Slaymaster

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Publication information
Slaymaster
The Slaymaster
Publisher	Marvel Comics
First appearance	Super Spider-Man and Captain Britain #243 (October 1977)
Created by	Jim Lawrence (writer) Larry Lieber (writer) Ron Wilson (artist)
In story information
Alter ego	unrevealed
Species	Human
Team affiliations	Crazy Gang
Notable aliases	Electro-Man
Abilities	Exceptional martial artist and tactician.

Slaymaster is a fictional comic book character from Marvel Comics's Captain Britain series. His first appearance was in Super Spider-Man and Captain Britain #243 (October 1977), a weekly Marvel UK title which featured a mix of reprint and original material.

He was created by Jim Lawrence, Larry Lieber, and Ron Wilson but the character was later adapted by Alan Moore and Alan Davis in The Daredevils #3.

1 Fictional character biography
2 Powers and abilities
3 Other versions
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Fictional character biography

Slaymaster first encounters Captain Britain while carrying out an assassination, managing to defeat the Captain.^[1]

Later, a more skillful and refined Slaymaster has been hired by Vixen (a British villain and old enemy of Captain Britain) to kill all of the members of S.T.R.I.K.E.'s psi-division, including Captain Britain's sister, before her planned infiltration of the intelligences facility. Slaymaster manages to kill most of the psi-division, bar Tom Lennox and Betsy Braddock (Captain Britain's sister and Lennox's lover), keeping the division away long enough for Vixen to take control. Captain Britain's intervention on behalf of his sister results in a rematch between himself and Slaymaster, a tightly run affair in which Slaymaster proves his intelligence, weapons and martial skill would be enough to defeat the more powerful Captain again. However, thanks to a distraction by Betsy, Captain Britain is able to overwhelm Slaymaster and beat him into unconsciousness.

Still in the employ of Vixen, Slaymaster was to bring Captain Britain to her. Slaymaster manages to capture the Captain and in the course of the story steals his costume which is thought to be the source of Captain Britain's powers. Captain Britain is still able to control the suit and telekinetically rams Slaymster into a wall, knocking him out.^[2]

In their final meeting, Betsy Braddock, Captain Britain's sister had assumed the mantle of Captain Britain while her brother was elsewhere. Her taking up the role was in fact a trap set by Vixen. ^[3]

Wearing a Vixen supplied version of Captain Britain's costume Slaymaster confronts Captain Britain and defeats Betsy Braddock by gouging out her eyes. Betsy manages a telepathic summons to her brother who flies to rescue her and confront Slaymaster. Slaymaster soon discovers that the costume that Captain Britain wears is, in fact, little more than a regulatory device- his powers are intact without it. In a fit of rage he defeats Slaymaster and kills him, crushing his head with a boulder.

[edit] Powers and abilities

Slaymaster is a master hand-to-hand combatant and a world class assassin.
At various times he is depicted as having more than normal balance and reflexes.
His preferred weapons are specialized high tech needles that he wields to great effect.
He can shower assailants with a deadly barrage of these needles, and even managed to drop Captain Britain on occasion with them.

[edit] Other versions

An alternate version of Slaymaster appears when the Exiles visit a world that has been almost completely taken over by HYDRA, which is ruled by Susan Storm.^[4]