ship called the Ravager. Deathstroke and Lex Luthor attempt to locate Aquaman's doomsday device, but are ambushed and killed by Atlantean forces.
- Deathstroke appears in Son of Batman (2014), voiced by Thomas Gibson.[86] This version is a former member of the League of Assassins who stages a coup d'état to kill Ra's al Ghul, though his right eye is gouged out by Robin. Deathstroke's plan to genetically transform the League's members into an army of Man-Bat ninja warriors is foiled by Batman and Robin.
- Deathstroke returns in Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017), voiced by Miguel Ferrer.[87] After rejuvenating himself in a Lazarus Pit, he is hired by Brother Blood to capture the Teen Titans and manipulates his juvenile lover Terra into joining their ranks as a double-agent. Deathstroke fights Nightwing and Robin until an enraged Terra traps him in Blood's collapsing underground lair.
- Deathstroke makes a cameo appearance in a flashback in Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018).
Video games
- Deathstroke, referred to simply as Slade, appears as both the final boss and a playable character in Teen Titans (2006), voiced again by Ron Perlman.
- Deathstroke appears as a playable character in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe (2008),[88] voiced by Patrick Seitz and motion-captured by Chris Matthews.
- Deathstroke appears in DC Universe Online (2011), voiced by Tracy W. Bush.
- Deathstroke appears as a playable character in Injustice: Gods Among Us (2013), voiced by J. G. Hertzler.[89] An alternate universe version of Deathstroke is also featured as a member of the Insurgency.
- Deathstroke appears in Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure (2013).[citation needed]
- Deathstroke appears as a playable outfit in Fortnite Battle Royale (2017).[90]
Batman: Arkham
- Deathstroke appears as a boss in Batman: Arkham City Lockdown (2011), voiced by Larry Grimm.
- Deathstroke appears as a boss in Blackgate Penitentiary, Deathstroke is approached by Amanda Waller to join Task Force X in a post-credits scene. He is also a playable character through downloadable content.
- Deathstroke returns in Gotham City Police Department's custody.
Lego
- Deathstroke appears as a playable character in the Nintendo 3DS version of Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes (2012).
- Deathstroke appears as a playable character in Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham (2014), voiced by Liam O'Brien.[92]
- Deathstroke appears as a playable character in Lego DC Super-Villains (2018), voiced again by Mark Rolston.[93][94]
Miscellaneous
- Deathstroke, referred to simply as Slade, appears in Teen Titans Go! #16 (2004).
- The Injustice incarnation of Deathstroke appears in the Injustice: Gods Among Us prequel comic.
- A DC Animated Universe (DCAU)-inspired incarnation of Deathstroke appears in Batman: The Adventures Continue.
References
- ISBN 978-1-4654-5357-0.
- ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9.
Slade Wilson began his impressive sixty-issue run with the help of writer Marv Wolfman and artist Steve Erwin.
- ^ Renaud, Jeffrey (November 12, 2008). "David Hine on Deathstroke's Return". Comic Book Resources.
- Priest, Christopher (November 10, 2016). "Exclusive Interview – Christopher Priest Talks Superman vs. Deathstroke"(interview). Superman Homepage. Retrieved March 11, 2018.
- ^ OCLC 1089398386.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ OCLC 1253363543.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - ^ a b c d "ChristopherPriest.Com: Deathstroke". lamerciepark.com. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
- ^ OCLC 213309017.
- ISBN 9780345501066.
- ISBN 978-1-893905-25-2.
- ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.
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- ^ LEGO DC Super-Villains [@LEGODCGame] (September 29, 2014). "Deathstroke. Music Meister. Kalibak. CONFIRMED. #LEGOBatmanGame" (Tweet). Retrieved July 3, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ McWhertor, Michael (May 30, 2018). "New Lego game lets you team up with Joker, Harley Quinn and other DC bad guys". Polygon. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
- ^ LEGO DC Super-Villains [@LEGODCGame] (September 21, 2018). "Deathstroke underwent experiments that turned him into a super-soldier, a skilled martial artist and an expert marksman. ☠️ #LEGODCGame" (Tweet). Retrieved July 3, 2021 – via Twitter.
External links
- Deathstroke at DC Comics' official website
- Deathstroke at the DC Database Project
- Deathstroke at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)