Deadshot

"Bang, you're dead."[1]

Deadshot, real name Floyd Lawton, is an assassin for hire that will take on anyone and anywhere as he has no evil agenda other than his next paycheck. He was highly successful as a hitman for many years but was eventually captured by the government and made part of Task Force X.

History

Deadshot was hired to assassinate Aquaman. After badly wounding the ruler of Atlantis, Deadshot was captured and interrogated by the Justice League. After being threatened by Batman, he did not know the name of his client but his payment of recovered Spanish doubloons pointed towards Orm as part of a plot where Aquaman's traitorous brother Orm seizes the throne and invade the surface world.^[2]

Deadshot later appeared looting in Metropolis after Superman's alleged death, (it’s also possible he successfully killed Batman, in the previous timeline before it was altered by Superman, who managed to arrive back in the present after being hurled into the future by Toyman). He was captured by Batman and presumably sent to prison.^[1]

For his documented crimes (and undoubtedly many undocumented ones), Floyd Lawton was given a death sentence by electric chair. But minutes before his execution, he was given a reprieve by Colonel Rick Flagg, Jr. In exchange for his cooperation with a secret government agency, he would eventually be given a pardon. He was teamed with three other criminals and Flagg on the squad Task Force X and given a particularly dangerous mission: infiltrate the Justice League Watchtower. Though skeptical, Lawton, Plastique, Flagg and Captain Boomerang snuck aboard successfully. However, their presence did not go unnoticed, and Task Force X was forced to engage the Justice League in combat after their cover's blown. The squad managed to complete their mission: recovering the powerful Annihilator armor. Deadshot escaped with most of the team sans Plastique. Task Force X was not disbanded following the mission. Lawton was promised by Flagg and Amanda Waller that Cadmus would be making use of the reluctant team’s services for a full five years…or until their deaths, whichever came first. There are no records of Deadshot’s further adventures.^[3]

Weapons and abilities

Deadshot is one of the greatest marksmen in the world. His standard suit is equipped with wrist-mounted projectile weapons and is well-armored. Besides his normal armaments, Deadshot is proficient in the use of many other weapons and is a dangerous hand-to-hand combatant as well.

Background information

• In DC Comics, Deadshot was a relatively minor foe of Batman until his character was completely revamped in the 1980s. He has been established as perhaps the best marksman alive within DC, and his reputation is currently much closer to the mid-to-upper tier of human criminals.

• Michael Rosenbaum reportedly based his vocal performance as Deadshot upon the voice of actor Kevin Spacey, which is an interesting coincidence as Spacey would go on to portray Lex Luthor (a role also played by Rosenbaum on the TV series Smallville and in a roundabout way in the Justice League Unlimited episode "The Great Brain Robbery") in the 2006 film Superman Returns.

Appearances

Justice League

• "The Enemy Below, Part I"
• "Only A Dream, Part I" ^{(Cameo in dream sequence)}
• "Hereafter"

Justice League Unlimited

• "Task Force X"

References

External links

• Deadshot at Wikipedia

Project Cadmus
Members
Leader	Amanda Waller
Sponsor	Lex Luthor
PR / Manager	Maxwell Lord
Division Heads
Genetics	Emil Hamilton
Psychology	Hugo Strange • Moon
Splicing	Milo
Mysticism	Tala
Military Tactics	Wade Eiling
Agents
Captain Atom • Doomsday • Galatea
Ultimen	Downpour • Juice • Shifter • Long Shadow • Wind Dragon
Task Force X	Captain Boomerang • Clock King • Deadshot • Rick Flagg • Plastique