| Wade Wilson Deadpool | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | The New Mutants #98 (cover-dated February 1991; published December 11, 1990)[1] |
| Created by | Rob Liefeld Fabian Nicieza |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Wade Winston Wilson[2] |
| Species | Human mutate[3] |
| Team affiliations | X-Men Avengers Astonishing Avengers Deadpool Corps Frightful Four Great Lakes Initiative Heroes for Hire Mercs for Money[4] Secret Defenders Six Pack Thunderbolts Weapon X X-Force |
| Partnerships | Cable Domino Bob, Agent of Hydra Wolverine Spider-Man[5] |
| Notable aliases | Merc with a Mouth, Regenerating Degenerate, Deady-Pool, Jack, Wade T. Wilson, Mithras, Johnny Silvini, Thom Cruz, Hulkpool, Wildcard, Zenpool, Weapon XI[6] |
| Abilities |
|
Deadpool is acharacter appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. Created byFabian Nicieza andRob Liefeld, the character first appeared inNew Mutants #98 (December 1990). In his comic book appearances, Deadpool is initially depicted as asupervillain of theNew Mutants andX-Force, though later stories would portray him as anantihero. Deadpool is thealter ego ofWade Wilson, a disfigured Canadianmercenary withsuperhumanregenerative healing abilities.
Originally created as a parody of theDC Comics villainDeathstroke (Slade Wilson), the character was an instant success with readers, becoming abreakout character in theX-Men books, quickly developing a distinctive backstory and earning his own series and a joint book alongside the characterCable with whom he is frequently paired. Part of the reason for his popularity is his tendency to joke incessantly and break thefourth wall for humorous effect.
The character's popularity has seen him featured in numerous other media outlets. In the 2004 seriesCable & Deadpool, he refers to his own scarred appearance as "Ryan Renolds [sic] crossed with aShar Pei".[7][8] Reynolds developed an interest in portraying thecharacter after reading the comic,[9] which was ultimately realized in theX-Men film series, includingX-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009),Deadpool (2016), and its sequelsDeadpool 2 (2018) andMarvel Cinematic Universe'sDeadpool & Wolverine (2024).[10][11][12][13]
Created by artist/writerRob Liefeld and writerFabian Nicieza,[14][15][16] Deadpool made his first appearance on the pages ofThe New Mutants #98cover-dated Feb. 1991.[17] According to Nicieza, Liefeld came up with the character's visual design and name, and Nicieza himself came up with the character's speech mannerisms.[18]
Liefeld's favorite comic title beforeX-Men wasAvengers, which featured weapons likeCaptain America's shield,Thor's hammer andHawkeye's bow and arrow. Because of this, he also decided to give weapons to his new characters.[19] Liefeld, a fan of theTeen Titans comics, showed his new character to then-writer Fabian Nicieza. Upon seeing the costume and noting his characteristics (killer with super agility), Nicieza contacted Liefeld, saying, "This isDeathstroke from Teen Titans". Nicieza gave Deadpool the real name of "Wade Wilson" as an inside-joke to being "related" to "Slade Wilson", Deathstroke.[20]
Liefeld spoke on how the character was influenced by Spider-Man: "The simplicity of the mask was my absolute jealousy over Spider-Man and the fact that both of my buddies, [fellow Marvel artists]Erik Larsen andTodd McFarlane, would tell me, 'I love drawing Spider-Man. You just do an oval and two big eyes. You’re in, you’re out.' ... The Spider-Man I grew up with would make fun of you or punch you in the face and make small cracks. That was the entire intent with Deadpool. ... I specifically told Marvel, 'He'sSpider-Man, except with guns and swords.' The idea was, he's a jackass."[21]Other inspirations wereWolverine andSnake Eyes. Liefeld states: "Wolverine and Spider-Man were the two properties I was competing with at all times. I didn't have those, I didn't have access to those. I had to make my own Spider-Man and Wolverine. That's whatCable and Deadpool were meant to be, my own Spider-Man and my own Wolverine."[22] "G.I. Joe was my first obsession. Those were the toys in the sandbox with me, kung fu grip, eagle eye, I had them all.G.I. Joe is a world of characters that I have always aspired to participate in. Snake Eyes was a profound influence on my creating Deadpool."[23]
Both Deadpool and Cable were also meant to be tied into Wolverine's history already from the start, as Liefeld describes: "Wolverine was my guy. If I could tie anything into Wolverine, I was winning." Like Wolverine, Deadpool is (or is thought to be) Canadian.[24][25] The original story had him joining theWeapon X program after being kicked out of the U.S. Army Special Forces and given an artificial healing factor based on Wolverine's, thanks to Dr.Emrys Killebrew, one of the head scientists.[26]
In his first appearance, Deadpool is hired byTolliver to attack Cable and theNew Mutants. After subsequently appearing inX-Force as a recurring character, Deadpool began making guest appearances in a number of different Marvel Comics titles, such asThe Avengers,Daredevil, andHeroes for Hire. In 1993, the character received his ownminiseries, titledThe Circle Chase, written byFabian Nicieza and pencilled byJoe Madureira. It was a relative success and Deadpool starred in a second, self-titled miniseries written in 1994 byMark Waid, pencilled byIan Churchill, and inked byJason Temujin Minor and Bud LaRosa. Waid later commented, "Frankly, if I'd known Deadpool was such a creep when I agreed to write the mini-series, I wouldn't have done it. Someone who hasn't paid for their crimes presents a problem for me."[27]
In 1997, Deadpool was given his own ongoing title, the first volume ofDeadpool, written by sequentiallyJoe Kelly,Christopher Priest andGail Simone.Deadpool became an action comedy parody of the cosmic drama, antihero-heavy comics of the time. The series firmly established his supporting cast, including his prisoner/den motherBlind Al and his best friendWeasel. The ongoing series gainedcult popularity for its unorthodox main character, its balance of angst and pop cultureslapstick and the character became less of a villain, though the element of his moral ambiguity remained.
