If you are at all like me, there is one title or character that drew you into comics. Something that made you want to visit a comic store each week, sampling other books all the while waiting for that one week each month your book hit the shelves. Something that you stuck with through thick and thin, no matter how bad the book got. Something that, once cancelled, made you take a second look at your obsession with comics.

For me, it was Deadpool. While I picked up a comic book here and there over the years, it was Deadpool that made me a regular at the comic shop, prompted me to get on a weekly pull list, and to become an avid comic collector.

The day I learned of Deadpool’s ultimate cancellation about a year ago was an angry one. Gail Simone’s work on the title beginning at #65 signaled a renaissance for Deadpool in my eyes, as she added a quality of storytelling to the title I had not read since Joe Kelly’s run. But the glory was short lived; only five issues. It is true that the Agent X series had the same characters with the same creative team, and a protagonist that was in all likelihood Deadpool. But to me, it was nothing but a marketing gimmick on Marvel’s part, and it annoyed me all the more.

It was the first time I had ever written a letter to a comic publisher, and this certainly was an unpleasant one. I had seen one too many titles I avidly followed cancelled by Marvel for a marketing gimmick under the guise of low sales. While admittedly my letter was not exactly professional, the response I received was less than enjoyable. I was basically informed that the general public did not want Deadpool, so Deadpool was cancelled.

Upon reflection, the cold, capitalist part of my heart won out, and while I did not agree with their decision to replace Deadpool with Agent X, I realized that if the title was not pulling in the profit that they wanted, it was only natural that they cancel it. I still did not like it, and I decided to respond in a likewise capitalistic manner. A good half of the Marvel titles on my pull list were removed, and replaced with comics from other publishers.

The entire experience altered how I looked at the comics I bought. No longer did I remain ultimately loyal to a publisher, and virtually all of the titles I subscribed to became subject to scrutiny. I did not pick up new books easily, and those that dropped in quality were quickly dropped, no matter what the prestige of the title.

Deadpool still remained the exception to this. Even though Deadpool was gone, Agent X was close enough for me. Agent X slowly grew on me, as Gail Simone wrote the book very much in the spirit of what I felt Deadpool should be like.

Unfortunately, Agent X took a turn for the worse after Simone and UDON left the title. The art was often poor, and the writing was average. Many things in the title just did not work, and the title was soon up on the cancellation block. Mercifully, Marvel extended the title and brought back Simone and UDON for a final three issues, featuring no less than the return of Deadpool. This news, along with the announcement of a new Deadpool/Cable series really made my day. Deadpool would be returning to a regular series. I could have received no better news out of Marvel.

In light of this, I decided to honor the return of Deadpool with this retrospective. I have found that many readers today are either unfamiliar with Deadpool all together (having read only Agent X), or know only the later issues of the Deadpool ongoing series. Since Deadpool and Agent X combined for nearly 100 issues, it would be very difficult for a new reader to catch up. As I want for all of you to not only check out the final three issues of Agent X, but to pick up the new Deadpool/Cable ongoing, this column should serve as a perfect jumping off point for anyone who wants to give the new series a chance.

With that in mind, Still on the Shelf presents an Agent X/Deadpool retrospective. This column will be quite long, so I invite you to read it in parts if you like. I would also like to apologize in advance to dial-up users for the large number of photos (NOTE: these images have been removed), hopefully this does not slow things down too much for you. In addition, may things will be “linki-fied” (including the seemingly pointless images throughout this column), so please, check out these links, they will enhance your enjoyment of this column. With that being said-

Who is Deadpool?

Deadpool, or the “Merc with a Mouth” is a sometime villain, sometime hero who hails from Canada’s Weapon X Program. Specifically, Department H, considered the dumping ground for rejects and failures. Deadpool was a small-time merc who found out that he had cancer. He entered the Weapon X program as a means of finding a cure- but as often happens, the cure is worse than the affliction.

