SUPERMAN versus DEATHSTROKE

Sins of the Father (DC)
Where: Superman #68 When: June 1992
Why: Dan Jurgens How: Dan Jurgens & Brett Breeding

The Story So Far...
For his entire adult life Slade Wilson has been caught in a cycle of violence, warfare, and betrayal. As Deathstroke The Terminator he's one of the world's most dangerous mercenaries, but his pursuit of a corrupt CIA agent has made him a wanted fugitive from the law!

Delayed on the tarmac in a commercial flight arriving to Metropolis, the disguised mercenary soon realizes he's the target of an undercover sting. His escape from the heavily armed Special Crimes Unit has unforeseen consequences when stray bullets strike a stewardess who also happens to be the daughter of an old war buddy - Sam Lane!

The wounded Lucy Lane is also the sister of Lois, whose romantic involvement with Superman sets the hero on a mission to find the man accused of responsibility. They were allies when the shadow of Warworld was cast over the planet, but now Deathstroke is being hunted!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Superman 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Draw 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Superman 6 (Mach Speed)
Stamina: Superman 6 (Generator)
Agility: Deathstroke 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Deathstroke 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Superman 5 (Lasers)
Total: Superman 33 (Super)

Superman is pretty much out of Deathstroke's league, but we come to this battle with the entrenched legend that a mortal man with skill, determination, and resources can orchestrate the downfall of The Man of Steel!

There was always the example of Superman's arch-nemesis Lex Luthor, but The Dark Knight Returns #4 established an enduring romantic vision for tactics and fighting ability levelling the playing field. It's something we've seen play out over many subsequent rematches. So if Batman can do it -- why not Deathstroke?

Along with extensive military training and field experience; Slade Wilson boasts super-human enhancements that put him a step ahead of most men.

Functioning with 90% brain capacity increases his tactical processing, speed, and reflexes, allowing Deathstroke to get the absolute most out of his performance in combat situations.

The greatest example of his potential may be Identity Crisis #3: There he was able to match and neutralize the super-powered ranks of the Justice League, by undertaking a specific detailed strategy for each opponent, including The Flash, Zatanna, Hawkman, Black Canary, and Green Lantern!

It wasn't a fluke, either. Two years after his debut Deathstroke performed the rare feat of beating Marvel's X-Men in the 1982 crossover Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans! The same issue also showed him ruthlessly defeating Batman's greatest student and his frequent Teen Titans adversary - Dick Grayson.

Superman is usually the overwhelming obstacle a less powerful character aims to overcome, but in more recent years that's a role Deathstroke has served. He was part of The Society team that devastated the Freedom Fighters in Infinite Crisis #1, and played the lone unbeatable bogeyman in Birds of Prey #90, and Green Arrow #62. The unpowered Green Arrow also stopped him in Identity Crisis.

With the right circumstances Deathstroke could almost certainly beat Superman, but operating alone will he have the necessary resources? Let's find out...

The Tape: Superman Ranking: Superman (#5)

What Went Down...

Deathstroke knows he's taking a risk vaulting across the Metropolis skyline in plain sight. Ordinarily he'd never chance such a visible dash -- not when he can be so easily spotted by the likes of Superman!

The Man of Steel has been looking for Deathstroke since the mercenary was inadvertently involved in the shooting of Lucy Lane. Superman has no way of knowing Deathstroke is innocent -- and is out to get answers!

Superman orders Deathstroke to give up and be taken in, but The Terminator has no intentions of going quietly. He unloads with a full plasma blast from his energy lance, and turns his enhanced mind to coming up with a means of escape!

Knowing he's outmatched: Deathstroke leaps from the rooftop -- relying on reflexes and guile to take him to a flag pole on the side of the building, providing a means of slowing his descent into a graceful flip! The flip sends him towards a street light, which in turn allows him to swing safely to the main street below!

The daring display keeps Deathstroke on step ahead of Superman, who thinks the mercenary has erred by landing dangerously close to the path of an oncoming Lexfreight delivery truck.

The speeding traffic provides enough momentary cover for Deathstroke, who rolls between the wheels of the truck and lies motionless within the exhaust fumes of passing vehicles -- until a bus passes over and provides a means of escape!

While Superman scans the road behind for signs of injury -- Deathstroke snags the rear bumper of the bus and swings himself onto the roof!

The invincible Superman soon thinks twice about Deathstroke's mortal frailty and spots him crouched on the escaping public transport.

Knowing he must keep moving to stay one step ahead of the impressed Superman -- Deathstroke leaps from the bus and backflips through the display window of a nearby department store!

Superman pursues, remaining intent on bringing his former-ally in. He scans the store, peering through the dark and listening with super-human accuracy.

With knowledge of Deathstroke's troubled past, Superman appeals to The Terminator's emotions. He mentions the mercenary's dead son and the potential cost of his latest violent actions, causing Slade Wilson's steady heart rate to spike.

Cheap ceiling tiles lift away easily to reveal Deathstroke hidden in the darkness of the space above. In seconds he's plucked from his hiding place and held in the inescapable steel grip of a rear naked choke!

Superman comes down hard on his short-lived ally, but Deathstroke asks for his trust and passage to Lucy Lane's hospital room. He knows he's been beaten, but his heart is still intent on confronting.

The Hammer...

With modern eyes it's kinda refreshing to look back on an issue that unashamedly respects Superman as the indomitable hero he is. Deathstroke made a valiant attempt at escape, but never really stood a chance.

For the fight fans: I don't doubt that Deathstroke could defeat Superman.

This issue makes some of the concessions you would usually find in an upset win against The Man of Steel. We might accept that Deathstroke moved suddenly enough to catch Superman flat-footed at first, but disappearing onto the road while traffic rolls over him is straining plausibility -- even without X-Ray vision.

We're led to believe Superman is coming into this face-off extra motivated by the shooting of Lucy Lane, but the plot also plays off of trust built by his recent team-up with Deathstroke just a few months prior, in Panic in the Sky.

