Slade Wilson (Arrowverse)

To kill you now would be a mercy. You cannot die until you have suffered the same way I have suffered, until you have known complete despair, and you will...I promise.

— Slade Wilson ^src

History

Slade Wilson is a former member of Team 7, an elite division of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, who was plane-wrecked on Lian Yu, where he became a mentor and good friend of Oliver Queen, and the lover of Shado. But Slade would later become Oliver's arch nemesis, the mercenary named "Deathstroke".

Slade and his partner, Billy Wintergreen, were sent on a mission to rescue Yao Fei from a detention facility on Lian Yu. Both were captured by mercenaries led by Edward Fyers. Wintergreen betrayed Slade and joined Fyers, while Slade escaped and was forced to to go into hiding and adopt a different strategy for extracting Yao Fei. Oliver Queen eventually acquired a map which lead him to a downed cargo plane that Slade has been using as a hideout. When Oliver discovered the Deathstroke mask in Slade's possession, Slade revealed his connection to Oliver's torturer, and trained Oliver so he could help him carry out his mission.

They ultimately planned to ambush an airfield and use a cargo plane to escape. Slade eventually dueled Wintergreen, gaining revenge on him by stabbing him in the eye with his combat knife. He is subsequently shot by Fyers, but Oliver managed to remove the bullet and heal him with "super herbs" that Yao Fei had previously used on him. Oliver and Slade needed a new strategy to escape, but Slade believed that with Oliver's newfound experience, they now had a chance.

Eventually, Slade and Oliver, with the help of Yao's daughter, Shado, were able to kill Fyers. However, a few months later, a second group of mercenaries, led by Anthony Ivo, arrived on the island, with the intent on salvaging World War II wreckage detailing Unit 731's research into a Venom-like substance called Mirakuru. Ivo's ship, the Amazo, bombarded the island with mortar fire, critically injuring Slade. As his injuries got worse, Oliver and Shado had no choice but to inject him with the Mirakuru, which they discovered themselves. Slade's anger enabled him to survive, giving him super strength at the cost of his sanity.

While trapped on the island, the trio were attacked by Professor Anthony Ivo, a scientist looking for the mysterious Mirakuru drug that was thought to exist there. Burned from their first encounter with the madman, Wilson almost died from his injuries but, fortunately, was saved when Oliver and Shado had discovered the Miracuru that Ivo had been searching for and used some of it on their dying friend. The drug worked, giving Slade enhanced strength and agility, allowing him to recover from his burn wounds but also warping his mind, slowing sending him down a path of madness.

Slade started to become antagonistic to Oliver when Sara Lance reappeared, alive and captured by Ivo, on the island. Professor Ivo, catching Shado too, pointed a gun at both their heads and, in order to torture Oliver, made him choose which one would live. Against Slade's wishes, Oliver chose Sara, allowing Ivo to execute Shado, a decision that caused Slade so much grief that he swore vengeance on the man who was once his ally.

Slade turned on his friends, taking Ivo's ship, crew and prisoners. He captured Sara Lance, luring Oliver to the ship. As they talked, the ship was hit by a submarine missile, sinking. As Sarah got pulled under, Slade beat Oliver in a fight but was disoriented before taking the final blow by a piece of the ceiling that fell onto him. Taking the chance, Oliver stuck his last arrow through Slade's right eye.

Slade eventually made it off the island, and began a campaign against Oliver, intent on destroying all he held dear. After revealing himself as the assassin Deathstroke, Oliver and his team tried to stop Slade, who still had the Mirakuru in him. Eventually, Slade killed Oliver's mother, Moira, by organizing a car crash and then stabbing her with a sword right in front of him and his sister. Using Sebastian Blood, the new mayor, he unleashed his Super Strength army into the streets. Eventually, Slade was stabbed with the cure by Felicity Smoak, posing as a hostage, therefore making him normal again. The Arrow then managed to defeat his former friend and lock him up in a secret prison on the island where they had first met, where he would never escape.

After returning to the island to train with his sister, Oliver was attacked by Slade, who was freed by Malcolm Merlyn to test Oliver and Thea. Although his Mirakuru powers were nullified, he still has a deep hatred for Oliver and his family. After once again being captured by Oliver, he taunted him by saying that more of the people he loved continued to die. He is then shot in the shoulder by Thea before being re-imprisoned in his cell.

Powers and Abilities

Powers

Abilities

Deception^[4]
Firearms
Leadership^[5]
Martial Arts: Slade is a highly skilled martial artist, performing lightning fast acrobatic attacks with minimal effort, then switching to slower, more calculated moves to trip up his opponents. Among the forms he knows is:
- Eskrima: Slade is highly skilled in Eskrima-Kali techniques, which he also teaches to Oliver Queen.
Peak Human Condition^[4]
Stealth^[6]
Stick Fighting
Survival
Swordsmanship: Slade is highly skilled with a blade, wielding a katana in close quarter combat.
Throwing
Tactical Analysis
Weaponry

Weaknesses

Mental Disorder (Formerly): A side effect of the Mirakuru is that it causes the user to develop mental instability which causes Slade to go into fits of rage and impairs his sense of right and wrong. In addition, it appears that Slade believes himself to be controlled by the deceased Shado.^[2] Though this instability has since been nullified after Oliver Queen injected him with the Mirakuru cure.^[4]
- Obsession (Formerly): Everything Slade has done since escaping Lian Yu has been with the sole goal of ruining the life of Oliver Queen and then killing him.

Paraphernalia

Weapons

Ninjato
AK-74

Notes

This version of the character is exclusive to the continuity of the television series Arrow, its tie-in comic book series, and its related television series. It is an adaptation of Deathstroke. The original character was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez and first appeared in New Teen Titans #2.
Slade Wilson is portrayed by Manu Bennett.

Slade Wilson (Arrowverse)

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