Spoilers for Future State: Teen Titans #1 ahead!
Ever since his introduction, Slade Wilson has been the sole bearer of the name Deathstroke, but in Future State, history has been made as the mantle has been passed onto Dick Grayson, AKA Nightwing. In Future State: Teen Titans #1, Nightwing has had enough and realizes the hellscape the Titans live in needs new kinds of heroes, so he adopts the mask of his former nemesis and promises to get the job done “no matter what it takes.” The issue, written by Tim Sheridan, with art by Rafa Sandoval, inks by Jordi Tarragona and colors by Alejandro Sanches, is in stores now.
Deathstroke has been a thorn in the side of not only the Titans, but much of the DC Universe in general. First appearing in New Teen Titans #2 and created by the legendary team of Marv Wolfman and George Perez, Deathstroke is Slade Wilson, a military veteran with enhanced senses and reflexes; he works as a mercenary, selling his services to the highest bidder. He is cold and calculating—like when he planted a mole on the Titans, Terra, all to gather information that he could use against them. His nebulous morality has even led him to fight alongside the heroes at times. Slade has had exclusive use of the Deathstroke name and equipment, but all that changes in DC’s Future State.
Related: Nightwing Reunites With His Former Identity in DC’s Future State
So far, Future State has painted a grim picture of the future DC Universe. The Titans are dealing with a great tragedy that destroyed Titans Island and killed several team members. Nightwing wanders the city, trying to reunite the team but he comes to realize he is not doing enough, and the Titans try to make things better, but always make a bigger mess in the end. He travels to a prison, and frees Red X, who he clashed with in the past. Nightwing tells Red X of the realizations he has made, and on the last page, he dons a new mask—one with elements of both Deathstroke’s and Nightwing’s.
This is a truly historic moment—no one else in the character’s history has dared to do what Nightwing did and put on the mask of Deathstroke. While the new mask represents Nightwing’s new, no-nonsense methods, a question that needs to be asked is: where is Slade in all of this? He has a healing factor, so he could very well be alive in Future State—does he know someone is using his equipment? How might he react? And how will Starfire and the rest of the Titans react to Nightwing’s actions?
Any good event such as Future State will raise the stakes, and so far, it is doing just that. Readers are being treated to a new DC Universe, where new heroes have risen and old ones have surprising new status quos; Nightwing taking on the mantle of Deathstroke is one of the most shocking.
Next: Deathstroke Just Revealed His Favorite Robin
