Deathstroke
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Real Identity: Slade Wilson
Appearances (BTAC Comics): Mentors Part 1, Mentors Part 2, and Red Son Rising Part 3
Skills: Above Average Physical and Mental Attributes, Agility, Swordsmanship, Planning, and Marksmanship
Slade Wilson is a masked one eyed mercenary that goes by the code name of Deathstroke. Interpol never gathered much intelligence on him but their reports denoted he was impressive and intimidating, and maybe one of the deadliest men to ever carry a weapon. At some point, Deathstroke took on a young woman named Sunny as a partner. Deathstroke was hired by Lex Luthor to kill Batman for embarrassing him at a Wayne Tech robbery. Knowing he couldn't approach this as a basic contract, Deathstroke and Sunny came up with an elaborate cover story that he was hired by an intelligence agency to kill Firefly before he set off a 9/11 level event in Gotham City on Kobra's behalf. Sunny devised a plan to create a situation where he could organically introduce himself to Batman and his allies without drawing any suspicions. She pretended to be a nameless drug dealer offering a cure to Clayface for his condition. Clayface, still desperate for a cure, fell for it and the "antidote" only increased his paranoia and savagery.
Sunny anticipated Batman and his allies would no doubt intervene. She was correct. Deathstroke leaped down and sliced Clayface's head in half with a sword coated with a fast-acting sedative. Deathstroke promised Clayface would wake up in six hours with nothing more than a bad headache. He helped Robin up to his feet. Batgirl thanked him. Batman arrived with the other half of Clayface frozen and over his shoulder. He already deduced he was Deathstroke based on a code name associated with a mercenary matching his description. Deathstroke quipped he would be the first to advocate using a fear-inducing title then stated tonight, they could call him "friend" then bid them farewell. Sunny stole a Farmer Brown van and timed it to drive by as Deathstroke was saying his goodbyes to Batman. Deathstroke flipped towards the van. Robin commented "awesome." Batman and Batgirl stared at him.
After a battle in Midtown, Batgirl found Deathstroke sitting on her Batcyle with his legs up on the handlebars. She told him to take his feet off. He commented it took a unique fighter to bring down a thrill-crazed maniac at two hundred miles per hour. Batgirl corrected him it was two hundred and fifty. She joked she didn't sign autographs. Sensing a lack of trust, Deathstroke took off his mask and revealed his face to her. Batgirl commented the mask was only part of the mystery then asked him who he was. Deathstroke replied he was a man on a mission but it was "very hush-hush." Batgirl quipped half the inmates in Arkham Asylum said that. She was ready to leave. Deathstroke commended her and Robin, a testament to Batman's training, and without them the city would have rotted a long time ago. Batgirl sensed she was listening to a sales pitch. Deathstroke insisted he just meant there was a bigger theater for a woman of her talents and she could go far under his supervision. Batgirl stated she was doing just fine.
Deathstroke questioned that and asked her if she was aware someone was watching her. Red Hood was surprised and bolted from his rooftop position. That morning, Barbara Gordon briefed Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake, and Alfred Pennyworth about the encounter. Wayne commented men of Deathstroke's ilk were only visible only when they needed to be. Pennyworth added and only solicitous when they wanted something. Gordon stated she definitely felt like he was after someone. Wayne advised them to keep their distance from Deathstroke until he learned more. Deathstroke returned to his warehouse hideout and started sparring with practice dummies using his gun and sword. Sunny inquired what Batgirl was like. Deathstroke thought she was headstrong, opinionated, and smart very much like her. Sunny shot a practice dummy then countered she thought not that much. She admitted she couldn't really get a sense of her from the window of a speeding van. Deathstroke promised they would meet soon enough then complimented her Clayface idea.