Superman actually recruited Deathstroke from a rooftop in that story. He was seeking tactical leadership for a preemptive military strike against Brainiac's Warworld. An effort to take the war to space before it destroyed the Earth.

Indeed, Deathstroke successfully guided a team of heroes through the frontlines of Panic in the Sky, and you might've been fooled into thinking it was a full submission of the morally grey mercenary into prospective herodom.

Slade Wilson was already skirting the line of being a hero as the main protagonist of his own on-going series, and the Justice League had certainly welcomed more unusual members into their line-up over the years. It wasn't to be, though.

Ultimately Superman #68 serves to balance the books. Deathstroke still isn't an outright villain -- he wasn't directly responsible for Lucy Lane being shot while he escaped Maggie Sawyer's Special Crimes Unit -- but he's never the less returned to a more morally grey, antagonistic position.

Superman successfully takes The Terminator into custody at the end of this issue, and in his own series Deathstroke is moved to prison. He was setup by a corrupt CIA agent, but it hardly matters. Wilson quickly stages an escape that brings him into conflict with the Justice League and firmly ensconces him in outlaw status.

It's a pleasant reminder of just how much Deathstroke ventured into the larger DCU in the early nineties. 2004's Identity Crisis #3 might be viewed as the moment he was cemented as a villain for the entire DC Universe, but he'd already had a series of encounters with a who's who of DC heroes by that point.

I'm very much enjoying expanding the Deathstroke file and I'm sure we'll take a closer look at some of those other battles in the future. If you'd like to find them, or plenty of other featured fights, you should follow links throughout this post, or dive into the Secret Archive for a complete index ordered by publisher and series!

Secret Wars on Infinite Earths has featured well over 600 battles and ranked more than 1000 characters! If you like what it's all about you can help the project continue to grow by supporting on Patreon. As a thank you patrons receive access to additional updates, polls, and custom article options.

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If you'd like to witness today's featured fight in its entirety you can find it collected as part of Deathstroke The Terminator Vol. 2: Sympathy for the Devil. Use the Amazon purchase link provided to get yourself a good deal delivered to your door -- and you'll also support the site at no extra cost!

Winner: Superman
#4 (+1) Superman
#81 (-3) Deathstroke

DEATHSTROKE versus BIRDS OF PREY

Perfect Pitch Part Five (DC)
Where: Birds of Prey #90 When: March 2006 Why: Gail Simone How: Paulo Siqueira & Adam DeKraker

The Story So Far...
Calculator has become the central nervous system behind unionized villains of The Society. Marshalling a network of criminals, information and intelligence, he helped create the ultimate force in organized crime -- but his online dominion is challenged by one white hat hacker: Oracle!

New incarnations of Hellhound and Black Spider failed to bring down Oracle's associates, The Birds of Prey, after torturing Savant, but one of the perks of The Society is having access to a near limitless army of super-villain back-up!

Deathstroke has his sights on terminating Black Canary and Huntress while they attempt to evacuate casualties of their last battle!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Deathstroke 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Savant 5 (Professor)
Speed: Deathstroke 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Deathstroke 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Black Canary 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Deathstroke 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Huntress 3 (Explosives)
Total: Deathstroke 26 (Metahuman)

Calculator called in one of The Society's best available mercenaries to provide back-up! Deathstroke showed just how deadly he can be when he impaled Phantom Lady during a Society hit on the Freedom Fighters in Infinite Crisis #1!

Being deployed alone against a group of heroes shouldn't be an issue. He was largely able to manage the X-Men alone when they crossed over in Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans. He also famously and single-handedly set about dismantling the Justice League in Identity Crisis #3!

The Birds of Prey are: Black Canary, Huntress, Lady Blackhawk, Creote, and Savant.

The Identity Crisis battle still hangs over Black Canary in this encounter. He tied an airtight rubber mask over her head to silence the canary cry, and cuffed her to prevent any hand-to-hand reprisals. He utilized thorough tactics to beat the odds and systematically work his way through the likes of Flash, Zatanna, Hawkman, and Green Arrow.

We saw Green Arrow win his rematch with Deathstroke in Green Arrow #62, which highlighted the benefits of knowing the enemy and changing up the play.

Her sonic canary cry remains her best advantages over Deathstroke. We saw its power bring the Marvel Family to their knees in Crisis on Infinite Earths #6, and dissipate Shadow Thief in Justice League of America #15. She also defeated Giganta in the latter issue, using agility, and Cheshire, with fighting technique.

After their last battle, The Canary will know not to rely on her sonic attack. Like Green Arrow, she'll look to use her own tactical and combat skills to match The Terminator as best she can, while working to undermine his meticulous style.

In Underworld Unleashed #3, we saw Huntress help turn the tables against a cadre of super-villains with reckless abandon. Her improvised use of explosives seemingly endangered Black Canary, but it was a calculated risk that also got her out of harm. That ruthlessness could compliment Canary during this fight!

Lady Blackhawk is en route at the start of the fight and could provide air support to clear Deathstroke if things go bad. Savant is wounded from being tortured, and Creote will likely stay with him.

The Tape: Birds of Prey Ranking: Black Canary (#38)

What Went Down...
On a lonely rooftop in Gotham City the Birds of Prey drag their wounded topside to await transport. When they get to the rain spattered roof they soon find The Society had a third man watching over proceedings: Deathstroke!

With a drawn sword already in his hand, Deathstroke offers the Birds a chance to leave the injured Black Spider and go freely. Black Canary spits the offer back in his face and shows him the difference between the last time he humiliated her in combat and now -- this time there aren't any Justice Leaguers in the way!

Huntress fires off three bolts from her crossbow while Black Canary launches into a leaping kick that catches Deathstroke by the side of the head.

Internally, Canary knows she was allowed to strike first so Deathstroke could show he won't be so easily hurt. She keeps him busy, talking trash about finding a way to beat him after their last encounter. In her mind, she remains trained on one thought: the three seconds of distraction that will allow her victory.

Deathstroke fires back with an uppercut that sends the Canary airborne and reminds her just how hard his super-soldier enhancements can hit!

