How a DC Villain With No Superpowers Singlehandedly Took Down the Justice League: It’d Make Batman Proud
There is a thin line blurring the boundaries between the heroes and villains of Marvel and DC, including their ensemble teams Avengers and Justice League respectively. Since the style and power remain closely similar, fans have long wondered if Marvel’s Deadpool is based on DC’s Deathstroke, given the similarities between their names, powers and personalities.
While Deadpool is an anti-hero, Deathstroke aka Slade Wilson is one of DC’s smartest and most self-sufficient villains. He stands out in a legion of righteous heroes and power-hungry villains with his sardonic wit and strong personality.
Deathstroke: The DC Villain to Overpower the Justice League By Himself
Debuted in the 1980s, Deathstroke is a unique villain in DC comics who thrives on physical stamina and strength. His ability to defeat enemies in combat makes him one of the strongest opponents in the DC universe. While we have yet to see the villain get full-fledged screen time in a movie or a show, die-hard fans of the comics are aware of the power he holds, especially against the Justice League.
In DC’s well-known Identity Crisis comic in 2004, we saw Deathstroke defeat a team of superheroes in the Justice League with no external help. The A-list heroes like Superman and Batman may be conspicuously absent from the storyline, but the villain singlehandedly defeated Green Lantern, the Flash, Green Arrow, Atom, Hawkman, Zatanna, Elongated Man, and Black Canary. These heroes are no less when it comes to facing off stronger opponents but they were no match to Deathstroke’s combat skills.
Moreover, this was in no way a contest of power of dominance since Deathstroke was just doing his job as he was hired to protect Doctor Light. With his combat abilities, he strategically decided how to defeat every Justice League hero in the most efficient way possible, which seemed inspired by Batman’s proactive moves in winning fights. Had he kept his anger in control and continued with a smart progression, Deathstroke would have emerged victorious in the end. Nonetheless, he put up a tough fight, making him an unforgettable villain in the DC universe.
Even Wolverine was no match for Deathstroke
Marvel fans are well-acquainted with the fun rivalry between Deadpool and Wolverine. It was exhilarating for fans back in the 1980s to see a crossover event between Marvel and DC where even Wolverine couldn’t stand Deathstroke. In an attempt to curtail the powers of Darkseid, the Titans and the X-Men converged to put up a brave fight in the comic The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans.
However, since Deathstroke also became a part of the venture, the fight soon got ugly with the villain defeating both the teams and overpowering Wolverine and Colossus. Witnessing an intersection of Marvel and DC comics was a game-changer in its own right, but this event doubled the fun as fans could finally rank the heroes in terms of power and strength.
