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.

Deathstroke's Man, Wintergreen

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.

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.

Even during a good scolding, there is alway time to teach a lesson.

Who (Supposedly) Killed Grant Wilson First?: Post Flashpoint Edition

Grant Wilson died, but not really, in
two entirely different ways, both of
which were witnessed by his father
Slade Wilson. Totally makes sense.

Story editing at DC Comics after the launch of the New 52 had developed a reputation for being rather iron-fisted. Many comics professionals, including Rob Liefeld and George Pérez, left gigs at DC allegedly due to too much story and art interference on the part of editors. It seems strange that an editorial staff that garnered a reputation as notorious micromanagers would be so lax in their treatment of Deathstroke's continuity. I've already discussed the curious case regarding Slade Wilson's multiples fathers in an earlier post, but it seems that DC allowed multiple versions of Grant Wilson's apparent death, a seminal event in Slade Wilson's life and career, in less than two short years. Let's explore the "first" deaths of Grant wilson below.

Version one of Grant's death was shown in 2012's Deathstroke (2011) #6. Slade was hired to recover a briefcase that he was told contained nuclear technology documents. A few contact betrayals later, Slade opened the case to find Grant's old Ravager mask covered in fresh bloodstains. Slade believed that the mask was meant to be bait for him, but found it hard to believe that Grant could be alive. In a flashback, we see Grant tied to a chair being savagely beaten by the Midnighter, with Deathstroke on his way to save his son. Midnighter appears to has some vendetta against Slade as his comments seem to suggest something personal is motivating his actions as Midnighter is next shown to place a time-bomb, with 57 seconds remaining, near Grant telling him, "Like your dad always says...it's about the statements.'" As Slade closed in on his son's location, the bomb detonates, apparently killing Grant. These events are pictured below.

Version two of Grant's death was depicted in the 2013 Villain's Month issue, Teen Titans (2011) #23.2: Featuring Deathstroke. As relayed via a flashback, Slade took a job to stop a North Korean missile launch and brought Grant with him as his partner. After the rather cacophonous operation at the missile installation was complete, Slade and Grant hid out in home of an old acquaintance of Slade's. The North Koreans not only managed to figure out where Slade and Grant were laying low (Duh!), but also somehow managed to send in a military hit squad replete with two, count them, two military helicopters without the scientifically enhanced and battle-wise Deathstroke being aware of them until it was too late (Um...OK). As the North Koreans bust through the front door with all guns blazing, Grant was cut down in a hail of bullets. Grant's death distracted Slade to the point that some random North Korean soldier shot him in the head, putting out his now-famously missing eye. Slade goes into berserker mode and takes out the whole squad, but Grant was lost to him forever, or at least as far as Slade believed. These events are pictured below.

So which is it, blown up by the Midnighter, or gunned down by a North Korean military hit squad? Grant's apparent death, while not as final as Slade first believed, greatly influenced Slade Wilson's family life and career, which in turn shaped the character we all know him to be today. As such, there should be some degree of continuity stability for such a foundational event from Deathstroke's past. I wrote in the post regarding Slade's father(s) that I understand the need for retcons at times, but these conflicting versions of Grant's supposed death were published a little more than a year-and-a-half apart (February 2012 to September 2013) with no explanation, or even acknowledgement, as to why the past had apparently changed. Grant's multiple choice death scenario is either a case of absolutely ludicrous staff editing, or the newly-returned original Wally West (Wow, talk about a retcon.) is right and Dr. Manhattan truly is playing with us all.

RAVAGER ROLL CALL: Grant Wilson

The name "Ravager" is an important one in the Deathstroke mythos, but it is also a name with many, many meanings. In a series of features called RAVAGER ROLE CALL, I'll investigate the individuals and groups that have had the audacity to call themselves a "Ravager." 