Huntress jumps back into the fray, but Deathstroke blocks her punch and effortlessly swats her away with the backhand of his sword-wielding fist! The deals are off the table. Now he's playing for keeps!

Without warning -- Creote rushes across the rooftop at Deathstroke!

With no regard for his own life, the Russian special forces soldier attempts to grapple with Deathstroke. He seeks only to hurt the mercenary for the pain he and The Society inflicted upon his beloved Savant!

The impassioned assault tangles Deathstroke up for a moment, but is soon remedied with a backwards rolling judo toss.

Black Canary takes the opportunity to rush in and feint for the canary cry, allowing Deathstroke a pre-emptive strike that snaps the bone in her arm. It would've choked the voice in her throat -- if that were her true intent...

The gambit was merely providing distraction while Huntress snuck up from behind and attacked his vertical base with a low strike! The low blow provides the three seconds needed to extend two fingers, cut across Deathstroke's blind side, and thrust her digits into his good eye!

Blood spurts from The Terminator's mask and he recoils, swinging his sword wildly to push Black Canary back! She dedicates the strike to Phantom Lady.

Deathstroke pivots toward the edge of the rooftop and resumes a prepared stance. Canary's eye poke of doom didn't puncture the eyeball. It will heal -- not that he needs to actually see to kill any of them. Canary knows it, too.

Canary threatens to blast Deathstroke from the roof with her canary cry if he goes for his gun, but he's not convinced she'll be fast enough. The stand-off is suddenly interrupted by Lady Blackhawk, who appears on the fire escape behind Deathstroke with pistols drawn. She under estimates his ability!

Blackhawk's warning gave Deathstroke a location. He expertly twists his body around, disarming her with a twisting kick that carries him from the roof edge, onto the target and iron ledge. In seconds his hand is around her throat, dangling the pilot precariously over a multi-story drop!

The pouring rain tests his gloved grip and Black Canary has no choice but to concede to Slade's leverage. "Dammit. He wins. He always wins", she thinks spitefully. He commends her for almost beating him. Then: the unexpected!

Gunfire sprays the air, catching Deathstroke by surprise! The discharge sends him falling backwards over the fire escape rail with Lady Blackhawk!

The Canary throws herself forward to pull Lady Blackhawk back to the safety of the rainy rooftop. There, Savant sits worse for wear wielding one of Black Spider's smoking pistols. A favour to end his association with Oracle.

The Hammer...

It looked like a done deal when Deathstroke literally had them on their knees, but Savant managed to exploit the hard work of the Birds of Prey to pull out a slightly dubious last minute win!

This is essentially one of the follow-up battles to Identity Crisis #3, which drastically increased the stock of Deathstroke, and set up about a half a dozen legitimate rematches with various heroes.

Green Arrow in particular came out of Identity Crisis poised to become one of Deathstroke's new arch-rivals (or vice versa). This consequently made their rematch in Green Arrow #62 all about GA taking the master mercenary down. It established the pair as equals by flipping the script on Deathstroke's tactical foresight, showing Green Arrow could match him in planning and execution.

Not so in Birds of Prey #90, which delivers Deathstroke to Black Canary in overlap with events already unfolding in the series, and DCU at large. Primary is Calculator's obsession with besting Oracle, while the expanding influence of The Society also plays out, as it was in various other titles.

Both issues do a good job of juggling the lead protagonist's credibility against the newfound status of Deathstroke, but Birds of Prey dares to allow its hero to all but fail in service of the villain. Black Canary took him to the very edge, but with a broken arm and her allies in peril, she was forced to tap out.

For the purposes of our record: Savant will go down as victor, but he functions more like an exit strategy for the story. His eleventh hour gun spray credibly takes Deathstroke off the board without undermining his win. It was a fluke, but at least nobody got hurt (or killed).

It probably would've been more satisfying to just see Black Canary pull off the win, and really get justice for Phantom Lady's death in Infinite Crisis #1, but there's something to be said for the tenacity of the hero who comes up short, and keeps trying. They had a much toothier fight a year later in the Green Arrow & Black Canary Wedding Special, but that's a battle for another day.

Late last month we saw Black Canary and Huntress fighting together in Underworld Unleashed #3, but this is the first time looking specifically at the Birds of Prey series. A pretty ingenious way of getting the most out of a group of Gotham adjacent characters like Black Canary, Huntress, and Oracle.

A callous summary might have called it DC's answer to Charlie's Angels, but that doesn't capture the texture of the series, helped in part by the storied history behind leads Black Canary and Oracle, and the growth of the series. It isn't really 'the chick book' either, although it might be a fashionable compliment to say that it is. There's a fairly natural congregation of female acquaintances that makes good use of the platform, incorporating the likes of Lady Blackhawk, and building logical relationships between various heroes. Good stuff.

The world is now discovering a version thanks to the theatrical release of Birds of Prey featuring Harley Quinn. If you'd like to discover the comics, you can check out today's featured fight in Birds of Prey Vol. 5: Perfect Pitch. Use the Amazon link provided and you'll help support the site at no extra cost!

You can find more from the characters featured by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured fights by publisher, series, and issue number.

You can also get daily links to fights by following Secret Wars on Infinite Earths on Twitter and Facebook. If you like what Secret Wars on Infinite Earths is about and want to see it prosper you can now support the project via Patreon.

Winner: Savant (w/ Black Canary, Huntress, Creote & Lady Blackhawk)
#332 (new) Savant
#38 (--) Black Canary [+1 assist]
#180 (+151) Huntress [+1 assist]
#574 (new) Creote [+1 assist]
#575 (new) Lady Blackhawk [+1 assist]
#78 (-7) Deathstroke

DEATHSTROKE versus GREEN ARROW

Crawling Through the Wreckage Part Three: An Eye For An Eye (DC)
Where: Green Arrow #62 When: July 2006
Why: Judd Winick How: Scott McDaniel

The Story So Far...
Green Arrow has spent a year reclaiming his life from the wreckage of Star City's destruction at the hands of Doctor Light and Merlyn. The time away allowed him to recover some of his lost fortune and retrain in new fighting arts. It also allowed his alter-ego Oliver Queen to campaign his way into the city of Mayor of Star City!

