Deathstroke
Back to Villains Main > Deathstroke
Real Identity: Slade Wilson
Affiliations: League of Assassins
Appearances: Son of Batman and Teen Titans: The Judas Contract
Powers/Skills: Armed Combat, Unarmed Combat, Planning, and Above Average Physical Attributes
Voiced By: Thomas Gibson and Miguel Ferrer
Slade Wilson was found by Ra's Al Ghul and believed to be worthy of succeeding him. Ra's trained him and he was even to take Ra's' daughter Talia as his bride eventually. Wilson took the codename Deathstroke and even considered the League of Assassins his family. Once Ra's discovered Batman's existence, Deathstroke was no longer in contention to succeed him. He was forced out of the League. Deathstroke felt betrayed, plotted revenge, and amassed his own forces. To him, he rose from nothing while Damian Wayne was handed everything and cost him his rightful place. He took Ubu as his right hand man. Deathstroke secretly reactivated a defunct oil rig off the coast of the Outer Hebrides to mine a Lazarus Pit under the ocean floor. He planned to sell 'life everlasting' to the highest bidder. A few weeks later, Deathstroke led a helicopter strike on the League of Assassins' Tibetan stronghold and assassinated the two main leaders, Ra's Al Ghul and Domo, in a bid to take over the organization. Deathstroke battled Ra's one on one with swords until Ra's went into position. Deathstroke fled the floor and five missiles were fired on the temple. Before he could personally execute Ra's, Deathstroke was attacked by Damian. Damian collapsed a structure on Deathstroke and as he stood up, Damian stabbed in him the right eye. Ubu extracted Deathstroke and his forces left.
Deathstroke and his forces surfaced in Gotham City. He assimilated Dr. Langstrom and his Man-Bat Serum into his plans and took his wife and daughter as his hostages. Dr. Langstrom was taken to the Gotham Coliseum to finish his serum while Deathstroke took Francince and Rebecca with him to Interlaken, where he had taken over one of Ra's' compounds. After Batman and Robin freed Dr. Langstrom, Deathstroke realized Damian was Batman and Talia's son. After Talia boasted they would find Deathstroke first, Deathstroke improvised. He promised to spare Francine and Rebecca Langstrom's lives if Rebecca secretly gave a recorded message to Robin. Deathstroke left them in a cell behind a false wall and left Interlaken with Talia. In the message, Deathstroke gave Robin coordinates to the oil rig, instructed him to come alone, and declared he would kill Talia in 48 hours. As he predicted, Deathstroke managed to lure Robin straight into his trap. When Deathstroke tried to shoot Robin, Talia took the bullet. Batman heard Deathstroke's gun shots and found the undersea cavern.
Batman easily defeated Deathstroke one on one but Batman tended to Talia. Deathstroke ran off and returned to the oil rig. Robin gave chase and with the intent to end him. Despite stabbing or breaking Damian in both arms, Deathstroke still lost in combat. Robin baited Deathstroke into running into one of the rigs live pipes and was scalded. Deathstroke beckoned Robin to kill him. Both were trained to do so. However, Robin spared his life. As the oil rig collapsed, Deathstroke's body was lost to the ocean. He was recovered and placed in a Lazarus Pit just in time. He began to frequently bath in it. Deathstroke was contracted by Brother Blood. He eventually wanted Deathstroke to capture all of the Teen Titans for him. Deathstroke heard of a girl named Terra Markov who manifested earth manipulating powers. He went to Markovia and intervened on an attempted public execution.
Deathstroke sliced the head off a man holding a gun to Terra's head. Deathstroke addressed the mob and invited them to leave or die. The mob chose the former. Deathstroke took off his mask and told Terra he heard she was a special girl then introduced himself. He kept Terra isolated and dependent, told her everyone was the enemy, trained her ruthlessly, and promised her exactly what she wanted. Deathstroke lied and said they would be together in every way after his contract with Blood was concluded then they could form a new League of Assassins with his money. Deathstroke planted Terra in the Teen Titans as a double agent. Through her, he gathered intelligence on them over a year. He observed them through camera lens worn by Terra as contacts and kept in touch with her through comms.
