Show pageBack to top This page is read only. You can view the source, but not change it. Ask your administrator if you think this is wrong. ====== Deadpool ====== ===== Part 1: The Dossier: An At-a-Glance Summary ===== * **Core Identity:** **Deadpool is Wade Wilson, the "Merc with a Mouth," a mentally unstable and hideously scarred anti-hero with a superhuman healing factor and a bizarre, tragicomic awareness that he is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.** * **Key Takeaways:** * **Role in the Universe:** Originally a villain, Deadpool evolved into a chaotic neutral wildcard, a mercenary who alternates between selfish acts of violence and surprisingly noble attempts at heroism. His unique ability to [[#fourth-wall_awareness|break the fourth wall]] makes him a meta-commentator on the very universe he inhabits. * **Primary Impact:** Deadpool's greatest impact is cultural. He deconstructs superhero tropes with postmodern humor, violence, and satire. Within the universe, his unpredictability makes him a valuable, if infuriating, ally to groups like [[x-force]] and a constant annoyance to more straight-laced heroes like [[captain_america]] and his frenemy, [[wolverine]]. * **Key Incarnations:** The core difference lies in their origins and motivations. The **[[#earth-616_prime_comic_universe|Earth-616 Deadpool]]** is a product of the official Canadian Weapon X Program, his insanity and fourth-wall breaks a direct result of his brain cells being in a constant state of flux. The **[[#marvel_cinematic_universe_mcu|cinematic Deadpool]]** (originating in the Fox //X-Men// universe) gained his powers from a rogue, private experiment, with his primary motivation being his love for Vanessa Carlysle and revenge against the man who scarred him. ===== Part 2: Origin and Evolution ===== ==== Publication History and Creation ==== Deadpool exploded onto the comics scene in **//The New Mutants// #98**, published in February 1991. He was co-created by writer Fabian Nicieza and artist/writer Rob Liefeld. In his initial conception, Deadpool was a straightforward, wisecracking supervillain, hired by the mysterious Mr. Tolliver to attack Cable and the New Mutants. Liefeld, a fan of DC Comics' //Teen Titans//, conceived of the character's design and name, while Nicieza developed his personality and speech patterns. The character's similarities to the DC villain [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deathstroke_(character)|Deathstroke]] (Slade Wilson) are overt and intentional, starting as an inside joke. Both are expert mercenaries with enhanced abilities and similar names (Wade Wilson vs. Slade Wilson). However, as Deadpool's popularity grew, subsequent writers leaned into this parody, transforming it from a simple homage into a defining characteristic. It was during his first ongoing series, launched in 1997, that Deadpool truly became the character known today. Writer Joe Kelly and artist Ed McGuinness are largely credited with establishing his signature traits: the comedic fourth-wall breaking, his two internal monologues (represented by yellow and white caption boxes), his deeply tragic backstory, and his underlying desire to be a hero despite his violent nature. This run fleshed him out from a '90s anti-hero archetype into a complex, satirical, and deeply human character, setting the stage for his rise as one of Marvel's most popular and recognizable figures. ==== In-Universe Origin Story ==== === Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) === Wade Winston Wilson's early life is a deliberately murky and often self-contradictory tapestry of tragedy. He has claimed his father was an abusive military man and that his mother died of cancer when he was young, leading to a troubled adolescence and a career in the U.S. Army Special Forces. After being discharged, he became a highly effective, globe-trotting mercenary, taking on morally ambiguous jobs while adhering to a personal code: he wouldn't harm women or children. During this time, he operated out of a mercenary bar in Tangier, Morocco, where he fell in love with a prostitute named Vanessa Carlysle, the future mutant [[copycat]]. Wade's life unraveled when he was diagnosed with multiple inoperable cancerous tumors. Desperate and leaving Vanessa because he didn't want her to watch him die, he accepted an offer to join a clandestine branch of the Canadian government's Department K, a joint U.S./Canadian super-soldier development project known as the **[[weapon_x_program]]**. He became a test subject for a radical procedure designed to imbue a human with the incredible healing factor of the mutant [[wolverine|Wolverine]]. The experiment was a horrifying success. The procedure grafted Wolverine's healing factor onto his DNA, but it had a catastrophic side effect. Instead of simply curing his cancer, the healing factor supercharged it. His cells began regenerating at a hyper-accelerated rate, constantly destroying and rebuilding themselves