Grant Wilson, the first Ravager

For our first stop on the roll call, it's only fitting to start at the beginning with the first Ravager, Grant Wilson. However, due to the DC Universe's penchant to restart from scratch every few decades or so, Grant Wilson's story is different depending on whether it was told before or after Flashpoint. Therefore Grant's story will be told in two parts with the first part focussing on the Pre-Flashpoint days.

Grant Wilson made his comics debut in New Teen Titans (1980) #1. He grew up hearing fantastic stories told to him by his father about the world's greatest mercenary, Deathstroke the Terminator. Grant's father, Slade Wilson, somehow neglected to tell young Grant that he actually was the terrible Terminator himself, which would come back to haunt him in time. The elder Wilson's stories had a great impact upon the future of Grant as he revered the legend of Deathstroke so much that he aspired to one day be just like him.

After military schooling, Grant moved into a Manhattan apartment with his girlfriend, Carrol Sladky. The two had long relationship, but not necessarily a good relationship as Grant's wandering eye resulted in some dalliances outside of their relationship. In addition Grant began associating with members of the H.I.V.E. organization and had become more aggressive toward Carol. As a result of Grant's erratic behavior, Carol moved out of their apartment.

Grant's first contact with the Teen Titans came when Starfire's ship destroyed the apartment he used to share with Carol when it crash landed after she escaped from her Gordanian abductors. Grant went to Carol's new place to tried to convince her to mover back in with him. Carol asked him to leave, but Grant would't take "no" for an answer. As he violently grabbed Carol's arm Starfire and Wonder Girl arrived and witnessed the assault. Starfire reacted and unleashed a starbolt, which knocked Grant across the room and into a wall. Grant recovered from the blast and left, swearing vengeance as he did so.

Grant turned to H.I.V.E. who promised to give him powers that would exceed even those of the Terminator, so that he could have his revenge on the Titans. After the procedure, Grant was christened "the Ravager" as he accepted the same H.I.V.E. contract to kill the Teen Titans that Deathstroke had earlier turned down because H.I.V.E. refused to pay him in advance.  The Ravager's first target was Cyborg as he confronted him at S.T.A.R. Labs. The two began to battle with the Ravager enjoying early success. Cyborg, however, gained the upper-hand and had Grant reeling. Only the interference of the Terminator stole the victory from Cyborg. During a verbal confrontation with Grant, the Terminator tried to convince him to let the contract go as he knew that Grant's powers were killing him. Refusing to back down, Grant vowed to get his revenge and made off to confront the Titans. Deathstroke followed after him.

As the Ravager began his assault on the Titans, he was joined by the Terminator and the two assassins fought side-by-side. The Ravager and Deathstroke were dominating the Titans when Starfire began to unleash her starbolts at Grant. Grant became overwhelmed at when dodging the starbolts as his powers were extracting their final tolls on his body. He collapsed during the battle as his body began to rapidly age and become frail. As Grant died he asked the Terminator, "D-Did we do it? D-did we kill the Titans?" Taking mercy upon the dying Ravager, Raven cast an illusion in his mind showing him the bodies of the Titans slain before him. As Slade witnessed his son's final breath, blaming the Titan's for his son's death he collected Grant's body and made his leave. Slade assumed responsibility of Grant's contract to kill the Titans beginning his legendary vendetta with the team.

As he died, Raven showed the Ravager the illusion of his revenge over the Teen Titans.

Unlike his New 52 incarnation, Grant Wilson really did die at this point never to return to life. Though the original Ravager did return in a fashion when he was resurrected by black ring during the Blackest Night storyline attacking his father and sister (and a Ravager in her own right), Rose Wilson. Only the intervention of his brother Jericho saved Rose and Slade from the undead wrath of the Ravager.

H.I.V.E.'s Who's Who Entry from 1985

Here is a scan of the 1985 Who's Who entry from issue #10 (X) for H.I.V.E.  This is the organization that first put out the contract on the Teen Titans, for which Deathstroke assumed responsibility when the first Ravager, Slade Wilson's son Grant, died before he could fulfill it. Art by New Teen Titans' legend, George Perez.