On the night of a full moon, a H.I.V.E. base atop a steep, isolated desert hill was busy with activity. Soldiers and those using exosuits loaded several transport vehicles with equipment related to a scientist's project. Mother Mayhem received a call on an encrypted channel from Deathstroke. He warned the Teen Titans would arrive in less than a minute. She checked the monitors and saw no sign of them. Deathstroke didn't care if she believed him or not then signed off. Sure enough, the Titans raided the base. The next night, Blood and Deathstroke met at a cemetery. Deathstroke asked him to stop talking to the dead. Blood contended it was a place of renewal to him. Deathstroke stated he got concerned when a client talked to himself. Blood explained he believed there was always a tiny wisp of life in a corpse, sometimes enough to bring them back to life, then alluded to Deathstroke's own revival. Deathstroke got to the point and asked what he wanted.
Blood requested he move the time table up a week. Deathstroke protested that was not part of the deal. Blood offered to double his price and reiterated he wanted all of the Titans. The next night, Terra was feeling the pressure of being a double agent and sneaked off into the city to see Deathstroke. Robin already had his suspicions about her and tracked her down. Terra, however, sensed Robin's vibrations and confronted him on a rooftop. Robin proposed the notion of the Titans helping her if she needed to talk. Deathstroke stepped out above them and mocked him for being so considerate. Robin drew his sword and rolled to avoid his stomp. He deduced Deathstroke was saved with a Lazarus Pit. They fought but Deathstroke teased he lost his edge living with the Titans. He hit Robin in the gut with a knee, hit him repeatedly then headbutted him. Robin arm barred him but was hit with a boulder sent by Terra. Robin realized she was a traitor but Terra insinuated she was never on his side in the first place then enveloped him in quicksand.
Back at base, Deathstroke scolded Terra for running at the first sign of trouble. She claimed she was losing it and had to see him. Deathstroke was content with taking out Robin and getting him out of the way first. Deathstroke removed Terra's damaged camera lens from her right eye and put in a replacement. Deathstroke reminded her the contract was everything and total concentration was needed for it. Terra didn't want to go back to the Titans Tower and cited their caring messed with her head. Deathstroke insisted it would take a little longer then they would be together. She smiled and hugged him. The next day, Terra was troubled by Raven's message of an assembly in the common room when nothing was on the schedule. Over comms, Deathstroke disagreed they knew the truth or they would have all come to her room. Terra speculated it was a move to make her drop her guard. Deathstroke instructed her to calm down. Terra discovered she was being thrown a party for the one year anniversary of her joining the team.
Deathstroke entered the room where Robin was being held and informed him Beast Boy was sending him pictures from Terra's party. Robin invited him to go since playing with teenagers was his speed. Deathstroke resisted the bait at first then back handed him. Robin spit blood, grinned, and requested his release so he could defend himself properly. Deathstroke was annoyed at the prospect. Robin insulted him again. Deathstroke gut punched him and called him an entitled brat. He vowed to take Robin's new family for taking his old one. Deathstroke replied to Beast Boy's text with "I am well and will see you soon." Deathstroke erased it and texted "Undercover. Don't bother me" instead since he thought Robin would be more of a dick. He found it a shame he didn't have more time and boasted inside a month he would have had Robin bringing him his pipe and calling him "papa." Terra got Deathstroke's attention as the Titans went over intelligence about a H.I.V.E. scientist. At the end of their raid, Deathstroke took remote control of a H.I.V.E drone and fatally shot the scientist before he could be questioned.
