Deadshot

DEADSHOT

Real Name: Floyd Lawton

Class: Human technology-user

Occupation: Mercenary

Group Affiliation: Secret Six III, formerly Suicide Squad, Killer Elite

Known Relatives: Edward Lawton (son, deceased), Genevieve Pitt Lawton (mother, deceased), George Lawton (father, deceased), Edward Robert (brother, deceased), Susan (ex-wife), Zoe (daughter)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Mobile, formerly Gotham City.

First Appearance: Batman #59 (June-July, 1950)

Powers: Deadshot was an unerring marksman with any type of weapon. His weapon of choice was wrist-mounted rapid-fire magnums. He wore body armor, and always kept weaponry and ammunition on his person.

History: Floyd Lawton was born into a privileged but dysfunctional family that lived in the town of Lawton. His mother Genevieve conspired with his brother Edward to kill his father. Floyd tried to stop the murder, but Edward still managed to shoot and cripple George, and when Floyd and Edward fought over the gun Edward ended up dead. Floyd was emotionally destroyed by this event, and developed a lifelong deathwish.

He moved to Gotham City, married, and had a child that he named after his brother Edward.

(Batman I #59, Detective Comics I #474 (fb)) - Playboy Floyd Lawton was an unerring marksman and believed he could compete with Batman as Gotham City’s defender. He dressed in a tuxedo and domino mask, assuming the vigilante identity of Deadshot, and. always shooting to disarm criminals instead of killing them. His popularity soared in Gotham City, and he used his new clout to take over the city’s rackets, becoming a rising underworld figure. Batman and Robin uncovered what he was up to and tried to expose him, but the people of Gotham initially thought Batman was just jealous of his rival. Deadshot tried to eliminate Batman, but the Caped Crusader had altered his gunsights, causing him to miss a shot for the first time. Deadshot was exposed and Batman took him to prison.

(Detective Comics I #474) - Penguin returned to prison After having his latest scheme foiled by Batman and taunted Deadshot Floyd Lawton, saying that while he was in and out of jail as he pleased Deadshot had been rotting away since Batman defeated him years ago. Penguin showed off his monocle, which contained a laser lens he’d use to break out again. Deadshot took Penguin’s words to heart, angered that he’d never gotten a chance for revenge against Batman, and snatched the monocle, activated the laser and freed himself. While in prison he’d designed body armor and wrist mounted firearms, confident that if he couldn’t outwit Batman he could overpower him. Deadshot spotted Batman on patrol and fired a warning shot. He raged that Batman had ended his life as a wealthy socialite, making him another common crook. He bragged that prison had hardened him, and said he’d learned that if he wanted something, in this case Batman’s life, he had to take it by force. Their fight carried on across Gotham’s rooftops and they crashed into Silver St. Cloud’s convention hall. Silver told her security guard not to call the police, saying she wasn’t going to see Batman turned over to the authorities. Deadshot warned he had no qualms about shooting civilians, but before he could act Batman knocked him into a giant typewriter prop, trapping him. Deadshot admitted defeat for the present.

Genevieve had Deadshot's son Eddie kidnapped by thugs, and demanded that Deadshot kill his father if he ever wanted to see Eddie again. He refused, and slew everyone involved with the kidnapping. Despite his best efforts Eddie died before Deadshot could locate him. Deadshot confronted his mother, shooting and crippling her.

(Showcase '93 #7-11) - Deadshot returned to the mercenary business because the money was right. Kobra hired Deadshot to deal with Deathstroke and Peacemaker, who were interrupting his activities. He gave Deadshot special bullets that would brainwash them to serve him. Deadshot failed to hit his targets, and they offered to hire him to kill Kobra, but he told them it would kill his business. Deathstroke and Peacemaker knew Kobra worshipped chaos, and told Deadshot he was probably planning on killing him too. Deadshot was skeptical, but told them that would change things. Kobra sent his human / reptilian hybrid soldiers to kill the lot of them, and Deadshot was convinced that he should team up with the mercs. Deadshot returned to Kobra hq to kill the villain, but was captured by Kobra and his bodyguard Gennifer Devereaux. Deadshot was rescued by Peacemaker and Deathstroke, who blew up Kobra's hq, but the villain escaped in a sub.