in a war with the cancerous cells. This process arrested the cancer's lethality but left him with grotesque, scar-like tissue over his entire body and, most critically, rendered his brain unstable. This constant cellular flux is the in-universe explanation for his deranged personality, his emotional volatility, and his unique awareness of being a comic book character. Deemed a failure, Wade was sent to the "Hospice," a grim facility for the program's discarded experiments, run by the sadistic Doctor Killebrew and his enforcer, Francis Freeman (who would later call himself Ajax). Here, the inmates were subjected to brutal torture and experimentation. To cope, the prisoners participated in a "dead pool," betting on who would be the next to die. After being subjected to extreme torment by Ajax, including having his heart ripped out, Wade's healing factor kicked into overdrive, and his will to live, fueled by a desire for revenge, reached a breaking point. He killed Ajax, led a breakout with his fellow inmates, and adopted the moniker **Deadpool** as a grim tribute to his survival. He then re-entered the world as the "Merc with a Mouth," a free agent in a world he now understood on a level no one else could. === Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) === The cinematic origin of Deadpool, as depicted in the 2016 film //Deadpool// (originating in the 20th Century Fox //X-Men// film series and now integrated into the mainline MCU), shares the same core beats but differs significantly in motivation and context. Wade Wilson (portrayed by Ryan Reynolds) is a former Special Forces operative-turned-mercenary based in New York City. He operates out of Sister Margaret's School for Wayward Girls, a mercenary bar run by his friend Weasel. His life is one of small-time intimidation jobs and morally gray "heroics" until he meets and falls deeply in love with an escort named Vanessa Carlysle. Their life together is idyllic until Wade collapses and is diagnosed with late-stage terminal cancer throughout his liver, lungs, prostate, and brain. Fearing death and leaving Vanessa behind, a desperate Wade is approached by a mysterious recruiter from a secret organization. He is promised not just a cure, but the activation of any latent mutant genes to turn him into a superhero. He agrees and is taken to a clandestine laboratory run by the sadistic mutant Ajax (Francis Freeman) and his super-strong cohort, Angel Dust. It's revealed this is not a government program, but a rogue operation designed to create and auction off super-powered individuals as slaves. Wade is injected with a serum designed to trigger mutation and is then subjected to weeks of extreme physical and emotional torture to activate it. The stress eventually triggers his latent mutant gene, granting him a powerful healing factor that cures his cancer. However, just as in the comics, it also hideously scars his entire body. After a confrontation where Ajax reveals there is no cure for the disfigurement, Wade orchestrates his escape by blowing up the facility. Left scarred and unable to face Vanessa, he dons a red and black tactical suit, adopts the name "Deadpool" (a name he picked from the "dead pool" betting board at Weasel's bar), and begins a bloody, city-wide quest for revenge. His goal is to find and capture Ajax, believing he can force him to reverse the scarring. This version of Deadpool is driven almost entirely by his love for Vanessa and a desire to reclaim the life that was stolen from him, a more focused and romantic motivation than his comic book counterpart's broader quest for identity and purpose. ===== Part 3: Abilities, Equipment & Personality ===== === Earth-616 (Prime Comic Universe) === Deadpool's powers and personality in the comics are a unique and often paradoxical mix of immense power and profound instability. * **Powers and Abilities:** * **Regenerative Healing Factor:** His primary power, derived from Wolverine but significantly more potent. It allows him to regenerate any destroyed tissue, reattach severed limbs, and even survive decapitation or complete incineration, regrowing his entire body from as little as a single cell over time. It makes him functionally immortal and grants him immunity to all known diseases and toxins. Critically, it is also highly resistant to telepathic intrusion, as his constantly regenerating brain cells make his mind a chaotic mess that is nearly impossible for psychics like [[professor_x|Professor X]] or [[jean_grey|Jean Grey]] to read. * **Superhuman Physicality:** While not on the level of [[hulk|Hulk]] or [[thor]], his healing factor allows his muscles to generate fewer fatigue-producing toxins. This grants him superhuman stamina, agility, reflexes, and durability far beyond the peak of human potential. * <nowiki><span id="fourth-wall_awareness"></span></nowiki>**Fourth-Wall Awareness (Medium Awareness):** Deadpool's most defining and bizarre ability. He is fully aware that he is a fictional