Deathstroke the Terminator #16 (1992)

Deathstroke the Terminator #16 (November, 1992)
"Total Chaos, Part 7: Terminated: The Death of Slade Wilson"
Writer - Marv Wolfman
Penciller - Art Nichols
Inker - Will Blyberg
Letterer - John Costanza
Colorist - Tom McCraw
Assistant Editor - Frank Pittarese
Editor - Jon Peterson
Cover Price: $1.75

Onto Act III of Total Chaos!

--

We open with New York City Mayoral Hopeful, Elizabeth Alderman celebrating the capture of Deathstroke the Terminator.  If you recall, last issue/three Totally Chaotic chapters ago, Deathstroke was delivered into her waiting hands atop a roof via helicopter.  Well.. she's pleased as punch, and is about to unmask the man to add insult to injury, when...

... it's totally not him.  Slippery Slade somehow shimmied down to his scivvies... and set one of the chopper pilots up.  New York's finest proceed to... ya know, open fire on the helicopter.  What is gravity anyway, right?  Best case scenario... the chopper crashes... either onto them, or into the potentially crowded streets below.  Looks like somebody's lookin' out for old Deathstroke, because he's able to right the rig before long.

To remind us that this is still a chapter of Total Chaos, he flies right by Battalion, who we very briefly met last issue.  As Slade flees, he finds himself chased over the streets of New York by yet another chopper... this one, fires missiles!  Like... dude's flying between skyscrapers, and they're literally firing missiles at him.  That can't be safe, right?

Slade maneuvers under a bridge (not sure exactly which one this might be), which... somehow causes the chopper on his tail to explode.  The art isn't quite at all clear here.  They do manage to hit him with one of the missiles first, just as he's flying over the new-look Titans Island.

The chopper (Deathstroke's, that is) crashes right into Lord Chaos' pyramid temple... thing.

Meanwhile, Wintergreen is dropped off at an airport by one of Sweet Lili's girls... not realizing that he's being watched.  Well, maybe he does know he's being watched (if Deathstroke's your best pal, it might be best to assume you're always being watched).  Anyhoo... it's not long before he gets confronted by some suit-jacket types.  He fights his way through to the tarmac... but doesn't manage to actually board the private jet (as far as we know, anyway).

Meanwhile, the stutterin' Squirrel contacts yet-another Slade associate, Maurice, about diversifying all them funds.  Not sure this needed an entire page... maybe they felt we needed to see the full... uh, power of Maurice.

Back on Titans Island, we learn that Deathstroke bailed out of the helicopter before it made impact with the Pyramid Temple.  He crawls out of the drink... and finds himself stood before what appears to be somebody's personal army.

It's not long before Slade gets the upper hand in the situation, and reminds us what year we're in.

In case that image didn't make it clear enough... how 'bout this one?

Then... he suffers, what appears to be, a fatal heart attack?!

We close out with the... ugh, new look Brotherhood of Evil?!  I mean, they get a blurb on the front cover... so, I knew they were coming... but... ugh, gag me.

--

You remember the 1990's in comics?  Surely you do... if you were a living, breathing human... who happened to read comics during that time.  You remember how we all felt so bad for Peter David... because, it always seemed like... no matter what book he was writing, he'd keep getting drawn in to crossover events?

It would be clear that he didn't want to be part of them... but, did whatever he could to "play ball" with the rest of the team.  I'd say that is how I feel about these Deathstroke the Terminator's Total Chaos chapters... but, I mean... this is all Marv Wolfman!  It feels like he doesn't wanna "play ball" with his own damn story!

These Deathstroke chapters feel so detached from the main story... and really, kinda pull me out of it.  I don't necessarily feel like every chapter of a "crossovent" needs to be "all in", but... this feels so far removed.  This could have been labelled a "Total Chaos tie-in" rather than an actual numbered chapter... and I think it'd "work" better for me.

So... whattawegot?  Well, as far as Total Chaos is concerned... Battalion shows up on a single panel... and Titans Island is home to Lord Chaos' pyramid.  Dat's it.

Whatelsewegot?  Deathstroke somehow swapping clothes with a helicopter pilot in less than a minute.  Officers firing on Deathstroke in a helicopter... where the only place that a falling helicopter might go is... ya know, down.  Deathstroke narrowly escaping... going all bad-ass on a personal army... then succumbing to a heart attack.

