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Deathstroke the Terminator, One of the Most Ruthless Villains in the DC Universe

He may not have the infamy of other DC villains but he can definitely kick major butt. Soon you will be able to kick butt with him.

If you asked a comic book reader to name some top DC villains, most would likely go with Joker, Lex Luthor or even Darkseid. DC has many colorful and vicious villains but there is one that often goes unnoticed and has proven capable of giving the entire Justice League of America a run for their money

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Deathstroke the Terminator is not someone you'd want to have as your enemy. He may be best known as a villain of the Teen Titans but that is no reason to sell him short. Being an assassin and mercenary is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what sets him apart from others.

At a young age, Slade Wilson volunteered in a medical experiment meant to create super-soldiers. His body didn't react well to the experiment at first but the results were gaining enhances senses and reflexes far beyond those of an ordinary man. Other results from the experimentation included higher brain capacity, his stamina and coordination have been enhanced and he is able to think and perceive things nine times faster than the average man. Deathstroke also is said to have the strength of ten men.

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Setting himself up in the costumed persona of Deathstroke, he became the greatest mercenary in the world as well as perhaps the most brilliant tactician due to his enhanced senses and brain.

Deathstroke has fought against many of the costumed heroes in the DC Universe. He may be a mercenary willing to kill for money but he does have a level of ethics as well. There has even been times he's fought alongside some of the heroes.

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It was in in 2004's IDENTITY CRISIS #3 where Deathstroke fought against the entire Justice League. Paid to be Doctor Light's bodyguard, the League believed Light guilty of the murder of someone close to them. He immediately took out Elongated Man, set off charges to act as decorys, was able to predict where the Flash would attack him and stabbed him with his sword, poked Zatanna in the liver to cause her to vomit so she couldn't use her backwards magic spells, dodged Hawkman's attack and cut off his flying harness, blocked Green Arrow's...arrow and cut the ends off the rest of the arrows in his quiver, put a bag over Black Canary's head so she couldn't use her sonic scream (and handcuffed her as well), predicted where Atom was and took him out with a laser pointer and broke all four of Green Lantern's fingers before he could use his power ring on him.

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It took Green Arrow shoving an arrow in his empty eye socket and the rest of the team to attempt to subdue him. If this battle doesn't prove what a great adversary and fighter Deathstroke is, I don't know what else would.

With the relaunch of the DC Universe in the New 52, it's possible Deathstroke's abilities have been increased to an even higher level. He's taken to wearing a type of armored suite as well that may have augmented his strength even more (seems just about everyone in the New 52 is wearing some sort of armor instead of spandex).

In DEASTHSTROKE #5, his opponent picks up an actual submarine...and throws it on him!

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Deathstroke obviously managed to survive.

Now imagine Deathstroke in a fighting game. It turns out it was just exclusively announced over at GameSpot that Deathstroke will be a playable character in Injustice: Gods Among Us.

Check out the gameplay video:

Deathstroke is not a character to turn your back on. He is a great character and is a worthy opponent for even the best heroes in the DC Universe.

109 Comments

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FatFriar_16

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Edited By FatFriar_16

Deathstroke recently appeared in the ongoing Arrow series too!!!!!

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Spideycap

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Edited By Spideycap

@AlexMarks said:

This game looks great! I'm definitely looking forward to playing it.

Same here, so many awesome characters. It looks way more fun than the last DC fighting game, although that one wasn't horrible. Seems they are building up the Deathstroke/Green Arrow rivalry mainly because of the TV show I'd say.

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cloudzackvincent

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Edited By cloudzackvincent

i really like Deathstroke and i have been following his solo but i m not gonna get this game, i really don't like the Mortal Kombat engine

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Inverno

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Edited By Inverno

Well we already kicked butt with him in MK vs DC so I am not surprised :P

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AlKusanagi

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Edited By AlKusanagi

@Jonny_Rogers: Yes, it was a joke. Hence my second comment about the Blizzard/Games Workshop stuff.

And Deadpool was created as pretty much a direct ripoff of Deathstroke, at least design wise, since he was created by Liefeld who was a huge Teen Titans fan.

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Bluefox170

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Edited By Bluefox170

Hell. Yes.

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DarthShap

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Edited By DarthShap

He is one of my favourite characters. The New 52 has been awful to him.