character in a comic book. He directly addresses the reader, references past issues and editorial decisions, complains about his writers, and leverages his knowledge of comic book tropes to his advantage. In-universe, this is often dismissed by other characters as a form of psychosis, but it gives him a unique tactical advantage. * **Master Martial Artist & Marksman:** Wade was already one of the world's deadliest assassins and mercenaries //before// gaining his powers. He is an expert in multiple forms of martial arts and is a master of virtually every type of firearm, blade, and explosive. His fighting style is completely unpredictable, incorporating chaotic movements and slapstick humor that makes him impossible for even someone with photographic reflexes like [[taskmaster]] to predict. * **Equipment:** * **Twin Katanas:** His signature weapons, crafted from durable carbonadium, which can inhibit other healing factors. * **Extensive Arsenal:** He carries a vast array of firearms, from pistols to assault rifles, as well as grenades and other explosives. * **Teleportation Device:** Often a belt-buckle device, frequently given to him by [[cable]], which allows him short-range teleportation. It is notoriously unreliable and often malfunctions for comedic effect. * **Magic Satchel:** A seemingly bottomless pouch where he can pull out an infinite amount of weaponry and props, from rubber chickens to rocket launchers. * **Personality:** * Deadpool's mind is a chaotic storm. He is defined by his incessant talking, black humor, and pop culture references. His personality is largely a coping mechanism for his immense physical and emotional pain. He has two distinct internal monologues, often represented by a cynical yellow caption box and a more naive white caption box, with whom he constantly argues. Beneath the jokes lies a deep-seated self-loathing and a desperate desire for redemption, family, and acceptance as a genuine hero. He is pansexual and has had numerous, often complicated, romantic interests. === Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) === The cinematic Deadpool masterfully adapts the core essence of the character for a live-action, R-rated format, with some pragmatic adjustments. * **Powers and Abilities:** * **Regenerative Healing Factor:** Portrayed with brutal and comedic effect. He can survive being shot multiple times, stabbed, blown up, and torn in half. He can regrow limbs, though the process is shown to be comically slow and awkward (e.g., regrowing "baby legs"). His healing makes him effectively unkillable through conventional means. * **Peak Human to Superhuman Prowess:** Like his comic counterpart, he is an incredibly skilled fighter. His agility, speed, and marksmanship are enhanced to superhuman levels by his powers, allowing him to take on entire squads of armed opponents single-handedly. * **Fourth-Wall Awareness:** This is the central pillar of the films' humor. Deadpool constantly breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience. He comments on the film's budget, the actors portraying other characters, the X-Men film timeline, the studio (20th Century Fox), the Disney acquisition, and even the mechanics of film production itself, such as opening credits and post-credit scenes. * **Equipment:** * **Twin Katanas:** Named "Bea" and "Arthur," his primary melee weapons are used with deadly precision. * **Dual Pistols:** His standard firearms are a pair of IWI Desert Eagle Mark XIX pistols, though he uses a wide variety of other guns throughout the films. * **Red and Black Suit:** His costume is more than just an aesthetic choice; it's a functional tactical suit that hides his scarred appearance and, as he jokes, prevents enemies from seeing him bleed. * **Personality:** * Ryan Reynolds' portrayal perfectly captures the character's irreverent, motormouthed, and pop-culture-obsessed persona. The cinematic version's humor is relentlessly R-rated, filled with profanity, sexual innuendo, and graphic violence. While he lacks the comic's dueling internal monologue boxes, his external monologues to the audience serve the same purpose. His defining motivation is his love for Vanessa, which provides a strong emotional anchor to his chaotic actions. He still exhibits a desire to do the right thing, albeit in the most violent and inappropriate way possible, as seen in his efforts to protect young mutants like Russell Collins (Firefist). ===== Part 4: Key Relationships & Network ===== ==== Core Allies ==== * **Cable (Nathan Summers):** The ultimate Marvel odd couple. Cable is a grim, stoic, time-traveling cybernetic soldier on a mission to save the future. Deadpool is an anarchic, joking mercenary living entirely in the moment. Their dynamic, famously explored in the //Cable & Deadpool// comic series, is one of the most beloved in comics. Cable's seriousness is the perfect foil for Deadpool's insanity, and despite their constant bickering, they form a deep and effective partnership