The Ravagers (comics)

Ravager is an alias used by multiple fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. Most appear in series featuring the Teen Titans and have a connection to the villain Slade Wilson / Deathstroke. The name has also been used by the unrelated super-hero team The Ravagers.

The first Ravager was Grant Wilson, the eldest son of Deathstroke. The Ravager alias was subsequently used by an unnamed assassin working for Harvey Dent / Two-Face, Deathstroke's rival Bill Walsh, and Deathstroke's half-brother Wade LaFarge. The most recent and current Ravager is Rose Wilson, Deathstroke's daughter, who is the only heroic character to adopt the alias.

In live action, Ravager debuted amalgamated into the character Isabel Rochev in the second season of the Arrowverse series ''Arrow'', played by Summer Glau. Grant Wilson also appeared in the first season of ''Legends of Tomorrow'' and final season of ''Arrow'' played by Jamie Andrew Cutler. Chelsea Zhang portrayed Rose Wilson for her live action debut in the series ''Titans'' in the second season.

Fictional character biography

Grant Wilson

The first Ravager is Deathstroke's older son Grant Wilson. While living in New York City, Grant's apartment is wrecked by the sudden arrival of the alien princess Starfire, and the Gordanians following her. Grant blames the Teen Titans for this, and takes a contract from H.I.V.E. to kill them. H.I.V.E. gives Grant a serum that allows him to imitate his father's abilities and enhanced reflexes, but the flawed procedure soon kills Grant, causing Deathstroke to hold the Titans responsible for his death.

Grant was temporarily resurrected by Brother Blood to guard Kid Eternity. In the ''Teen Titans'' tie-in to the ''Blackest Night'' crossover, Grant Wilson was reanimated as a member of the Black Lantern Corps, attacking his father and half-sister, Rose Wilson.''Teen Titans'' (vol. 3) #77 (November 2009). DC Comics.

The New 52

In September 2011, The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, Grant's history was changed. He appears to have been beaten and killed in an explosion by Midnighter, but returned after a few years trying to kill his father. Grant surreptitiously manipulates Deathstroke, by allying himself with the fathers of one of Slade's victims and sending a number of villains called Legacy to weaken the mercenary before really facing him. In the aftermath, even having a chance to kill Deathstroke, Grant hesitated and simply walked away. Grant later appeared being mind-controlled by Jericho. He was later killed off by Deathstroke in his attempt to kill Jericho.

DC Rebirth

Grant's backstory is later expanded upon in ''Deathstroke: Rebirth''. In his younger years as a child, he had a strained relationship with his father Slade, who was hard on him, and was distant from his younger brother Joe. His strained family life provokes him to running away as a teenager, unknowingly encountering young members of H.I.V.E who have been spying on his family and took the chance to recruit him. Grant established a relationship with one of the young women and came to join H.I.V.E in his adult life. In the "Lazarus Contract" storyline, Deathstroke tries to revive Grant by stealing Wally West and Wally West II's superspeed to time travel and change the past, but was unsuccessful.

Unknown

The second Ravager was an unnamed hired assassin who worked for the notorious Gotham City criminal Two-Face to eliminate Batman. Ravager lured Batman into a trap by building up his reputation as a dangerous serial killer, but during the confrontation at the top of a dam, Ravager was defeated and he fell to the water below, never to be seen again.

Bill Walsh

The third Ravager is Bill Walsh, a former rival of Deathstroke's who takes up the title to lure Deathstroke into battle. Years before assuming the name Ravager, Walsh was known as the Jackal and was involved in the kidnapping of Slade's younger son, Joseph (who became the hero Jericho), which ultimately resulted in Joseph's throat being slit and him becoming mute. As Ravager, Walsh attempts to kill Slade with a bomb. Slade instead kills Walsh and defuses the bomb.

