WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Deathstroke Inc #1, now on sale
Debuting in The New Teen Titans #2 by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez, Deathstroke has gone on to become one of DC's most popular villains. He's appeared across multiple forms of the DC Universe since his introduction and has made his way into animated shows like Teen Titans and live-action universes like the Arrowverse and the DC Extended Universe.
In Deathstroke Inc #1 by Joshua Williamson, Howard Porter, HI-Fi, and Steve Wands, the famed DC mercenary reveals that he's not long for this world -- and that he intends to use his limited remaining life-span to try and be a good guy for a little while as a means of making amends with his family.
Deathstroke has long been one of DC's more morally complicated characters, especially in comics where he's ranged in portrayal from reluctant hero in his solo series to recent reexaminations of how depraved he's been in the past in The Other History of the DC Universe. Although he does occasionally showcase a minor sense of honor and morality, he's often defined by his willingness to kill and his gifted abilities to do so -- and is always one bad day away from trying to kill someone, even during his more heroic days. All of this comes at the cost of his bonds with his family, who have largely turned their back against him over the years for his actions.
But it seems that time might finally be running out for Deathstroke. Even though he barely escaped death after being restored following his demise at the hands of Red Arrow during The Terminus Agenda storyline, it seems that time is running out for Deathstroke. While the full details of his condition aren't revealed, it could have something to do with his healing factor, which has saved his life in the past. He reveals this is why he joined the T.R.U.S.T. organization in the first place when Black Canary gets the time alone with him unmonitored by others. T.R.U.S.T. gives him the chance to be a hero for once, even though he knows he's no hero by any real stretch. With his death coming sooner than later, it's a good chance for him to at least trying to be a more heroic figure for once before he goes out.
This admission catches Black Canary by surprise, who's also joined T.R.U.S.T. for seemingly secret reasons (that being to investigate the organization at the behest of Oracle). This could also explain why so many former agents of multiple organizations, as revealed in Justice League, have been posing as Deathstroke and adopting his look and skills: with Slade likely on death's door, it might be the perfect chance for some free agents to get some notoriety for themselves as an off-shoot of the mercenary.
This also paints Deathstroke's new alliance with Black Canary in a new light. There might be genuine motivation behind the assassin for once, and he might really be trying to at least gain some sense of closure by fighting on the side of angels (at least for a while). While it's unlikely Deathstroke will stay dead -- especially considering his power-set on top of the cross-media popularity of the character), it's still an interesting chance for creators to explore the character and what happens when he tries to become a better person -- and examines if he even really can.