Wanting to get rich off all of the money and gold that had been left unprotected due to the Atlantean/Amazon war, Deathstroke (the alias of Slade Wilson) took up piracy, choosing to remain neutral and go about his own business. He formed a crew with friends and several criminals including; Briggs, Hanscar, and Icicle (who he had bitter resentment for).
He was the captain of the Ravager and
renowned for being a cold-blooded killer, that was one of the most dangerous and feared pirates in all of the "seven seas." He did this by memorising and mastering the stratagems and schematics of the pirate crews and their ships, exploiting every possible weakness or outcome.
Forming a rivalry with the Warlord - who he had formed a begrudging respect for, - Deathstroke began pursuing him and his war fleet, leading an assault on the Skartaris. Calling for all hands to his deck, he declared that if Warlord was personally manning his second vessel in command, it would have to be full of treasure.
Opening fire on the ship with a mounted turret gun, he ordered Briggs and the rest of his men to dock the Skartaris and finish them, having first ascertained through Brigg's twin sister (who co-inhabits his body due to his meta-human abilities) that the ship was carrying a woman frozen in suspended animation. Drawing his blade, he fought with Warlord, telling the captain that he desired the cargo he was transporting.
Acting as a distraction for the rest of his crew, Slade took several cuts, before finally smashing Warlord in the face with the retort that from the position he was in, he was going to be the victor. Stabbing his opponent through the arm, he ordered his crew to make a full retreat now they had their "hostage", yelling triumphantly that they would face another day. To make sure that Warlord did not follow them, he ordered Icicle to freeze the Skartaris in a block of ice. He mused that, although the battle had finished earlier than he had wanted it to, they had achieved their objective. Watching as Warlord retreated, he proudly stated that he would enjoy the greatest challenge of all, storming Travis Morgan's lead ship the Tara.
Letting his crew celebrate their victory and torture their prisoner, he descended down below to examine the statis pod, maddened by the revelation that the girl inside was not his daughter Rose, but instead was Jenny Blitz. Discovering her name and abilities from the pod's recorded data, he questioned whether she was related to the meta-human the Human Bomb, since they both shared similar powers.
Interrupted by the arrival of the prisoner, he demanded to know where his daughter was, coldly telling the belligerent man that he had no plans in killing him. Instead Slade remarked that he would put him through such physical and mental torture to get the required information, that eventually he would be begging to die. Dismissing his crew, he begins the process, drawing a huge amount of blood that spattered across the round window embedded into the door.
Returning to the deck with the prisoner, who has been severely beaten and missing all of his fingers, Deathstroke overheard his men talking about needing more crew members, agreeing with them in their assessment of the situation. Giving his dead men a final farewell, he commanded them to be thrown to the sea, honouring them with a minute of silence.
Having gathered the whereabouts of Rose and a place to find a new crew from the hostage, Slade told his men to start making the repairs to the Ravager, while he planned their next move in his cabin. Before he left, he ordered them to investigate Saint Helena.
Having showered, he mused over how his life had turned out, vowing to find Rose and bring her back to him as he stared at a framed photograph of her. He also swore vengeance to all the people who had been involved.
Landing off the coast of a prison, he entrusted care of the Ravager to Hanschel, threatening to kill him if anything happened. Leading a small part via motor boat, he cut through the guards and reached the command room, demanding to know where Rose was. However he learned that he had arrived too late, with her being transferred a few days earlier to a meta-human laboratory in Norway. Throwing the interrogated guard into the computer system, he told his men to kill the guards while he gathered those in cell block 7, promising to "make them an offer they can not refuse."
Addressing all of the captives, Deathstroke declared that he was offering them a one-time offer to join his crew and become legends. Demanding loyalty, he warned them that joining him would have many risks and difficulties, but they would profit from the war as they moved through the sunken Western Europe.
As he had expected, every meta-human within the block accepted the offer. As they were leaving Clayface told him of a prisoner who would be a useful asset for robbing banks and cities underwater. Tasking with his new crew to blow up the guard boats whilst they went to solitary confinement to recruit Sonar. However when they reached the secure area of the prison they find only Eel, who remarked that they had missed Sonar, who had been taken on a ship called the Maafa. Hearing his pleas to join the crew of the Ravager, Deathstroke shot his containment cell, but warned him that he would kill him if he thought about betraying them - having been apart of a hostage trade involving Sonar a few hours before Slade's ambush.
Locating the Maafa, Deathstroke peacefully approached and used his charm to secure Sonar without any bloodshed, allowing Captain Colins and his crew to sail away after business was concluded. Telling their new prisoner that he was to be their property now, he snapped at Eel to stop electrocuting Wlladon. Hearing the defiance in his voice, Slade remarked they were "bold words", ordering their newest crew member to be taken below, before continuing north. Fully aware that his crew were not to be trusted, he continued with his mission to be with Rose.
Whilst staring at the pod in his cabin, he allowed one of his men to enter, warning them that they had better be prepared for entering "marked water".
Entering Paris the next day, Deathstroke did not realise they had been spotted by Ocean Master and Emperor Aquaman from the remnants of the Eiffel Tower - his reputation going so far as to be known by the ruling figures of Atlantis. Before he can do anything to react the Ravager was boarded and Aquaman
stabbed him through the chest with his trident, declaring that the two of them would kill them, demanding that Ocean Master left no survivors.
Although he had a meta-human ability that rapidly healed his body, the wound from the trident left him lightheaded and weak, forced to watch as Machiste is decapitated by his own axe. As the battle gets worse, Eel tried to help him , however Ocean Master attacked him and beat him back. Prince Orm attacked Slade, knocking him unconscious as he silently begged for Rose's forgiveness.
