RAVAGER ROLL CALL: Bill Walsh, aka The Jackal, Part Two

Ravager II

Last time on RAVAGER ROLL CALL, we were introduced to the man who would become the second Ravager. That man was Bill Walsh, aka the mercenary and freelance terrorist known as the Jackal. Walsh and Slade Wilson met while at the elite,  Camp Washington military training facility. Walsh soon resented Slade as he continually outshined him during training, and, according to Walsh, stole the affection of Adeline Kane, a trainer at Camp Washington. Walsh washed out of the program, but Slade not only stayed but married and had to sons with Adeline. Walsh moved on to assume the role of the terrorist, Jackal, while Slade volunteered for an experimental procedure that gave him his superhuman abilities. Slade used his new abilities to become the super-assassin and mercenary, Deathstroke the Terminator. Years later, Deathstroke and the Jackal would clash when Walsh kidnapped Slade and Adeline's youngest son, Joseph. All Walsh wanted was the name of one of Deathstroke's clients. Despite pleas from Adeline, Slade refused to give up his client and attempted to take down the Jackal and his entire crew. Though Deathstroke accomplished this feat, it was not in time to keep Walsh's man from cutting Joseph's throat. Furious that Slade hid his activities as Deathstroke and that he chose his professional ethics of the safety of his son, Adeline tried to kill Slade, but her shot only resulted in the loss of an eye. Adeline left Slade, taking both boys with her. And now...the rest of the story.

Years later after the events of "Titan's Hunt," Slade had every intention of retiring from the mercenary game to become a big game hunter in Kenya. Adeline had formed the organization, Searchers Inc. and was hired to safeguard a highly dangerous target. This job had her guarding a mystery object on a moving train that had departed from Stuttgart, Germany. Though she had a sizable amount of backup, a helmeted figure flying a single-seat helicopter engaged the security team and boarded the train. He then took out a crew of guards and stole a mysterious canister, which was the reason for such heavy security. The thief next climbed back on top of the train and advanced toward the train's engine. Once entering the engine, he shot the engineer and Adeline. The then addressed her by her name, telling her, "Long time, no see. See you still got your looks." He then grabbed her by her collar, told her to, "Say 'hi' to Slade for me when you see him in Hell," and then threw her from the moving train. He then boarded his copter and made his escape.

The second Ravager, in disguise, throwing a gut-shot Adeline from a
moving train.
Art by Steve Erwin.

At same the time Slade found out about Adeline, a helmeted figure was hovering over Slade's Kenyan hunting lodge taunting him over a loudspeaker. "Hi there, Slade. Been a damn long time. Slade, Buddy, thought you'd like to know your wench didn't even squeal when I gut-shot her." Slade and Wintergreen took cover in a Jeep and tried to draw the copter away from the house. The pilot didn't take the bait, instead, he unleashed a missile at the Jeep, turning it over. Slade reached his power staff and returned fire. Slade demanded to know who attacked him, but the loudspeaker only responded, "Your past, Wilson. But don't worry we'll meet again. It's our destiny." The copter then fired another missile, this time destroying Slade's hunting lodge, then made its getaway.

Slade and Wintergreen next made their way to Stuttgart to check on Adeline. But, Slade chose to leave when Adeline once again lost consciousness before she could give him any more information on her attacker. After doing a bit of...let's say aggressive investigative work, Slade discovered that the item stolen from the train was Plutonium. Meanwhile, the helmeted figure delivered the Plutonium to his client in the Quraci military. While this figure was receiving his next orders, he took off his flight suit to reveal another, more familiar one. This suit is almost identical to the one once donned by Grant Wilson. The mystery man then identifies himself as the Ravager.

After some more aggressive investigation, Slade discovered that his mystery attacker was working for General Avral Kaddam, the newly ascended Quraci leader, and likely delivered the Plutonium there. Deathstroke and Wintergreen journeyed to civil war-torn Qurac and met up with a contact they had inside the rebel forces. Once he got the schematics of the General's compound from the rebels, Deathstroke then infiltrated the general's headquarters figuring that Adeline's attacker would be there. Even though Slade was right, the newest Ravager had laid a trap from him there.