Deadpool lasted until issue #69, at which point it was relaunched as a new title with a similar character calledAgent X in 2002. This occurred during a line-wide revamp of X-Men-related comics, withCable becomingSoldier X andX-Force becomingX-Statix. It appeared that Deadpool was killed in an explosion fighting the supervillainBlack Swan. Deadpool's managerSandi Brandenberg later founded Agency X with a mysterious man called Alex Hayden, who took the name dubbedAgent X. Deadpool later returned to the series, which would conclude with issues 13–15.[28][better source needed]
Deadpool's next starring appearance came in 2004, with the launch ofCable & Deadpool written byFabian Nicieza, where Deadpool became partnered with his former enemy,Cable, teaming up in various adventures. This title was canceled with issue #50 and replaced by a newCable series in March 2008.[29] Deadpool then appeared briefly in theWolverine: Origins title by writerDaniel Way before Way and Paco Medina launched anotherDeadpool title in September 2008.[30] Medina was the main series artist, with Carlo Barberi filling in on the first issue after the "Secret Invasion" tie-in.[31]
A newDeadpoolongoing series began as aSecret Invasion tie-in. In the first arc, the character is seen working with Nick Fury to steal data on how to kill theSkrull queenVeranke.[32][33]Norman Osborn steals the information that Deadpool had stolen from the Skrulls, and subsequent stories deal with the fallout from that. The story also sees the return ofBob, Agent of HYDRA. This all led directly to a confrontation with the newThunderbolts in "Magnum Opus" which crossed over betweenDeadpool vol. 2 #8–9 andThunderbolts #130–131.[34] InDeadpool #15, Deadpool decides to become a hero resulting in conflicts with proper heroes likeSpider-Man[35] (who he had recently encountered inThe Amazing Spider-Man #611 as part of "The Gauntlet"[36]) and leading to a 3-issue arc where he takes onHit-Monkey,[37] a character who debuted in the same month in a digital, then-print, one-shot.[38][39]
Another ongoing Deadpool series,Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth, launched in July 2009, written byVictor Gischler, with art by Bong Dazo. In it Deadpool teams with Headpool fromMarvel Zombies 3 and4.[40][41][42]
A special anniversary issue titledDeadpool #900 was released in October 2009. A third Deadpool ongoing series,Deadpool Team-Up, launched in November 2009 (with issue numbers counting in reverse starting with issue #899), written byFred Van Lente, with art by Dalibor Talajic. This series features Deadpool teaming up with different heroes from the Marvel Universe in each issue, such asHercules.[43] Deadpool also joined the cast of the newUncanny X-Force team.[44]
Another Deadpool series by Gischler titledDeadpool Corps was released in April 2010. Besides Deadpool himself, this series featured alternate versions of Deadpool, including a female version of himself namedWanda Wilson / Lady Deadpool (who debuted inDeadpool: Merc with a Mouth #7),Headpool (theMarvel Zombies universe incarnation, now reduced to a severed head), and two new characters; Kidpool, a child, andDogpool, a dog.[45] The series lasted twelve issues.