Stirring hours later, he was diagnosed with a filing heart and torn insides, yet still alive. Having been ordered by Briggs to shock him with enough of a charge to get the organ working again, Eel used his abilities to resuscitate Slade. Coming round, he groggily asked what had happened before screaming in agony. With Sonar determining that he had a piece of the trident embedded deep within his pulmonary artery, Deathstroke agreed to making Wlladon second in command if he could save his life - barking at him to just get on with it and do what needed to be done. As soon as the magical fragment of the trident was removed, Slade's healing powers returned, quickly regaining his strength.
Ordering for Briggs to set about putting out the fires and clearing the deck of blood, he agreed with Icicle's suggestion to honour the fallen crew members and bury them at sea with all of their treasures. Pulling Sonar aside, he promised he would not treat him like a servant anymore, valuing him as a respected member of the crew who had just saved his life. Understanding the necessity to make a retreat to unoccupied water, he dismissed Sonar's report that they were directly above the Louve, telling his new second in command that they would live today and get revenge on the Atlanteans in the future. Calling for them to get ready to sail to Norway after they have buried their fallen, he mused that there was a far
more valuable treasure that he coveted.
Realising that his crew had very low morale and the Ravager was barely running, he tried his best to carry on. Yet they were set upon by Warlord, who blasted the ship and demanded that he surrendered, waiting for an answer. In response, Slade shot him in the eye with a sniper rifle, which he joked was a miss, since he was "aiming for his mouth." He is suddenly shocked by the pursuing ships exploding, turning to hear Jenny Blitz declare it was her - her capsule being taken off statis by the Atlantean royal ambush - and that she would be taking over the position of Captain.
Taking her to his chambers, he demanded to know everything he could about her, which she replied she would reveal after she had washed the cryo-chemicals from her body. As she showered, he explained that she had been in the possession of Warlord until they saved her, adding that she seemingly destroyed his entire fleet. He viewed his death to be far from honourable, but shrugged it off, getting an argument with her over whose ship the Ravager was. He told Jenny that, as much as he wanted to drop her off and eave her, he still needed her to save his daughter. Surprising her with this answer, he passionately kissed her, cutting her off as she questioned him on her reward for helping him fulfil his wish. She slapped him across the face, marking that he was old enough to be her father, however he wondered why that was such an issue. He promised to give her his half of the treasure in exchange for her help in rescuing Rose.
Forming a sexual relationship with Jenny, Slade was interrupted during sex by Brigg's ghostly spirit twin sister, who reported both her brother and Hanscarl's death at the hands of the Ravager crew and their mutiny. Paying his respect to her loyal brother, he listened to her findings, consoling the dying spirit as she began fading to the afterlife - unable to keep a physical form in the world now that her host was gone.
Taking up his costume and guns, both he and Jenny killed the two crew members attempting to assassinate them in his chamber. Moving through the ship, the two hunted down the mutineers. But he told Jenny that he would kill the main conspirators himself as they were his crew, stabbing Eel through the chest as he told the convict that he had given him freedom and repaid him with treachery.
Reaching the deck, he cut through all who tried to attack, giving Jenny permission to avenge Briggs and kill Icicle in the most painful way she can. With Sonar the only one alive, Deathstroke followed Jenny's advice and put his earplugs in. Shooting his enemy in the leg, Slade cut his throat, leaving him alive long enough to hear him brag about his deal with the Caretaker. Remarking that should "go to Hell," Slade shot him in the head.
Taking the wheel, he grew furious at the Caretaker using Rose as a hostage, realising that the only way he could get her back was to exchange Jenny in his place - who had been empowered by the Caretaker. Using a seditive to knock her out, he prepared to confront his new enemy.
Placing Jenny back in her pod, they boarded the Caretaker's ship, successfully completing the exchange. Greeting Rose, he asked her to take the Ravager away from the scene, following the instructions that she had left in the bridge. He remarked that he did not know why he wanted Jenny, labelling her a dangerous "maniac." Held at gunpoint, he added that he was worth so much more alive than Rose was, allowing her safe passage, before they could turn weapons on her. He yelled at her to leave him and save herself.
Cursing them for using his daughter as a bargaining chip, Deathstroke set off a controlled explosion that released Jenny from her pod, calmly telling him the Caretaker that he was wrong for believing he would use an explosion to kill himself. Cutting Jenny off as she tried to question his actions, he told her that he would answer all her questions, as long as she attacked the other members of the fleet.
Taking a gunshot wound to the leg, he hurled a grenade at a box of explosives, blinded by his desire to get revenge upon the man who had tortured Rose. The entire ship is destroyed and he is sent crashing into the water, desiring the forgiveness of both Jenny and Rose for his failure.
"Separation Anxiety"
Deathstroke was left floating in the burning wreckage of the Caretaker's destroyed ruins, still clutching the grenade pin in his hand. He eventually passed out from blood loss and exertion, giving up hope for ever being rescued. He mused that although
he was as good as dead, he still had a tale that historians would want to study.
"The Treasure"
When he eventually came round, he had learned that Rose had doubled back and pulled both himself and Jenny from the water. Trying to apologise to Jenny for his actions, she told him that she completely understood, thanking him for his part in killing the Caretaker, but also forcing him to promise to never try and use her as a weapon again.
Hugging Rose close to him, he swore that he would never leave her alone or defenceless again, setting sail in the Ravager together into the sunset.
Appearances:
- "Separation Anxiety" (First Appearance/Flashback and Present)
- "Red Tide" (Flashback Only)
- "The Treasure" (Final Appearance/Flashback and Present)
The alias of Charles Victor Szasz (later Victor Sage), The Question was one one of many costumed individuals who decided to take up arms against the Atlanteans and Amazons, in the hope they can bring peace to war torn world.