built on begrudging respect. In the cinematic universe, Cable is introduced as an antagonist before becoming a reluctant ally. * **Domino (Neena Thurman):** A fellow mercenary and mutant with the subconscious ability to manipulate probability in her favor, essentially creating "good luck." She and Deadpool have been teammates in multiple incarnations of [[x-force]], lovers, and professional rivals. Her calm, confident demeanor contrasts sharply with Wade's manic energy, and she's one of the few people who can both tolerate and keep up with his brand of chaos. * **Wolverine (Logan):** Their relationship is complex and built on a shared trauma: the Weapon X program. Both possess powerful healing factors, but their personalities couldn't be more different. Deadpool idolizes and endlessly annoys Wolverine, who generally finds him insufferable. Yet, beneath the antagonism lies a shared understanding of their painful existence, and they have teamed up on numerous occasions when the fate of the world is at stake. Their dynamic is set to be the central focus of their first official MCU team-up film. * **Blind Al:** In the comics, Al is Deadpool's elderly, blind, sharp-tongued roommate whom he keeps as a "prisoner" in his own home. Their relationship is a bizarre and darkly comedic blend of friendship, Stockholm syndrome, and co-dependency. While he frequently torments her with cruel pranks, she serves as his moral compass and one of the few people who truly understands the broken man beneath the mask. ==== Arch-Enemies ==== * **Ajax (Francis Freeman):** The architect of Wade's pain. In both comic and film continuities, Ajax was the enforcer/administrator at the facility where Wade was tortured and transformed. He had his own nerves removed to feel no pain and was enhanced with superhuman strength and speed. His sadism and cruelty made him Deadpool's first and most personal nemesis, the target of a singular, all-consuming revenge quest. * **T-Ray:** A powerful and imposing mercenary who holds a deep-seated grudge against Deadpool. T-Ray's most damaging claim is that //he// is the real Wade Wilson and that Deadpool is a psychotic killer who murdered him and stole his identity. While this claim was later revealed to be a lie, the psychological torment he inflicted on Deadpool was immense, striking at the core of Wade's already fractured sense of self. * **Taskmaster (Tony Masters):** A professional rival and fellow elite mercenary. Taskmaster possesses "photographic reflexes," allowing him to perfectly mimic the fighting style of anyone he observes. This makes him one of the most formidable hand-to-hand combatants on Earth. However, Deadpool's completely insane and unpredictable fighting style is the one thing Taskmaster cannot copy, making their fights chaotic and uniquely challenging for the master mimic. ==== Affiliations ==== * **X-Force:** Deadpool is most famously associated with X-Force, the more militant and proactive offshoot of the [[x-men]]. He has been a member of Cable's original strike teams and, most notably, Wolverine's covert Uncanny X-Force, a black-ops squad tasked with eliminating threats to mutantkind before they could emerge. His unpredictability was both a great asset and a constant liability to these teams. * **Avengers Unity Division:** In a surprising turn of events, Deadpool was recruited onto the Avengers Unity Division (the "Uncanny Avengers") by Steve Rogers after the //Secret Wars// event. Funded by the immense profits from his own merchandise, he sought to prove he could be a genuine hero. While his teammates were often exasperated by his methods, he proved his worth on several occasions. * **Mercs for Money:** For a time, Deadpool franchised his brand and created his own team of C-list mercenaries, the "Mercs for Money." He led this dysfunctional team in a chaotic attempt to monetize heroism, with predictably disastrous and hilarious results. ===== Part 5: Iconic Events & Storylines ===== === "Sins of the Past" (Deadpool, 1997 series) === This is the character-defining run by writer Joe Kelly. It moved beyond the '90s anti-hero caricature and delved into Wade's psyche. The storyline established his tragic past, his deep desire to be a hero like Captain America or Spider-Man, and the constant internal battle with his own insanity. It introduced key supporting characters like Blind Al and explored his complex moral code. This is the arc that solidified Deadpool's fourth-wall breaks as a core part of his character and laid the groundwork for everything that came after. === "Cable & Deadpool" (2004-2008) === This 50-issue series by Fabian Nicieza cemented the partnership between Marvel's ultimate odd couple. The story saw the two mercenaries bound together, often literally, as they navigated a series of world-ending threats. Cable's messianic drive to save the world was constantly undermined and aided by Deadpool's chaos. The series was celebrated for its perfect blend of high-stakes