Now, we know that there are going to be some comic book know-it-alls out there who’ll think that this list is for beginners and newbies. Well, they’d be right! We’re afraid we don’t know everything about Wade Wilson and his quick-witted, talkative anti-hero, much to our shame. However, for everyone else, here are five things you might not know about Deadpool …
A Possible Case of Copyright Infringement …
Did you know that the DC Universe had a character named “Deathstroke”? And did you know that he looked almost exactly like Deadpool, albeit with a slightly different colour scheme? To really pour some salt in the wound, Deathstroke’s civilian name is “Slade Wilson”. In fact, Deadpool’s creators - Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza - noted the similarities and decided to name Deadpool “Wade Wilson” as a joke!
Deadpool’s first appearance was in the comic New Mutants #98, where he was introduced as a villain. He would become a semi-hero later on when his own comic series was started.
Playing the Odds …
Why is Deadpool so named? Well, Wade Wilson gave himself the name, as he beat the survival odds of 1000:1 after living through the failed government experiments arising from Weapon-X. The “Dead Pool” was a betting pool run by the inmates of Weapon-X’s prison full of test subjects, who all bet on their chances of survival.
Why did Wade volunteer for testing? He wanted to cure his cancer, only to find that the experiments actually advanced his cancer, although the healing factor he was given meant he wouldn’t die from it. Unfortunately, government scientists used this newly given ability of his to cruelly torture and experiment on him. No wonder he was a bit of a bad guy when we first met him!
The Metric System
Deadpool is one of the Marvel Universe’s “Meta Heroes”. This means he gets to challenge and play with comic book convention, and allows him to break the fourth wall and address the audience directly. One in-joke of Wade’s/Deadpool’s is that he’s Canadian, and he refuses to convert things into Imperial measurements in order to tease American readers and viewers!
Does Deadpool Have a Best Friend?
Yes he does, and his name is Steve Rogers aka Captain America! Why? Because not only was Captain America his childhood hero, they were both also experimented on by the US government. Understanding and empathising with Wade’s pain, Steve is one of the few superheroes who respects Deadpool and his character quirks. Captain America also confides in Deadpool for this reason.
Of course, Deadpool also has an unrequited crush on Spider-Man as well, often chasing after his “friendship” in a dress worn over his costume! (Wade claims to just want to be Peter Parker’s best friend, but we suspect otherwise!)
What Makes Deadpool So Special in the Marvel Universe?
Deadpool is also one of the few characters who has appeared alongside almost every other major Marvel character, giving credence to his “metaverse” status amongst Marvel superheroes.
The film Deadpool, alongside Guardians of the Galaxy, showed the world how good a Marvel movie can be. 2016’s Deadpool was a smash hit, and with good reason. The second installment - due to be released in 2018 - looks to be just as fun.