Marvel also publishedDeadpool titles through theMarvel Knights andMAX imprints:Deadpool: Wade Wilson's War, byDuane Swierczynski andJason Pearson,[46][47][48] andDeadpool MAX byDavid Lapham andKyle Baker.[49]
Deadpool vol. 2 was written byDaniel Way and drawn byAlé Garza. In the story arc "DEAD", Wade is "cured" of his healing ability and becomes mortal. As a side effect, he also has his old, unscarred face once again. Although he spent the majority of the story arc looking forward to dying, he suppresses his desires in order to protect his friend andsidekickHydra Bob.[50]
After he loses his healing factor, Wilson claims he felt "more alive than ever."[volume & issue needed] However, after a harsh beating from Intelligencia, Wade realized that he had let his ability to heal compensate for skill so he decided to ask for help fromTaskmaster in training.[volume & issue needed] Taskmaster asked Wilson to help him steal Pym Particles from S.H.I.E.L.D., but actually, he allowed Black Box to study Wade in order to prepare his vengeance against Wilson, even letting him know Deadpool lost his healing factor.[volume & issue needed]
Wade managed to defeat Black Box, Black Tom and Black Swan, but in the process, his face was burned and disfigured again.[volume & issue needed] Former FBI agent Allison Kemp wanted to get revenge on Deadpool because of his involvement in an accident which left her in a wheelchair, and she called other enemies of Deadpool such as T-Ray andSlayback and trained them to kill Deadpool.[51][52] Deadpool infiltrated their base and managed to get T-Ray and Slayback killed when Kemp was about to kill herself in an explosion which would kill Wade in the process, he convinced her not to attack him. At that moment, he was surprised by the returned Evil Deadpool, who informed Wade that the serum they took was not permanent, which was why Wade's face did not heal or a finger he lost grew back, so Wade would return after Evil Deadpool shot him.[53] Daniel Way's Deadpool series concluded with issue 63.
As part of Marvel'sMarvel NOW! initiative, a newDeadpool ongoing series was launched.[54] He is also a member of theThunderbolts.[55] In the 27th issue of his new series, as part of "All-New Marvel NOW!", Deadpool was married for the third time. Initially a secret, his bride was revealed in the webcomicDeadpool: The Gauntlet to beShiklah, Queen of the Undead. Deadpool also discovers that he has a daughter, Eleanor, from a former flame named Carmelita.[56]
During the events of "Original Sin", it was revealed that Deadpool was tricked into killing his parents by a scientist known as Butler (who abducted Eleanor and gave her to his brother); however, Deadpool does not know about it.[57]
Much later, he clashed withCarnage, believing the universe was telling the latter to defeat him. After several fights and getting torn to pieces, Deadpool bonds with foursymbiotes:Riot,Phage,Lasher andAgony. Playing mind games, Deadpool trickedShriek by using his shapeshifting abilities to make her disoriented and having her flee. After the symbiotic Deadpool and Carnage fought again, Deadpool captures Shriek and forces her to impersonate himself, making it trick Carnage into almost killing her in the process. Feeling broken after a mental breakdown, Carnage allowed himself to be arrested and was placed in an unlocked cell. While sitting in the cell until he was his own self, Carnage swore vengeance on Deadpool. Deadpool, after defeating Carnage, gives the four symbiotes to a war dog who helped Deadpool fight Carnage to deliver them to the government.[58]
During the "AXIS" storyline, Deadpool appears as a member of Magneto's unnamed supervillain group during the fight againstRed Skull'sRed Onslaught form.[59] The group of villains becomes inverted to heroes, after a spell cast by Scarlet Witch and Doctor Doom.[volume & issue needed] This group was later named the Astonishing Avengers.[60] This Deadpool, referred to as "Zenpool", was pivotal in turning Apocalypse to fighting the Inverted Avengers.[61]
Deadpool's death occurs inDeadpool #250.[62] Deadpool faces off in a final showdown withULTIMATUM andFlag-Smasher, killing all of them, and gives up the "Deadpool" identity, wishing to have a better life. He, along with his family and friends, are all killed when the Earthcollides with an alternate universe's Earth. Deadpool laments that the Secret Wars should have stayed an Avengers event, but then dies at peace, content that everybody else is dying with him.[63]
Eight months after the events ofSecret Wars and the restoration of Earth, Deadpool is seen working forSteve Rogers. After stealing some potentially life-saving chemicals needed by an ailingRogue, he is offered membership in theAvengers Unity Squad.[64]
Deadpool Vol. 4 began in 2016.[citation needed] In the course of the following months, Deadpool's popularity skyrocketed after the mercenary Solo impersonated him to piggyback on Deadpool's reputation and take jobs at a higher pay rate. One of Solo's jobs in Washington, D.C. had Deadpool's public opinion drastically change for the better when he saved an ambassador from his telepathically manipulated agents. After learning of Solo's impersonation, Deadpool came up with the idea to form a group of mercenaries called the Mercs for Money to extend his reach across the globe. However, Deadpool's newfound popularity forced him to leave his family behind, fearing his enemies could endanger them. Deadpool additionally joined the Avengers Unity Division and used his popularity as a means of funding the team, with the profit from the merchandise.[65]
