TOOLS OF THE TERMINATOR: The God Killer

Though popularized in the Wonder Woman (2017) film (looking much less bad-ass by the way) the God Killer sword actually began its existence within the pages of a Deathstroke story. As the DC Comics' Convergence event, the publisher released a series of 8-page DC Sneak Peek editions to preview all of the post-Convergence/DC You storylines. DC Sneak Peek: Deathstroke (2015) was published on its own digitally and in print as the backup story for Convergence: Shadow of the Bat (2015) #2. In that preview, Deathstroke was offered a contract by Hephaestus, divine blacksmith of Mt. Olympus, "to kill a god." Hephaestus put down a deposit in the form of gold coins falling from the sky and presented Slade with the only weapon capable of ending a god, the mystical God Killer sword. Long story short, Deathstroke took the job, fought alternately against and alongside Superman and Wonder Woman, and fulfilled the contract by killing the Greek Titan, Lapetus, with the God Killer. This post takes a closer look at the deadly blade and the destruction that comes with it.

Deathstroke with the God Killer
Art by Tony S. Daniel

Though he didn't have it for long, Deathstroke wielded the God Killer with devastating results. The sword itself was forged by Hephaestus at the behest of Apollo and was to be used to eliminate the Titan Lapetus in the event of Apollo's death. The sword was made of the mysterious super element known as Eighth Metal, which was used to forge weapons and armor for the gods, including Apollo's Sunblade and Wonder Woman's mystic bracelets. The God Killer is capable of discharging a blast of destructive energy causing an extreme amount of damage. It is also capable of absorbing any type of force and then redirecting it at twice its original magnitude. In addition, the Eighth Metal composition allows the God Killer to reconstruct itself were it to ever be damaged or destroyed. 

The God Killer is semi-sentient as was evident when Deathstroke first used it. Slade described the experience as being guided by the blade to accomplish its goals rather than being a just a weapon. The God Killer actively compels its wielder toward their intended target. The blade is also capable of reading its wielder and then altering its form to best suit them. The God Killer once even became two smaller swords allowing Deathstroke to take on multiple opponents simultaneously. The sword can also act as a conduit for the thoughts and memories of any divine being (god or Titan) that has touched it. Once these thoughts have been absorbed into the God Killer, they can then be accessed by the next wielder of the sword whether they are god or mortal.

Deathstroke with the God Killer. This doesn't end well
for Lapetus.
Art by Tony S. Daniel

Regardless of who wields it, the God Killer sword is one of the most dangerous weapons that has ever been created in the DC Universe. It becomes even more dangerous in the deadly hands of someone like Deathstroke the Terminator. But if you think about it, any weapon created specifically to kill a god shouldn't be anything less.

Two Eyes? Deathstroke Don't Need No Stinking Two Eyes!

Throughout Deathstroke's many incarnations one signature design element is almost always present: His half-dark mask. But the reason that the left side of the mask is dark is that underneath that side he has lost an eye. Over the course of the years readers have been shown the fatal fate of his right (our left) eye, which like most things in the DC Universe is a multiple choice affair. Below, we take a look at Slade's missing eye(s). (Ha! See what I did there?)

The original, and in my opinion best story of Deathstroke losing his eye was told in Tales of the Teen Titans (1980) #44 as the third chapter of the now legendary Judas Contract storyline. Adeline Kane accuses Terra of working with the Terminator to bring down the Teen Titans. Adeline is joined by her son Joseph and tells the origin of both Deathstroke, and her son Jericho. Slade has been acting as a mercenary and assassin for years without ever telling his wife, Adeline. A rival mercenary, known as the Jackal, arranged for an armed attack on Slade and Adeline's home resulting in the abduction of their son Joseph. Once they track down the Jackal, he wants Slade to give up information regarding his clients. Slade refuses this request citing his own professional ethics. Slade trusts that his enhanced reflexes and training will allow him to rescue Joseph without betraying his professional ethics. Slade did rescue Joseph, but not before one of the Jackal's men had begun to slit his throat, rendering poor Joseph unable to ever speak again. These events are depicted below.

Adeline was furious to the point of hate with Slade as he valued his professional ethics and reputation far more than the life of his own son. Adeline tried to take Slade's life shooting him at close range, but his enhanced reflexes saved his life as Adeline's bullet only took Slade's eye.

Jumping to the New 52 continuity, Teen Titans (2011) # 23.2 depicts Slade taking a job to sabotage a North Korean nuclear facility with his son Grant , the Ravager, as his partner. After completing the job, Slade and Grant hole up in the home of one of Slade's old friends. Long story short, the North Koreans find their hiding place and attack it with extreme prejudice. The onslaught of the house resulted in the both "death" of Grant and the loss of Slade's eye as depicted below.

The last tale of Slade's missing eye took place in Deathstroke (2014) #s 1-2. Deathstroke was hired to take out an old associate named Possum.

But it turns out that the Possum job was a set up and that Possum was hired by Odysseus to kill Deathstroke. Possum speaks a codeword that triggers Slade to reveal coded information via a post-hypnotic suggestion. Once Slade reveals the information he is mentally incapacitated. Possum takes Slade's swords and begins slicing him to shreds. Slade turns the tide and apparently kills Possum, but just for the moment. As Slade escapes he is met with a ninja-like hit squad also sent by Odysseus. Between the mental trauma of the hypnosis and the physical attacks of Possum and Odysseus' hit squad, Slade's healing factor was pushed beyond its limits. In dire straits, he manages to make his way to a safe house run by the mysterious I-Ching.

But Slade got much more than even he bargained for as I-Ching's methods seems to have caused Slade's healing factor to restore his body not only to health, but to youth as well as pictured below.

Slade apparently required more proof than
a restored and functioning eye to prove that
he had indeed been rejuvenated. Why this
was that proof is beyond me.

Fast-forwarding to the end of the Godkiller storyline in Deathstroke (2014) #10, after Deathstroke kills the (Greek not Teen) Titan Lapetus, Hephaestus informs Slade that the killing of a gods comes with a blood sacrifice that must be made by the killer. To not make the blood sacrifice would bring the wrath of the remaining members of the Greek pantheon down upon Deathstroke himself. After refusing to sacrifice either of his children, Slade sacrifices the one thing he knows he can live without as seen below.

They apparently took it.