Deadpool was given an artificial healing factor (similar to Wolverine’s) by Weapon X. While this does keep his cancer at bay, it causes severe and continuous scarring all over his body. This is the reason for his costume, which covers ever inch of his skin. He even considers his mask “his face,” and often completely panics when he loses it in a fight.

Deadpool is not a mutant. Other than his artificial healing factor, there is no evidence that he has any other enhanced attributes of any kind. Regardless, he is a highly efficient killer who has tangles with, and bested, some of the Marvel Universe’s more powerful and dangerous heroes and villains.

It is tough to say whether Deadpool is, at the core, a hero or villain. He has flirted with both, but it is likely best to say that Deadpool’s morality lies in that gray area in the middle. He has no qualms about killing for a buck, or for his own interests, but he has never been known to do anything outright evil. He has put his own life on the line to prevent catastrophe, but he does have a tendency to do some not-so-savory things in order to accomplish something he feels is for the greater good.

Deadpool – Villainous Beginnings

Deadpool made his start way back in 1991 in New Mutants #98. Fabian Nicieza wrote and Rob Liefeld did the art (Liefeld was also the “idea-man”) for this issue with a cover price of $1.00 (man, who remembers that?). In this issue, Deadpool is sent by Tolliver to take out Cable. Deadpool almost succeeds when he is taken out by Copycat (then posing as a newly introduced Domino), and he gets Fed-Exed back to his boss.

Deadpool’s initial run appearing as a henchman of Tolliver in various X-Force issues, as well as Avengers #366 lead to his own 4 issues mini-series, The Circle Chase. Tolliver was dead, and all of his former operatives were competing for his will, which was a roadmap to an ultimate weapon of war. In the end, the first hints of Deadpool’s potential heroics were sowed.

The Road to Redemption

A slow year followed for Deadpool, as he only appeared in an X-Force Annual (a pin-up), the now classic Silver Sable #23, and three horrid issues of Secret Defenders. Things were looking up again for ‘Pool, however, when the first issue of “Sins of the Past,” a new four-issue Deadpool miniseries hit stands in late 1994.

This mini-series focuses a lot on Deadpool’s next step in becoming a hero, as he is paired with Siryn to track down Tom Cassidy. Tom has enlisted (forcibly) the services of Dr. Killbrew to cure him of the wood-virus that is taking over his body. To do that, Killbrew needs Deadpool, or pieces of him, to recreate his artificial healing factor in Tom to take control of the virus.

Dr. Killbrew was the doctor in Department H who experimented on Deadpool, and is responsible for his healing factor. While it is true that this healing factor is what keeps Wade’s cancer at bay, the inhumane and often torturous conditions Wade was subjected to in Department H (caged like an animal) are the source of deep hatred in Deadpool.

The end of this mini sees Deadpool with Dr. Killbrew at his mercy. Instead of killing him, much to Siryn’s approval, Deadpool spares his life.

In The Circle Chase, Deadpool takes his first step to being a hero by saving the life of Vanessa (Copycat), who he once loved. This mini has Deadpool take that mercy to another level, by sparing the life of a man he hates with a passion, and has dreamed of killing for many years.

Following Sins of the Past, with the exception of Wolverine #88, Deadpool’s appearances were largely heroic, often appearing in X-Force along-side Siryn in some fashion.

Joe Kelly’s Golden Age

In late 1996/early 1997, Deadpool was given his own ongoing series. Joe Kelly penned the series all the way through issue #33, in what some consider to be the Golden Age of Deadpool.

In issue #1, we are given the clear impression that the focus of this title at the start was Deadpool’s transition from a villain to a hero. The initial story sees Deadpool hired to take out “Project Michelangelo,” which is a giant gamma reactor in Antarctica, headed by Walter Langkowski (Sasquatch). When confronted with the fact that his actions have started a meltdown of the reactor that would irradiate the entire southern hemisphere, he dives into the core to stop the breach.