Let's talk about that daring escape.  Flanked by a missile-toting (and firing) chopper, countless New Yorkers are endangered.  Seems very poorly thought out.  Scenes like this might work in an action movie where... ya know, credits roll at the end, and it's just "over".  Deathstroke is a serial story... and part of a wider shared universe.  There really ought to be ramifications for stuff like this.

Then... there's the art during this bit.  The other chopper... just explodes?  Does it hit the water?  If so, why does it break in two?  Does water do that?  Did I miss something?  Was there a page missing where Slade chucked a grenade at them or something?  What the hell happened here?!

The "new-look" Brotherhood of Evil reveal?  Prrrrrretty lame.  Seems like Marv is trying to de-comic book this team to give 'em a proper run in the comparably "less" comic booky Deathstroke title... but, this just looks horrible.  I mean... look at how all of Mammoth's women are posed.  It's embarrassing.  I have zero interest in following up with them.

Overall... if you ever decide to give Total Chaos a "go"... feel free to skip Chapter 7.  It adds little more than nothing to the story... and what it does add, will very likely be recapped in the coming final chapters.  No good.

--

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Deathstroke the Terminator #15 (1992)

Deathstroke the Terminator #15 (October, 1992)
"Total Chaos, Part 4: Escape from New York!"
Writer - Marv Wolfman
Penciller - Art Nichols
Inker - Will Blyberg
Colorist - Tom McCraw
Letterer - John Costanza
Assistant Editor - Frank Pittarese
Editor - Jon Peterson
Cover Price: $1.75

My fingers are still twitching from yesterday's NINE-HUNDREDTH daily discussion.  A little "behind the curtain" on that one... it took about five hours to write!  I don't consider myself an unusually slow (or fast) writer... but, that sucker nearly did me in!

Talking about just one story today... well, it almost feels like cheating!

Before we get totally chaotic, I wanna thank everyone who reached out yesterday.  Sometimes I get caught up in my own head... and feel like nobody's reading.  I cannot thank you enough for proving that not to be the case!

Now, let's meet us some sweet, sweet Lili...

--

We pick up at Dayton's... and it's quite a scene.  Deathstroke gets a bit woozy, and passes out.  Meanwhile, in the background... it looks as though our main man Terry Long has used this opportunity to "goose" Starfire.  Changeling helps carry Deathstroke to the bedroom so he can lay down.  They are followed by Wintergreen and Terra.  Gar makes it quite clear that Terra ain't welcome.

We shift scenes to Times Square where New York Mayoral hopeful Elizabeth Alderman is being interviewed.  That helicopter that went down back in New Titans #90 is still smoldering, and she ensures the people of New York City that it is her mission to see the Titans unsanctioned.  She receives a call from a dude named Jack... who informs her that they've started to build on "Titans Island"... since, well, the Titans didn't exactly own the place anyway.  What they're building is... a pyramid?  Well, it looks like the Chaos-future might actually come to pass!

Back at Dayton's Gar more or less bares his soul to an unconscious Slade Wilson.  Ya see, he's harbored hard-feelings toward the man for what happened at the end of Titans Hunt (Spoiler: Deathstroke was forced to kill his son, the Titan Jericho)... but, he now realizes why it had to go down that way... and he apologizes.  Gar goes to leave the room, but is stopped... ya see, Deathstroke was awake the entire time!  He thanks Logan for his kind words, and they share a nice quiet moment together...

... which is quickly interrupted by Terra rushing in to announce that Starfire and Mirage are fighting over Nightwing again.  Deathstroke uses this opportunity to sneak out of Dayton's place and back into the sewers.  Bet you weren't expecting to see those Morlocks again... I know I wasn't.  Well, I was hoping not to... but, here we are.  Deathstroke, get this, calls ahead to let them know he's coming.  He's got these geeks on speed-dial?

Once in the sewer, Deathstroke... collapses to the ground.  While he lay, he tells Wintergreen the story of his adventure in Cambodia.  Well, can't have a crossover-event without some filler, can we?

The quick and dirty of it is, the Khmer Rouge was holding a "local princess" captive in the Siem Pang Wat... and Slade accepted the gig for fifteen-grand in silver.  What they find is... well, I don't wanna say "cat house", but, yeah... pretty much.

Slade and the boyz escort the ladies through the jungle... and everyone except Slade and Sweet Lili are gunned down by the bad guys.  Slade winds up taking a shot to the head himself, actually... but it's just a graze.  Lili took him deep into the woods to treat his wound... and, ya know... bang.  They did this for two weeks.

