Deathstroke’s archnemesis has all the time been Nightwing. Although they’re evenly matched equals, the hitman has a extra private historical past with another person.
Warning: spoilers for Dark Crisis #1 are forward!
Chief of the Titans, Nightwing, has usually been pegged as Deathstroke’s arch-rival, however the latter has a extra private historical past with a distinct nemesis: Beast Boy (aka Changeling). It is comprehensible as to why Deathstroke has extra so been intrinsically linked to Nightwing as an alternative. The 2 are extra evenly matched bodily and mentally in comparison with Beast Boy. Nightwing has a extra prolonged, richer historical past with Deathstroke courting again to the Judas Contract story arc.
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This is identical arc that reveals the true intentions of Terra, a personality who joins the Titans as a mole secretly working for Deathstroke. Previous to the reveal, she begins a romantic partnership with Beast Boy. For Terra, it’s merely a ruse to earn his belief, however for Beast Boy, he had truly fallen in love, turning that betrayal into a fair sharper sting for him. Surprisingly sufficient, their on-off relationship has extra so targeted on Beast Boy attempting to sway Terra to embrace her extra heroic qualities fairly than instantly feuding together with her mentor.
This relationship between Beast Boy and Deathstroke (or lack thereof) reaches a turning level within the conclusion of Dark Crisis #1 by Joshua Williamson and Daniel Sampere. It’s right here the place Deathstroke launches a sudden assault on Titans Tower, culminating within the hitman placing a bullet via Beast Boy’s head. This temporary encounter showcases why Beast Boy has been Deathstroke’s actual archnemesis this entire time. Not solely due to their ignored historical past however as a result of killing Beast Boy is probably the most important blow that Deathstroke may ever give to the Titans as a complete.
Though it is a temporary alternate, it affords audiences probably the most important alternate between Deathstroke and Beast Boy since maybe Tales of the Teen Titans #55 by Marv Wolfman and Ron Randall. On this difficulty, Beast Boy hunts down Deathstroke out of revenge for every part that occurred with Terra. Not solely does Deathstroke not resist, he tells Beast Boy to kill him. Nevertheless, Beast Boy cannot convey himself to do that. He as an alternative cries and asks Deathstroke why he focused the Titans over a cup of espresso. Dark Crisis #1 lastly offers closure to this dynamic, with the choice to kill now being in Deathstroke’s arms, who does what Beast Boy could not in a second that’s a lot weightier for these readers who’re conversant in their historical past. Even these unfamiliar will really feel the burden and influence this dying absolutely may have on the Titans transferring ahead.
Deathstroke’s villainy is mostly related to the Titans and due to this fact he’s most frequently written to antagonize these heroes, however he is by no means executed one thing as dastardly as this. The explanation why killing Beast Boy is so important is as a result of Beast Boy has all the time been related as the center and soul of the Titans. He is been depicted as that uplifting, optimistic spirit to stay hopeful in hopeless conditions and get the Titans again on their toes as soon as they’ve had the legs minimize from below them, like on this occasion of the destruction of Titans Tower. Destroying the center of the Titans takes away its beating coronary heart. The DC Universe has already seen the dying of the Justice League and by killing Beast Boy, Deathstroke has spelled the unofficial dying of the Titans.
Dark Crisis #1 is obtainable now from DC Comics.