Warning: contains spoilers for Knight Terrors: Ravager #2!Deathstroke casts a massive shadow, and Rose Wilson has lived in it for years. While trapped in Insomnia's ongoing nightmare, Ravager confronts a horrific version of herself and frees her from the Nightmare Realm's Slade Wilson - showing her that she can find purpose on her own. Rose learned every lesson the hard way, and she's come out strong enough to resist manipulation and know what she stands for.
In Knight Terrors: Ravager #2 by Ed Brisson, Dexter Soy, and Veronica Gandini, Rose is still trying to escape her supernaturally-induced nightmare. She's pursued by the Murder Man, the dream's chilling stand-in for Deathstroke, who reveals that he needs her blood to cross over into reality. He's using his Ravager to track her down and attack her as Rose continues to tell her other self to fight his influence. She eventually succeeds and sees her nightmare self shift into something more human, but it took many painful years to convince herself of everything she says in the dream.
Ravager Already Knows the Truth About Deathstroke
Ravager's struggle to establish herself outside her connection with Slade Wilson didn't come easily. When she first meets the Nightmare Realm's Rose, who goes by Rose Madison, she immediately notices the differences in their lives. They still find common ground in the Murder Man. After Rose Madison turns on her to do his bidding, Ravager tries repeatedly to get through to her, saying, "You think Slade Wilson here is any different from the one I know?" Deathstroke turned Ravager into a living weapon, injected her with super serum, and drove her to the brink of death (and her sanity). She knows what he's willing to do to get what he wants, and Rose Madison is nothing more than a stepping stone - just as she was. He promises her a kingdom, but Ravager knows his words are meaningless.
Rose Wilson Is Her Own Hero
Since being tossed into the world of heroes and villains, Rose has worn plenty of different hats. She has fought at her father's side, but has been a member of heroic teams like the Titans, too. And while she's received plenty of training from Deathstroke, she also learned a great deal from Nightwing. Through it all, she was constantly pulled in different directions and realized that no one was ever fully satisfied with how she chose to do things. Slade was never convinced that she was living up to her potential, even when she followed her mentors' instructions to the letter, and she had frequent ups and downs with teammates and friends. Rose found her own balance, and distancing herself from Deathstroke was a major part of it. Now, as a member of Stormwatch, she continues to strike out on her own .
In the Nightmare Realm, she was sent careening backward, forced to watch Rose Madison make familiar mistakes. Deathstroke played a hurtful role in her life, and Ravager even tells Madison that the Murder Man will abandon her - something she's already experienced. The world does not revolve around Slade Wilson and what he wants anymore, though, and neither does she. After seemingly defeating the Murder Man, she reminds Madison, "You're not a monster. You can be more to these people. You need to be." The words were spoken in the Nightmare Realm, but they served as a reminder for herself. She is more than what her father tried to make her, and Rose Wilson has now fully moved past Deathstroke to the heroic destiny she deserves..
Knight Terrors: Ravager #2 is available now from DC Comics!