Wade LaFarge

The fourth Ravager is Slade's half brother, Wade LaFarge, a small-time hitman who uses the name in mockery of Slade. As a child, LaFarge felt resentful of and inferior to Wilson, who often looked out for him. In adulthood, LaFarge would meet a woman named Adeline Kane, become smitten with her, and have a relationship with her for a while. However, his somewhat-abusive tendencies drove her away, and she joined the special forces. Funnily enough, she would meet Slade Wilson there, and the two, unaware of their mutual connection via LaFarge, would fall in love and get married. This drove LaFarge over the edge, and he kidnapped both of Slade and Addie's children, toddlers Grant and Joe, and tried to brainwash them into believing their father was an evil man. Right before he could do any permanent damage to the family, his own mother, Frannie LaFarge, shot him off a cliff. He was presumed dead, but the cold cauterized his wounds and he survived. LaFarge became obsessed with destroying Slade and Addie's relationship so he could win her back for himself, and hired the mercenary known as "The Jackal", another man with a grudge against Slade, to kidnap the Wilson children and force Slade to reveal his double-life as Deathstroke to Addie. After failing to kill Slade and romantically pursue Adeline, Wade was driven deep underground and arrested after a crazed Adeline was presumed dead. Years later, Ravager was offered $100,000 by an anonymous source to perform a hit on Rose Wilson, the daughter of Deathstroke and Lili Worth (an ex of Slade's). He brutally murdered her foster parents, but was interrupted by the Teen Titans, who claimed they had received an anonymous tip. The whole group was knocked out with Halothane gas, and Rose and the Ravager both woke up in Deathstroke's den. Deathstroke made amends with his daughter and offered her the chance to rekindle their relationship and also turn the Ravager legacy into something good again. He took her on as his apprentice, and let her first kill the man who murdered her mother. Rose Wilson killed LaFarge with Deathstroke's sword, and would go on to become the fifth Ravager. Wade's name in this issue is mistakenly listed as Wade DeFarge.

In the ''Teen Titans'' tie-in to the ''Blackest Night'' crossover, Wade LaFarge was reanimated as a member of the Black Lantern Corps, attacking Rose and Slade. He fought Rose, who attempted to incinerate him, but then found out that Rose was possessed by her brother Jericho.

Rose Wilson

The fifth Ravager is Rose Wilson, Slade's illegitimate daughter. At one period, Deathstroke manipulates and brainwashes her into becoming his apprentice. After a brief stint training with Nightwing in an attempt to make the Secret Society of Super Villains leave Blüdhaven alone, Rose realizes that Deathstroke does not have her best interests at heart and leaves him. One year after the events of ''Infinite Crisis'', she has joined the Teen Titans, as seen in ''Teen Titans'' (vol. 3) #34 (May 2006).

The Ravagers

The Ravagers (rather than Ravager) also exist as the name of a team in DC comics. In September 2011, The New 52 rebooted DC's continuity. In this new timeline, the Ravagers are introduced as a group of super-powered teens who have escaped the plans of Harvest in the Culling. ''The Ravagers'' title first appeared as part of The New 52's Second Wave in 2012. The team was formed after the Teen Titans and the Legionnaires stuck in the present day were abducted by Harvest, and then later stopped the villain and escaped.
The team includes Beast Boy, Terra, Thunder and Lightning, Ridge and Fairchild.

Other versions

''Titans Tomorrow''

In the "Titans Tomorrow" storyline, the Teen Titans are thrown back in time after teaming up with the Legion of Super-Heroes, only to arrive ten years into their own future. They discover that as adults, they are evil authoritarian dictators. However, a Titans East team has been formed to stop them. Rose Wilson is a member of the Titans East and is in love with Bart Allen, then the Flash, who is spying on the evil Titans. Rose and the Flash help the Teen Titans to return home.

The concept is revisited in ''Teen Titans'' vol. 3, where it revealed that the future has changed somewhat. Future Bart Allen is now just as unscrupulous as his teammates, and Rose's counterpart is dead. There exists no Titans East/Titans West division, as all belong to a greatly expanded teammates Titans Army.

''Tiny Titans''

Rose appears in ''Tiny Titans'', although she does not go by Ravager. She wears an eye patch on her right eye and had an undamaged eye underneath. It is not mentioned whether the patch was worn to improve her sight.

