#ComicBytes: The origin of Slade Wilson aka the Deathstroke
Deathstroke, originally known as Deathstroke The Terminator, is the best assassin in the DC Universe. From being a consistent enemy of the Teen Titans to being a reluctant anti-hero, Slade Wilson has done it all. While we have seen this character onscreen with Arrowverse and Titans, the casual fans of DC don't know his origin properly. Read ahead to see the beginning of Deathstroke.
Slade joins the army at the age of 16
At the age of sixteen, Slade Wilson lies about his age to join the army. However, he ends up impressing everyone with his skills in guerrilla warfare. His reputation not only leads him to his future wife Adeline Kane (his superior in the army) but also makes him a Lieutenant Colonel. Following the birth of their first child, Grant, Slade undergoes a risky experiment.
A military experiment leaves him with superhuman powers
The anti-truth serum experiment turns out to be a secret super-soldier experiment, which makes Slade aggressive. Eventually, he receives enhanced strength, speed, senses, stamina, intellect, and reflexes. These new powers and drive disturb his home life and make him an absentee father to Grant and his younger brother, Joseph. But, when he adopts a vigilante persona to save a friend, all hell breaks loose.
Superhuman abilities and martial arts skills make him deadly
Before we go ahead, here's a round-up of his basic powers and abilities: As mentioned before, Slade has superhuman abilities, including some regenerative features. These, combined with military training and his skills in jujitsu, karate, bo staff fighting, knife fighting, sword fighting, and boxing, make him one of the deadliest fighters on Earth. His Promethium sword and accurate marksmanship make him more lethal.
An unauthorized rescue mission solidifies his vigilante persona
Now back to the story. When his friend William Randolph Wintergreen gets captured on a mission, Slade puts on a costume to carry out an unauthorized rescue mission. Although he saves Wintergreen, he is discharged from the army. Then, he permanently takes up the persona of Deathstroke, which leads to attacks on his children (Joseph loses his voice) and the destruction of his marriage.
Loss of an eye: An angry wife or a mission?
When Adeline discovers her husband's true career and his illegitimate daughter Rose Wilson, she shoots Slade in the head, which takes his right eye. In another version, he loses his eye during a mission in North Korea. Thereafter, he starts working as a contract killer and becomes the Teen Titan's main nemesis. Occasionally, he works with superheroes for the greater good.