Madcap additionally returned to Deadpool's life, though Wade was unaware his experience inside his mind left Madcap emotionally damaged and vengeful. Madcap initially posed as an ally, joining the Mercs for Money, but eventually showed his true intentions after he was discovered impersonating Deadpool to defame and threaten his loved ones. Seeing as he had had enough fun, Madcap used an alien weapon to molecularly disintegrate himself. For his second coming, the villain had Deadpool unwittingly become the carrier of a deadly airborne virus with which he infected his family. Wade found a cure, though had to resort to Cable's evil clone Stryfe to find it. Around this time, tensions between Shiklah's domain and the surface world sparked an invasion of Manhattan from Monster Metropolis, which in turn led to Shiklah divorcing Deadpool, opting to return to Dracula instead.[66]
Not long after Wade joined the Avengers Unity Division, the real Steve Rogers was secretly supplanted by an evil fascist counterpart from another timeline that operated as a Hydra sleeper agent within the superhero community. When Phil Coulson became suspicious of Steve, Rogers convinced Deadpool to kill him, claiming that Coulson had gone rogue. A short time afterward, Captain America's machinations resulted in Hydra rising to power, taking over the United States of America. When Hydra's conquest had barely begun, Preston found out about Coulson's death and confronted Deadpool about it. The fight ended in Preston's death. As Hydra's empire grew stronger, Wade joined its own version of the Avengers out of blind loyalty for Captain America. Plagued by guilt, Wade held back when tasked with hunting down the rebel alliance known as the Underground and eventually helped, behind the scenes, to lay part of the foundation of Hydra's eventual defeat. With his mistakes costing the lives of two of his friends, the love of his daughter, and any respect the world had for him, Deadpool turned his back on what little remained of the life he had built.[67]
InDeadpool (vol. 9), Deadpool adopts Princess, a symbiote and clone of Carnage who takes a hyena-like form.[68][69][70]
Deadpool is aware that he is a fictional comic book character.[71] He commonly breaks thefourth wall, which is done by few other characters in theMarvel Universe, and this is used to humorous effect, for instance, by having Deadpool converse with his own "inner monologue", represented by caption boxes. In stories by writerDaniel Way between 2008 and 2012, Deadpool was, without explanation, shown to have developed a second "voice in his head", represented by a second set of captions with a different font;Deadpool vol. 3 Annual #1 (2014) wouldretroactively explain that this voice belonged toMadcap, a psychoticCaptain America villain, who had become molecularly entangled with Deadpool.[72]
The character's back-story has been presented as vague and subject to change, and within the narrative, he is unable to remember his personal history due to a mental condition. Whether or not his name was even Wade Wilson is subject to speculation since one of his nemeses,T-Ray, claims inDeadpool #33 that he is the real Wade Wilson and that Deadpool is a vicious murderer who stole his identity.[73] There have been other dubious stories about his history—at one point the supervillainLoki claimed to be his father.[6] Frequently, revelations are laterretconned or ignored altogether, and in one issue, Deadpool himself joked that whether or not he is actually Wade Wilson depends on which writer the reader prefers.[74]
Deadpool is depicted as having a regenerative healing factor, which not only prevents him from being permanently injured through enhanced cell regeneration throughout his body, but also causes psychosis and mental instability, as hisneurons are also affected by the accelerated regeneration. It is thought that while his psychosis is a handicap, it is also one of his assets as it makes him an extremely unpredictable opponent.Taskmaster, who has photo-reflexive memory which allows him to copy anyone's fighting skills by observation, was unable to defeat Deadpool due to his chaotic and improvised fighting style.[75] Taskmaster has also stated that Deadpool is an expert at distracting his opponents.[75][76]
Deadpool has sometimes been portrayed to have a strong sense of core morality. InUncanny X-Force, he storms out afterWolverine tries to rationalizeFantomex killingApocalypse, who was at the time in a child form. After Wolverine argues that Deadpool is motivated solely by money,Archangel reveals that Deadpool never cashed any of his checks.[77]
