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| Art by Steve Erwin |
In this edition of the Ravager Roll Call, the focus is on the second Ravager, Bill Walsh, aka the Jackal, who played critical roles in the grim history of the Wilson family. Slade Wilson and Walsh met decades ago during their training days at the top military school, Camp Washington. Walsh's rivalry with Slade began simply enough as both men were strongly attracted to one of their trainers, Captain Adeline Kane. Walsh claimed that he and Adeline were "becoming an item," when Slade's arrived at the camp, but Adeline and Slade eventually fell for one another, thus leaving an exceedingly jealous Walsh out in the cold. Walsh further resented Slade because of his uncanny aptitude for combat and military tactics, which made Walsh's skills look ordinary by comparison. In time, Walsh washed out of Camp Washington for which he blamed Slade for humiliating him to the point that his reputation was destroyed and his military career came to an end.
Years later, after Slade had established himself as the world's deadliest assassin, Deathstroke the Terminator, he and Walsh clashed again resulting in a tragedy that would scar the lives of the entire Wilson family forever. Slade operated as Deathstroke for years without ever sharing this side of himself with his then-wife, Adeline or his sons, Grant and Joseph. One of the Terminator's many confirmed kills was powerful Quraci colonel named Akba Kabar. While Slade was away from home on a job, a crew of identically dressed mercenaries attacked the Wilson home. Drawing upon her military past, Adeline fought off the Jackal's men, but not before one of them launched a gas grenade rendering her unconscious. When she awoke, Adeline discovered that her youngest son, Joseph had been kidnapped.
When Slade returned home, it was evident that he was aware of the attack as he knew exactly how to contact the kidnapper to arrange a face-to-face meeting. With the arrangements finalized, Slade donned his professional gear and revealed himself to his shocked and distraught wife to be Deathstroke the Terminator. Adeline pleaded with Slade to do whatever it took to bring Joseph home safe.
Slade and Adeline arrived at the rendezvous point where they met by Walsh, now a Uganda-based freelance terrorist known as the Jackal, along with more of his men. Slade knew the Jackal by reputation but did not recognize him from their Camp Washington days. The Jackal told Slade and Adeline that the ransom price for Joseph's safe return was not cash, but information. As one of his men pressed a bush-knife to young Joseph's throat, Walsh explained that his objective was to obtain the name of the person who hired Deathstroke to kill Col. Kabar. Adeline begged Slade to give up the name, but he refused to do it because it would violate his professional code of ethics to expose the identity of a client. Instead, he was confident that his enhanced abilities and mercenary skills would be enough to ensure Joseph's safe return.
Slade then sprung into action and quickly took down the Jackal's men. He then turned his attention to the Jackal. Deathstroke fired two bullets into the Jackal's torso. Unfortunately, Slade didn't act fast enough as Walsh's man had already begun to cut Joseph's throat as Slade's sword cut him down. Slade and Adeline rushed Joseph to the hospital, where his life was saved, but his vocal cords were too damaged to be repaired. Joseph would never be able to speak using his own voice again.
While Joseph was recovering in the hospital, Slade prepared to leave once again as he had accepted a new contract. But before he could leave, Adeline confronted Slade about his lies, his secret life as a contract killer, and the consequences that those choices visited on their entire family. She was livid that Slade put his professional reputation as an assassin above the life of their son. Slade would hear none of it, determined to leave for his next assignment. As he turned around, Adeline aimed a gun in anger at the back of Slade's head meaning to end his life. As she fired the gun, Slade's enhanced reflexes allowed him to survive the attack, but at the cost of one of his eyes. As Slade lay unconscious, Adeline left him for dead. Once it was clear that he would live, Adeline took Joseph and Grant to start a new life without the danger and tragedy that Slade would inevitably bring to them.
When Slade returned home, it was evident that he was aware of the attack as he knew exactly how to contact the kidnapper to arrange a face-to-face meeting. With the arrangements finalized, Slade donned his professional gear and revealed himself to his shocked and distraught wife to be Deathstroke the Terminator. Adeline pleaded with Slade to do whatever it took to bring Joseph home safe.
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| Enter the Jackal Art by George Pérez |
Slade and Adeline arrived at the rendezvous point where they met by Walsh, now a Uganda-based freelance terrorist known as the Jackal, along with more of his men. Slade knew the Jackal by reputation but did not recognize him from their Camp Washington days. The Jackal told Slade and Adeline that the ransom price for Joseph's safe return was not cash, but information. As one of his men pressed a bush-knife to young Joseph's throat, Walsh explained that his objective was to obtain the name of the person who hired Deathstroke to kill Col. Kabar. Adeline begged Slade to give up the name, but he refused to do it because it would violate his professional code of ethics to expose the identity of a client. Instead, he was confident that his enhanced abilities and mercenary skills would be enough to ensure Joseph's safe return.
Slade then sprung into action and quickly took down the Jackal's men. He then turned his attention to the Jackal. Deathstroke fired two bullets into the Jackal's torso. Unfortunately, Slade didn't act fast enough as Walsh's man had already begun to cut Joseph's throat as Slade's sword cut him down. Slade and Adeline rushed Joseph to the hospital, where his life was saved, but his vocal cords were too damaged to be repaired. Joseph would never be able to speak using his own voice again.
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| Slade gambled with his son's welfare and paid a heavy price. Art by George Pérez |
While Joseph was recovering in the hospital, Slade prepared to leave once again as he had accepted a new contract. But before he could leave, Adeline confronted Slade about his lies, his secret life as a contract killer, and the consequences that those choices visited on their entire family. She was livid that Slade put his professional reputation as an assassin above the life of their son. Slade would hear none of it, determined to leave for his next assignment. As he turned around, Adeline aimed a gun in anger at the back of Slade's head meaning to end his life. As she fired the gun, Slade's enhanced reflexes allowed him to survive the attack, but at the cost of one of his eyes. As Slade lay unconscious, Adeline left him for dead. Once it was clear that he would live, Adeline took Joseph and Grant to start a new life without the danger and tragedy that Slade would inevitably bring to them.
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| Adeline Kane Wilson has had enough! Art by George Pérez |
Years later, Walsh would again target one of the Wilson boys to hurt Slade, but this time with devastating results. The international terrorist organization, H.I.V.E., attempted to hire Deathstroke to eliminated the Teen Titans. Slade refused the job, but H.I.V.E. was not done recruiting super-assassins. Slade's oldest son, Grant, had grown into an angry young adult with a serious hatred for the Teen Titans as he held them responsible for the relationship troubles with his girlfriend. An agent of H.I.V.E. convinced Grant that he could take his revenge on the Teen Titans by undergoing a procedure to give him power enough to destroy them. Grant accepted the offer and the contract from H.I.V.E., assuming the Deathstroke-inspired identity of the Ravager. After Grant fell short in his first battle with Cyborg, Deathstroke joined forces with his son for the showdown with the Titans. But as Grant was about to taste victory against the Titans, his body ultimately failed him as the procedure that created the Ravager caused him to age decades in just a few seconds. Because Slade blamed the Teen Titans for Grant's death, he assumed the contract on the Teen Titans and a vendetta was born. A number of years later, Slade would discover that the H.I.V.E. agent responsible for Grant's recruitment, and ultimate death, was none other than the Jackal, Bill Walsh.
In part two of this feature, we'll examine Walsh's final, and most personal assault on Deathstroke as he assumed Grant Wilson's Ravager persona, and nearly terminated the Terminator.
In part two of this feature, we'll examine Walsh's final, and most personal assault on Deathstroke as he assumed Grant Wilson's Ravager persona, and nearly terminated the Terminator.
