10 Biggest Twists That Changed Deadpool Lore Forever

Deadpool has been one of Marvel’s most chaotic characters since his debut in 1990. Over the past three decades, he has seen a rise in popularity, having several independent series and being the subject of three successful films. Like many of Marvel’s heroes and villains, he has not been a stagnant figure. He has undergone several developments and life changes.

Wade Wilson’s comic history has generally provided him with great excuses to enjoy being an antihero, a reluctant hero, an ally to heroes, and a guy taking any job with a good payout. This occasionally results in some wild changes to his life or his actions. Deadpool has the ability to get away with things other comic characters could only dream about or things fans might hate, thanks to his chaotic and comedic slant – and inability to take most things in his life very seriously. His over-the-top nature has allowed for standard or ridiculous twists.

10

Deadpool’s Mysterious Origins: Hero or Villain?

Deadpool (1997) #32 & 33: Joe Kelly, Pete Woods, Rebecca Shelander, Shannon Blanchard, Richard Starkings, Ruben Diaz, Zena Tsarfin

In Deadpool’s early comic history, he frequently found himself at odds with T-Ray, a mercenary with magical abilities who becomes allied with Thanos. Fueled by hate for his enemies, T-Ray includes Deadpool on a tattooed list of people he aims to eliminate. This results in a major twist for the Merc with a Mouth’s origin story. Deadpool believed he had a deceased wife named Mercedes, before he became the person readers have known and loved for years. T-Ray presents an alternative origin, in which a man named Jack is nursed to health by Wade Wilson and his wife Mercedes, before killing Mercedes and stealing Wade’s identity – starting life anew as Deadpool. This version shocks Deadpool and makes him question his history, causing a possible shift towards the sympathy his origin usually garners, but ultimately, there is no real proof that what T-Ray says is true.

9

The Dark Depths of Deadpool’s Friendship

Deadpool (1997) #14: Joe Kelly, Walter McDaniel, Anibal Rodriguez, Chris Sotomayor, Richard Starkings

Though Deadpool may be appreciative of his allies – Al and Weasel in particular – he has terrible ways of showing gratitude. Despite sharing a living situation with Al, he’s a demented roommate. In Deadpool #14, Weasel discovers her living conditions, being forced to realize that Wade’s an abusive companion, and she is a prisoner at Deadhut in a dangerous room where the door is always open, allowing escape. She has been subjected to torture, placed on top of the struggles she already has due to being blind. This showed a darker side to Deadpool than may have been anticipated early in his comic history, showing how twisted of an individual he is. Suffering and pain are continuously left in his wake, both accidentally and deliberately. While effective at mercenary work, Weasel’s discovery proves Deadpool’s darker side makes him a horrific, abusive individual to the people closest to him.

8

Comic Self-Awareness Defines Deadpool

Deadpool (1997) #28: Joe Kelly, Pete Woods, Walden Wong, Shannon Blanchard, Richard Starkings &Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars (2015): Cullen Bunn, Matteo Lolli, Ruth Redmond, Joe Sabino, Jordan D. White, Heather Antos

One of Deadpool’s best known qualities is his self-awareness. He knows he is in a comic, allowing for comedic fourth wall breaking. Though the occurrence first arose in Deadpool #28 in 1999, this was retconned to create an alternate reveal in Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars. The first sign of awareness came during an interaction with Bullseye as Wade points out his last interaction using comic issue numbering, instead of typical time measurements. Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars took the opportunity to use Beyonder as a means of placing Deadpool – and his self-awareness – earlier in the Marvel timeline. This threw him retroactively into the events first occurring in 1984 despite his 1990 debut. This places him among classic Marvel heroes during an iconic event that he had no chance of being a part of otherwise.

7

Deadpool Saves the World, Gaining Perpetual Suffering

Deadpool (1997) #23-35: Joe Kelly, James Felder, Christopher Priest, Paco Diaz, David Brewer, Rodney Ramos, Walter McDaniel, Pete Woods, Andy Lanning, Whitney McFarland, Andy Smith, Jon Holdredge, Andrew Pepoy, Rebecca Shelander, Walden Wong, Matt Hicks, Kevin Somers, Shannon Blanchard, Troy Peteri, Richard Starkings, Matt Idelson, Ruben Diaz, Zena Tsarfin

While Deadpool may often seem miserable despite his sense of humor keeping things light, later circumstances of suffering have been caused by a character-defining heroic moment. In Deadpool #23-35, the titular antihero took human suffering as a benefit of living and placed the weight of such a decision eternally on his shoulders. A god known as S’Met’Kth travels through the cosmos and planets it interacts with have their inhabitants filled with “ultimate, undeniable bliss” that results in their death. Deadpool took this power on, culminating in a battle against a possessed Captain America, and chose free will over happiness for the good of humanity. Despite the draw of bliss, Wade was not willing to doom the world by taking away choice and individual agency. Though this decision saves the world as it is known, Deadpool being the one to be the ultimate decision maker is an unexpected result – that he’ll forever have to live with.

