Imbued with enhanced physical powers by secret army experiments attempting to create metahuman supersoldiers for the U.S. military, Deathstroke became a mercenary soon after the experiment when he defied orders and rescued his friend Wintergreen, who had been sent on a suicide mission by a commanding officer with a grudge. However, he kept this career secret from his family, even though his wife was an expert military combat instructor—indeed, she had been responsible for a significant portion of his early training—until a criminal named the Jackal kidnapped his younger son, Joseph, in an attempt to force Slade to divulge the name of a client who had hired him as an assassin. Slade refused to do so, claiming that it was against his personal honor code, and attacked and killed the kidnappers at the rendezvous.
Unfortunately, Joseph's throat was sliced by one of the criminals before Slade could prevent it, destroying his vocal cords and rendering him mute. After taking Joseph (who would later be known as Jericho) to the hospital, Slade's wife, Adeline, enraged at his endangerment of her son, tried to kill Slade by shooting him, but only managed to destroy his right eye. His confidence in his abilities was such that he made no secret of his impaired vision, as shown by his mask which has a black, featureless half covering his lost eye. Without his mask, Slade wears an eye-patch.
Slade is most notoriously known as the arch enemy of every incarnation of the Teen Titans (including the most recent ones, of which his estranged daughter Rose, also known as Ravager, is a member). Applying his enhanced skills for anyone that can afford him, Deathstroke has been a thorn in the side of nearly every hero of the DC Universe, and when he acts on his own, has a reputation for being nearly unstoppable.
Unfortunately, Joseph's throat was sliced by one of the criminals before Slade could prevent it, destroying his vocal cords and rendering him mute. After taking Joseph (who would later be known as Jericho) to the hospital, Slade's wife, Adeline, enraged at his endangerment of her son, tried to kill Slade by shooting him, but only managed to destroy his right eye. His confidence in his abilities was such that he made no secret of his impaired vision, as shown by his mask which has a black, featureless half covering his lost eye. Without his mask, Slade wears an eye-patch.
Slade is most notoriously known as the arch enemy of every incarnation of the Teen Titans (including the most recent ones, of which his estranged daughter Rose, also known as Ravager, is a member). Applying his enhanced skills for anyone that can afford him, Deathstroke has been a thorn in the side of nearly every hero of the DC Universe, and when he acts on his own, has a reputation for being nearly unstoppable.