Higgins made him very bland. Pre-New 52 he was a man of honor with values, pathos and a complex relationship to his friends and family. Now he is just a uber-badass, with a hint of daddy issues.

This already was one of the worst reboots when Higgins left.

Then Liefeld came...

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slade_wilson

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Edited By slade_wilson

Jeez...I look pretty good. Really friggin' excited to play as myself.

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Fetts

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Edited By Fetts

OMG. F YES!!!!

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tensor

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Edited By tensor

Man those moves look so darn good in the gameplay.

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jobiwankenobi

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Edited By jobiwankenobi

I adore Deathstroke. He is so cool.

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MadeinBangladesh

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Edited By MadeinBangladesh

Love Slade!!! I was enjoying the New 52 title but Rob Liefeld ruined it. Hope the new writer is good.

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TheHeat

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Edited By TheHeat
@nickthedevil said:

@theTimeStreamer said:

so this whole article is free commercial for dc's new game..... hope marvel games get the same treatment.

Let Marvel actually make a game worth the time, then this might stand. Til' then, they've proven incapable of creating a good game.

X-Men Legends I and II and Marvel Ultimate Alliance I and II would like a word with you. Oh, Shattered Dimensions was also a good game.
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Cavemold

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Edited By Cavemold

Final get my Deathstroke and Nightwing rematch!!! His voice sounds like bane from TDKR

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Mojo65

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Edited By Mojo65

I like Deathstroke sometimes but sometimes his plot armor gets a bit too ridiculous (like that mentioned fight in Identity Crisis)

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daredevil21134

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Edited By daredevil21134

pre 52 Slade was cool

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Icarusflies

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Edited By Icarusflies  Moderator

I understand why Deathstroke would be in this kind of game, but it would be nice to get more characters who WEREN'T in MKvDC. : /

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SoA

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Edited By SoA

i just want confirmation that Midnighter will be in it , secret/bonus character , DLC idc i just want him in the game !!!

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SoA

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Edited By SoA

@TheHeat: i loathed ultimate alliance 2

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Cakeman3000

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Edited By Cakeman3000

Always thought Deathstroke was really cool. I tried reading his solo run in the new DC 52 and I didn't enjoy it. I dropped it after two issues.

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sethysquare

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Edited By sethysquare

@DeathpooltheT1000: im just a realist with a good eye for fashion.

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GrimoireMyst

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Edited By GrimoireMyst

Never liked this character and always like seeing his ass kicked by a hero. lol

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Spawn92

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Edited By Spawn92

Now that StormWatch is up and running, Im still pulling for Midnighter!!!

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Stormbox

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Edited By Stormbox

Cool, deathstroke looks badass in injustice!!

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Munsu

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Edited By Munsu

So I guess they are making out Deathstroke to be GA's villain now because of the show? Meh.

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theOVOXO

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Edited By theOVOXO

I enjoyed Deathstroke in the Teen Titans show. Then reading him in comics made me love him even more. He is one of the best DC villians that sometimes gets overlooked.

And now that he is confirmed playable in Injustice, im hoping Raven will be also.

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wessaari

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Edited By wessaari

@Munsu: well he is one of GA's greatest adversaries. The show has barely featured Deathtroke, and he has fough Ollie through most of his career, as well as fighting the Titans.

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jinxuandi

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Edited By jinxuandi

@Twentyfive said:

Shame he fell victim to Liefeld's disease. It will take some time for me to take interest in this character. Maybe when the contamination is 100% clear, and his comic is actually good.

Are you suffering from any or all of the following symptoms?

-shrunken or amputated feet

-inflated chest area

-floating randomly in mid-air

-dialogue that makes little or no sense

-pouches that you can't explain

If so, you may be suffering from Liefeld's disease. While there is no known cure for Liefeld's disease, the offices of Johns, Waid and Brubaker may be able to help ameliorate the damage. Call now!

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Sorceror_Swift

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Edited By Sorceror_Swift

Deathstroke....You rock dude. You just rock.

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JonSmith

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Edited By JonSmith

@DeathpooltheT1000 said:

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Is that a a theoretical sketch of what Robin from the Teen Titans animated show would look like if he'd continued to be trained by Slade/Deathstroke?

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Vaeternus

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Edited By Vaeternus

@Smart_Dork_Dude said:

My only complaint? The fact most of these super-moves would KILL most of the other characters straight away!!!! But hey, it's a mindless action game, I can live with it.