6

Weapon X Program Reject

Deadpool & Death Annual #1 (1998): Joe Kelly, Steve Harris, Reggie Jones, Chris Sotomayor, Matt idelson, Bob Harras

Although Deadpool and Wolverine share origins involving the Weapon X program, they differ significantly. Deadpool & Death Annual #1 revealed that the mercenary was actually a reject from the program, leading him down a different experimentation path. Instead of being part of the “Hero Factory,” Wade Wilson was thrown into a group of “Weapon X castoffs.” This is where Deadpool first meets his enemy, Ajax, and gains the name “Deadpool.” Though he initially tried to be a hero, Wade ultimately became a test subject for Dr. Killebrew, setting him down his path of misery, suffering, and chaos. Weapon X left its scars on both Wolverine and Deadpool, but in very different ways. Their similarities and experiences diverged significantly, though succeeding in the program isn’t necessarily an improvement compared to failing within it, since both cause loss and tax individuals’ sanity.

5

The Tragic Truth About Deadpool’s Parents

Deadpool (2012) #29 & #34: Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn, Scott Koblish, John Lucas, Val Staples, Joe Sabino, Jordan D. White

While Deadpool #29 reveals the history of Deadpool to Agent Preston and Agent Adsit, the truth of what they saw is elaborated on in Deadpool #34. Butler, eliminated as a threat in a previous issue, twisted the titular anti-hero during the Weapon Plus Program. The villain would later cause Deadpool and his daughter to become separated, further increasing a negative impact on the mercenary’s life. Wade was manipulated into killing his own parents as a test, but has had his memory altered by memory-wiping drugs, preventing him from remembering the events. This has increased the amount of blood on Deadpool’s hands, but it also reveals that additional tragedies have defined Wade Wilson’s life. He has a history of not just suffering, but loss via manipulation, none of which came as a result of his own decisions.

4

Deadpool’s Daughter

Deadpool (2012) #19: Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn, Declan Shalvey, Jordie Bellaire, Joe Sabino, Jordan D. White

For two decades, Deadpool was a lone wolf who occasionally had whacky team-ups and misunderstandings. However, he has also had some highly emotional and life-changing moments, such as in Deadpool #19. His origin and history are visited once more as Wade Wilson finds out he has a daughter who just might be alive. Thanks to his partnership with Agent Preston, he is able to connect with his daughter, Eleanor Camacho, who he calls “Ellie.” Not only does her presence give him new purpose, but she also provides new storytelling venues for Deadpool and his legacy. In 2024, Ellie was revealed to be a future iteration of her father in Deadpool (2024) #7. Becoming a father has created incredible growth for the Merc with a Mouth, but it hasn’t succeeded in tarnishing his charming qualities or lessening his insane adventurous tendencies.

Weapon X left its scars on both Wolverine and Deadpool, but in very different ways.

3

The Status of Deadpool’s Healing Factor

Black Panther vs. Deadpool (2018) #1: Daniel Kibblesmith, Ricardo Lopez Ortiz, Felipe Sobreiro, Joe Sabino, Wil Moss, Sarah Brunstad, Tom Brevoort

Healing factors appear to be one of Marvel’s most beneficial powers to have, but Deadpool’s in particular has a darker side. Albeit being a brutal ability to attain, given Wolverine and Deadpool’s experience in the Weapon X program, it prevents both characters from dying in most dangerous scenarios. However, Wade Wilson’s iteration isn’t truly one that his own body possesses. It’s an add-on that resulted due to his cancer. In Black Panther vs. Deadpool #1, this is revealed by T’challa shooting Deadpool with a weapon designed to heal. The gun removes the mercenary’s arm and prevents it from growing back because the lacerated spot has been able to “halt the spread of cancerous tissue.” As Black Panther reveals, the cancer is what returns, not living tissue as it may have been previously perceived based on other healing factors.

2

Deadpool Follows Captain America’s Brutal Orders

Deadpool (2016) #31: Gerry Duggan, Matteo Lolli, Christian Dalla Vecchia, Ruth Redmond, Joe Sabino, Jordan D. White, Heather Antos

Captain America is known for his bravery and genuine patriotism, but he’s also a role model of sorts for Deadpool on occasion. In Deadpool #31, however, the titular anti-hero’s respect for the star-spangled man resulted in a twisted mix-up. Corrupted in Secret Empire, Captain America uses his connection with Deadpool to eliminate one of S.H.I.E.L.D’s best agents: Phil Coulson. This is a directive given to the mercenary straight from the iconic Avenger, resulting in an unbelievable twist. While Deadpool is often hired for assassination operations, his targets aren’t often so beloved or high profile within Marvel’s world. Although Wade believes he is playing the role of a hero by stepping in for Wolverine on Captain America’s team, he’s really just as much of a pawn for Hydra as Steve Rogers has become in this storyline.

1

Deadpool’s Narrative Duality

Deadpool (2013) Annual #1: Ben Acker, Ben Blacker, Evan Shaner, Veronica Gandini, Joe Sabino

In Deadpool (2013) Annual #1, Wade Wilson’s narration is shown split into two during a bizarre merger with Madcap. After an altercation between the two and an interruption of lightning from Thor that turned the two to ash, Deadpool’s regeneration forces the two to live in a combined mental state. Though the two are ultimately separated using a tug-of-war match between Luke Cage and Thor, the merger led to one of Wade’s strangest narrative divisions. Madcap and Deadpool truly become one, as they are forced to share a mental living space within Wade’s psyche, resulting in a bewildering reflection of loneliness and companionship for the mercenary. Deadpool’s usual mental state is already rather strange on its own, but adding two personalities into the mix allowed him an alternate voice to riff off of and engage with consistently. However, Wade’s memories also impact Madcap, driving the antihero to vow fatal vengeance upon Deadpool.