NIghtwing's Who's Who Entry from 1986

When Dick Grayson debuted in 1938's in the pages of Detective Comics (1937) #38, he originated the role of Batman's colorfully dressed teen sidekick, Robin. Grayson would carry this mantle until 1984's "The Judas Contract" story where he (along with Marv Wolfman and George Pérez) forged a new crime-fighting identity in Nightwing, during which his rivalry with Deathstroke really took off. I know that DC and Comixology recently re-released a digitally remastered version of the series, but posted below is a scan of the original 1986 Who's Who entry from issue #17 (XVII) featuring art by the Nightwing persona's co-creator, the legendary George Pérez.

TOOLS OF THE TERMINATOR: A Sword Called...Deathstroke!

The Deathstroke
Art by ACO

Since Deathstroke the Terminator's debut in the pages of The New Teen Titans (1980) #2, there has been at least one constant companion (with the exception of stints during the New 52) for Slade Wilson and his business of blood. That faithful companion is none other than his iconic battle sword with the yellow/orange cross-guard. Over time, this sword has become as closely associated with Deathstroke the Terminator as the trademark bifurcated color pattern of his mask so I thought that it was time to take a closer look at this infamous instrument of death.

When Christopher Priest took the reigns of the Deathstroke (2016) title as part of DC Comics' Rebirth publishing initiative, he not only returned the sword itself, which had been missing for much of the "New 52" and "DC You" runs, he greatly expanded its history and its connection to Slade himself. On Priest's own website, he wrote detailed new information including the origin of the sword and how it came to be owned by Slade (much of this information can also be found nearly word-for-word in dialog from Deathstroke (2016) #9). Priest wrote about the sword as follows:

Deathstroke's sword was originally named "Scrymgeour." Eòsaph Mar cut down a thousand of King Charles' men with it after Jenny Geddes threw her stool at the head of the minister in St [sic] Giles' Cathedral, inciting the Bishops' Wars. Or, at least, that's the story Deathstroke told. One of dozens. Slade Wilson actually won the sword from a rich collector in Glasgow with a full house, queens full of nines. An antique Grete war sword the blade was forged of three seperate pieces hammer-welded together, the bottommost a flattened diamond cross-pattern. The blade became mangeled during the "Judas Contract" incident and HIVE re-cast it in Type-II, or "Volatile," Promethium—a dangerous mutagen capable of absorbing unlimited amounts of energy—which Deathstroke  stole from S.T.A.R. Labs. It is suspected that particle bleed may have played a role in activating dormant metagenes in Slade's children. The blade cannot be damaged or destroyed by any known means.

An additional piece of information about the sword was revealed during a flashback scene in Deathstroke (2016) #9 when one of the other card players explained that the sword was eventually named "Deathstroke" as illustrated in the image below.

Slade Wilson seated at the bottom of the page...and the rest is history.
Art by Cary Nord

Slade used the sword for years, but it was all but destroyed during the events of the "Judas Contract." As described by Priest in the quote from above, when H.I.V.E. repaired the sword they added the super-metal Promethium giving it extra-physical properties (think of Promethium as a combination of Marvel Comics' Adamantium and Vibranium). The sword became virtually indestructible and capable of cutting any substance. It also gained incredible energy absorption abilities, the limits of which have yet to be seen. The sword's new abilities are illustrated below.

Deathstroke's Promethium sword is capable of cutting Superman
Art by Carlo Pagulayan

The sword can easily handle Superman's powerful heat vision.
Art by Carlo Pagulayan.

So to recap:

• The sword was originally called Scrymgeour, named for the medieval Scottish clan to whom the warriors that wielded it belonged.
• The sword was eventually renamed "Deathstroke," and was, therefore, the inspiration for Slade Wilson's professional nom de guerre.
• Slade won the sword in a card game. The sword-winning hand was a full house of queens and nines.
• The sword's extra-physical properties, granted by the super-metal, Promethium, make the sword indestructible, capable of absorbing massive amounts of energy, and may be partially responsible to the emergence of superpowers in Slade's children, Joseph (Jericho) and Rose Wilson.

THE TERMINATOR TAKEAWAY: Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)

This post may be a few years too late, but I recently had the opportunity to re-watch DC Universe Animated Original Movies' 28th offering, 2017's Teen Titans: The Judas Contract. Unlike 90% of folks with much bigger digital platforms, I fully understand that I am not even remotely qualified to review films, so I'm simply going to treat this post as more of a commentary.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract is an animated adaptation of Marv Wolfman and George Pérez classic 1984 Tales of the Teen Titans storyline of the same name (Tales of the Teen Titans #s 42 - 44 and Annual #3), and is also a continuation of the story that began in the 2013 DC animated film Son of Batman. Those of you who have not yet seen the film or are unfamiliar with the classic Judas Contract story may wish to stop reading this post now as spoilers will appear below.

SPOILERS BELOW!! SPOILERS BELOW!!

For those of us familiar with the source material, it is strange to see the Damian Wayne Robin and the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle in this context, even though a verbal exchange between Damian and Deathstroke (recounting the events of Son of Batman) does seem to somewhat validate Robin's involvement. It is also puzzling that Brother Blood and his Chuch of Blood appear in this film as the church was merged with H.I.V.E. for no other reason than to justify Blood's role as the film's big bad rather than Deathstroke. It seems to me that the story would have a bit more emotional resonance were Deathstroke the main villain as he was in the source material, but then again I am biased toward Slade. Deathstroke's son, Jericho, was even relegated from an important character making his big debut, to a blink-and-you'll-miss-him Easter Egg, though this was somewhat remedied by a post-credits scene.

The central plot points of the original story are still present in this adaptation. A troubled Terra is taken into the Titans' fold, though most of the Titans, save a smitten Changeling/Beast Boy, are cautious of her stand-offish nature. Terra is revealed to the audience to be a traitor to the Titans in the service of Deathstroke. Though she is definitely enamored with Slade, her sexual advances are deflected by him as he strings her along with promises of a true and full relationship after the job of destroying the Teen Titans is done, unlike the original version where it is clear that their relationship is a sexual one. One hallmark of the comic's version of this story that was wonderfully recreated in the film was the iconic "super window jump" scene as Deathstroke crashed through a plate glass window to ambush Nightwing in his civilian identity leading to what was easily the best fight scene in the entire film.

Any analysis of this film would be incomplete without mentioning some key performances from the voice cast. Deathstroke was brilliantly brought to menacing life by the late character actor, Miguel Ferrer, in one of his final roles. The talented Christina Ricci also masterfully portrayed Terra as both heartlessly ruthless and emotionally fragile. Stuart Allan is also to be commended for making Damian Wayne, a character I personally find difficult to stomach, sympathetic and, dare I say, likable.

Teen Titans: The Judas Contract is a flawed film that at times suffers from being stuffed into a box of animated universe continuity that just doesn't fit. Story elements and characters that were randomly added, or fundamentally changed do little to contribute to the overall enjoyability of the film. But with the basic plot from the source material intact, strong voice performances for key characters, and some pretty cool action sequences, Teen Titans: The Judas Contract can still be a pretty fun way to spend a weekend afternoon.

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.