Deathstroke then brought up the mystery man spying on Batman and his team. Sunny asked if he had any clues. Deathstroke had none but was more than willing to kill him, too, if he got too close. He stabbed a Batman dummy in the chest with his sword. That night, they continued with their next step. Sunny posed as Firefly. Deathstroke went to the Gotham Natural History Museum's Entomology Pavilion pretending to search of Firefly. Deathstroke rappelled down from the skylight but Robin was already waiting for him, as he anticipated, atop a giant mantis statue and surprised him with a wise crack. Deathstroke congratulated him on getting the drop on him but recommended leading with a weapon next time he came upon an enemy. Robin inquired if they were now enemies. Deathstroke reaffirmed they were allies and under his protection for the night since he decided to insert himself into his affairs. Deathstroke asked him if he knew about Firefly. Robin recalled what Batman told him.
Deathstroke implemented the cover story and informed him about a failed job Firefly took in Zurich. A vault exploded. Firefly escaped but was left scarred on his face. He became deadlier and crazier than ever, rebuilding his suit to be stronger than before. Robin admitted to Deathstroke he didn't inform Batman where he was. Deathstroke stated he wasn't waiting around. Robin claimed he wasn't and could do back up. Deathstroke quipped he wouldn't have it any other way then told him about Firefly's M.O. of collecting insects and clued him in on a low, rising humming. "Firefly" unleashed a swarm of Asian Giant Hornets on them. Robin and Deathstroke retreated to a giant ant figure hanging from the ceiling. Robin formulated his own plan and told Deathstroke to follow his lead. Robin jumped down, removed his cape, swept several up in it, and immobilized them with a fire extinguisher. Deathstroke thought it wasn't bad but suggested a permanent solution to the giant hornets.
Firefly opened fire on them. Firefly speculated Interpol was so afraid of him they hired Deathstroke to snuff him out. Robin threw a Batarang but it bounced off his helmet. Firefly wasn't keen on "take your kids to work" day but Deathstroke leaped and knocked the fire gun away with his sword. Robin thought he was finished without it. Deathstroke warned there was more to it. Firefly asked him to let the kid learn for himself. Firefly's mask revealed a mouth and he unleashed a wave of flames. Firefly unleashed attack after attack. Deathstroke and Robin dodged and jumped away. While Firefly focused on Robin, Deathstroke leaped from the top of a dinosaur and connected with a diving kick. He warned Firefly it was a reminder he was still around. Firefly landed on the back of a Triceratops then quipped he was clearing the field first. Robin was surrounded by flames and started having issues breathing. Deathstroke carried him in his arms and leaped to safety.
Robin wondered why the sprinklers never activated. Deathstroke deduced Firefly disabled them and decided to confront him alone. Firefly realized Deathstroke was wearing a kevlar suit and raised the intensity of the flames. Deathstroke claimed to have a Hephaestus sword to withstand the attacks. The sprinklers suddenly turned on. Batman swung in and kicked Firefly from behind. Deathstroke observed and realized the steam created from the water would inhibit Firefly's vision and combined with Batman using infrared filters on his cowl, he had the upper hand. Batman decked Firefly enough to break the right eye glass. Firefly vowed Batman would burn next time then blew open an exit. Robin, Batman, and Deathstroke ran out into the street but Firefly was gone. Robin wanted to continue but Batman ordered him to go home immediately. Deathstroke mused he should have stopped Robin from joining him. He removed his mask then told Batman Robin and Batgirl were trained well. Batman noted Deathstroke took a lot of interest in his proteges and didn't like it. Deathstroke retorted they were more approachable.
Batman asked him why he was in Gotham. Deathstroke stuck to his story that he was after Firefly but danced around who his client was, listing off agencies like the FBI, NSA, and MI:6. He even added Firefly's life was saved by Kobra because they wanted him to create a 9/11 level event in Gotham. Batman stated he did not condone assassinations and wanted him to let him know once Firefly was located. Deathstroke agreed to keep him informed but realized Batman was already gone. Jason Todd observed from a nearby roof then tailed Deathstroke to his hideout and listened in. Clad in a blue business suit, Slade Wilson saw Sunny's black eye from the museum fight and recalled Johnny Mathis' "When Sunny gets Blue" but she didn't find him funny. She wasn't fond of facing Batman so soon. Wilson stated it was bound to happen and told her to think of it as practice. Lex Luthor made contact and cut to the chase. Luthor was not satisfied with the "production" Deathstroke was putting on and simply wanted him to kill Batman.