Deathstroke ambushed by the
Ravager
Art by Steve Erwin

As Deathstroke maneuvered through the general's compound, the Ravager opened fire, ambushing Slade. While Slade was recovering, the Ravager revealed himself, wearing a version of Grant Wilson's old suit. The shock of this image threw Slade off of his game as the two mercs engaged one another. The Ravager taunted Slade by claiming that he was in fact Grant seeking revenge on his father.  Slade regained his composure and after a savage physical exchange, Deathstroke took the upper-hand and was about to slay the Ravager, only for General Kaddam to shoot Slade in the back, thus saving the Ravager. As Kaddam was about to finish Deathstroke, the Ravager convinced Kaddam not to kill Slade as he still needed for Deathstroke to suffer. As the rebels drew closer to taking the base, Kaddam and the Ravager tried to make their exit, but they were pinned down as Wintergreen had arrived to try to protect Slade. But as Wintergreen descended the steel staircase, the Ravager opened fire bringing the metal structure down and Wintergreen with it. After the Ravager and Kaddam had fled, U.S. forces came onto the scene taking an unconscious Deathstroke and Wintergreen into custody as the Ravager had a man inside the CIA that framed Slade for treason for supposedly backing General Kaddam instead of the U.S. backed rebels in the Quraci civil war. Meanwhile, after some time had passed, the Ravager is shown on the deck of a sailboat that has been loaded with the stolen Plutonium, with the unmistakable view of Washington D.C. in the background.

Slade played possum as he and Wintergreen were being transported by U.S. forces. Slade noticed that his guards' commanding officer was wearing a ring with the Ravager's logo on it. Understanding his dire situation, Slade sprung into action, taking down his captors and escaping into war-torn Qurac. Meanwhile, the Ravager and General Kaddam were leading a crew of men preparing to detonate a nuclear device at the site of trade treaty signing by the U.S. President. General Kaddam laments that had Deathstroke not interfered in his plans, that they would have had enough Plutonium to bomb multiple treaty signings around the world simultaneously and send the message to the rest of the world that he, and not the West, was in control of the Middle-East. 

When Slade reached in Washington he prepared to confront to Kaddam and the Ravager as they were moving on the Senate house. The two killed their way to the underground tram system that links the Senate house to the Capitol Building where they planned to set the nuclear device to destroy Washington D.C. and stop the treaty signing. As Deathstroke arrived he began tearing through Kaddam's forces as he pursued the terrorist pair. Kaddam panicked when he heard the distant screams of his dying men and broke for the tram to set the bomb in place. But before Kaddam reached the tram, the Ravager, using Deathstroke's stolen power staff, shot him in the back, killing him while declaring that, "I can't let you screw up my plans."

The Ravager reveals his true motive.
Art by Steve Erwin.

As Slade reached the Ravager, he was disarmed by a blast from his own power staff. The Ravager then revealed himself to Deathstroke, but at first glance, Slade didn't recognize him. After the Ravager mentioned Camp Washington, Slade realized that he was looking at his old classmate, Bill Walsh. Walsh explained that he blamed Slade for ruining his chances with Adeline and for his washing out of Camp Washington. As the two mercenaries engaged in swordplay, Walsh reminded Slade of their previous encounter the night that Joseph Wilson was muted by a knife to the throat. Slade then understood that Walsh and the Jackal were the very same man. This revelation enraged Slade to the point that his emotions were compromising his concentration and fighting technique, allowing the Walsh to take the upper hand in the fight. Walsh explained that though he took two bullets to the chest that night, he survived. It took nearly two years for Walsh to recover, but when he did, he planned his revenge against Deathstroke. 

Walshes next revelation was equally devastating for Slade as he admitted to being the H.I.V.E. agent who recruited Grant Wilson to undergo the very procedure that allowed him to become the first Ravager, which ultimately killed him during his failed attempt to kill the Teen Titans. Walsh claimed to have known the procedure would be fatal and that recruiting Grant was no coincidence, but instead was calculated revenge against Slade. As the two killers continued to fight, Kaddam's nuclear device beeped, indicating that it was armed. Walsh declared that he never intended to leave their confrontation alive and that they would both go out in thermonuclear glory. But as Walsh gloated about his impending victory over Slade, Deathstroke managed to ironically slice Walsh's throat with his sword. As Slade prepared to deliver the literal death-stroke, Walsh managed to kick him off the platform and onto the tram tracks. Walsh jumped down to the tracks as well to finish Slade. As the two old soldiers grappled for Walsh's sword, Slade wrestled it away from Walsh and plunged it deep into his abdomen, fatally wounding him. As life took its leave from Walsh's body, Slade ran the blade in even deeper. The last words Walsh ever heard were the ones in which Slade exclaimed that because of all the pain Walsh had caused his family, that "I can't kill you enough." While the immediate threat posed by Walsh was over, Slade remembered that the nuclear was still set to go off. Slade reached the device with 10 seconds left on the timer. As Slade frantically pulled multi-colored wires away from their connections, the timer stopped with but single second to spare.

The epic climax of Deathstroke versus the Ravager is posted below. Art by Steve Erwin.

RAVAGER ROLL CALL: Bill Walsh, aka The Jackal, Part One

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.

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.

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.

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.