It turns out that the Antarctica job was a “test” for Deadpool, given by Landau, Luckman, and Lake. They believed that Deadpool was the Mithras, the hero destined to protect the alien Messiah who was to come and usher in an era of peace and prosperity. This subplot was in the background of each of the Deadpool story arcs until it was finally resolved in Dead Reckoning – issues #23-25.

Deadpool is to face off with Tiamat, who L,L,&L believe to be the one who is going to kill the alien Messiah. Unfortunately the Messiah, S’met’kth, is not as benevolent was expected, and in the end, Deadpool is faced with a choice that teaches him that being a hero is not as black and white as it might seem. I am going to avoid spoiling this arc for you, but I have to say this. If you are ever going to pick up any back issues of Deadpool, these three issues are the very first you should get.

The rest of Joe Kelly’s run, up until issue #33 was good, but not nearly as great as the first 25 issues. After the “Mithras Directive” was settled, Kelly never really settled into an underlying motivation for the title. Many of the stories were good, but they lacked the focus the title once had.

The Revolving Door

The final thirty-six issues of Deadpool saw six different writers taking up the mantle. While there were some long runs, the series was plagued by some mediocre writing, marketing gimmicks (Agent of Weapon X and Funeral for a Freak, for example), which really gummed up the continuity of the title. Added to that was the unfortunate tradition that began when Christopher Priest and Paco Diaz took over the title of basically starting from scratch. All of the ideas, supporting cast, and future plot plans were ceremoniously tossed in the trash. While this is good from a writer’s standpoint- as it gives some flexibility in creating a good story and allows new readers to easily jump in- it left a great deal of dangling threads, most of which were never tied up.

This is not to say that Deadpool’s days after Joe Kelly were all-terrible. There were some great stories there. There was a “Three’s Company” scenario that saw Deadpool rooming with Tatiana and the Constrictor, a run where Deadpool was “cursed” to look like Thom Cruz (misspelling is intentional, I believe), Deadpool’s kid side-kick, and of course, Gail Simone’s run on the book- all of which were great reads.

Death and Rebirth

Gail Simone’s work on the last five issues of Deadpool was outstanding. It signaled a real turn-around in the title in my eyes for the book, and I had not been that optimistic for the future of Deadpool for a long, long time.

Sadly, chaos would ensue with the reboot of Deadpool, Cable, and X-Force into Agent X, Soldier X, and X-Statix. All of these titles featured characters that were creations of Rob Liefeld, so naturally the rumor circulated that Marvel rebooted these books to avoid paying Liefeld royalties (a rumor that, though denied by all involved, still persists on circumstantial evidence alone).

Agent X, or Alex Hayden, showed up on the doorstep of Deadpool’s old “Deadpool, Inc.” assistant Sandi, who takes him in. He has no memory of his past, and it is unclear whether or not he is Deadpool. While this initial premise was somewhat weak, Gail Simone did a tremendous job keeping Agent X’s true identity a question. Deadpool and the Black Swan were blown up at the end of Deadpool #69, and throughout the Agent X run, it has been completely plausible that Alex Hayden is, in fact, either one of the two (or both!). Of course, I have my own theory as to who Alex Hayden is, but something tells me all will be made clear in the next, and final three issues of Agent X.

Simone and UDON (art) remaining on this title after Deadpool ended was the only reason I, as an avid Deadpool fan, was able to stomach it. The supporting cast from the end of Deadpool was the same, the writing style was similar, and Agent X, just from the way he was portrayed, had to be Deadpool. Sadly, Simone and UDON’s run on the book came to an end at issue #7. Fortunately, that was long enough for me to put Agent X under the protection of my “Deadpool loyalty,” and I kept buying the title over the last 5, mediocre issues.

Issues 8-12 were likely the worst Deadpool-related issues I have ever read (outside of the Secret Defenders, of course). The art was really bad at times. The story suffered a great deal, as the foundation of this title so carefully laid out by Simone was ripped away in favor of random “merc-gigs.” The only shining moment I can think of in these last 5 issues (penned by 3 different writing teams, no less) was the Agent X/Fight-man story. Their interaction was humorous, and very reminiscent of classic Deadpool, but everything surrounding that story was all-wrong. The very fact that the idea of Agent X and Sandi being romantically involved in any way, let alone a tawdry sex-capade after a hit says it all about how low this book went in quality.