Deathstroke insisted nothing was simple about Batman and preparation was crucial. Luthor didn't care for any explanations and wanted the assassination completed. Deathstroke stressed patience and promised he would be dead in the next 24 hours. Lex Luthor told Deathstroke he was holding him to that promise and warned him not to disappoint then signed off. Sunny was livid and couldn't believe he chose 24 hours. Deathstroke pointed out the less time Batman had to think, the better it would turn out for them. He went to the Gotham City Police Department to use the Batsignal to make contact. The police swarmed him but he used knockout gas to render them unconscious. Batman went alone to the roof of the Gotham City Police Department and found all of the police present and Commissioner Gordon lying motionless. He checked Gordon's pulse. Deathstroke insisted they would be fine. He noticed Batman didn't bring anyone with him and noted it would be less complicated. Batman asked where Lynns was. Deathstroke affixed a grapple hook and rappelled down to his motorcycle. He teased Batman he would have to follow him to find out and reiterated Firefly was his, dead or alive.
Deathstroke and Batman arrived at the Tri-State Dam and found an explosive charge. Deathstroke fed him the cover story that Firefly planned to take down the entire eastern seaboard. He readied his sai to disable the bomb while Batman went inside. Batman was already skeptical they were facing the real Firefly because he already noticed his movies were different and erratic, his voice lacked Lynns' moody, psychotic edge and he was wearing three inch lifts in his boots when he should be taller than him. Firefly appeared and fired at Batman. Batman jumped off the walkway, turned, and threw a freeze capsule at him. Firefly plummeted and knocked out on the floor. Batman removed the mask and confirmed his suspicions. He has no idea who Sunny was but estimated she couldn't be over 20. Deathstroke converged on him with his Hephaestus Sword activated. Batman dodged his stroke and observed energy discharged from it cracked the floor. Batman tried to swing back up onto the walkway but Deathstroke sliced and the energy cut him across his back and severed his cape. Deathstroke then cut a column and collapsed the walkway.
Deathstroke revealed he wasn't just trying to kill him, he was conspiring to take over Batman's operation. He noted Robin liked him but Batgirl was hesitant. He spilled the rest of his plan: to burn Batman's body to a crisp, frame Firefly for it, then motivated by his failure to save Batman – he would hunt down Firefly and kill him as he recovered with Kobra, and Batman's proteges would be so grateful then they would be under his wing in no time. Batgirl and Robin heard everything and threw out rope around Deathstroke's arms then yanked him backwards. Robin remarked he thought Joker was a motor mouth. Deathstroke sliced the ropes and lamented the development but proceeded to kill them, too. Batman reached for the packs on the Firefly costume and threw a jar at Deathstroke. He sliced it and accelerant spilled all over him. He lit on fire. Deathstroke pointed out his suit was kevlar and he was only succeeded in making him look more menacing.
Batman pointed out his suit would also heat up and guessed it was already 10 degrees higher. Deathstroke swung into a vat and triggered an explosion. He tried to escape and strip off his suit but Batman threw a fire extinguisher at his head and knocked him out. He then sprayed the extinguisher on him to put out the flames. For the record, Robin stated he never thought Deathstroke was great. Slade Wilson managed to create early parole for himself and Sunny. He figured out Red Hood was the person shadowing him and started following him in turn. They happened to be out of a freighter when Red Hood was ejected into harbor following the collapse of the lair he was using. Once Jason Todd regained consciousness, Wilson explained what happened. Sunny remarked it looked like he had a rough history with Batman. Wilson told her that was for later and Todd needed rest. Before they left, Wilson told Todd he was a young man of great potential and he didn't need to look any further if he was searching for a safe home. He remarked a new family appeared when a person needed one most.