Ryan Reynolds is Marvel Comics’ most unconventional anti-hero, Deadpool. Photo Credit: Joe Lederer TM & © 2015 Marvel & Subs. TM and © 2015 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. Not for sale or duplication.
Deadpool stars in multiple Marvel Comics, where he is frequently shot, stabbed, beheaded and blown to smithereens … but he gets better. Copyright Marvel Entertainment Inc.
In Deadpool, Wade Wilson (Ryan Reyonlds) dates Vanessa, played by Morena Baccarin, who also plays Det. Gordon’s girlfriend in Fox’s Gotham. Photo Credit: Joe Lederer - TM & © 2015 Marvel & Subs. TM and © 2015 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. Not for sale or duplication.
By Andrew A. Smith
Tribune Content Agency
“Is Deadpool a real character?”
A number of co-workers have asked me that question about Deadpool, whose movie, starring Ryan Reynolds, premieres Feb. 12. And yes, he’s a real fictional character published by Marvel Comics.
One of the things that sets him apart is that he also knows he’s a fictional character.
When he first appeared in a minor X-Men book in 1991, Deadpool was just another supervillain, with a healing factor like Wolverine’s, an outfit like Spider-Man’s and martial arts/weapons training like Elektra’s. In short, he was derivative and unremarkable.
However, a number of guest appearances raised his profile, and eventually he was awarded a series of series by some of the biggest writers in the business, including Mark Waid and Gail Simone. They developed him past his one-note origin to a character who was crazy popular. Or just crazy.
That characterization expanded in his first ongoing series, written primarily by Joe Kelly and Christopher Priest. The chocks were off, as they say, as Deadpool was established as zanier than an outhouse rat on meth. He constantly conversed with two other voices in his head, as well as the reader. That latter was used primarily for comedic effect, and there was plenty of slapstick too, especially with a lead character who could survive any injury – much like a cartoon character, which Deadpool came to resemble more and more.
And even when Deadpool wasn’t conversing with the voices in his head, he was running his mouth constantly. That gave rise to his nickname “Merc with a Mouth,” which is probably the nicest nickname he’s got.
In short, Deadpool put the funny back in funny books – despite being a psychotic assassin.
Deadpool’s back story was written – or re-written, where necessary – to explain his dementia. Whatever he was in 1991, the story now is that a professional assassin named Wade Wilson suffering from cancer went through the same Weapon X program Wolverine did, and gained healing powers even greater than the feral X-Man’s. He can’t be killed – he’s returned from decapitation, incineration and Hulk smooshing – but the downside is that his neurons are constantly regenerating at an accelerated rate, making it nearly impossible for him to think in a linear fashion.
Oh, yeah – the cancer? He’s still got it, and it can’t be killed either. So his skin looks – as is said in the movie – like “an avocado had sex with an older avocado.” And that’s the most printable thing that is said (the Deadpool movie is rated R, as it should be).
The first ongoing Deadpool series also established something of a supporting cast, including Weasel (Deadpool’s weapons supplier), Blind Al (a sightless old woman who is some sort of hostage as well as surrogate mother) and Ajax (super-powered arch-enemy). All three of those will appear in the movie, played by, respectively, T.J. Miller, Leslie Uggams and Ed Skrein.
Which is kinda odd, because none of those characters are currently important in comics featuring Deadpool – and there are a lot of comics featuring Deadpool! After Marvel rebooted its universe last year in a big summer event called “Secret Wars,” we’ve been introduced to a new world where Deadpool is an Avenger, the most popular superhero in the world and shares a book with Spider-Man. We don’t know why yet, but these developments tend to de-emphasize Deadpool’s past.
Which is s shame, because some of it is so snickery that it deserves mention. For example:
* The series Marvel Zombies featured an alternate universe where all the heroes and villains of the Marvel Universe had become the walking dead. That world’s Deadpool had been decapitated, but being Deadpool, that wasn’t enough to kill him for good. So Deadpool’s zombie head – called “Headpool,” naturally – found his way to our universe, where he co-starred with our guy in Deadpool: Merc with a Mouth. (Thereby disproving the old expression “two heads are better than one.”)
* A later series named Deadpool Corps teamed up Deadpool with other versions of himself that were largely unexplained, including not only Headpool but Lady Deadpool, Kid Deadpool and Dogpool. (Who are exactly what they sound like.)
* A series titled Agent X appeared to feature an amnesiac Deadpool calling himself Alex Hayden. After 15 issues, it turned out not to be Deadpool at all. (Talk about bait and switch!)
