Following the Blackest Night event in 2009-2010, DC launched its Brightest Day initiative, which was meant to an optimistic counterbalance to the death-centric mood of Blackest Night. As many fan favorite characters returned from the dead, there was a sense rebirth and renewal to the whole line in general, with the notable exception of the Titans: Villains for Hire Special (2010) #1. The only thing reinvigorated here was Deathstroke's role as a stone cold killer.
In a non-linear style featuring numerous flashbacks, the Titans: Villains for Hire Special told the story of how Slade recruited a new team of assassins with whom he would go into the killer-for-hire business. With his new partners, Cheshire, the Tattooed Man, Cinder, and Osiris in place, it was time to take care of their first target; the new Atom, Ryan Choi.
After defeating the Floronic Man, Choi returned to his home and found that he had unexpected guests as pictured below.
A battle between Choi and the Titans ensued but was interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Choi's girlfriend, Amanda. Deathstroke orders his team to stand down, much to there confusion. Choi, from behind a barely opened door convinces Amanda to leave and thanks Slade for not harming her. Slade's sense of professional honor is at play here as he refuses to harm Amanda because she is not part of the contract on Choi.
With the job done, Slade delivered Choi's body to the client, Dwarfstar, inside a unique container.
Choi's death proved controversial as many comic fans were upset at the time that one of the few prominent Asian-American characters in comics had been killed off. Choi, however, would be resurrected as part of the Convergence event in the Convergence: The Atom (2015) mini series. Choi and Ray Palmer would work together to take down Deathstroke, and then to get a measure of revenge against him by way of shrinking Slade's hands down to about the size of Donald Trump's hands... I just couldn't resist.
UPDATE: Ryan Choi's Atom has just been announced along with the Ray, Vixen, and Killer Frost as part of the new Steve Orlando penned Justice League of America series. Choi will first appear in a Justice League of America: The Atom (2017) #1 one shot on January 4, 2017 before the February JLA Premier.