The more things change, the more they stay the same. As the emerald archer returns to the streets to fight new enemies, his life as Mayor brings a familiar nemesis back to confront him. Corporate rival Theodore Davis has employed the mercenary Deathstroke to setup a deadly rematch in the Mayor's Office!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Deathstroke 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Deathstroke 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Deathstroke 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Draw 3 (Acrobat)
Fighting: Deathstroke 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Green Arrow 4 (Arsenal)
Total: Deathstroke 26 (Metahuman)

Deathstroke is widely recognized as one of the deadliest mercenaries in the DC Universe -- even if our record hasn't always reflected that.

Training and artificial enhancements granting access to 90% brain function means Deathstroke can conceive and enact a range of highly effective combat tactics and skills. Our best examples of this include fighting the Justice League to a standstill in Identity Crisis #3, and single-handedly defeating Marvel's X-Men in the classic Uncanny X-Men and New Teen Titans crossover one-shot!

Key to Deathstroke's effectiveness is his hand-to-hand fighting skills, which The Tape shows outclasses Green Arrow. Oliver Queen is a skilled martial artist, but his greatest point of difference has been specialized archery, as in the battles with The Penguin [Justice League of America #135] and Black Hand [Green Lantern: Rebirth #1].

Deathstroke's sword and speedy reflexes are his best weapon against Green Arrow's trick projectiles, but GA doesn't always need to rely on a bow to make the most of them. We saw him endure a fight with Brick long enough to wield arrows by hand for the win in Green Arrow #45. He also successfully rammed an arrow in Deathstroke's bad eye during the Identity Crisis fight.

That example showed both that Deathstroke basically outclasses Green Arrow, but that GA can also fight hard enough to overcome any perceived disparity.

Today's confrontation is coming after a one year break that allowed Ollie to re-train in new fighting disciplines. We saw the fruits of his labour when he faced Red Hood with the skills of a swordsman in Green Arrow #71. Sharpening his skills with a blade is a good way to offset some of the disparity with Deathstroke, who used his to cut down Phantom Lady in Infinite Crisis #1!

Green Arrow outranks Deathstroke in the Fight Club Rankings, but The Terminator stands well ahead in The Tape. So far their history has ended in an inconclusive draw. Let's see if we can break the tie with today's featured battle!

History: Draw (0-0-1)
The Tape: Deathstroke Ranking: Green Arrow (#23)

What Went Down...
A poisoned dart to the throat silences the objections of Mayoral advisor Frederick Tuckman. Mayor Queen can only grit his teeth and ask the intruding assassin what it is that he wants while nerve toxin floods Tuckman's body.

Deathstroke has been hired to kill the Mayor of Star City, but he fires another dart into Oliver Queen's chest and promises him total ruination before death. A complete political assassination from a petty mercenary to a bitter foe.

Lying on the floor of his public office, Mayor Queen clutches his chest while producing a small electronic device. A beep from the telephone is the only warning Deathstroke gets that The Mayor has wired his office to blow!

A Kord Industries miniature explosive was small enough to evade Deathstroke's earlier sweep of the office, as was the armored vest beneath the Mayor's shirt.

He produces bow & quiver and fires an arrow into Deathstroke's shoulder while the mercenary is still embedded in the office wall. His incredible mind processing what has occurred, The Terminator counter fires with a handful of small, self-propelling explosive beads!

Green Arrow leaps clear of the blast, but it buys Deathstroke the time he needs to retrieve his sword and go on the offensive! A single, precision swing of the blade cuts three arrows clean out of the air!

More arrows go astray, forcing Green Arrow to tumble clear of the rampaging Deathstroke. His sword completely cuts through the Mayor's desk, leaving him vulnerable to an arrow to the rear. A speedy flip saves him from its point!

Deathstroke lands in a dominant position over his target, but Green Arrow has prepared for an attack on his office. The exterior window shatters as a cable and dart flies straight for the assassin's chest -- dousing him in adhesive!

Another automated trigger yanks Deathstroke out the window by the cable attached to his chest, onto the roof and into the seat of a catapult! As he's fired into the city air he finally realizes he's been played: it was Green Arrow who hired him in the first place!

The speed and trajectory is too great for Deathstroke to shift his landing: a great open pit with reinforced walls he can't dig his sword into! When he hits the bottom, a ten-inch deep soup of adhesive bogs him to the ground.

Green Arrow looms over the pit and draws a sword before diving in!

A surprised Deathstroke blocks the diving sword slash and admires the archer's new weapon. The blade's quality is matched only by Green Arrow's ability to wield it. He swings it deftly, forcing The Terminator to duck and avoid!

The adhesive surrounding his feet slows Deathstroke, while Green Arrow moves faster than ever -- unhindered thanks to specially treated boots. The bowman leaps gracefully over his foe, while Deathstroke swings at air.

The archer locks eyes with his target and attacks head-on. Deathstroke swings wildly just to meet his attacker's blade at equal measure. Their swords spark as they collide and Deathstroke realizes his opponent has undergone a change!

They cross swords again and Deathstroke manages to drag his feet out of the mire to jump and lunge forward. He's forced right back down into a deep lean backward as Green Arrow continues to press on.

GA leaps over Deathstroke again and successfully slashes his back!

Deathstroke swings wildly with his sword, but Green Arrow leaps clear and forces an evasive duck with his own blade. His fighting style has changed so much after a year's re-training than Deathstroke knows he can't possibly adjust to match him. He pulls the pin on a flash grenade and covers his eyes!

The blinding light leaves Green Arrow momentarily dazed, allowing Deathstroke to fire off a grappling hook. His escape seems assured until a gunshot severs the tie that would take him to safety and he notices the guns.

Armed with armor piercing rounds, a sniper division of the National Guard surrounds the pit, poised to shoot by order of Mayor Oliver Queen. He thought of everything. Deathstroke is under arrest.

The Hammer...
That's one way to stop a hired killer! Green Arrow laid the perfect trap, utilizing everything at his disposal: prep time, his re-trained fighting style, the ultimate trick arrow, and the special resources available to the Mayor of Star City!