Terra became conflicted with her mission and confided in Beast Boy about her parents treating her like she was possessed after her powers manifested. They kissed twice. Deathstroke commended her on the nice play and admitted he almost believed it then informed her they were making their move the next day. Around lunch time, Deathstroke electrocuted Jaime Reyes in the kitchen of Gabrielle's Horn after he rigged a chair. He gathered Beast Boy after he darted himself at Metro-Con by pressing a big red button marked with a don't push sign. He grabbed Starfire after she opened a fake present and set off a surge. Dick Grayson discovered Blue Beetle and Beast Boy were missing. He returned to his and Starfire's apartment only to find her missing, too. Deathstroke suddenly swung in from outside and crashed through the glass then kicked Grayson. He threw daggers then punches while he promised to take Grayson to the other Titans. He drew a sword while Grayson grabbed a pair of sai from the wall.
Grayson was tossed over the counter. Deathstroke critiqued his Aikido and spacing then drew his other sword. Grayson grabbed two pans and attacked. Deathstroke slammed him on the coffee table and opened fire with his Energy Lance. Grayson jumped outside and fired a grapnel line but Deathstroke sliced it. Grayson dislocated his left shoulder after dropping down too fast and grabbing a ledge. He dropped onto a pile of trash bags, dodged Deathstroke as he dropped down firing and ran to an open market nearby. Grayson shielded himself from Deathstroke's dagger with a wooden cutting board then reached the docks. Deathstroke had enough and shot Grayson in the chest. Grayson fell into the waters below. Deathstroke stated he could have died with honor by the blade then called Grayson a loser and left. Grayson waited and surfaced. He tossed the cutting board then reset his shoulder. Deathstroke returned to base and stopped Terra from asphyxiating Robin. While Terra packed, Deathstroke assured her it was normal to develop feelings for the Titans after being under deep cover with them. He advised her to concentrate on them being together.
Deathstroke and Terra delivered the Titans to Blood and bound them in the Enervator machine. They were creeped out by the Church congregation hailing Blood over and over. He informed the Titans the machine prevented them from using their abilities then admitted he beat up Robin for mouthing off at him. Blue Beetle vowed to break him into tiny little bits. Deathstroke was amused, mocked his accent, then stated he was getting waffles after they died. He introduced Terra as his double agent. Brother Blood and Mother Mayhem met with Deathstroke and Terra to address the incomplete deal. Blood alluded to an alternative. Deathstroke quickly surrendered Terra to serve as a substitute for Nightwing. She was darted by Mayhem and placed on the Enervator. Deathstroke contended he should have charged more for the "upgrade." He was wired $200 million. They were raised to the center stage. Blood announced the moment of ascendency had arrived. Deathstroke told Terra a contract was a contract. He remarked to Starfire they would have been fantastic lovers.
The Enervator was activated. The Titans felt pain as their powers were copied. Deathstroke advised Blood to act quickly then tried to leave but two guards blocked his path. Blood placed his hands on arms that retracted from the machine. He was transformed and now resembled a part of each of the Titans amalgamated into one being with all their powers. Nightwing made his move and threw an exploding Birdarangs at the Enervator's console and at Blood. He was blown away and the Titans were released. The followers tried to flee the hall. Deathstroke opened fire and tried to clear a path but Robin and Nightwing took him on while the rest of the Titans fought Blood. Robin presented a pipe and cracked his head. Terra regained consciousness and went into a rage about Deathstroke betraying her. She generated earthen columns and raced towards him, side swiping Blood in the process. Deathstroke claimed it was all a big misunderstanding and removed his mask. Terra raised barriers to keep Deathstroke to herself.
Terra threw boulder after boulder at him. He eventually flipped over her and her shield and grazed her left arm with a bullet. She threw more rocks. He sliced and blasted them. She raised the ground around him, raised him up, slammed him, and decked him as he dropped from mid-air. Terra's instability triggered the destruction of the Church of Blood. Deathstroke bid her goodbye as the ground split around him and boulders rained down on him. Only Deathstroke's mask was recovered from the rubble. Robin held it atop the Titans Tower some time later then Raven presented him with a puppy.