(Hawk and Dove IV #3-5) -

(Body Doubles #1) - Requiem Inc. put up an open contract on Richter. Deadshot and the Killer Elite competed against the Body Doubles for the contract, and Deadshot surreptitiously sabotaged his team's victory because he was dating Body Double Carmen Leno at the time.

(JLA #34) - Mageddon approached Earth, and sent a remote sender to Belle Reve prison, where drove Deadshot and the other prisoners berserk with rage, sparking off a riot. The JLA quelled the riot.

(JSA #28) - Nevada; Deadshot went to Roulette's House to attend one of her gladiatorial contests. He was among the crowd of villains that watched members of the JSA forced to fight each other.

(Flash II #179) - Deadshot and the Killer Elite were Jokerized and sent off by Joker to wreck havoc. They laid siege to Iron Heights, but were beaten back by warden Gregory Wolfe and prison guards. They were teleported away by Warp to Keystone City Jail, where Deadshot Jokerized Captain Boomerang, but was brought into custody by Flash III.

(Suicide Squad II #5-8) -

(Batman #606, 607) - Deadshot was hired to assassinate David Cain before Cain could testify about framing Bruce Wayne for the murder of Vesper Fairchild. Deadshot could have killed Cain, but instead gave Cain a gun and the opportunity to end Deadshot's life. After a brief fight Cain shot Deadshot in the chest. Deadshot was rushed to an emergency room, and much to his dismay he pulled through.

(Identity Crisis #2) - Deadshot attended one of the supervillain community's semi-regular gatherings at the Injustice Gang's old satellite headquarters.

(Identity Crisis #4) - Dr. Light told Deadshot that he was once mind-wiped by the Justice League of America. Deadshot spread Light’s story to his supervillain buddies.

(Identity Crisis #5, 6) - Deadshot and the Monocle were at Merlyn’s apartment when the JLA, who had been coming down hard on the supervillain community in the wake of Sue Dibny’s murder, stormed into the residence. The JLA easily apprehended the villains. Kate Spencer prosecuted them, but the case was no papered and they were set free after Deadshot called in a favor from Amanda Waller.

(Deadshot II #1) -

(Villains United: Infinite Crisis Special #1) - Deadshot and the Secret Six discussed the future of their team over dinner, and Deadshot told them they should be a for-hire superteam. Deadshot told them they didn't need to be heroes or villains, they would be in it purely for financial gain. Green Arrow called in an old debt from Deadshot when he asked the Secret Six to get intel about the Society's plans for a worldwide prison break to free every incarcerated supervillain. The Six kidnapped Scarecrow and Professor Amos Fortune, and learned that all the escaped supervillains were going to mass in Metropolis. The Six passed on the information to Green Arrow, who assembled every available hero on Earth to confront the villains in Metropolis. Deadshot and the Six observed the titanic battle in Metropolis, but decided not to get involved.

(Secret Six III #30, Doom Patrol V #19) - The Secret Six were hired by the newly formed criminal organization C.R.U.S.H., run by Eric Fine, the grandson of one of the founders of the 100. They wanted the sovereign nation of Oolong Island as their new headquarters, and told the Secret Six to dispose of Oolong’s protectors the Doom patrol. The Six only agreed after Jeanette and Scandal made it clear they wouldn’t kill any civilians, but Deadshot thought they were acting like babies. The Six engaged the Doom patrol in combat, but Eric decided to double-cross them, and sent suicide bombers to ignite Oolong’s dormant volcano. The DP wanted to call off the fight, but Bane insisted that the disaster meant nothing. DP member Elasti-Woman diverted the lava, and Oolong’s president uncloaked C.R.U.S.H.’s helicopter, which was observing the proceedings. C.R.U.S.H. fled, and the Six realized they wouldn’t be paid for the job, so the conflict ended, and the Six peacefully left Oolong, but Catman admitted he was itching to tussle with the DP again.

Comments: Created by David Vern Reed, Bob Kane and Lew Schwartz.

Deadshot received profiles in Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #6 and Who’s Who in the DC Universe #3. He received a profile in Who's Who in the DC Universe #12 under the Suicide Squad entry.

Deadshot had cameos in Batman I #683, Doom Patrol V #18, Hawk & Dove III #22, Showcase '93 #1 and Spectre III #31.

Deadshot's appearance in Detective Comics I #474 was reprinted in Shadow of the Batman #3.