It's nice to be back talking Green Arrow -- especially with an opponent as worthy as Deathstroke! Theirs is an interesting rivalry that almost shouldn't have the chemistry that it does. There isn't a whole lot that innately or thematically ties the two characters together. It just seems to work.

I suppose some of the appeal lies in a test of fighting ability. Green Arrow is the expert marksman with competent fighting skill. Deathstroke is the venerable fighting machine better known for his close quarters skills. Throw them together and see who can get the better of the other, or slip out of mortal danger.

There is some overlap between their roles as senior figures in the lives of extra-ordinary young students. I'd call the rivalry an upgrade from beating up Robin and the kids in the Teen Titans, but without that history, there wouldn't be a Deathstroke to begin with, so maybe I need to get that old bias in check.

Of course, Deathstroke matches up more naturally with a lot of the adult DC Universe, operating best as a freelance mercenary with enough character and gimmicks to be interesting unto himself. The suspension of disbelief is a little less strained when he fails to apply his supreme skills to beating adult heroes.

Success rate has a way of undermining the legend of Deathstroke ever so slightly. From six fights we've recorded three outright victories: wins against Robin, the X-Men, and a shared victory over the Freedom Fighters.

Attempts to parlay the success of the character into a villain-driven solo series no doubt helps address success rate, but also inevitably balances the books with forgettable patsies invented to die without collapsing a major franchise. At some point we will take a closer look at a Deathstroke starring title, but it hasn't been as attractive a spotlight as other battles involving better known heroes.

Today's featured fight owes a lot to the brief but popular encounter in Identity Crisis #3, which was published just a couple of years prior. Without that issue, we might not regard Green Arrow and Deathstroke as the rivals they are.

Seeing Deathstroke go all-out against the Justice League was part of what made Identity Crisis memorably satisfying. It helped broadcast the potential of the character, and finally seeded more regular appearances in the larger DCU as a member of groups like The Society and Injustice League.

Flash forward to 2020 and Deathstroke is even starring in his own animated series for CW Seed: Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons. This expands upon the character's live-action appearances in Arrow, Titans, and a much discussed cameo in the Justice League movie. Plenty more reason to talk Slade Wilson!

If you haven't had your Deathstroke fix you can check out this issue in full collected in Green Arrow: Crawling Through The Wreckage. Using the Amazon link provided to shop will help support Secret Wars on Infinite Earths at no extra cost!

You can also find more from both of today's characters by following links throughout this post, or by diving into the Secret Archive for a complete index of featured battles in order of publisher, series, and issue! You can also get daily links to topical fights by following on Twitter and Facebook!

Today's result propels Green Arrow into the highly disputed #20 rank! He edges out Steel, with some of the biggest DC heroes hot on their heels! Check out the 2019 Rankings Recap for the movers and shakers of last year, and keep your eyes on the bottom of new entries for updates!

Winner: Green Arrow
#20 (+3) Green Arrow
#71 (-2) Deathstroke

DEATHSTROKE versus ROBIN

Apokolips... Now (DC/Marvel)
Where: Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans #1 When: 1982 Why: Chris Claremont How: Walt Simonson

The Story So Far...
Nightmares plague the young heroes of the X-Men and Teen Titans. The memory of fallen comrade Phoenix haunts the mind and heart of those who loved her, while a universe away, her flaming visage inspires terror.

Across the gulf of space: Darkseid contemplates the means to penetrate and harness the supreme power of The Source Wall. His plan: to send his agents to collect the residual psychic energies left on Earth by the cosmic Phoenix entity.

Flanked by an army of Para-Demon soldiers, Deathstroke accepts Darkseid's mission to lead a quest to accrue cosmic energy. First he must acquire a specific scientific device from STAR Labs in Gotham City. A burglary that inevitably brings him into conflict with his nemesis - the Teen Titan: Robin!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Deathstroke 3 (Athlete)
Intelligence: Deathstroke 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Draw 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Draw 4 (Athlete)
Agility: Nightwing 4 (Gymnast)
Fighting: Deathstroke 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Draw 2 (Projectiles)
Total: Deathstroke 26 (Metahuman)

The Deathstroke file doesn't run as deep as it should, but it already paints a picture of a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant! They don't call him "The Terminator" for nothing, and past battles have shown his 90% brain function gives him the speed, reflexes, and cognition to take down entire teams!

We've seen Deathstroke get the drop on Wolverine while single-handedly taking down the X-Men in Uncanny X-Men and The Teen Titans #1! He also famously fought the Justice League to a near standstill in Identity Crisis #3, tactically outmaneuvering and neutralizing threats from: Flash, Zatanna, Hawkman, Black Canary, Green Lantern, and Atom!

He may actually be more dangerous working alone, rather than in a team, but that's up for debate: He left the Injustice League to fend for themselves when an all-star JLA showed up in Justice League of America #15. Working as part of The Society, Deathstroke stuck around for the win, skewering Phantom Lady during a successful takedown of the Freedom Fighters [in Infinite Crisis #1].

There's no doubting the team-up credentials of his opponent! Robin cut his teeth as the original boy wonder, fighting by Batman's side in his formative years, before founding the sidekick alliance of the first Teen Titans!

In the later guise of Nightwing he helped Batman stop Two-Face in Batman #442, overcame a rampaging Amazo in Batman #637, and thwarted The Penguin, Girder & Double Down in a team-up with former Titan, The Flash, in Flash #210! He also flew solo to defeat Firefly [Nightwing #98] and outfought would-be Bat-impostor Jason Todd in Batman: Battle for the Cowl #3!

It's obvious Dick Grayson has a bright future ahead, but today's battle is looking back to his days as Robin! He may not be a rookie in his debuting year, but he's still a young hero taking on a seasoned veteran!

Deathstroke's training, experience, and biological enhancements mean he's every bit the match for Robin's mentor! The Boy Wonder will need to call upon his origins as a circus acrobat to take advantage of his superior agility, but even then he's going to have a very tough task taking on The Terminator!