In December 2013, Deadpool was confirmed as beingpansexual byDeadpool writer Gerry Duggan via Twitter.[78] However, this post on Twitter has since been deleted by Gerry Duggan. When asked about Deadpool's sexuality, co-creator Fabian Nicieza stated, "Deadpool is whatever sexual inclination his brain tells him he is in THAT moment. And then the moment passes."[79] Nicieza has also stated,
Not trying to be dismissive, but readers always want to 'make a character their own', and often that is to the exclusion of what the character might mean to other fans. I've been dogged with the DP sexuality questions for YEARS. It is a bit tiring. He is NO sex and ALL sexes. He is yours and everyone else's. So not dismissive, but rather the epitome of inclusive.[80]
Deadpool's primary power is an accelerated healing factor, depicted by various writers at differing levels of efficiency. The speed of his healing factor depends on the severity of the wound and Deadpool's mental state. It works most efficiently when he is awake, alert, and in good spirits.[81] Deadpool's accelerated healing factor is strong enough that he has survived complete incineration and decapitation more than once.[citation needed] Although his head normally has to be reunited with his body to heal a decapitation wound,[82][83][84] he was able to regrow his head after having it pulverized by theHulk in the graphic novelDeadpool Kills the Marvel Universe.[volume & issue needed]
Deadpool's brain cells are similarly affected, with dyingneurons being rejuvenated at a super accelerated rate. This allows Deadpool to recover from any head wounds, and it renders him nearly invulnerable to psychic and telepathic powers,[85][86] although this ability is inconsistent.[87][88] It has been revealed that at the time his healing ability was given to him, Deadpool suffered from some form of cancer; after the healing factor was given to him, it made his normal cells as well as his cancerous cells unable to die, giving him a heavily scarred appearance beneath his suit.[volume & issue needed]
Deadpool's body is highly resistant to most drugs and toxins, due to his accelerated healing factor. For example, it is extremely difficult for him to become intoxicated.[89] He can be affected by certain drugs, such as tranquilizers if he is exposed to a large enough dosage.[citation needed] Unlike Wolverine, Deadpool has some degree of pain insensitivity, often referring to his gore and impalement injuries as being "ticklish".[90]
Deadpool is effectivelyimmortal, although he has died several times.[91][92] He is still alive 800 years in the future when the new X-Force encounters him.[93] In addition,Thanos once declared that Deadpool should "consider yourself cursed ... with life!" out of jealousy over Deadpool's status asDeath's love interest.[94] His enemy T-Ray later resurrected him,[91] under Thanos' instruction, using an artifact he had given him.[94] Later, Deadpool was informed that Thanos had placed a curse on him, and tracked Thanos down. He revealed that the only thing keeping Wade alive was his "spell of darkest necromancy". Although Thanos removed this curse in order to kill Deadpool, he felt forced to immediately bring him back using "a fusion of necromancy and science" in order to request his aid in tracking down Mistress Death, who had gone missing.[95]
Deadpool is a highly trainedassassin andmercenary. He is adept in multiple forms ofmartial arts, includingSavate.[96] Deadpool is an extraordinary athlete, and an expert swordsman and marksman. He is skilled in the use of multiple weapons, includingkatanas, knives, grenades, and guns. His accelerated healing factor may contribute to his abilities, allowing him to perform the intense exercise for extended periods of time with minimal aches and fatigue.[97][98] Although in earlier years he was originally portrayed as having superhuman strength, he is no longer depicted as having this ability.[99]
Over the years, Deadpool has owned a number of personal teleportation devices. Also, during Deadpool's first ongoing comic, he possesses a device that projected holographic disguises, allowing him to go undercover or conceal his appearance. Deadpool ismultilingual, with the ability to speak fluently in German, Spanish,ASL, and Japanese, in addition to his native English.[100]
Since Deadpool is aware that he is a fictional character,[71] he uses this knowledge to his advantage to deal with opponents or gain knowledge to which he should not normally have access, such as reading past issues of his and others' comics.[101]
Despite his otherwise exemplary physical skills, Deadpool cannotdunk inbasketball at all.[102]
In theAge of Apocalypse timeline, Deadpool was redubbedDead Man Wade and reimagined as a bitter, humorless member of Apocalypse'sPale Riders, having received his flawed healing factor from Apocalypse's eugenics program. Sent with his team to invade the Savage Land, he attempted to unleash chaos upon the sanctuary but was killed by Nightcrawler, who teleported his head off his body and hid it in a crater.[103] Later, Dead Man Wade was revealed to be resurrected like many of the other Alpha mutants.[104]
In theExtraordinary X-Men Apocalypse Wars crossover, Deadpool is aHorseman of Apocalypse.[105]
