Call Him Ishmael
Nov. 3rd, 2003 08:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
greenygalI was reading Slade's entry in the new Teen Titans/Outsiders Secret Files (about which more later), and while it sort of explains that scene in TT #1 (although it does not make it any better of an idea), I was left thinking, my god, what a horrible situation for Slade to have been put in.
And then![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ratcreature and cereta were discussing old Titans issues, and in the process I got reminded that that's how it always is for him.
What the entry says is that Slade discovered that the spirit of his son, Jericho, was residing inside him, and he called Wintergreen to help Slade exorcise Joey. As we are currently seeing in Teen Titans, it didn't work.
So. Follow. Slade discovers that his son, the son whose throat was cut as a child because of Slade and who Slade personally killed, is possessing him. If Slade can sense anything from him, it's probably very negative (judging from what we see in TT); if not, well, the last time he saw Joey the poor guy was completely Evil, and Slade has no reason to think that's changed. And then there's what Joey does, namely take over people's bodies. Slade hates that; he's a fierce individualist who damn well does things for his own reasons in his own way, and to hell with you if you don't like it. (Somehow, this doesn't conflict at all with the fact that his job is to fight other people's fights. I love Slade.) So he's got good, compelling reasons to...
...kill his son.
Again. Even for Slade, this seems excessive.
But, no, wait, it gets worse. Because he failed to kill his son, which means that he bought himself the worst of both worlds--he's still going to have to do it if he ever wants his body back, but in the meantime Joey has used Slade's own body to kill Wintergreen, Slade's oldest, most trusted, and dearest surviving associate. And why did he do this? Speculations on Joey's questionable motivations aside--because Slade asked Wintergreen to come help. (Side note: why? Granted that there aren't a lot of other people Slade could ask for help, but what earthly use was Wintergreen going to be, here? Moving on.)
And the thing is that this is normal, for Slade. He left Wintergreen in the first place, I think, because he's noticed this tendency for the people standing next to him to get hit by lightning--only it's always more personal than that; even when it isn't really his fault, somehow, it is. I don't know if it's a desire to make a character that's basically a villain more complex and sympathetic, his creator's tendency to pile on the angst getting a little out of hand, or just somebody's idea of karma, but it sucks to be Slade Wilson.
His elder son? Given powers that ultimately killed him because the HIVE figured it would be a good way to manipulate Slade into doing their job--and the kid went along with it, in part, because he wanted to be just like Slade.
His younger son? Assaulted as a child by someone trying to get information out of Slade, and left voiceless due to Slade's refusal to cooperate. The relationship might even have healed from that, though...if a demon-possessed Joey hadn't begged Slade to stab him through the heart.
His ex-wife, who he never really stopped loving? Devastated by the death of her sons, particularly Joey, and left with nothing but a need to kill Slade. His desperate efforts to save her life when she'd been poisoned instead turned her into a maddened psychotic with elixir-of-immortality blood, qualities which ultimately led to her death. Directly, of course, Starfire killed her--and who brought Starfire in? Yeah, you guessed it.
His teenage daughter Rose? Never knew her while she was growing up, and when they were finally brought together after the death of Rose's mother Lili, Slade rejected her in order to protect her from his life. So far it's worked; she's still alive.
His supporting cast members, including the aforementioned Lili? Murdered by his half-brother in an effort to torment him.
His love-life? A collection of psychotics (Cheshire, Terra), class acts he ultimately brought disaster on (Addie, Lili), and one competent but conflicted Vigilante (Pat Trayce), who spent as much time shooting at him as she did getting cozy. I am convinced that only the fact that everybody's forgotten about her has preserved her existence; if she ever appears in another story with him, she'll no doubt suffer a horrible fate.
It just goes on like this. Slade's own comic started just after his killing of Joey, and it ended with his faking first amnesia and then death in an effort to sever ties with the only two people in the world who still cared about him--and it's down to one, now. If Slade thinks he's death walking, who could blame him? And who could blame him for just curling up and waiting to die?
But he can't. Not physically; his healing factor won't allow it. It will, however, leave him temporarily insane after it revives him--there's no peace for him even in death. Even more importantly, though, emotionally, he just can't let himself do it. He's the consummate professional, the ultimate survivor. No matter how badly it hurts, no matter how much he loses, no matter how bleak his life becomes, he can't surrender. Can never give up. Pick yourself up, after each life-shattering disaster, and just. Keep. Going. He's always the last man standing, in every sense of the phrase--and that's a damned lonely thing to be.
And then
ratcreature and cereta were discussing old Titans issues, and in the process I got reminded that that's how it always is for him.What the entry says is that Slade discovered that the spirit of his son, Jericho, was residing inside him, and he called Wintergreen to help Slade exorcise Joey. As we are currently seeing in Teen Titans, it didn't work.