The Tape: Deathstroke Ranking: Robin (#19)

What Went Down...
The sound of shattering glass interrupts the Gotham City night as Robin thwarts a break-in at STAR Labs! Moving beyond the broken pane, he investigates his toppled opponent -- but doesn't find the usual breed of Intergang agent!

For all the twisted sights he's seen - even The Boy Wonder is shocked by the grotesque visage of the unconscious robber! A stern voice from the shadows educates him on its proper name and purpose: a para-demon in the service of Deathstroke The Terminator!

The mercenary fires his high-powered weapon at the crouching boy wonder, but Robin effortlessly leaps clear of its deadly blast!

Deathstroke may've failed to get the drop on his target with his initial unannounced attack, but he's already planning one-step ahead, catching Robin upon landing with a devastating thrust kick to the face!

The precious blow ends the fight as quickly as it started, knocking Robin out cold! Lucky for him, Deathstroke is there to complete an objective, acquiring the equipment he needs before leaving unhindered with his parademon associates.

The Hammer...
Cold, clean, and efficient. This is peak Deathstroke, taking down the leader of the Teen Titans just a year or so into their arch-rivalry. A harsh lesson for Robin, who otherwise did quite well taking down a squad of parademons!

Unless I'm very much mistaken: this is the first time we've looked at characters from the same company going head-to-head during a DC/Marvel crossover! It isn't something that happens all that often. Usually the focus is on the novelty of unfamiliar combinations, even if it's as innocuous a battle as Scorpion vs Batman, or Terrax vs Green Lantern. Kind of novel for not being novel!

This is also the first blemish on Dick Grayson's record, ending his reign as the highest ranking character without a loss! That rare accolade will now pass to another member of the Titans: #27 Wally West! Given the turmoil the third Flash has been through in recent years - I wonder how long it will last!

It's fun to finally go back to an example of Dick Grayson as the Boy Wonder! It's really become second nature to think of the character as Nightwing, but it'll still be another ten years before he even equals his tenure as the original Robin!

The Nightwing costume and identity is closely linked with the Titans, debuting in Tales of the Teen Titans #44, as part of 1984's revered Judas Contract story. Not exactly recent history, but still fairly late in the grand scheme of comics, and the history of what is ultimately a Golden Age character from 1940.

A combination of back issues, cartoons, reruns of the 60s Batman TV show, and general zeitgeist meant Grayson's Robin was still a big part of my early experience. There's a slight pang of nostalgia that goes with that, but for the most part, it was very easy to accept Robin maturing into his own hero.

It's easy to dismiss that kind of acceptance as a symptom of reader's age, but I think there's more to consider. Robin's exact age as Batman's sidekick is usually hazy, but I prefer to think of it as being in the double-digits, at the very least. A teenage Dick Grayson lent the concept of "Robin" to an ideal balance of Grayson being the Robin who grew up, Jason Todd being the Robin who failed (or died), and Tim Drake being the Robin who was young in the moment.

The trio of Robins, though created somewhat in happenstance, facilitated three intriguing facets of the same basic concept, able to be explored in a coexistence that wouldn't age Bruce Wayne beyond reason. Important reference if we accept that there's little to be gained from DC Comics ever killing off their senior icons.

In such a scenario, Nightwing as a young adult hero is a permanent fixture, rather than a catalyst for a continuum of evolving characters. A perspective on the core concept of the kid sidekick, now served by a contemporary Tim Drake.

Of course, the great Grant Morrison made a dangerously convincing case for Dick Grayson in his ultimate role as Batman! It seems like it shouldn't work, given the obvious affection and iconic immortality that exists for Bruce Wayne, but in Batman and Robin, Morrison made the short-term novelty of the stand-in Batman seem wholly palatable! Grayson retained a sense of identity, putting a surprising fresh spin on Batman that could've continued beyond Bruce's return!

It should be said, in the nineties, it seemed as if the advancement of legacy identities would be a unique point of difference for DC Comics. I often wonder what the landscape would've been like had they committed to a contemporary line-up of Wally West as Flash, Kyle Rayner as Green Lantern, Roy Harper as Green Arrow, and eventually Dick Grayson as Batman, among others. They all had their controversies, but were also becoming entrenched as successors.

As strong as some of those characters were, I can't help but return to the wisdom of retaining original icons. It just doesn't make sense to burn the starpower of the icons everybody knows. The immortality of Bruce Wayne, Barry Allen, Hal Jordan, and so on is arguably one of the unique perks of the medium. Still, it would be very interesting to see a series explore the future DC once promised. An Earth-2 or Ultimates style book about a world where Superman died, Batman was crippled, Hal Jordan went nuts, Barry Allen saved the universe, and the new generation are the heroes of the day.

The inverse is true in live-action television and animation! Fans of the screen have been watching Dick Grayson's animated adventures as Robin since 2003's Teen Titans, which gave way to Teen Titans GO! and the unrelated Young Justice. Now the Teen Titans brand is venturing into live-action with Titans - now streaming on the new DC Universe service!

Be sure to explore links throughout this post, and find more by diving into the Secret Archive for battles from DC Comics and beyond! It's almost time for The Best Featured Fights of 2018! Make sure you hit up your favourites to get them into the Top 20 and check out Facebook and Twitter to like & share daily fights!

Winner: Deathstroke
#65 (+41) Deathstroke
#19 (--) Nightwing (Dick Grayson)

HERO OF THE WEEK: DEATHSTROKE (DC)
Real Name: Slade Wilson
First Appearance: New Teen Titans #2 (December, 1980)
Fight Club Ranking: #96

Featured Fights:
- vs X-MEN: Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans #1 (1982)
- vs JUSTICE LEAGUE: Identity Crisis #3 (Oct 2004)
- vs FREEDOM FIGHTERS: Infinite Crisis #1 (Dec 2005)
- vs JUSTICE LEAGUE: Justice League of America #15 (Jan 2008)

The Justice League have finally made it to the big screen, but the single most interesting aspect of their theatrical arrival isn't the heroic assembly, or the immediate threat of New God: Steppenwolf. It's the headline grabbing post-credits meeting between Lex Luthor and Deathstroke!

