If you ask the right fan : Who’s the deadliest assassin in DC Comics and you might get a Deadshot answer here or a Lady Shiva answer over there but more often than not, you’re only gonna hear one name : Deathstroke.
Deathstroke has appeared in many different DC comics since his first appearance in 1980’s New Teen Titans #2 and has since become something of a primary villain for characters like Batman and Green Arrow. He’s a brilliant strategist that can hold his own against just about any foe and has even challenged the entire Justice League before. His code of honor is something that really separates him from a lot of other characters in a strange way : He will never reveal who hired him or who his informants are, even to the point of allowing his own son to be kidnapped and have his vocal chords cut to where he would become mute the rest of his life. So, yeah, he’s incredibly cold hearted and has a strained familial relationship to say the least.
Deathstroke has always worked for the best interest of only himself with his loved ones being mere puppets for him most of the time but honestly that kinda makes him interesting because who will this man not cheat? Even in his most famous story : “The Judas Contract” he uses Terra to destroy the Teen Titans and because she’s a mentally broken runaway she believes in him the entire time, which leads to a soul crushing finale and an epic showdown between Deathstroke and Nightwing.
Deathstroke has been adapted for other forms of Media such as his appearance in The Batman Arkham games and The Arrow T.V. Show but my personal favorite version of him will always be “Slade” from the original Teen Titans animated series. They did his role in such a great and mysterious way that he was always one of my favorite cartoon villains growing up. From the episode where he made Robin his apprentice to the episode where he’s a follower of Trigon, this version of the character will always be in my memory.
Deathstroke is the definitive assassin and that’s why he’s on my top 50.