Mercifully, Simone and UDON agreed to come back, and Marvel extended the title three more issues. In the next three months, not only is Agent X going to go out with a bang (rather than the whimper we were looking at), but also we are going to see the return of Deadpool, leading into the new Deadpool/Cable series.

The Future

The news of the upcoming Deadpool/Cable series is indeed old at this point. Fabian Nicieza, Deadpool’s co-creator (he penned New Mutants #98, along with a lot of X-Force) will be writing this title, Mark Brooks of UDON will do the art, and Rob Liefeld (much to just about everyone’s surprise) is returning to do some of the covers for this new series.

From a personal standpoint, I am pretty excited about this series, for obvious reasons. Beyond that, Nicieza’s portrayal of Deadpool was perhaps my favorite. Deadpool was at his best when he was outright lethal, efficient, and sadistically humorous, not the mere goofball he was often portrayed as in his ongoing series. Aside from that, Deadpool and Cable have always had an adversarial relationship, and it will be interesting to see how that plays out in this new series.

The most common reason Marvel gave for the cancellation of Deadpool (and Cable, for that matter) was lagging sales. That being the case, Marvel may have hit a stroke of genius by putting these two characters with loyal fan-bases in the same book. With any luck, that will boost sales high enough so that we do not have to endure another cancellation/reboot for a long time to come. I may not have wanted Deadpool cancelled, but this is not to say that I absolutely insisted that he have his own title. When it comes down to it, it is the character I love, and if having Deadpool in a “team” book is the best way to keep him around, then so be it.

Bottom Line

While many, many writers and artists (both good and bad) have worked on Deadpool over the years, my loyalty has remained constant. As my thoughts and opinions are already plain to all of you at this point, I thought I would simply take this opportunity to thank Marvel for bringing back Deadpool. It may have taken over a year, but they finally came to the right decision. I invite you all to reward them by picking up both the final three issues of Agent X, and the new Deadpool/Cable series when it comes out.

Agent X #13 is out tomorrow, August 13th. This is a great place for new readers to jump in, as Gail Simone is a proven writer for this title, UDON’s art is top-notch. and the next three issues are sure to serve as a lead-in for the new Deadpool/Cable series.

The following segments were seperate “asides” – not part of the main column body.

Who is Agent X?

Granted, I am sure we are all just about to find out, but I have my own theory!

I think it is safe to say that we all do believe deep down that Agent X is indeed Deapool. Most of us are likely also in agreement that he is also the Black Swan.

So why and how? Well, to answer that, I fell back on that evil, evil concept in comics- continuity.

To start with, believe it or not, I think Thanos has a role in this. Many people know of Thanos’s unhealthy infatuation with Death (who I am sure any of you know, in the Marvel Universe, is a woman). Some of you might know that Death herself and Deadpool share something of an impossible love for one-another. Death fell in love with Deadpool during a fatalistic time in his life, when he was teetering on the edge of life. Adding to that was the fact that, being so close to dying, he could see her. The weird relationship that they shared is one of the reasons that Deadpool is not really afraid of dying. Dying simply means that he gets to spend eternity with Death- someone he deep down loves, and that would not be a bad thing.

Thanos, of course, hated their relationship and vowed that Deadpool would never die, so that they could never be together.

So while an explosion was certainly enough to overcome Deadpool’s healing factor, if Thanos prevented it, Deadpool simply could not die. So over time, his healing factor could have worked to put him back together. But in an explosion, his pulverized body no doubt mixed with that of the Black Swan, causing some of his essence to integrate with Deadpool. This is supported by Agent X’s current personality traits. While Deadpool is clearly there, there are hints of a cold intellect and a sense of refinement (not to mention the ambidexterity and the more accurate aim) that could only belong to the Black Swan.