action, sharp social satire, and brilliant character-driven comedy, becoming the gold standard for both characters. === "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (Deadpool Vol. 3, 2013) === Co-written by Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn, this storyline took a darker, more poignant turn. Deadpool discovers that a rogue North Korean scientist has been kidnapping him, harvesting his organs, and using his DNA to create a personal army of X-Men duplicates. He is forced to team up with Wolverine and Captain America to investigate. The arc is brutal and emotionally devastating, revealing deep-seated trauma and culminating in the revelation that Wade has a living daughter, Eleanor Camacho, whom he must protect by staying away from her. It is widely considered one of the best Deadpool stories ever written for its masterful balance of humor and genuine pathos. === "Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe" (2012) === A non-canon, darkly satirical limited series that became a runaway hit. In this story, Deadpool is captured by Psycho-Man, who attempts to brainwash him. The procedure backfires, shattering the "fourth wall" in his mind and making him realize that he and everyone he knows are puppets in a comic book, their suffering nothing more than entertainment. Believing he is "liberating" them, he embarks on a horrifyingly creative and systematic slaughter of every hero and villain in the Marvel Universe, from Spider-Man to Galactus. The series' bleak humor and shocking violence made it an instant classic among fans. ===== Part 6: Variants and Alternative Versions ===== * **X-Men Origins: Wolverine (Film, 2009):** The first live-action appearance of Wade Wilson, also played by Ryan Reynolds. This version was a wisecracking member of Team X who was later transformed by William Stryker into the monstrous "Weapon XI." In a move widely reviled by fans, this "Deadpool" had his mouth sewn shut, robbing the "Merc with a Mouth" of his defining trait. He was a silent, grim weapon with a hodgepodge of mutant powers. The modern Deadpool films frequently mock and have explicitly retconned this version out of existence. * **Ultimate Deadpool (Earth-1610):** A stark and unpopular departure from the main character. In the Ultimate Universe, Sergeant "Wadey" Wilson was a human supremacist and anti-mutant extremist in the employ of the Genoshan government. A cyborg with a transparent skull, he hunted mutants on a reality TV show. This version was a humorless bigot and was killed by Spider-Man and the X-Men. * **Gwenpool (Gwendoline Poole):** While not a direct variant of Wade, Gwenpool is a character born from his meta-narrative legacy. Originally a variant cover design mashing up Deadpool and Gwen Stacy, she was developed into a full character. Gwendoline Poole is a comic book fan from "our" real world who is transported into the Marvel Universe. She has no powers other than her encyclopedic knowledge of every character's secret identity, weaknesses, and story arcs, which she uses to become a mercenary. * **Weapon X (Age of Apocalypse - Earth-295):** In this dark, alternate timeline ruled by Apocalypse, Wade Wilson was a member of Apocalypse's elite assassins. This version was grim, emotionally scarred, and almost entirely devoid of humor. He relished killing and was eventually dispatched by the teleporting X-Man, Nightcrawler. ===== See Also ===== * [[wolverine]] * [[cable]] * [[x-force]] * [[domino]] * [[weapon_x_program]] ===== Notes and Trivia ===== ((Deadpool was co-created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza, first appearing in //The New Mutants// #98 (1991).)) ((The character's name, Wade Wilson, is a deliberate inside joke referencing DC Comics' Slade Wilson, also known as the mercenary Deathstroke.)) ((Deadpool's love for chimichangas was established by writer Fabian Nicieza simply because he thought the word sounded funny. Wade has admitted he doesn't even like them that much.)) ((In the comics, Deadpool's pansexuality has been confirmed by multiple writers. He flirts with and has shown attraction to people of all genders, including Thor, Spider-Man, and Death.)) ((The iconic yellow and white internal monologue caption boxes were a hallmark of the 1997 Joe Kelly run and have been used by many subsequent writers to represent the conflicting voices in Deadpool's head.)) ((The 2016 //Deadpool// film was a passion project for actor Ryan Reynolds, who championed the film for over a decade after his poorly received first appearance as the character in //X-Men Origins: Wolverine//. Leaked test footage is credited with convincing 20th Century Fox to finally greenlight the R-rated project.)) ((In the storyline "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," it is revealed Deadpool has a daughter named Eleanor Camacho, whose mother was killed by one of Wade's enemies. He entrusts her care to S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Emily Preston.))