The story explores his complicated relationship with his daughter, Rose Wilson (a villain working for H.I.V.E.), and his desperate attempt to atone for his past.
Slade, alongside allies like Wintergreen and Bronze Tiger, must battle H.I.V.E. agents in high-stakes action scenes, including a plane crash on the Golden Gate Bridge.
In the ensuing chaos, Joseph is left mute after his throat is slashed.
Ten years before the main events, the terrorist group H.I.V.E. kidnaps Joseph to force Slade to work for them.
Slade views himself as a "knight" who uses his violent talents to protect the world, killing only those he deems dangerous, though this moral code is often just a justification for his selfish choices.
The plot resumes a decade later when the murderous Jackal kidnaps Joseph again to harness his emerging psychic powers.