The Black Swan infected Deadpool’s brain with an amnesia virus, so it is perfectly logical that Deadpool, as Agent X, would have no memory. Perhaps his healing factor would eventually overcome the damage, but that is no small task to be sure.

No, I do not believe that there will be any sort of “two souls competing for the same body” scenario. The fact is that nothing was preventing the Black Swan from dying, only Deadpool. So the Black Swan’s soul has gone to the beyond, and Deadpool’s healing factor made sense of the bloody pulp as best as it could, assimilating parts of the Black Swan in the process.

So in the end, you have a healthy, regenerated man, starving from an incredible amount of healing, and with no memory of his past life, who shows up on Sandi’s doorstep looking for help. I could be wrong, but this scenario makes the most sense to me.

Top Five Deadpool Artists 

Art in comics is truly a team effort these days. Sure, the penciller gets most of the glory, as his work is the skeleton that the inker and the colorist rely on, and often times rightfully so.

I must apologize in advance if this list overlooks the outstanding work of a colorist or inker who does not get mentioned here. If I were to be honest with myself, by including all artists, no matter their position on the team in this list, my head would likely explode, as I would be honor bound to examine each and ever issue Deadpool ever appeared in, and weigh all aspects accordingly.

Sure a “Penciller” may do more than just draw in the end, and most of the people on this list earned their spot in my eyes working with more than just one team, so I feel it is justified. Hopefully you all agree as well.

5- Ed McGuinness – Some of you, no doubt, feel he deserves to be on the top of this list. While he was quite prolific on this series, and helped to define the initial run of the Deadpool ongoing series, I personally found the art to be cartoony, and that kind of took away from the brutal Deadpool we saw prior to his ongoing. However, McGuinness’s art certainly fit with the story Joe Kelly was telling, and that is a definite plus. His art helped to reform the character from the cold-blooded villain we saw in the past, and helped us image Deadpool as something more than a one-page villain in an X-Force book.

4- Pascual Ferry – If ever there was a title that just screamed for Deadpool as a guest character, it was Heroes for Hire. Ferry’s placement on this list is likely unexpected, but I found his work to be an improvement over Ed McGuiness’s portrayal of the character. Ferry managed to capture the general, somewhat cartoony feel of Deadpool in his regular series at the time, and made him even more detailed. One of the worst things that can happen when a favorite character appears in another comic (or the regular title switches artists) is a poor rendition, and Ferry managed to do Deadpool justice. That certainly made all of the work I did tracking down those issues worth it to me.

3- Anthony Williams – Behind a lot of the art in several issues around #50 in the ongoing series, Williams, in my eyes, returned a lot of detail to Deadpool. So many artists seemed to forget that Deadpool was more than just a red and blue (or black) costume, he also came with belts and holsters and ammo pouches. Williams also had a dark take on Deadpool, which was all-too appropriate. Deadpool is an anti-hero, and while he can be comedic at times, the focus of his character was his dark and brutal nature, and Williams captured that extremely well.

2- UDON – UDON’s work on this title (Deadpool and Agent X) is, and always will be, linked with Gail Simone’s writing on the book. If ever there was an example of art and story coming together perfectly, this is it. The art throughout the end of Deadpool and through the first 7 issues of Agent X was consistant and detailed, and fit the story seamlessly. In my eyes, no greater compliment can be paid to a comic artist.

1- Rob Liefeld – True, he is probably one of the most hated artists in comicdom. Also true that his early work on Deadpool was highly inconsistent. But it is also true that Liefeld was the brains behind Deadpool, and the character’s whole look was conceived of by him.

His work also evolved over time, and each time Liefeld drew Deadpool, the look got better and better. When I think of Deadpool, it is Liefeld’s image of him that comes to mind- and for that reason alone he deserves to be at the top of this list.

I have one single piece of comic art hanging on my wall at home, and that is the 2-page splash of Deadpool and Wolverine from Wolverine #155. Until another artist can top that, in my eyes, Liefeld is not going anywhere.

