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.

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.