Back in the present, Slade and Wintergreen are found by those Morlocks... and they carry him to, well... Sweet Lili's Seweriffic cathouse?  Okay.  Well, I guess that was where Slade was headed to last issue... so, stands to reason that she'd have a doorway into the sewer.  Also, it's probably useful for disposing of bodies.

Once inside, we can see that those street kids we met (also last issue) have made it there safely.  I'm now starting to wonder if Deathstroke sent 'em down with thoughts to their becoming "workers" for Sweet Lili.

As Slade is led away for "treatment" (those quotes are probably unnecessary... all signs do point to him actually getting treatment), Wintergreen is led through a back room... where he spies a young girl with naturally white hair!  Could this be?  Well, yeah... of course it is.  Welcome to the world, Rose Wilson.

After his treatment, Slade is escorted outside to a waiting car.  He is to be delivered to a helicopter... then to an airport... then, it's off to the relative safety of Germany.  I guess anywhere you're not considered a "fugitive" is safe.  Unfortunately for Slade, that one Morlock he bested last issue, is narcing him out!

Slade doesn't realize he's been tricked until it's too late!  The helicopter escorts him directly to the top of a building where he is deposited before New York Mayoral Hopeful Elizabeth Alderman and a whole bunch of press... and cops!  Do not pass "go", and all that jazz...

--

Well, into every crossover... a little filler must fall.  At least it was entertaining... ish!

This issue had an amazingly strong start... some neat inter-Titan drama, plus that excellent scene between Changeling and Slade.  The Beast Boy/Changeling-Deathstroke relationship has always been one I've had a weakness for.  Heck, 901 days ago, our very first "Discussion and Review" was all about their relationship!  These two are kinda responsible for this blog even being "a thing"... so, we can thank and/or blame them, I suppose!

Add the new Terra into the mix, who is paying for the sins of the girl she looks like... and, that's just some great Titans drama.  The concept of "transference" is kinda fun to think about... because, it happens without us even realizing it.  The Titans (Gar especially) is transferring all of his feelings (and expectations) regarding the old/real Terra onto this new gal... who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Of course... this is maybe a little stronger than actual psychological transference... because... I mean, we've got DNA and an identical face/power-set here... but, the point is still valid.  Again, really strong open!

The Sweet Lili stuff?  Ehh.  Not bad, but not what I was looking for as "Part 4 of Total Chaos".  I'd suggest that "whoever was writing Deathstroke didn't wanna get sucked into a Titans crossover"... buuuuut, this entire thing is written by Wolfman.  I suppose it sets up future stories for the Deathstroke solo... while moving him into place for whatever is to follow in the Total Chaos-verse... plus, it gives a nearly complete story for folks who only read Deathstroke.  Can't be too mad at it.

Overall... ya know, I'd say this is the most "missable" chapter of Total Chaos up to this point... but, man... that opening few pages is some of the strongest Titans writing in some time, I'd hate for anyone to miss out on it!  So... I'm gonna say it for the fourth time: Total Chaos... so far, so good!  We're almost at the halfway point... surely that other shoe is about to drop... right?

--

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Deathstroke the Terminator #14 (1992)

Deathstroke the Terminator #14 (September, 1992)
"Total Chaos, Part 1: Child's Play"
Writer - Marv Wolfman
Penciller - Art Nichols
Inker - Will Blyberg
Letterer - John Costanza
Colorist - Tom McCraw
Assistant Editor - Frank Pittarese
Editor - Jon Peterson
Cover Price: $1.75

We really gonna do this?

Ya know... I feel like we've been brushing up against this one for a while now... and to be honest, it's been so long since I've read this, I can't remember much outside of the main "Lord Chaos" beats... and something about a food additive (I think).

Yesterday I wrote about how folks are quick to write off Team Titans as trash, sight unseen because "hurr hurr, nineties".  I fear my unfamiliarity with Total Chaos might make me fall into that sort of column as well... and, I'd really like the humble blog to be better than that.

Can't promise we'll be covering this every day... because, as we've learned, burnout is almost an inevitability when it comes to a project like this... also, because this Wednesday is our NINE-HUNDREDTH daily discussion... so, there might be something special planned for that entry... if I can think of something special to stick there, that is.

Anyhoo... let's hit it and git it, Total Chaos starts... now.