TheWorld War II-era version of Deadpool is introduced in the one-shot parody issueCaptain America: Who Won't Wield the Shield.Frederick "Wheezy" Wilson, the nephew of PresidentWoodrow Wilson, is a soldier who is experimented on by the Nazis to become 'Veapon X'. Despite the nature of the story as a period piece, Wilson peppers his speech with anachronistic slang from the 1990s.[106][107]
In the storylineDeadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, the X-Men send Deadpool to a mental hospital for therapy. The doctor treating him is actuallyPsycho-Man in disguise, who attempts to torture and brainwash Deadpool into becoming his personal minion. The procedure fails but leaves Deadpool even more mentally unhinged, erasing the "serious" and "Screwball" voices in his head and replacing them with a voice that only wants destruction. Under "Evil Voice's" influence, Deadpool develops a more nihilistic world view and as a result, after killing Psycho-Man by repeatedly smashing him against a desk, (and after he burns the hospital by using gasoline) he begins assassinating every superhero and supervillain on Earth, starting with theFantastic Four and even killing the Watcher, in an apparent attempt to rebel against his comic book creators. The book ends with him breaking into the "real" world and confronting the Marvel writers and artists who are writing the book. He says to the reader that once he is done with this universe, "I'll find you soon enough."[108]
After the events ofDeadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, Deadpool has killed many versions of Marvel superheroes and villains across the multiverse to no effect and comes to a conclusion that infinite alternate versions of the heroes and villains he killed exist.[volume & issue needed] In the series, Deadpool hires a team of scientists to help him get rid of all Marvel characters. TheMad Thinker gives the Merc with a Mouth a device that transports him to the "Ideaverse", a universe that contains the classic characters that inspired Marvel characters.[volume & issue needed] In each book, he hunts down and murders characters such as theHeadless Horseman (who inspired the Green Goblin and Ghost Rider), the characters ofLittle Women (Black Widow, She-Hulk, Elektra),Captain Ahab (General Thunderbolt Ross), theLittle Mermaid (Namor),Mowgli (Ka-Zar),Count Dracula (Marvel's Dracula, Morbius, Blade) and more. He also installs his own brain intoFrankenstein's monster, giving his dark inner voice a body to help him with.[109]Sherlock Holmes andDr. Watson enlistBeowulf,Hua Mulan andNatty Bumppo to stop him.
On April 4, 2013, Cullen Bunn revealed that, following the publication ofDeadpool Killustrated, the next and last part of the "Deadpool Killology" isDeadpool Kills Deadpool, stating that the murderous, nihilistic Deadpool that appeared inDeadpool Kills the Marvel Universe andKillustrated is now called"Dreadpool" and, in the series, he hunts down all versions of Deadpool, while "our" Deadpool, the light-hearted Merc With A Mouth, hunted down Dreadpool. Bunn stated that theDeadpool Corps appeared along with many other versions of Deadpool and new versions.[citation needed] The first book was released in July 2013. The first issue opens with Deadpool dealing with yet another attack by ULTIMATUM, after which the Deadpool Corps quickly ropes the titular character into the crisis. Over the course of the storyline, the Deadpool Corps is killed (not including Headpool, who was already killed prior to the events of the storyline), and it concludes in Issue #4, where Deadpool clashes with Dreadpool, who is eventually shown the error of his ways and killed by Deadpool in vengeance for causing the death of his friends. Somehow, the mainstream Deadpool finds his way back, but not before the reader is aware that Dreadpool is still alive and scheming.[volume & issue needed]
In the storylineDeadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Again, in another universe diverging from the events ofWolverine: Old Man Logan, the villains of the world elect to use a brainwashed Deadpool instead of Wolverine to wipe out the X-Men, and in-turn all the other heroes of the world. OnceMr. Knight's assistantGwen Poole realises what is going on, just after Deadpool has killed every hero in the alternative continuity but for her, she makes a sacrifice play and uses his trigger word to set him against the villains instead.[110]
Several alternate incarnations of Deadpool are introduced in the seriesDeadpool: Merc with a Mouth. Attempting to return Headpool to theMarvel Zombies universe, Deadpool encounters multiple versions of himself as they exist in other universes, including a female version of himself namedLady Deadpool,Major Wade Wilson, a militant but sane version of Deadpool, andThe Deadpool Kid (KidPool), a cowboy version of Deadpool who exists within a universe resembling the Wild West.[111]
Deadpool Pulp is a four-issue limited series from writersMike Benson and Adam Glass and artistLaurence Campbell, with Deadpool set in the 1950s drawing onpulp fiction (similar to theMarvel Noir fictional universe).[112] This version of Wade is aWorld War II veteran broken by torture who is recruited by Generals Cable and Stryfe to take down the traitorOutlaw. This version retains his twin katanas and wears a ninja style mask.
