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It seems as though my initiation to tumblr has lead to a continuing lack of interest in anime, as I move into Western fandoms. Thanks to the recent Avengers movie I've begun my quest into the world of Marvel comics. Usually I don't enjoy American-based comics for reasons that I can detail at another time. So, in trying to make the switch from manga, I decided that a prime choice for an introduction was the popular, modern character known as Deadpool.
For those of you unfamiliar with "the Merc with a Mouth", Deadpool is lovingly seen as the point where Marvel "stopped trying". In his spinoff series Deadpool Corps, the writers expect to be cancelled with every issue.
No such luck.
Wade Wilson (his secret identity) is a smart-mouthed mercenary-for-hire. He catches fans attentions through his witty pop culture references, fanboy quirks and flirtations with Spider-man. Not only this, he's notorious for breaking the fourth wall through said references and his obvious Schizophrenia. Instead of having written narration, the text boxes in his comics are actually conversations held with the voices in his head. This unique detail is coupled with his "pool-o-vision", where the comic will occasionally switch to how he sees things. For example, in the collection Head Trip his love interest, Betty, tells him off not long after they've met, but he instead sees a scantily-clad scientist flirting with him. Later, as a t-rex tries to stomp him he looks up to see a somewhat vicious, oversized Barney the dinosaur.
He's quickly brought to his senses on both accounts.
On top of being funny, Wade is actually an extremely capable adversary. He's highly trained in mixed martial arts and wields an assortment of guns and two katanas he obtained while working in Japan. He's surprisingly intelligent, and holds a Wolverine-like healing factor that grants him near-immortality. In fact, there was a point in Wade's life where he was seeking a way to find an end to his "power".
Many of his "fans" have seen only his punchlines or truly bad-ass moments via sites like tumblr without actually reading the comics. However, as implied in the paragraph above, this comedic assassin comes with his own issues and complexities that make my writing brain flail with joy.
Before gaining his healing factor, Wade's body was ravaged by cancer. His mask now hides not only his identity, but skin that has been absolutely ruined by continuously healing and returning scars. Terminal at one point before his power, he had to leave the girl he loved in favor of letting her watch him die.
Wade may seem cocky and fun, but he's extremely self-conscious. He's convinced that no one will ever love him, and actually thinks of himself in very low regard, much like how Tony Stark (Iron Man) guards his own securities behind snarky comments.
Growing up in Canada, little is known of his childhood, but we know he had a both physically and verbally abusive, alcoholic father and a mother who died when he was young. Wade idolized Captain America growing up, and longs to be a hero. Many note his chemistry with Spider-man, as they seem to be the perfect foils for each other. While Peter Parker is good to the core, Wade struggles to do the right thing and can never really put his mercenary ways or impulsive attitude behind him.
Even I have struggled to remember the complexity of Deadpool's character. Currently, I'm involved with a Marvel roleplay with a close friend. When I began writing for Wade, I was impressed that I could handle his character so well. However, he dissolved solely into his mentioned insecurities and jokes. I was forgetting how dark Deadpool, the man who once travelled on a killing spree to those he thought deserved it, could be.
To support my point, I bring to your attention the one-off titled Deadpool kills the Marvel Universe. I received it for Christmas, read it in one sitting, and ended up in a puddle.
The other collection I mentioned, Head Trip was the lead-up to Deadpool Corps. It was fast, funny, and action-packed. This other book was something else entirely.
Wade finally can't handle his ability to see the "truth" - the fourth wall - and instructed by a new, sinister voice, begins slaughtering everyone and everything associated with Marvel Comics, hero and villain alike.
If you kid yourself into thinking of Wade as a "good guy", then you will not be prepared for seeing him shoot Spider-man in the head (shown above), crush Thor with his own hammer, or use his insanity to turn Professor Xavier into a vegetable.
I'm not saying that Wade is necessarily a villain, either. This short arc doesn't seem to affect the rest of the Marvelverse, and moreso seems to be a tool to show the merc off in a darker light.
In the past when I've discussed Deadpool with friends, we agree that Wade is more of an antihero type. He isn't evil, but he's far to corrupted to be wholly good.
That about sums it up. Wade is surprisingly real in his character development, and very entertaining to read. Even if you're not a comic book fan, even doing some research on the character is a lot of fun, which is where I got a majority of the information here. All in all, Deadpool has comics worth reading!
-- Much luvz, Hideki
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