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The Comic Book History Of Deadshot From 'Suicide Squad'

Strap in for everything Deadshot.

By Zane SandersPublished 6 years ago 3 min read
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Suicide Squad comes out in less than a month, so we're diving into the comic book history of its main characters to prepare for their live-action adventure and discover some of their essential storylines. Strap in for everything Deadshot.

Floyd Lawton Stands By One Rule

"Do the job that you're hired for with the least amount of casualties possible — after all, you're not being paid to waste bullets."

Perhaps one of the more disciplined members of the Squad, Deadshot is an assassin and expert marksman that takes pride in his aim and his work, claiming to "never miss" — despite having missed big time when attempting to take out Batman, but maybe that doesn't count. Caring less about securing his freedom through the Suicide Squad, he goes about his missions with the goal of dying in an unforgettable way making him both deadly and unpredictable.

This laissez-faire attitude for his own life is likely due to his early family situation; growing up with an abusive father could explain much about Lawton's life. At one point his father attacked his brother, motivating the young Floyd to try and end his father's life with his own gun. Unfortunately, while sitting in a tree, one of the branches broke when he pulled the trigger and resulted in the bullet hitting his brother instead.

Another possibility for Deadshot's death wish is the fact that his own son was brutally abused and murdered by a pedophile — the guy never catches a break. The psychological effects of killing his brother, the death of his son — not to mention the way that Batman brought an end to his short criminal career — are among the most likely reasons behind Deadshot's attitude about life.

Deadshot's Abilities

Deadshot uses a large arsenal, but favors a sniper rifle and the silenced twin machine guns strapped on each of his arms. He wears an exceptionally strong suit, giving him the ability to survive explosions, gunfire, and electricity. The helmet he dons is also able to withstand most any attack; it has computer powered enhancements including infrared, night vision, a thermal anemometer, binoculars and hearing sensors.

On top of his extreme accuracy, Deadshot is competent in hand-to-hand combat. Though he'd much rather be shooting a gun, he has gone head-to-head with both Batman and the Joker and lived to tell the tale.

Deadshot Shares Qualities With Batman

Born into a rich family, Floyd Lawton first attempted to use his skills in vigilantism taking down Gotham City's criminals. Sporting a costume more akin to the Penguin, with suit tails and a top hat, Deadshot eventually became bored with stopping criminals and instead sought to rule them. Both of these career paths put him at odds with Batman who eventually sent him to Belle Reve prison.

Deadshot Should Be No Stranger To Fans

Having formerly appeared on television in Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, Smallville, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold, Deadshot has been used a lot on the small screen. More recently, the character has been on Arrow and The Flash, as well as the Batman: Arkham Asylum video game series.

Major Storylines For Deadshot

Deadshot made his first appearance in "The Man Who Replaced Batman," a story from Batman Issue 59 — released June 1950 — and has a long history in the comics. Most of his time these days seems to be spent with the Suicide Squad as a team leader of sorts.

Some of the major roles he has played apart from the Suicide Squad include the Infinite Crisis story where he joins up with the Secret Six (and their subsequent spinoff series) and in Batman: Cacophony where he breaks into Arkham Asylum after being hired to kill the Joker.

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About the Creator

Zane Sanders

An enneagram 5, prone to absquatulate when around crowds for too long. A lover of family, music, coffee, and Marvel movies, with a heart to help others better understand how to actively engage culture with intelligence and creativity.

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