8 Smartest Decisions In DC Villain History

7. Faking Kryptonite Bullets - Deathstroke

Deathstroke Superman
DC Comics

Deathstroke is one of the most intelligent, resourceful and downright ruthless villains the DC universe has to offer (though he may take umbrage with the 'v' word if you were to call him that). Plus, with an alias like 'The Terminator', you know he's got to be the real deal.

In his storied career, Deathstroke has taken on the likes of Batman, Green Arrow, the Teen Titans and more private armies than you could possibly imagine. So, just think about what would happen if you outfitted this mercenary - a super soldier with an unrivalled move-set and tactical nous - with one of the most advanced super-suits in DC's library. You get Christopher Priest's Deathstroke.

Priest's stint on the character alongside artist Carlo Pagulayan has proven to be a surprising highlight of DC Rebirth, with one of its best moments involving a confrontation between Slade and the Man of Steel himself, Superman.

Staring down the barrel of a big Kryptonian demi-god, Slade uses all the tools in his arsenal to buy himself some time. He uses the Ikon suit to repel Supes' attacks back at him, and - on the way to accomplishing his mission - chooses to douse his own bullets in neon green to emulate the look of Kryptonite. Meanwhile, Slade causes enough destruction to keep the Man of Steel occupied, and would've likely succeeded had the big blue boy scout not recruited Wilson's son, Jericho, to decommission the Ikon suit.

Either way, Slade's battle with Supes was a prime example of how intelligent the character is. Sure, he has some help, but the fake bullets are the cherry on top of a brilliant battle.

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WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well. In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.