--

We open in New York City, and the Titans are trying to hunt down Deathstroke... the fugitive!  Ya see, Slade allegedly caused some chaos (no relation to the "Total" variety) during an earlier adventure that caused him to be thrown in jail by Superman... he's busted out, and he's currently on the run.  That's where the Titans come in.  We are just post-Titans Hunt, as well... which ended with (highlight to see spoiler) Slade being forced to kill his son Joey "Jericho" Wilson.  Sooo, the Titans are kinda of mixed feelings on the man right now.

As a disguised Nightwing and Starfire head down the street... and, I mean... Starfire is still a seven-foot tall golden woman with a giant four-foot ponytail... she's just wearing street clothes (and glasses)... but, I suppose we'll allow it.  Anyhoo... as they head down the street, Kory gets her pocketbook swiped by a skateboarding kid.  As Dick hops into pursuit another kid trips in front of him.  Ya see, the whole thing was a con.

Nearby, Slade watches the whole thing go down... and realizes his chances for escape are pretty slim at the moment.  Lucky for him, he just so happens to be standing outside a clothing store... and so, he goes "incognito".  Oh, and it's worth noting, he knows this is Dick and Kory because, as mentioned, Starfire is still a seven foot tall golden alien goddess.

Slade packs his arsenal into a duffel bag and heads down the mean street... where, he too falls victim to the skate-rat purse thief gang.  As he gives chase, another kid falls into his path.  Slade is a little less polite about this obstacle than Dick was.  Worth noting, these kids are currently on the run from the Mafia... and yeah, we'll be coming back around to that.

The girl that fell on Slade starts causing a scene, claiming that he robbed her.  This draws a crowd, and eventually... the attention of a still nearby Nightwing!

Nightwing and Slade fight for a few pages.  Dick tries to reason with Slade, and tells him that the Titans will have his back if he's truly innocent.  Slade's all "nuh-uh", and even at his halved levels of power, manages to beat the hell outta the former Boy Wonder.

Starfire runs to Nightwing's side (calling him "Dick" in front of a large crowd).  As Deathstroke makes a run for it, Dick orders Kory to use her star-bolts... but, for whatever reason... she can't.  We'll be coming back around to that as well.  When she fails to act, Dick writes it off as her having been weakened during Titans Hunt.

Dick and Kori reconnoiter with Changeling, Red Star, and Pantha... and have an odd little chat about the situation... likely only to facilitate some comments Gar makes toward Kory about how she's "changed".  The team decides to head back to Steve Dayton's, hopeful that Donna might've returned.

We shift scenes to those thieving kids... and we learn that one of the bags they'd swiped belonged to the mafia... and was packed full'a computer disks.  For those unaware, computers used to come with these thin slits called "disk drives"... you'd slide a disk into it in order to access programs and whatnot.  Anyhoo, the Mafia is here... and they want their stuff back.  Lucky for the kids, Deathstroke is also here... and he wants his stuff back as well.

After dispatching the baddies, Deathstroke nyoinks the tots and tries to figure out just what the heck is going on.  When they finally come clean about the disks, he asks them to meet him at a hotel later on tonight.  There's a request that hasn't really aged well.

Then... dun dun dunnnn, Lord Chaos.  We get a quick and dirty on the future Son of Donna Troy.  He hails from the far-flung future (2001), and is the "Absolute Ruler of Earth", which I doubt is an elected position.  Those who stood in opposition were the... Team Titans, who ultimately threw themselves back in time in order to follow through with a "Would you go back in time to kill so-and-so-bad-guy in the crib?" situation... or in this case, would you ensure so-and-so-bad-guy was never born?  And so, Lord Chaos also came back to ye old 1992 to ensure the Teamers don't succeed!

Speaking of Donna Troy, we shift over to S.T.A.R. Labs where she and Terry Long are walking the halls... talking about her time as a superhero.  She decides then and there, that once she has the baby... she's retiring!  They are then confronted by Team Titan Redwing, who tells them that she cannot allow the baby to be born... because, he'll destroy the world.  Dang, I wonder if Terry and Donna wanted to be surprised about the sex of the child?

Just then, the baby begins to... grow, inside Donna's belly... like, big time.  The swelling is so out of control that Donna falls to the ground... looks like the kid wants out!

We pop over to Dick and Kory, having some touchy-feely time on the couch.  After Dick gets all hot 'n bothered (he refers to himself as a, ugh, "gland"), Kory leaves to check on Donna.  As this is all going down, we see somebody escaping from captivity... hmm...

Later on (at Jericho's grave site), Deathstroke meets with his associate, Squirrel.  He's doing that thing where it's "one more job, then out"... which, I swear Deathstroke does like every third issue.  He instructs Squirrel to divert all of his funds appropriately.

