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| Deathstroke's right hand, Wintergreen |
Marv Wolfman stated said on multiple occasions that Deathstroke was envisioned as an evil version of Batman. Given this, it was only appropriate that Slade Wilson should have his version of Alfred in the form of William Randolph Wintergreen. Wintergreen debuted alongside Deathstroke the Terminator in New Teen Titans (1980) #2 as Slade Wilson's butler, though in subsequent appearances his role would expand beyond that of a mere manservant.
In his past, Wintergreen worked both with Britain's MI-5 and in the British Army's Special Air Service (SAS). It was during his time with the British army that he met and befriended a young Slade Wilson. Once, when General Sampson sent Slade on a suicide mission, an angry Wintergreen defied Sampson's orders not to interfere with the mission, going after his friend rescuing Slade from a bomb in the process. Years later, when a vindictive General Sampson sent Wintergreen on a suicide mission resulting in his capture as a prisoner of war in Viet Nam, it was a newly super-powered Slade Wilson that disobeyed orders to rescue his old friend. It was this act of defiance that cost Slade his military career, but gained him a lifelong business partner and friend with Wintergreen even serving as Slade's best man in his wedding to Adeline Kane.
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| Not the way he wanted to go out, but not entirely unexpected either. |
Over the years, Wintergreen would act as Slade's manservant, client contact, weapon's procurer, intelligence collector, sounding board, confidant, and more. Wintergreen was by Deathstroke's side through Grant's death, and the terrible events of the Judas Contract, and the apparent deaths of both Joseph and Adeline. When Slade seemingly walked away from the Deathstroke role, it was Wintergreen that ran the search and rescue organization Vigilance, Inc. on Slade's behalf. Wintergreen remained a faithful and devoted friend to Slade up until he was killed by Jericho, who was controlling Slade's body at the time. His last words while looking at Slade's face were, "I suppose it was only a matter of time." Jericho, in an act designed to inflict further psychological damage to his father, decapitated Wintergreen and had his head mounted like many of the hunting trophies Slade had collected from his days as a big game hunter. Wintergreen would not rest entirely in peace as he was temporarily resurrected by a black ring as one of the Black Lanterns sent, along with both Grant and Adeline Wilson and Wade DeFarge to attack both Slade and Rose Wilson during the Blackest Night storyline.
After the Flashpoint event, Wintergreen was alive and well and serving alongside Deathstroke as his right-hand man. But, like so many other people in the New 52 reality, he was a bit different than before as he was now a black man and Slade's defiant mission rescued him was from Somalia instead of Viet Nam. How this version of Wintergreen supposedly died was never shown to readers, but to honor his fallen friend, Slade took on Wintergreen's son, Alex Peabody, as his new partner and arms dealer.
Fast-forward to the days of DC Comics Rebirth. On a mission to Africa to kill the Clock King on behalf of a group of family members of his supposed victims, Slade learns that his associate, Jazaki, means to betray him and has someone that he holds dear as a captive. Wanting proof to back up these claims, the Clock King only responds with the word, "Kenilworth." Slade immediately recognizes the word as an emergency codeword he created for his closest family and friends to use if they are in grave danger. Slade, as instructed by the Clock King, makes his way to the compound of Al Lajna, Jazaki's rivals who are willing to do side jobs like guarding Jazaki's prisoners, thinking that his son Grant must be the one being held there. A few "BANGS," and "BATABATABATAs" later, and Deathstroke has saved not a captured Grant, but a captured...Wintergreen! It has yet to be explained how Wintergreen is once again a white guy from Great Britain, but hey, Dr. Manhattan works in mysterious ways. It turns out that Wintergreen wasn't dead, but that Slade had faked his death as a way for Wintergreen to retire. Suffice it to say that Wintergreen is back and that is a good thing for both Deathstroke (Jackass!!) and Deathstroke fans.
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| Even during a good scolding, there is alway time to teach a lesson. |