So. Follow. Slade discovers that his son, the son whose throat was cut as a child because of Slade and who Slade personally killed, is possessing him. If Slade can sense anything from him, it's probably very negative (judging from what we see in TT); if not, well, the last time he saw Joey the poor guy was completely Evil, and Slade has no reason to think that's changed. And then there's what Joey does, namely take over people's bodies. Slade hates that; he's a fierce individualist who damn well does things for his own reasons in his own way, and to hell with you if you don't like it. (Somehow, this doesn't conflict at all with the fact that his job is to fight other people's fights. I love Slade.) So he's got good, compelling reasons to...
...kill his son.
Again. Even for Slade, this seems excessive.
But, no, wait, it gets worse. Because he failed to kill his son, which means that he bought himself the worst of both worlds--he's still going to have to do it if he ever wants his body back, but in the meantime Joey has used Slade's own body to kill Wintergreen, Slade's oldest, most trusted, and dearest surviving associate. And why did he do this? Speculations on Joey's questionable motivations aside--because Slade asked Wintergreen to come help. (Side note: why? Granted that there aren't a lot of other people Slade could ask for help, but what earthly use was Wintergreen going to be, here? Moving on.)
And the thing is that this is normal, for Slade. He left Wintergreen in the first place, I think, because he's noticed this tendency for the people standing next to him to get hit by lightning--only it's always more personal than that; even when it isn't really his fault, somehow, it is. I don't know if it's a desire to make a character that's basically a villain more complex and sympathetic, his creator's tendency to pile on the angst getting a little out of hand, or just somebody's idea of karma, but it sucks to be Slade Wilson.
His elder son? Given powers that ultimately killed him because the HIVE figured it would be a good way to manipulate Slade into doing their job--and the kid went along with it, in part, because he wanted to be just like Slade.
His younger son? Assaulted as a child by someone trying to get information out of Slade, and left voiceless due to Slade's refusal to cooperate. The relationship might even have healed from that, though...if a demon-possessed Joey hadn't begged Slade to stab him through the heart.
His ex-wife, who he never really stopped loving? Devastated by the death of her sons, particularly Joey, and left with nothing but a need to kill Slade. His desperate efforts to save her life when she'd been poisoned instead turned her into a maddened psychotic with elixir-of-immortality blood, qualities which ultimately led to her death. Directly, of course, Starfire killed her--and who brought Starfire in? Yeah, you guessed it.
His teenage daughter Rose? Never knew her while she was growing up, and when they were finally brought together after the death of Rose's mother Lili, Slade rejected her in order to protect her from his life. So far it's worked; she's still alive.
His supporting cast members, including the aforementioned Lili? Murdered by his half-brother in an effort to torment him.
His love-life? A collection of psychotics (Cheshire, Terra), class acts he ultimately brought disaster on (Addie, Lili), and one competent but conflicted Vigilante (Pat Trayce), who spent as much time shooting at him as she did getting cozy. I am convinced that only the fact that everybody's forgotten about her has preserved her existence; if she ever appears in another story with him, she'll no doubt suffer a horrible fate.
It just goes on like this. Slade's own comic started just after his killing of Joey, and it ended with his faking first amnesia and then death in an effort to sever ties with the only two people in the world who still cared about him--and it's down to one, now. If Slade thinks he's death walking, who could blame him? And who could blame him for just curling up and waiting to die?
But he can't. Not physically; his healing factor won't allow it. It will, however, leave him temporarily insane after it revives him--there's no peace for him even in death. Even more importantly, though, emotionally, he just can't let himself do it. He's the consummate professional, the ultimate survivor. No matter how badly it hurts, no matter how much he loses, no matter how bleak his life becomes, he can't surrender. Can never give up. Pick yourself up, after each life-shattering disaster, and just. Keep. Going. He's always the last man standing, in every sense of the phrase--and that's a damned lonely thing to be.
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no subject
Date: 2003-11-04 11:11 pm (UTC)Agreed. I'm having issues with the storyline more for Joey's sake--this is a dirty, *dirty* thing to do for the sake of a little shock drama. It was bad enough when the brilliant beginning of Titans' Hunt devolved into such a disasterous wreck, compounded by the fatal error of making Joe the villain. (When even Wolfman admits in retrospect the whole thing was a mistake.... :p) But to reprise that error and further tarnish any good memories of a character? Feh.
But no one seems interested in writing Slade as anything more than a stock badguy, and even when it's tried it's gotten wrong (witness: Nightwing appearance).
So--yeah. No matter what, sucks to be him. :p
no subject
Date: 2003-11-05 05:53 am (UTC)Mind you, I agree with you, unless Geoff has something deeply brilliant in mind, bringing Joey back like this is cheap and disrespectful to a character who's already suffered more than enough. I just can't personally bring myself to care, because that's just not Joe.
even when it's tried it's gotten wrong (witness: Nightwing appearance).
This reminds me--we have another O.C. comics sighting, and I think it might be one of those issues. :) I can't be sure, because we don't see the cover, but Slade's very visible in a full-page shot.
The fact that one of the characters is a comics geek is not the only or even primary reason that I love The O.C., but it's definitely a cherry on top. :)