Supervillain Origins: Deathstroke
Supervillain Origins: Deathstroke
This deadly mercenary was genetically modified to be the perfect soldier. Welcome to Watchmojo.com, and today we will explore the origins Slade Wilson, otherwise known as Deathstroke.
As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginings and different versions to a character’s past. We have chosen to primarily follow the storyline that unfolded in 1980’s New Teen Titans #2, which was expanded upon in 1991’s Deathstroke The Terminator #1.
A character originally dubbed ‘Deathstroke: The Terminator’, this fan favorite character was first introduced as an assassin who was contracted to take on the New Teen Titans by the evil organization HIVE, an acronym for “Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Extermination”.
As it turned out, this one-eyed mercenary was once Slade Wilson, a legendary soldier from the United States. Rising through the ranks, he became an expert in Guerilla warfare during the Vietnam War. Training under his commanding officer Captain Adeline Kane, the two began a romance and had a son together.
When the army asked Slade to be the test subject for a secret experiment, he agreed, believing it was for a drug that would make him capable of resisting the enemy’s truth serum. As it turned out, the experiment was really an attempt to create super soldiers. Although this gave him increased strength, speed, stamina, reflexes and regenerative healing by supercharging of his adrenaline glands, the experiments side effects caused Slade to become enraged and aggressive, forcing his doctors to continually sedate him.
Going through periods of erratic strength increases followed by periods of severe depression and weakness, the army decided to discharge him and abandon the experiment. Slade then became a big game hunter to make ends meet, and married Adeline, with whom he had a second son. It was this second child Joseph that was kidnapped and eventually killed by a terrorist known as the Jackal.
As it turned out, Slade had been operating as a mercenary on the side, using his enhanced strength to his advantage. It was Slade’s refusal to work for the Jackal that resulted in his son’s kidnapping and murder. When his wife discovered this, her grief turned to vengeful anger and she shot Slade in the eye.
Years later, after becoming internationally recognized as a mercenary assassin, Deathstroke’s past came back to haunt him when the HIVE council attempted to hire him. Deathstroke turned HIVE’s offer down when they refused to pay up front for the assassination of the New Teen Titan super-group, whose seven members at the time included The Changeling, Cyborg, Kid Flash, Raven, Robin, Starfire and Wonder Girl.
After Slade refused, HIVE instead enlisted the services of his son Grant, injecting him with their own super soldier formula and giving him the code name Ravager.
Through Slade warned his son not to accept the offer, he took on the task and was killed in the process. This prompted Deathstroke, also known as the Terminator, to agree to complete his son’s contract in order to seek vengeance against the New Teen Titans.
Over the years, The Terminator’s run-ins with the Teen Titans caused him to clash with other superheroes, including Batman and the Justice League. Deathstroke’s ‘Terminator’ moniker was eventually abandoned when the movie ‘The Terminator” starring Arnold Schwarzenegger was released in 1984, forever associating the name with that character instead.
A fan favorite for his depth, super intelligence, and sense of morality coated in shades of Grey, the deadly one-eyed mercenary has appeared in various comics, cartoons, and live actions series. He’s also become a playable character in the fighting game “Injustice: Gods Among Us” and as one of the several assassins hired to kill the Dark Knight in “Batman Arkham Origins”.
Are you a fan of the original terminator? For more origins of your favorite comic book characters, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
superbadspeller
“who do you think is better taskmaster or deathstroke vote for superbadspellers suggusetion and find out”
0
0
report