* Ever wonder why supervillainesses are so gorgeous? When the blonde, bodacious outlaw appropriately named Outlaw was brought in as shooting instructor (and romantic interest) in Agent X, she cheerfully admitted that her gorgeous blonde locks were a wig, and that she had had breast-augmentation surgery. (Her Texas accent is real, though.)
* In a battle with Hydra in 2007, Deadpool forced an agent with the real name Bob to fly him to safety. Having betrayed Hydra, Bob became Deadpool’s minion for a number of years. Hydra Bob has no special training aside from running and hiding when confronted with danger. He had only joined the terrorist organization because his wife nagged him into getting a full-time job, and he had heard Hydra had full dental. (It was actually A.I.M.) It’s possible that Bob hangs out with Deadpool because he thinks they’re friends, but it’s equally possible that he is just an incompetent henchman who doesn’t know what else to do. (Bob tends to shout “Hail Hydra” when under stress, which is often, as he is coward.)
* Other versions of Deadpool that have appeared over the years include Hulkpool (self-explanatory), Veapon X (a World War II version created by the Nazis from Frederick “Wheezy” Wilson), Zenpool (a calm, centered Deadpool with a personality inverted by magic) and The Deadpool Kid (a.k.a. Kiddypool, a Wild West version). Mention should be made of Gwenpool, a female version of the character invented by cosplayers at comics conventions, based on Spider-Man’s dead girlfriend Gwen Stacy, and soon to have a series of her own. (Her real name, evidently, is Gwen Poole.)
Interestingly, Deadpool has been married three times. His current wife is Shiklah, Queen of the Undead, who rules all monsters (who are not vampires). Because why not? Shiklah starred in the “Secret Wars” series titled Mrs. Deadpool and the Howling Commandos (where she died, but it appears she got better).
How much of this back story will be used in Deadpool (and sequels, if any) is unknown. But one version of Deadpool will definitely NOT appear, and that is the one featured in X-Men Origins: The Wolverine. That version had some similarities to the new one – he was played by Ryan Reynolds, he was an assassin – but all the rest of it is being studiously ignored.
As it should be. The version of Deadpool in the comics is one that has inexplicably attained popularity, so that is the version the new movie’s producers are using. If we get Headpool, Dogpool or Kiddypool, that will just be a bonus.
Reach Captain Comics by email (capncomics@aol.com), the Internet (comicsroundtable.com), Facebook (Captain Comics Round Table) or Twitter (@CaptainComics).
Replies
The earliest Gail Simone stories currently listed at the GCD are Bongo stories from 2000. She didn't write any Deadpool minis, but the final issues of the character's first ongoing and then Agent X in 2002-2003. Apparently that was her first Marvel/DC work.
Somehow, I've never read a story with Deadpool in it. Should I?
Like any character, some stories are better than others. There's definitely some good stuff out there. If you can accept that he's not going to act like a traditional super hero and don't mind the violence, it can be a hoot.
ClarkKent_DC said:
ClarkKent_DC said:
Obviously, that is up to you. I can't stand the guy myself. The next time he says something funny will be the first time. I usually cringe when I read his dialogue.
Cap refers to his original origin as an amalgam of Marvel characters, I always saw him as a straight rip-off of Deathstroke from DC. Until they made him "funny"
Travis Herrick (Modular Mod) said:
Travis, you're right. Sure, you can see elements of Deadpool that are similar to other Marvel characters, but the "original" concept from Rob Liefeld was blatantly a Deathstroke rip-off right down to the name - Death / Dead and Stroke / Pool. Fabian Nicieza was given the task of scripting Liefeld's stories and he has said when Liefeld came up with the name, costume, and characteristics, Nicieza told him "this is Deathstroke from Teen Titans". As an in-joke, Nicieza came up with the secret identity, Wade Wilson, since he was "related" to Slade Wilson. Nicieza also gave Deadpool the motormouth bit, maybe that prevented DC from suing.
That said, although I haven't followed Deadpool in comics, I enjoyed the movie. It was a lot of fun. It definitely deserved the "R" rating.
Thanks for talking me out of it. Reading above that Deadpool is a "professional assassin" and "Deadpool is an Avenger" made me leery from the start. Have the Avengers no standards anymore?
Which Avengers group are you referring to? The New Avengers, the All-New,. All Different Avengers, the Ultimates or Cap's team?
ClarkKent_DC said:
He's on Cap's team, and Spider-Man quit in the first issue because of Deadpool's presence.
The Dead Pool was a 1988 Clint Eastwood movie, the final Dirty Harry film. The dead pool of the title is a guess-who-will-die-first betting game.
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