Then, over with the Teamers, Fake-Terra shows off her new 90's look... and tells her teammates that she's made them all new costumes as well (with stolen materials, natch).

You haven't forgotten about those street kids yet, have you?  Because they're back... at the hotel, waiting for Deathstroke.  Unfortunately, the Mafia goons are also there.  Deathstroke pops in, and throws all of the baddies out a window... right at the feet of Officers Abbott and Costello.  I guess that'll do?

Slade unmasks... and reveals a very sweaty face... he's definitely in a bad way.  He instructs the kids to deliver those disks to the F.B.I., but they are a little squirrelly (no relation) about that.  Then, police sirens start blaring... so, Slade knows he's rapidly running out of time (even though Officers Bud and Lou have been outside the whole time?).  He gives the kids an address and tells them to ask for "Sweet Lili".

Deathstroke flees into the night... and into the sewer, hopeful that he can make it to S.T.A.R. Labs and give himself an examination before his powers completely give out.  He doesn't make it far, collapsing in the sewer... just a few feet in front of a shadowy figure.

We wrap up this chapter back at the Dayton Estate.  The Titans discuss everything that's gone down... however, they don't chat all that long before a very angry Starfire bursts in wondering why nobody bothered to come looking for her.  Ya see, she's been tied up in a tenement for three days.  I know what you're thinking... that can't be possible, we just saw her like five minutes ago!  Well... don't adjust your comic book... we really are seeing double!

--

So far... so good?

Maybe I'm softening in my old age... in fairness, it's been several forehead wrinkles and more than several gray hairs since the last time I tried reading this, but... as an opening chapter, I gotta say... I liked this.  Keep in mind that I also enjoyed the first issue of Millennium... so, I suppose this isn't really saying much.

I'd totally forgotten about the street kids... and, even seeing them now didn't refresh my memory any.  I am expecting that they will grind on my nerves as we work our way through... though, perhaps I shouldn't be so quick to judge.  After all, that's what this exercise is really all about!

The two Starfires.  I'm pretty sure we've touched on this before, but I'll not spoil it just in case.  I mean, I don't expect people to dig through the Infinite Archives with any regularity... heck, I'm not expecting anyone to read this!  It's definitely a somewhat interesting beat... and I'm looking forward to re-experiencing the reveal.

Lord Chaos... well, we don't get a whole lot from him, and honestly... we didn't really need to.  We "meet" him, and learn a little bit of what he's all about here, and that's pretty much all we should've gotten here.  Donna jumping through her trimesters with the quickness is also handled well... rather than just have her suddenly be "ready to pop", they gave her brief pregnancy an in-story reason.  Well done.

Still not a fan of his design... which feels like an already-been-chewed George Perez image... that curly hair... that odd short skirt.  Asamattafact, anytime I think of Total Chaos, I picture super "busy" pages, like the one where we're introduced to his Lordship here.  I think that might just be the top reason why I haven't revisited this story for so long... 

Gar being a little so-and-so here.  It's annoying, yes... but, it makes sense.  I mean, first of all... look at his haircut... who could be happy with something like that on their head?  But also, he (like the rest of the team) is dealing with the fallout of Titans Hunt... and, he's never been the most mature... or most comfortable with his feelings, so it stands to reason that he'd be the first to sorta "lash out" at the situation.

Only bits I was kinda "ehh" about was Deathstroke tossing the baddies at the cops... then being freaked out that there were cops on their way.  Seems kinda weird.  Though, I suppose he is a wanted fugitive... just seems a little uneven.


Also... this issue might be haunted.  Hear me out... I snapped so many pictures of this issue, the panels... the cover... and nearly all of them came out blurry!  This book simply refused to be photographed!  I mean, I've taken tens-of-thousands of pictures (of varying quality) for this blog... but today... I dunno, it was a real challenge!  If you don't hear from me ever again, run (don't walk) to your local shop and pick up this issue... I might've been sucked in.  I'm counting on you.

All told... if I were to have read this back in ye old 1992, I'd have been all about it.  This is intriguing... and feels like we're headed to a great adventure... funny, back in ye old 1992, I did go to Great Adventure in New Jersey on a class trip.  Anyhoo, I'm now tentatively looking forward to checking out the rest of this... though, with the understanding that (just as with Millennium) the other shoe will very likely drop.

If you're down, Total Chaos has been collected in trade paperback.

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