Deadpool MonthOctober of 1998, in an effort to raise sales for the title, Marvel Comics proclaimed to be “Deadpool Month.” Not only was the regular monthly title released, but also we were treated to weekly (out of continuity) offerings of Deadpool. Here is what Marvel put out:

Deadpool: Mission Improbable was your typical TP of the time, collecting the first five issues of the ongoing Deadpool series. If you can find yourself a copy these days, it is a quick and easy way to get up to speed on the early days of Joe Kelly’s run.

Baby’s First Deadpool Book was nothing short of utterly ridiculous (in a fantastic way). Included in this “activity book” was: Dresspool, where you were invited to cut out several various outfits and dress a naked Wade; “Make Way For Deadpool,” a Deadpool and Blind Al fairy tale; “The Etiquette Lesson,” a side by side comparison of what Captain America and Deadpool would do with things like trash-disposal and respect for your elders; “Friends Share Because Friends Care,” a nursery rhyme featuring Deadpool and Blarney the dinosaur, on their way to a birthday party, and their plane crashes in the snow and Deadpool gets really, really, hungry; “The Alpha-dead,” and “Pool-by-numbers.” This is nothing short of hilarious.

Encyclopedia Deadpoolica: This is an idea I am surprised did not catch on with other books. In short, this was an issue-by-issue recap of the first two Deadpool minis, and the regular series all the way through issue #22. In addition, each issue recap had some “behind the scenes” info, and the Encyclopedia featured a “Pop-Culture References Glossary,” to help readers figure out obscure jokes based on out-of-date references. In all, this was a wonderful idea.

Deadpool Team-up, starring Deadpool and Widdle Wade: Widdle Wade was a pint sized version of Deadpool that often popped up in the “Last Issue” recaps page of Deadpool. This comic, I suppose, was intended to let us all know who Widdle Wade was.

Perhaps the greatest joke in this issue was on the cover itself, where the confused reader found a “Secret Wars II continues in this issue” tag on the upper right hand corner. And in some strange way, it did. I am not going to even try to explain this issue in much detail, but to say that aside from the humor, the book is worth checking out. You will find a brief “back-story” into Deadpool’s sumo wrestling past (yes, he was a sumo-wrestler) here, that never gets brought up anywhere else, ever.

Finally, in keeping with the spirit of the month, Wizard released a “free with purchase” Deadpool #0, where Deadpool went head to head with “The Lamest Dead People in the Marvel Universe!” This issue features a naked Aunt May and four Gwen Stacy clones in lingerie serving Deadpool drinks. In all, it is extremely wacky and cheap, if you can find a copy.

Top Five Deadpool Stories

5- Cat Magnet (Deadpool 49-53) : Jimmy Palmiotti and Buddy Scalera wrote this arc which finally brings Copycat back into the picture. The main thrusts of the stories revolve around the Mercy Sisters and Deadpool’s “side-kick,” but the sub-plot is what makes these issues worth the while, in my mind. Vanessa is eagerly trying to insinuate herself back into Wade’s life, and her frustration with his pre-occupation with business matters is priceless. A lot of writers seemed to forget the appeal of Deadpool back in the old X-Force days, and part of that appeal was his relationship with Vanessa.

The issues themselves are great, even aside from the Copycat sub-plot, and they lead into a two-issue guest appearance by the Punisher, which is also a great read. Copycat turns up again in issue 56, along with Siryn, but unfortunately the whole issue itself I found to be cheap and anti-climactic, and something I would just assume forget.

4- Who is Agent X? (Deadpool 66-69, Agent X 1-7, 13+) : Marketing gimmicks and rumors of legal loopholes aside, the premise of Agent X turned into a decent one. Ignoring issues 8-12 all-together (with no offense to the creators who worked on those titles, but they just did not fit into the flow of what this title was supposed to be about), and providing Gail Simone can close this one out with the skill that she began it, this certainly could prove to be one of the best “Deadpool” story I have ever read.