We got our first glimpse of a cinematic Deathstroke more than a year ago, with speculation that he might just turn up somewhere in Justice League, before featuring in The Batman. The man beneath the two-tone mask is Joe Manganiello, and he tweeted out a great photo of himself in full costume.

So far the DC Cinematic Universe has been one big, ugly hot mess, but the innate good of the source property keeps fans hanging on. The presence of an obscure, alien Green Lantern (seen in flashback) was another allusion to the good things Warner Brothers could still put on screen, if so inclined.

Deathstroke shows up to aid Lex Luthor, whose appearance comes with a foreboding vision to form a League of their own. Unfortunately, it's still Jesse Eisenberg beneath the bald scalp.

Fortunately, Manganiello shows plenty of promise in his limited, menacing appearance. The visual alone is enough to get comics fans excited, even if cinema's Deathstroke has gone for a more off-the-shelf look. Bright flourishes of orange and a silhouette of swords at back do enough to imply the character we know and love. That Slade Wilson has retained his age and eyepatch -- more bonuses.

It's been surprising to see the DECU do so little to build its universe of characters. It may compare unfavourably to the Marvel post-credits tradition, but tacking this expansion on at the end of the film helps remove it from the quagmire of what came before.

It's surprising that it's taken this long for a superhero film to build towards a team-up of villains.

The short-lived Andrew Garfield Spider-man was heading for a collision with the Sinister Six, before that franchise was unceremoniously put out of its misery. Marvel Studios have made character conversion points a major part of their business, but emphasis on heroic ensemble has typically made villains too unconvincing to demand reprisal. Otherwise, we may've seen the likes of Red Skull, Baron Zemo, or Abomination coming together to form The Masters of Evil.

DC already have a natural antagonist team in play in the Suicide Squad, but building up a team of super-villains is one way they can finally blaze a trail Marvel hasn't already walked. The injection of name villains like Deathstroke will certainly be a welcome step forward!

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X-MEN versus DEATHSTROKE

Apokolips... Now (DC/Marvel)
Where: Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans #1 When: 1982 Why: Chris Claremont How: Walt Simonson

The Story So Far...
Nightmares plague the young heroes of the X-Men and Teen Titans. The memory of fallen comrade Phoenix haunts the mind and heart of those who loved her, while a universe away, her flaming visage inspires terror.

Across the gulf of space, Darkseid contemplates the means to penetrate and harness the supreme power of The Source Wall. His plan: to send his agents to collect the residual psychic energies left on Earth by the cosmic Phoenix entity.

Flanked by an army of Para-Demon soldiers, Deathstroke accepts the mission to lead them in a quest to accrue cosmic energy. A task that could only inevitably draw the attention of the Uncanny X-Men!

Tale of the Tape...
Strength: Colossus 6 (Invincible)
Intelligence: Deathstroke 4 (Tactician)
Speed: Nightcrawler 3 (Athlete)
Stamina: Wolverine 6 (Generator)
Agility: Nightcrawler 5 (Cat-Like)
Fighting: Deathstroke 7 (Living Weapon)
Energy: Cyclops 5 (Lasers)


X-Men are: Cyclops, Storm, Colossus, Sprite, Nightcrawler & Wolverine.

The glaring issue here is an apparent mismatch in numbers, but we can pretty quickly address that. Deathstroke is working in the employ of Darkseid, which has given him access to an army of Para-Demon shock troops. Not that he necessarily needs them!

Deathstroke The terminator is Slade Wilson: A career soldier who was subjected to secret military experiments designed to create the ultimate super-soldier.

The result granted Wilson access to 90% of his brain capacity, unlocking significant cognitive abilities including; increased reaction time, reflexes, tactical brilliance, learning enhancement, memory retention, and more. These skills are best demonstrated by his supreme fighting ability. Deathstroke is versed in multiple hand-to-hand combat techniques, martial arts disciplines, and weapons training, including his weapon of choice: the sword.

We saw just how dangerous a combatant Deathstroke can be  in Identity Crisis #3, where he single-handedly fought the Justice League to a standstill! In that instance, speed and tactics were his deadliest weapons, as he systematically neutralized each hero. He anticipated and thwarted Flash, silenced Zatanna, clipped Hawkman's wings, bagged Black Canary, and so on.

There's an obvious comparison to made there for the challenge of the X-Men - a group who won't even have the benefit of familiarity with Deathstroke's tactics!

He possesses an increased healing ability, allowing him to recover from near fatal injuries much quicker than an ordinary human being. That's not only an obvious comparison to Wolverine, but a confidence builder against the mutant's adamantium laced claws. Can Deathstroke's sword withstand their legendary cutting power? It may not need to, having the advantage of reach over claws!

Nightcrawler could be an interesting fencing partner for Deathstroke, given his famed fondness for sword fights. He may be outclassed by the superior soldier, who would certainly be more ruthless, and able to anticipate his moves. Even if he were to incorporate his mutant gift of teleportation.

Organic steel skin and super-human strength mean Colossus has muscle and durability on his side, but Deathstroke's arsenal, speed, agility, and Parademon back-up are mitigating factors. Parademons are also Deathstroke's best option for neutralizing Storm's control of weather phenomena, and/or busying Cyclops.

At this point in X-Men history, Kitty Pryde was an inexperienced young teen, but her powers of intangibility arguably make her the biggest X-factor of this fight! The Terminator's 90% brain function may come up with a strategy to turn her abilities against her, or at least neutralize their offensive potential, but he can only do that if he identifies them before they make the difference!

We've seen one X-Man be the game changer many times over the years, tipping the scales in battles with: Nimrod [Uncanny X-Men #194], Magneto [X-Men #25], Xorn [New X-Men #150] and The Lizard [X-Men: First Class #2]!

We also saw Kitty Pryde play a major role in X-Men Annual #6, when this era's X-Men came close to getting the better of Count Dracula! The divided team only managed a draw in the '82 annual. Let's see how they did here...