It's a video game dude, fiction lol like comics. I mean most of the moves people do in comics would kill someone lol. BTW, it's a fighting game, not action ;)

This game is going to own!!

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Mask of Tengu

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Edited By Mask of Tengu

He is cool in DC Universe online as well

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Twentyfive

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Edited By Twentyfive

@jinxuandi: LOL. I like your sense of humor! That was hilarious.

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RoTheKid

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Edited By RoTheKid

Thanks for this article, Tony! While I knew Slade from the Teen Titans cartoon, I didn't really know that much about him! This article really helped! Can't wait to see how he plays in Injustice and see his cameo in Young Justice! :D

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capfan80

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Edited By capfan80

I think they did the right thing trying to amp his stats up in new 52. He is a great villain but with his previous abilities it did seem to make some of his feats seem a bit contrived. The aforementioned Identity Crisis is the best example. How did it take Zatana so long to say one word? Why did Green Lantern try to punch him instead of using a construct? I think he makes a better villain against guys like Batman.

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Lanternrag

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Edited By Lanternrag

Awesome article, Deathstroke rules!

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jobbernos

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Edited By jobbernos

deathstroke is the definition of badass

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Munsu

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Edited By Munsu

@wessaari said:

@Munsu: well he is one of GA's greatest adversaries. The show has barely featured Deathtroke, and he has fough Ollie through most of his career, as well as fighting the Titans.

I don't know about one of his greatest adversaries. He has a much larger history with Roy than GA really.

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Miss_Garrick

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Edited By Miss_Garrick

A guy so tough, that he had a SUBMARINE thrown at him and he survived?!?

BAD!!!! ASS!!!!

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DeathpooltheT1000

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@JonSmith: It looks like it.

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TheRobin

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Edited By TheRobin

Deathstroke and Batman working together would be unstoppable.

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RedheadedAtrocitus

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Deathstroke is bad@$$ personified in the DCU and to have him as a playable character in this upcoming game is the best blessing of all.

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colonyofcells

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Edited By colonyofcells

I don't agree that Deathstroke is a villain and I view Deathstroke as somebody who is working very hard to make ends meet in these times of high unemployment in America.

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RayBlasterG

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Edited By RayBlasterG

Deathstroke has always been a personal favorite of mine. Ever since his first appearance in New Teen titans. Part of the Deathstroke thing is that he's an incredibly powerful badass; that's how he's able to take on hordes of heroes and villains alike. Depends on his depiction, but Slade tends to operate in shades of grey. Not quite a bad guy, not quite good. Which I find very refreshing. Also, I see people complaining about Liefeld's run(the only crime done was to lobo), no offense, some of you fans aren't credible. You're the same type of people who read bland superman stories for years, probably complained when Wolverine took over the x-titles, and all the Batman comics out now. In other words, your opinions don't matter. You can feel entitled to them, but at the end of the day, the Deathstroke comics are on sale, so he must be doing something right. Save us all the time and go lobby for more Wonderwoman comics, the amazing ass turd, and other people the rest of the world doesn't care about.

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Darkmount1

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Edited By Darkmount1

If he had been on Justice League Unlimited, I would've cast Michael Pare to voice him.

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huser

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Edited By huser

Ah Deathstroke, introduced back when Batman was still allowed to be handily defeated without it being a temporary thing in a summer event.

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StMichalofWilson

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Edited By StMichalofWilson

Batman vs Deathstroke on the New 52 DC. Do a real one now!!!

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colonyofcells

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Edited By colonyofcells

Batman is no match for either Deathstroke or Midnighter. I don't believe Batman can beat Lady Shiva.

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JamDamage

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Edited By JamDamage

@longbowhunter: I fell in love with him in the Teen Titans show also. For one, I hate pirate boots and he didn't have them in the show. 2nd, Ron Perlman did the voice, and Ron does great voices. His fight scenes with the staff were great too.

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huser

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Edited By huser

Still, as much as I love Deathstroke, that Justice League fight was just them getting hit with the stupid button. Especially the nod to it being like fighting Bruce, cause Batman of all characters needs the positive press. I get it. You let the nominally "normal" humans humble the gods, but Wally...the guy that woke up and escaped his house AS it was blowing up, and who got shot by a sniper from behind and realized it as the bullet touched him and responded to it without harm is not getting surprised by a sword to the gut. Monofilament wire he can't see? Possibly.