DEADLINE

Real Name: Unknown

Class: Human mutate / technology-user

Occupation: Assassin

Group Affiliation: Killer Elite, formerly Task Force X II

Known Relatives: None

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: Unknown

First Appearance: Starman I #15 (October, 1989)

Powers: Deadline could phase through solid objects or make anything he touched intangible so long as he remained in physical contact with it. He had extremely dense skin, thus he couldn't feel pain. He had superhuman reflexes and coordination that made him a remarkable fighter and marksman. He used ordinary firearms, but his favorite weapon was a customized rifle that shot energy bolts. Deadline wore an advanced form of body armor which contained several carrying cases for storing weapons and ammunition. His left gauntlet fired pellets that exploded on contact or could emit a paralyzing gas. He wore a helmet that gave him night vision and enhanced hearing. Deadline could fly by attaching anti-gravity discs to his boots.

History: The man who would become Deadline began his career as a small-time hitman for one of America's organized crime families. When the alien invaders known as the Dominators unleashed the Gene Bomb over Earth, many humans who possessed the metagene had dormant superpowers activated, and the unnamed hitman was one of those affected. He saw this as a wonderful business opportunity, and after outfitting himself with state-of-the-art weaponry, sought to become America's premier assassin. He named himself Deadline and quickly gained a reputation in criminal circles. Mobster Sam Galvango hired Deadline to track down three brothers who owed him money. After killing one of the brother, Deadline tracked the other two to Las Vegas. He was down to his last target when he met the vacationing Starman V. Deadline fought savagely to finish his job, but in the end Starman caused one of his weapons to malfunction and Deadline's hand was severely burned. Deadline phased through a wall and escaped. He resurfaced later in a Las Vegas prison where he finished the assigned hit.

Deadline has gone into hiding, but still takes contracts when the money is right. He has used his prosperity to build a secret training center, complete with an arsenal of weapons. His hand is permanently damaged, and he has vowed to kill Starman.

(JLA #18) - Julian September unhinged the universe’s laws of probability with his engine of chance, briefly warping history so that everything worked in his favor. He became President and Deadline was one of seven villains that independently came up with the plan to kidnap him. Deadline fought with the other villains, and they were all foiled by the JLA.

(Flash II #179) - Deadline and the Killer Elite were Jokerized and sent off by Joker to wreck havoc. They laid siege to Iron Heights, but in the process Deadline was fatally shot by warden Gregory Wolfe.

Comments: Created by Roger Stern & Tom Lyle

Deadline received a profile in Who’s Who in the DC Universe #2.

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