''Flashpoint''

In the alternate timeline of the '' Flashpoint'' event, Rose Wilson was kidnapped by persons unknown, where her father Deathstroke, a pirate, is searching for her. Deathstroke and his shipmate Jenny Blitz located Rose, who was being held captive on the Caretaker's fleet. Deathstroke formulated a plan, while he and Jenny battled Caretaker's crew and manages to save Rose. After battling Caretaker's fleet, Rose rescued Deathstroke and Jenny from drowning, and is then reunited with her father and sailing towards an unknown destination.

''DC Bombshells''

Ravager appears in the ''DC Bombshells and the Enchantress. This version is a prophetic pirate and uses her abilities to predict the moves of her opponents and to warn her comrades not to stray from the Belle Reeve Manor. While Killer Croc is specific on why Batgirl and Enchantress are at the bayou Manor, he just claims that Ravager "did something bad". After Francine Charles proves Ravager's prophecy on never leaving Belle Reeve to be false, the Coven, Charles, and Killer Croc, form Amanda Waller's Suicide Squad.

In other media

Television

* Characters based on individuals who have used the Ravager alias appear in media set in the Arrowverse:
** A character loosely based on Rose Wilson / Ravager named Isabel Rochev appears in the second season of ''Arrow'', portrayed by Summer Glau.
** A possible future version of Grant Wilson / Deathstroke from the year 2046 appears in the ''Legends of Tomorrow'' episode "Star City 2046", portrayed by Jaime Andrew Cutler. By this time period, he has taken up the mantle of Deathstroke from his father Slade Wilson and taken over Star City before he is defeated by his versions of the Green Arrow and John Diggle Jr. as well as the time-traveling Legends.
** The present day version of Grant Wilson / Deathstroke appears in the ''Arrow'' episode " Present Tense", portrayed again by Jaime Andrew Cutler. He forms and leads the Deathstroke Gang in an attempt to destroy Star City, only to be foiled by the Green Arrow and his allies, arrested by the authorities, and incarcerated at Blackgate Penitentiary.
* The Rose Wilson incarnation of Ravager appears in ''Teen Titans Go!'' (2013), voiced by Pamela Adlon.
* The Rose Wilson incarnation of Ravager appears in the second season of ''Titans'', portrayed by Chelsea Zhang.

Film

The Jackal appears in '' Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons: The Movie'', voiced by Chris Jai Alex.

Video games

* The Rose Wilson incarnation of Ravager appears in ''DC Universe Online''.
* The Rose Wilson incarnation of Ravager appears as a support card in the mobile version of '' Injustice: Gods Among Us''.
* The ''Teen Titans Go!'' (2013) incarnation of Rose Wilson / Ravager appears as a non-playable character in ''Lego Dimensions'', voiced again by Pamela Adlon.
* The Rose Wilson incarnation of Ravager appears as a playable character in '' Lego DC Super-Villains''.
* The Rose Wilson incarnation of Ravager appears as a playable character in ''DC Legends''.

Miscellaneous

* The Rose Wilson incarnation of Ravager appears in ''Teen Titans Go!'' (2004) #49.
* The Rose Wilson incarnation of Ravager appears in ''Smallville Season 11''.
* The Rose Wilson incarnation of Ravager makes cameo appearances in ''DC Super Hero Girls'' as a student of Super Hero High.
* Isabel Rochev and Wade DeFarge appear in the ''Arrow'' tie-in novel ''Arrow: Vengeance''. The latter is stated to be Slade Wilson's commanding officer in the ASIS and half-brother of Billy Wintergreen. After Slade abuses government resources to locate Oliver Queen, DeFarge confronts Slade, who eventually kills him.
* The Jackal appears in '' Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons'', voiced by Chris Jai Alex. This version is an armored mercenary and member of H.I.V.E. partnered with Bronze Tiger.

References

{{The New 52

Fictional super soldiers
Comics characters introduced in 1984
Characters created by Marv Wolfman
Comics characters introduced in 1980
Comics characters introduced in 1989
Comics characters introduced in 1994
DC Comics martial artists
DC Comics superheroes
DC Comics supervillains
Fictional assassins in comics
Characters created by George Pérez
DC Comics code names