In the manga seriesDeadpool: Samurai, which takes place on Earth-346,[113] Deadpool travels to Japan and joins Samurai Squad, the Japanese division of the Avengers. While he is a member of Samurai Squad, Deadpool battles villains such as Loki and Thanos.[114]
In an alternate reality depicted in the 2021Heroes Reborn miniseries, Deadpool is the mallet-wielding sidekick of theGoblin and an enemy ofNighthawk.[115]
In theHouse of M reality, Wade Wilson was a field commander and active agent ofS.H.I.E.L.D. During one of his missions, Agent Wilson contacted S.H.I.E.L.D. They had to patch him through the TB-Link satellite to communicate with him.[116]
Appearing first inHulk vol. 2 #21, Deadpool is "hulked-out" near the end of theFall of the Hulks storyline. A two-part miniseries called,World War Hulks:Hulked Out Heroes followedHulkpool as he travels back in time to kill himself, disrupting the origin stories of many heroes as he goes.[117]
When Deadpool, Spider-Man, and Hulk went to another universe, Deadpool foundDeath Wish who looked like Deadpool but the red part of his costume was green. Deadpool and Death Wish started hanging out with each other and having a lot of fun until Wade Wilson of this universe namedDeath Mask came in and killed Death Wish who was revealed to be theVictor von Doom of this universe gone crazy. Then Deadpool vowed revenge against Death Mask for killing Death Wish and killed all of the members of Death Mask's group. After that Deadpool defeated Death Mask by throwing a bomb at him, which knocked him out. Deadpool started impersonating Death Mask until he and the other Heroes went back to their universe.[118]
In the potential future ofMarvel 2099, Deadpool isWarda Wilson, the daughter of Wade and Shiklah. She collaborates with a gang inspired by Hydra Agent Bob and is wanted by the police. She has taken an older Wade prisoner and forces him to watch political debates while chained up, angered that he has ruined her life and hopes she can use him to find her mother. Wade reveals he and Shiklah had a falling out after the death of Ellie, which led to a battle between the two former lovers in Hell.[119] The new Deadpool is also being pursued by a woman who wears a costume that looks like Wade's "Zenpool" identity from Axis. The mysterious woman rescues Wade and gives him access to her bike to a hologram Preston. She then battles Warda and is revealed to be an alive Ellie, who plans to reclaim the Deadpool name.[120] Wade and Preston break into the old hideout of the Uncanny Avengers for Wade to gear up. Warda and Ellie continue fighting until Warda reveals she will unleash a demonic monster unless Ellie does not get Wade to confess where Shiklah is. After Wade and Preston reunite with Ellie, Wade tells Ellie to search for Shiklah's casket at Doc Samson's grave while he and Preston then go to the Little Italy of 2099 to seek the help of one of the few heroes alive in this time period: Iron Fist.[121]
The heroes and Danny's Iron Fists confront Warda in Madison Star Garden, where the Iron Fists fend off the giant monster while Wade tries to prevent his daughters from fighting by promising to tell Warda where Shiklah is. Despite his plea, Warda murders Ellie with liquid napalm and takes Wade to the sewer to interrogate him, where Wade reveals that Ellie's mutant ability is to regenerate all at once into her teenage body, allowing her to survive Warda's attack. After Wade, Preston, and Ellie defeat Warda, Wade tells her that he and Shiklah had an on-and-off-again relationship, but were always on the path for war which eventually resulted in her death, as on Earth, those who refuse to co-exist cease to exist (with Wade bringing up the Skrulls to support his point). He implants Preston into Warda's head so she can aid Warda in clearing her conscious and becoming a better person and tells his daughters that they can both be Deadpool. He later tells Ellie that he now plans to travel the world and rid the planet of his old enemies and that Shiklah's resting place is in a shrunken glass coffin located on top of his heart.[122]
InMessiah War Deadpool is locked in a freezer for eight hundred years. When he escapes he is captured by the armed forces of the few surviving humans left. He helps Cable to getHope Summers back fromStryfe who is later revealed to be inside this version of Deadpool's head. After seemingly defeating Stryfe, this version of Deadpool is quickly ripped in half and appears to die shortly after, his last words being a joke on "severance" pay.[123]
In the firstMarvel Zombies limited series, a zombie version of Deadpool is seen fighting theSilver Surfer. The zombie Deadpool eventually loses his body and appears as a disembodied head beginning inMarvel Zombies 3. This incarnation of Deadpool, frequently referred to asHeadpool, entered the mainstream Marvel continuity when he is encountered and captured by the original Deadpool inDeadpool: Merc with a Mouth.[124] Along with several other alternate versions of Deadpool, Headpool went on to appear inDeadpool Corps with apropeller beanie mounted to his head, granting him flight.[125]
In an alternate future, Spider-Man is an old man who got paralyzed from aLife Model Decoy Deadpool and lives in a retirement home with an elderly Deadpool.[volume & issue needed] Unknown to Spider-Man, Oldpool was giving his blood to Peter so he would not die due to his old age. In a battle between LMD Deadpools, Oldpool uses a time machine and mistakenly switches places with the mainstream Deadpool. After they got to the main timeline they are reunited with the main Spider-Man and Oldpool. Then after stopping Master Matrix (the LMD master created by Peter's parents) andChameleon, Old Man Peter and Oldpool fade away to their timeline.[volume & issue needed]
