Nothing is known of the life of Floyd Lawton before he appeared in Gotham City in 1950.  A millionaire playboy of unknown means, he had creating a shooting gallery in his estate that allowed him to cultivate an extremely high level of marksmanship. Adopting the name Deadshot, he first came to public notice when he foiled a robbery while Batman was on vacation, attracting the attention of the Gotham Police.  The patrolmen escorted him to Commission Gordon, to whom he explained his intention to become Gotham’s newest crimefighter, a peer to Batman and Robin.  He explained that he could not pursue a life of a policeman as steel plates in his leg from war injuries barred him for the usual physical.  Gordon acquiesced and in short time, Deadshot was the scourge of the Underworld.

When Batman and Robin returned, Deadshot was introduced with the Gotham PD’s blessing as the new member of the city’s crime fighting family.  Batman and Robin were suspicious of the new arrival but included him in their visit to the state penitentiary, where they noticed that his supposed steel plates did not set off the metal detector.  In a case later that evening, a stray bullet grazed Deadshot’s overcoat.  Tracking the expensive fabric to its maker, Batman then lured Deadshot into the Wayne Mansion under the pretense of a bomb threat.  Instead, Robin secretly recorded Deadshot to get an estimate of his measurements.  Compared to the fabric store’s records, Batman deduced that it was Floyd Lawton who in fact was Deadshot.

Tracking Lawton to his home, the Dynamic Duo overhear his plans with his Butler, to supersede Batman in the eyes of the law and then flip to being Gotham’s greatest crime lord.  During a case the next evening, Batman reveals to Deadshot that he knows his identity and intentions.  Deadshot then makes a phone call wherein he “plans a crime” that Batman overhears. In private, he offers to kills Batman at their next meeting.  When Batman attempts to expose Deadshot’s crime, he sadly learns the info was planted, designed to make Batman look jealous and foolish in front of the police.  Thwarted, Batman then slips into the Lawton estate and alters the sights on his weapons.  When they finally duel, Deadshot routinely misses, causing Batman to taunt him as “Dudshot”.  His faith shattered in his primary ability, Deadshot is exposed and captured by Batman and turned over, with evidence, to the police (Batman #59).