Warning: Spoilers for Titans #17
A.D Deathblow is back in the land of the living and his vengeful eyes are trained squarely on the Titans. Death is never permanent in comics, but Slade Wilson’s lasted longer than most would imagine, so his sudden return came as a surprise. Sporting an updated version of his original design, this Titans villain is finally back – and making moves against your enemies.
Titans #17 – written by John Layman, with art by Pete Woods – concludes the opening story of this new era for the classic superteam as they battle a newly empowered Clock King. He comes close to defeating them by manipulating their memories and trapping them in their deepest traumas, but the Titans manage to overcome his trickery by working together.
After his defeat, Clock King retreats to a bar and sulks. There, he receives a visit from none other than Deathstroke, who has his own words of wisdom on how to dominate heroes.
Deathstroke is back from the dead and wants revenge on the Titans
Titans #17 – Written by John Layman; Art by Pete Woods and Wes Abbot
Years after his supposed death in D.C. Dark Crisis, Deathstroke has made his long-awaited return to DC continuity and is forming his own team to battle the Titans and declare victory once and for all. Deathstroke has become the Titans’ archenemy over the years and one of DC’s most well-known villains – meaning his return isn’t something done lightly or without careful planning by DC Comics. What this suggests to readers is that this volume of Titans has reached a pivotal point, and this latest conflict with Deathstroke will likely have a profound impact on them.
Deathblow was introduced in The New Teen Titans #2, and he has since evolved into the enemy of the Titans. In his first appearance, his son Grant Wilson, Ravager, fights the Teen Titans and dies during the fight, due to his cybernetic enhancements burning his body from the inside. However, Slade blames the Titans for his son’s death, so he seeks to avenge him by defeating the Titans. Although Deathstroke has alternated between being a villain and an antihero, his hatred for the Titans and the effort he goes to for revenge prove that he is a villain at his core.
Deathstroke remains the Titans’ greatest adversary in history, despite his complicated relationship with the team
Slade Wilson, first appearance: The New Teen Titans #2 – Written by Marv Wolfman; Art by George Pérez; Last appearance: Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths #7 – Written by Joshua Williamson; Art by Rafa Sandoval
From the iconic “Judas Contract” storyline to the destruction of Blüdhaven, many moments in Deathstroke’s story in the decades since his debut have demonstrated the lengths he will go to destroy the Titans. Now that he’s back, Slade wastes no time planning his next move against them. Throughout his frequent confrontations with them, he came to recognize his strength, informing Clock King that “they need to be respected as the formidable adversaries they are…if there is any chance of defeating them.” If anyone can stop the Titans, it’s Deathstroke, and he’s especially motivated after his last attempt failed.
To read the full story of Deathstroke’s rise and fall to power during this crisis, check out Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths, available now digitally and in collected formats from DC Comics!
Deathstroke has long been an adversary of the Titans and reached the height of his power during DC. Dark Crisis on Infinite Earths event. In this story, he leads the Secret Society after the death of the Justice League to destroy the remaining heroes. Deathstroke even attempts to kill Beast Boy by shooting him at point-blank range, although the Titan survives, albeit in a comatose state. Ultimately, it is revealed that his dark desires are caused by Pariah’s mind-twisting control, although his actions are still his own despite the Great Darkness’s influence on him.
Deathstroke is forming his own Justice League of Evil to take down the Titans
Who will Deathstroke recruit to join his team of villains?
Deathstroke’s death comes after the dust has settled from this tumultuous Crisis. As the multiverse stabilizes and Slade loses the power of the Great Dark, his cosmic battle with Nightwing comes to an end. Now powerless, Slade is preserved by the Titans’ life support machines while the heroes regroup – that is, until someone disables the life support and leaves Deathstroke for dead. Now, more than two years since his death, he has been revived in some form. Alive and more determined than ever, Deathstroke is ready to kill the Titans and will need the help of his fellow villains to succeed.
Deathstroke’s dark list will only continue to grow as the resurrected villain plots against the Titans.
Now that Deathstroke has returned to the DC Universe, it looks like he’s forming a coalition of villains to finally defeat the Titans. He has already recruited Clock King to his cause, as evidenced during their conversation. Since Deathstroke recognizes that the Titans are officially a Justice League-level team, it stands to reason that his own team will have a similar power level. Confirmed in DC’s solicitations for future issues, Killer Frost and Mammoth will appear soon, and Deathblow the dark list will only continue to grow as the resurrected villain plots against the Titans.
Titans #17 is now available from DC Comics.