Deadpool Origins Redux

Script written by Steven Papadopolis

Superhero Origins: Deadpool Origins – Redux

Please make sure your seat back and folding trays are in their full upright position as you’re about to witness the origin of Deadpool! Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we will explore the comic book origin of Wade Wilson, aka Deadpool, aka the Merc with a Mouth aka well you get the point.
As with most comic book characters, there are often re-imaginations and different versions to a character’s past. We have chosen to primarily follow the storyline which unfolded in 1998’s “Deadpool and Death Annual” issue #1.

First appearing in 1991’s “New Mutants #98” tasked with taking out the time travelling Cable, Deadpool was an instant hit with fans. This fast talking mercenary was a villain at first, but a skilled assassin nonetheless. Due to his similarities with DC’s Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke, he was given the name Wade Wilson to imply that his creators Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld were fully aware of those similarities. However, the two characters coult not be further apart in terms of personality.Deadpool was a potent combination of deadly and silly, and that made him all the more compelling. As fans demanded to see more of him, he eventually gravitated to becoming the anti-hero we know and love today.

Despite appearing in various series throughout the 90’s, it wasn’t until 1998’s “Deadpool and Death Annual #1” that we finally saw the true history of Deadpool. Often a liar, it was this particular near death experience that gave us the truth when Death came to collect him. She makes him relive his past at the famed Canadian facility performing experiments to create new super soldiers known as Weapon X.

At the time, Wade Wilson was diagnosed with cancer, but was still chosen to receive a formula that would give him a healing factor. The other candidates give him odds of 1000 to one that he would die in their “dead pool,” giving Wade his new name. Wilson survived the process but unfortunately, the healing factor would also strengthen the cancer afflicting him resulting in the hideous scar tissue covering his entire body.

Appearing as a beautiful woman with a skeletal face, Wade fell in love with Death and the comfort that the after life would bring, feelings that have stayed with him throughout the years. Their romance appeared to go both ways, with Death being summoned earlier than usual sparking her own interest in the dilapidated mercenary. She constantly asked him to return to her, and his desire for death was so strong that he resorted to insulting Franklin, the attendant in charge of keeping the peace at the facility, in the hopes of encouraging his own demise. Instead Franklin decided to punish Wade’s friend Worm forcing Wade to mercy kill his own friend, which ignited a burning desire for revenge.

When Franklin is finally given the okay to kill Wade, he does so by tearing his heart out. With Death inches away, Wade’s lust for revenge triggers his new healing factor to go into high gear and instantly heals him. He immediately goes on a killing spree to get his revenge before finally accepting his death. He takes out Franklin and, now taking on the name of the betting pool as an homage to the place that made him, Deadpool was born.

He was no longer a coward, but a vengeful warrior. However the ordeal also resulted in the minor insanity that has come to defined the character ever since. Seemingly unable to die, and his desire for Death never waning, it’s his heroic sacrifice for his friends and his willingness to always deliver justice in spite of his own desires that makes him into a hero we can admire. Even if those sacrifices means he can’t be with his one true love.

Accepting his fate, he opted to continue life as a mercenary for hire willing to do any job that pays. Armed with katanas and guns, Deadpool is a skilled martial artist capable of using a multitude of weapons at once if need be, and he’s considered to be one of the fastest and deadliest Marvel characters around. Despite his insanity, he’s also a smart fighter often coming up with unique and, some may even say, crazy solutions, especially since he has no fear of death Combined with his powerful healing factor, which has been augmented over the years, Deadpool can give trouble to any Marvel character with little repercussions to himself. Of course, he wouldn’t get far without his friends, like Weasel and Bob, the former being an agent of Hydra. These two regularly put Wade back together when he tends to, literally, fall to pieces. And having access to a teleportation device certainly helps in tough situations. All this combines to cement his reputation in the Marvel Universe as a force to be reckoned with.

Yet, anyone faced against this assassin tends to fear his fast talking mouth more than anything else. Beginning with pop culture references, writers eventually began to toy with the idea of Deadpool’s knowledge of pop culture which eventually lead to meta moments where he directly addresses the reader. Yes, that includes you, dear viewer. Now a staple of Deadpool’s character, he not only knows he’s a comic character, but has even used this knowledge to his advantage to reference other issues and events. And he’s utterly annoying, too, with his unique voice barraging opponents with banter, which make sense for us as readers because we know he’s talking about us or referencing us, but imagine you were a poor Marvel character listening to this guy ramble on about nonsensical things. It would drive anyone insane.

Marvel has used his referential ability to their advantage by using him as comic relief in some series or by including him in larger stories to shed new light on particular events, like in the original Secret Wars which occurred in 1984, well before the character’s first introduction. Deadpool’s unique yellow caption boxes make his page time unforgettable and deliver the sense that his voice is as unique as his personality.

Deadpool has also gone on to feature in some incredible crossovers over the years. The character has proved so popular that he’s appeared in over 1,700 issues, and has gone on to feature in his own self-titled video game, as well as Marvel vs Capcom 3. He’s also appeared in some animated work as well, like Ultimate Spiderman and Hulk vs Wolverine. And, of course, there was that one movie appearance in Wolverine: Origins that everyone would like to forget He finally got his own stand alone movie, scheduled for a 2016 release.

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