TheUltimate Marvel version of Deadpool isSergeant "Wadey" Wilson, aGulf War veteran. Depicted as an anti-mutant extremist, he is acyborg and leader of theReavers who hunt mutants for sport on a reality TV show. Beneath the mask, Deadpool appears to be a skull with an exposed brain, his skin formed by a transparent shell. He also has the ability to mimic an individual's appearance and voice, though not their powers.[126] Wadey reappears inDeadpool Kills Deadpool (written by Cullen Bunn and released in 2013) as a member of the Evil Deadpool Corps, led by Dreadpool, whose aim was to exterminate alternate versions of Deadpool across the multiverse, including the regular Deadpool Corps. In issue #4, he is killed by the mainstream Deadpool.[127]
InEdge ofVenomverse, Deadpool from another universe investigated a facility where illegal experiments were being performed with parasitic worms.[volume & issue needed] He bonded to theVenom symbiote to expel the worms inside him. In the event, he willingly got consumed by a Poison to act as a double-agent for the Venom army. In the end, he is presumed dead.[volume & issue needed]
In the alternate Earth ending of theWeapon X comic, Deadpool is recruited by Wolverine to be part of a new team of X-Men after the old team is killed. He joins, claiming Wolverine only wants him as the "token human". This version of Deadpool is killed byAgent Zero's Anti-Healing Factor corrosive acid. This version of Deadpool speaks in white text boxes.[128]
In aWhat If...? one-shot titled "Demon in the Armor", which happens to take place in Earth-90211, Wade Wilson, like Deadpool, is hired byGalactus to kill theBeyonder for mergingMODOK to Galactus's rear end in exchange for the Community Cube. He was given a weapon called the Recton Expungifier, the only weapon that could kill the Beyonder. When Deadpool tracked down his target to a nightclub, he was enticed into the Beyonder's partying lifestyle, gettingJheri curls in the process. While hanging out with the Beyonder in a flying limousine, Spider-Man broke into the car and demanded the symbiote costume be removed from himself. Beyonder's driver shoots Spider-Man out of the limousine, the symbiote leaves Spider-Man and merges with Deadpool, creatingVenompool. However, after years of partying, Beyonder grew tired and threw Venompool to the world, snapping him out of Beyonder's magic. Venompool attempted to resume his contract and kill the Beyonder, but he accidentally pawned the Recton Expungifier. He decides to get himself clean by kidnapping and selling a drunkenTony Stark toA.I.M. Unfortunately, he cannot join any major superhero teams, like theAvengers,Defenders andFantastic Four because of his newly acquired Jheri curls.[volume & issue needed]
In theSecret WarsBattleworld based on the90s X-Men animated series, Deadpool is a member of X-Force with Cable,Bishop,Archangel, Psylocke, and Domino.[129]
Over the years, Deadpool has been recognized and celebrated in various rankings, each highlighting different aspects of his character. In 2008,Wizard Magazine ranked Deadpool 182nd in their "The 200 Greatest Comic Book Characters of All Time" list, acknowledging his early appeal as a uniqueanti-hero in the comic world.[130] Similarly,Paste Magazine included Deadpool at 61 in their list of "The 100 Best Comic Book Characters of All Time," highlighting his unique self-awareness in the Marvel Universe, which sets him apart from typical archetypes.[131] By 2014, Deadpool's blend of humor and action had gained significant momentum, leadingIGN to rank him 31st in their "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes" list, praising his offbeat nature and sharpwit that set him apart from traditional heroes.[132]Empire similarly noted his importance, placing him 45th in their "50 Greatest Comic Book Characters" list the same year, emphasizing his unpredictable and comedic approach to crime-fighting.[133]
His role within theX-Men universe has also garnered attention, asEntertainment Weekly ranked him 9th in their "Let's rank every X-Man ever" list in 2014, appreciating his unique relationship with the team and hisunconventional methods.[134] In 2018,GameSpot recognized Deadpool's influence beyond just humor, ranking him 29th in their "50 Most Important Superheroes" list for his impact onmodern superhero storytelling and his ability to break thefourth wall.[135] That same year,CBR ranked him 3rd in their "X-Force: 20 Powerful Members" list, highlighting his contributions to the team and hiscombat skills.[136]
In 2019,ComicBook.com placed him 30th in their "50 Most Important Superheroes Ever" list, acknowledging his broader cultural impact, especially as a character who blurs the lines between hero and anti-hero.[137] Finally, in 2023,CBR ranked Deadpool 8th in their "10 Most Popular Marvel Characters" list, recognizing his continued global popularity and his status as one of Marvel’s most beloved and enduring characters.[138]
InSuperman/Batman Annual #1, an unnamed antimatter doppelganger ofDeathstroke looks like Deadpool.[139]DC Rebirth has givenHarley Quinn a stalker/friend named Wayne Wilkins, a.k.a. "Red Tool", who is a direct parody of Deadpool.[140][141]
Rob Liefeld created Deadpool's name and look, and I came up with his snappy patter.
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