The Tape: Wolverine Ranking: Wolverine (#5)

What Went Down...
On a very particular butte in New Mexico: Deathstroke commands an army of Parademons in the erection of a massive "Psi-Phon" tower. They're collecting the residual psychic energy left by The Phoenix - but they're about to get more than they bargain ford!

Wolverine manages to sneak up on an unsuspecting Deathstroke to ask if he's got a light. The Terminator answers with a swing of his sword, but Wolverine is prepared! He ducks the weapon and returns fire with the adamantium reinforced backside of his fist! Deathstroke is sent flying!

While Wolverine deals with their leader; Cyclops blasts the Parademons who're guarding the towering machine. The X-Man orders its destruction - a simple feat for the super-human strength of Colossus!

The steel-skinned Russian upends the gigantic machine, toppling several Para-demons in the process. Storm helps in the task, sweeping more Apokolips soldiers away with an uncanny gale-force wind!

Sprite does her part, emerging from the rocky desert in front of a gun-toting Parademon. The distraction allows Nightcrawler to teleport in for a surprise attack that disables the villain!

Across the battlefield, Deathstroke studies the X-Men in action - aware of their reputation. His keen reflexes allowed him to avoid a knock-out from Wolverine's earlier blow. He takes advantage of being the loose man, targeting airborne Storm with a rifle that fires a fear ray! The sudden onset of severe claustrophobia sends Storm hurtling earthbound!

The Parademons rally, catching Sprite, Nightcrawler and Wolverine with a noxious Toxi-Cloud Grenade! Relying upon superior numbers and technology, one of the soldiers takes out Cyclops with an energy disperser bolt gun!

Colossus is the last X-Man standing and sets his sights on Deathstroke. The mercenary braces for the charging mutant and goes low - turning his metallic momentum against him! Close to the edge of the butte - Colossus is sent tumbling over the side toward the desert below!

With victory in hand, Deathstroke and the Parademons take their opponents prisoner and open a boom tube for Darkseid's throne room in The Wall.

The Hammer...
We couldn't end 2016 without one final return to a battle between DC and Marvel Comics! After all, this was a year that marked the 40th anniversary of the character crossover that started them all: 1976's Superman versus The Amazing Spider-man!

It took five years for the two publishers to arrange a sequel issue, once again pitting their mascots Superman and Spider-man against corroborating villains. Doctor Doom and Parasite were the offending bad guys, but this time Wonder Woman and Hulk were along for the ride, too.

Hulk would return later in '81 to headline another crossover special - head-to-head with Batman in a mismatch of television and comics icons. The original three oversized issues offered a fair spread of characters from both unvierses, but no single special had the scope of the inter-company crossover published in 1982: Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans!

The ambition of Chris Claremont and Walt Simonson's teen team crossover went far beyond the cosmic trappings of its own set-up. The threat posed by Darkseid is arguably the biggest of any of these stories, but it was its function as a sequel to The Dark Phoenix Saga that makes it more than any ordinary one-shot.

The New Mexico setting in today's featured battle recalls a specific tender moment shared between Cyclops and Jean Grey in Uncanny X-Men #132. Though only a couple of years removed, that's still a pretty deep cut for an inter-company crossover -- and it isn't the only one! The entire premise plays upon Darkseid's minions revisiting those key locations touched by Phoenix's power.

The X-Men and Teen Titans were obviously twin hot properties in 1982, but I think the choice of using significant canon probably helped make this the popular crossover it was. Superman/Spider-man had spectacle, Batman/Hulk a curiosity factor, but this one had both -- and a story that seemed to elevate its importance, even for me - a confessed teen hero hater from school age.

Of course, no inter-company crossover is complete without an interesting title fight. Learning from reactions to the '76 Versus title; DC and Marvel made the wise choice to replace their combative preposition with a more applicable conjunction: and.

The cover gives no reasonable expectation that the X-Men and Titans will fight -- but that doesn't mean they didn't have a perfect bout up their sleeve! Just a couple of years old, and a couple more away from the heights of The Judas Contract; Deathstroke The Terminator was already a pretty perfect opponent for morally conflicted mutant hardass - Wolverine!

If you followed the feature fight, you know Wolverine effectively got the drop on Deathstroke, but failed to finish the job. Does that sound like the best there is at what he does? Hey, it goes both ways. The Terminator -- as he was known almost four years before the movie -- may have toppled the X-Men, but there's a more physical rematch before issue's end. A battle we'll no doubt look closer at in the future.

It's a small wonder we didn't see a third decider when it came time for DC and Marvel to pit their characters against one another in a long awaited, all fighting crossover spectacular: DC versus Marvel/Marvel versus DC! It probably couldn't have been more controversial than the battle we got: Lobo versus Wolverine.

It speaks to the mystique of Deathstroke for the longest time, whose solo series was coming to an end in 96. It seems he didn't penetrate the DC Universe in any lasting, meaningful way until the mid-2000s. Even after sixty issues of mercenary escapades, he always seemed anchored to the Teen Titans. A factor that's fast fading, with the mainstream preparing for test footage to turn into a full fledged feature film appearance in DC's The Batman.

As we put 2016 behind us, Hollywood is telling tales of ascent and descent for these two comic book icons. With Logan, Hugh Jackman expects to retire his iconic performance as Wolverine after seventeen years on screen. On the flip side, Joe Manganiello has begun training to bring a new icon to screen. Will he inherit the mantle of big screen bad ass that Wolverine vacates?

We end the year celebrating the past whilst looking towards an uncertain future!

I hope we'll be together for more Secret Wars on Infinite Earths in 2017. If we aren't, you can relive all the featured fights from 2016, including our celebration of the 20th Anniversary of DC versus Marvel, back in April! To find even more classic battles and inter-company crossovers scroll down the Issue Index!

Winner: Deathstroke
#94 (+208) Deathstroke
#5 (--) Wolverine
#42 (--) Storm
#66 (-1) Cyclops
#91 (-21) Sprite (Kitty Pryde)
#357 (-13) Colossus
#508 (-134) Nightcrawler