New Teen Titans #2 (1980)
by Marv Wolfman & George Pérez
Weird how THE Titans villain is barely on the cover of his first appearance.
But Deathstroke has a proper introduction on the first page, getting down to business.
You just have to love his no-nonsense attitude. He’s not getting any shenanigans from his would-be employers, the Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Eliminations.
Yep, that’s what H.I.V.E. stands for.
They may be dumb enough to try hiring Deathstroke without paying him, but at least they’re not dumb enough to do it in person.
Deathstroke continues to not give a crap.
All of this was an excuse to analyze Deathstroke, so that they’ll be able to get a Terminator of their own.
Yeah good luck with that.
Meanwhile the New Teen Titans, who have been formed only for a week, are fighting a bunch of smugglers.
This is SO early in their career that Starfire doesn’t even know English yet, so she doesn’t understand Robin’s warnings and ends up destroying the evidence they need.
You would think that in a universe full of telepaths and universal translators this wouldn’t be a problem. Surely there’s SOME wat to teach her quickly?
Yeah that’s one way to do it.
This is in fact the FIRST time we learn Starfire’s people absorb languages through physical contact!
That’s quite unique, I’m not aware of any precedent.
Fanservice aside, that’s an incredibly useful ability that doesn’t get used all that often.
If you’re wondering what Deathstroke has to do with all this, he’s watching them.
He already shows some respect for them, but something doesn’t feel right to him…
…so he calls his butler Wintergreen to do some research.
Deathstroke is VERY often compared to Batman, and while I think the parallels are overrated it can’t be a coincidence.
Meanwhile, the Hierarchy of International Vengeance and Eliminations has received the voluntary to become the next Deathstroke.
His origin is the long debunked myth that humans only use 10% of their brain.
That freaking myth just refuses to die, doesn’t it? I don’t mind finding it in a 1980 comic, but even in 2023 you STILL see that around.
After a few subplots, the Teen Titans move to the important stuff. Fanservice!
Not all Titans join the pool party. Raven is busy with her plots, and Cyborg is investigating the robots from the earlier incident… only to be attacked by a new villain, The Ravager.
If there’s one villain trope that I absolutely love, is when the bad guy is obsessed with revenge against heroes who have no freaking idea of what they’re talking about.
He’s no match for Cyborg’s sonic weapons. He should consider himself lucky that Marv Wolfman doesn’t know how decibels work, because “a million decibels or so” would AT THE VERY LEAST CREATE A BLACK HOLE.
But The Ravager doesn’t really have to fight Cyborg, because then Deathstroke shows up to kidnap him.
Turns out The Ravager is a big fan of Deathstroke. As much as I hate the fact that the “100% of your brain” refuses to die, at least in THIS version it has a somewhat realistic downside.
Well that accomplished nothing.
Yeah increasing your brain power means nothing if you start out as an idiot.
Seriously, I know this version of the Titans is new, but do the math!!!
He’s lucky that Deathstroke joins the fight.
Deathstroke wastes no time showing off.
The Ravager is not a complete pushover. He does give a good fight to the Titans…
…until he uses too much brainpower, as Deathstroke warned him.
That’s when Raven shows up, just as The Ravager is dying.
Raven decides to grant one last wish to The Ravager.
And THAT is why Deathstroke hates the Titans. Because his idiotic son got himself powers that he couldn’t control.
Oh yeah, jumping ahead a bit, we learn in the last page that The Ravager was Deathstroke’s son.
Uhm, not that I want to question the logic of a guy who uses 90% of his brain, but… The Ravager died because he used his own powers, wouldn’t that have happened even if the Titans didn’t fight back?
And so the first encounter between the Titans and Deathstroke ends with the heroes letting him go.
A decision I’m sure they won’t ever regret.
Historical significance: 10/10
As far as the Titans are concerned, it’s essential reading. Bonus for Starfire learning English!
Silver Age-ness: 2/10
Kept to a minimum.
Does it stand the test of time? 7/10
It still has all the signs of being the beginning of the series, and Wolfman isn’t QUITE juggling the large cast as well as he will eventually do. Deathstroke’s introduction, while certainly novel, is a bit too convoluted and the reason why he hates the Titans feels a bit forced.
I guess it’s not TOO different from Doom hating Reed for no reason, but unlike Doom we’re not supposed to think Deathstroke is in any way detached from reality.
Still, despite the growing pains, even 43 years later it’s not hard to see why this series became a sales juggernaut. Having George Pérez certainly helped, he’s on fire in this run!!!
How close is this to the modern character?: 8/10
Analyzing the history of Deathstroke would mean going through the entire history of the Titans, which is HUGE.
He does begin with several aspects already established. The importance of family in his backstory, his reluctant admiration for the Titans, the tendency to both show off and to back up his claims, and the ability to do stuff WAY above his weight class (this won’t be the last time he anticipates the moves of a Flash).
Over the years he’s basically lost “The Terminator” as part of his name, for rather obvious reasons.
But he’s also moved away from the Titans more than once… he’s had his own regular series, he’s been a Green Arrow villain, and there’s always a big push to make him a Batman villain.
Which I hope never succeeds: he’s a great villain and I’m fine with him fighting other heroes, but he is THE Teen Titans villain at this point. That’s where he shines!
And of course, out of the many incarnations I absolutely MUST mention his version in the 2003 Teen Titans cartoon. While admittedly his characterization is not 100% the same, Ron Perlman gives one of the very best villain performances EVER.
THE best villain voice of ANY adaptation of any villain.
Funnily enough, the cartoon couldn’t even use his name! Well technically it DID: he’s called Slade the entire time, which is his actual last name.
I totally understand why they didn’t use “the Terminator”. But why was Deathstroke off the table!?!?
