In Deathstroke Inc. #6, Slade Wilson makes a surprising declaration that ensures that he will never be DC’s most dangerous villain.
WARNING: The following article contains spoilers from Deathstroke Inc. #6, on sale now from DC Comics.
In Deathstroke Inc. #6 (by Joshua Williamson, Paolo Pantalena, Romulo Fajardo Jr., and Steve Wands), Slade Wilson has broken bad once again, claiming that since he cannot truly commit to being a hero, he would become the “King of Villains.” Despite his harsh words however, there is clear evidence that suggests that Deathstroke will not be capable of really becoming the DC Universe’s most dangerous villain. This is in large part due to the humanity that still resides in him and keeps him from becoming irredeemably evil.
After he had usurped control of the Secret Society, Deathstroke attempted to get Black Canary to join him in an effort to balance out his worst impulses. She tried to convince him to just get out of the life altogether and go back his family, but he refused. He argued that he had tried to be both a family man and a hero in the past but it had never worked. He then reasoned that if he cannot be a hero, then he would become the worst of the villains, proclaiming himself “the baddest of the bad.”
To a degree, Deathstroke is absolutely right. He has tried to do the right thing on several occasions, but due to a combination of distrust from other heroes, his own personal issues, and insurmountable temptation, he always returns to being a villain, or at the very least, an anti-hero.
Yet Deathstroke has never truly leaned into being a villain. Sure, he’s done villainous things, but never really took sides in the perpetual battle of good vs. evil. At his core, the mercenary is a creature of practicality. He looks at a situation and does what is necessary to either survive or triumph. In this scenario, he has opted to assume control, having been an extension of others’ wills in the past rather than one of the instigators. Recent events, however, have shown him the dangers of his chosen position.
Despite his words, Deathstroke does not appear to be a person who can become inherently dastardly. His goal of being the “best villain” can only truly be achieved in terms of efficiency, not in degrees of evil. The reason for this is due to the lingering humanity within him. Although he has done horrible things in his life as a mercenary, he has also exhibited a resounding kindness, best exemplified in his interactions with his family even if they don’t always see eye to eye. As long as Deathstroke has those connections, he will never truly be able to commit to being evil because something exists that encourages his benevolent nature.
The only way that Deathstroke will really become the best villain is by being the most successful. His newly reorganized Deathstroke Inc. is the means by which he may achieve success, but even that is unlikely. Rebranding himself as the “King of Villains” may sound ominous, but even this serves a practical purpose. Deathstroke wants to use his group to prevent another crisis, feeling that the struggle between good and evil has thrown the universe into chaos too many times and that someone needs to manage it, which is actually a benevolent goal. So while Deathstroke may aiming to become DC’s best villain, he can never truly be its worst.
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