Thinking back to the last few issues of the Deadpool ongoing, the set-up for this was incredible. Starting with the first indication that Deadpool was losing his memory and motor functions back in issue 66, through the introduction of the Black Swan, and through the end of Deadpool, the emergence of Agent X was clearly well orchestrated and all of the corperate/political hyjinx aside, nicely pulled off.

Now we have a character who is not unlike Deadpool, with total amnesia (Deadpool’s mind was affected by the virus), but who displays hints of extreme sophistication and a level of gentlemanly behavior way out of “Wade Wilson’s” league.

So which is it? Is Agent X Deadpool? The Black Swan? Both? Neither? All are possible, and I can’t wait to find out which it is. And that is, in the end, what makes a great story. When it is all said and done, I would not be at all surprised to see this story climb a couple of spots on this list.

3- Typhoid Mary (Deadpool 6-8, Daredevil/Deadpool Annual ‘97) : In the ups and downs of Deadpool’s quest to be a hero, Siryn definitely served as his inspiration to do good. It is only natural that another woman would drag him right back down into the depths. Typhoid Mary fit that bill.

After taking two different jobs, one involving busting a woman out of a mental institution, the other killing that same inmate, Deadpool finds that the jobs were posted by the same woman- the inmate herself, Typhoid Mary. Typhoid Mary has three basic personalities at this point; Mary Walker, the meek woman who is basically waiting to be saved by a knight in shining armor; Bloody Mary, the femi-nazi who would just assume see Deadpool dead for the crime of being a man, and Typhoid, ultimately the dominant personality that falls somewhere between the two. Deadpool falls for the bad-girl a bit, and keeping in line with his own quest to be a hero, he decides that she can be redeemed as well, with his help.

A kick out of a window makes Typhoid remember that she needs to kill Daredevil, and enlists Deadpool’s help to get her there. He goes along with it, but soon Typhoid decides that she is going to kill anyone who has ever used her in New York. Deadpool goes along with it as a means of “therapy,” knowing Daredevil could likely handle himself in the end, and thinking that facing him down would help her mind heal.

Typhoid eventually grows tired of Deadpool’s efforts to rehabilitate her, and breaks loose. She goes on a killing spree, daring the “hero” to stop her at every turn. Deadpool eventually stops her rampage by beating her to a bloody pulp.

This storyline is especially telling because it highlight’s Deadpool’s conflicted nature about becoming a hero. He is almost adolescent in his need to become good to “impress a girl.” But when a new one comes along that he is clearly attracted to because of her inherent “badness,” he can’t face that, and attempts to rehabilitate her too. His utter revulsion at being called a “Hero” by Typhoid at the end of issue #8 shows just how far he has to go in his turnaround.

2- All Along the Watchtower, Parts 1 and 2 (Wolverine #154-155) : The subplot of this Wolverine story involving Deadpool and Siryn is one that quite frankly belonged in Deadpool’s own title. The fact that Rob Liefeld conceptualized and drew this title likely had something to do with the fact that Deadpool was featured in this story. Say what you like about Liefeld (I know there are a lot of Liefeld-haters out there), but his work on this story, issue 155 in particular, was outstanding. The art was fantastic, and his story, coupled with Eric Stephenson’s writing, was truly amazing, and it deserves a spot in the Deadpool’s top stories.

Deadpool’s part in this tale revolves around Siryn, and her injury that left her mute, and therefore unable to use her powers. The Watchtower was a group of people who decided that they could make use of Wolverine’s healing factor to “heal the world,” but to do that, they needed him dead. Deadpool threw in with them, seeing a chance to heal Siryn, and went out to take down Wolverine to those ends.

In the final standoff, Siryn stands behind Deadpool against Wolverine and his allies, and the two sides part ways. Siryn now healed, Deadpool wanted nothing more to do with the Watchtower, or Wolverine. Though Deadpool tried to kill him, Wolverine realizes that no good could come of a throw-down with Deadpool and Siryn at this point, and he allows the two to go on their way.

As I said, this truly was a story that belonged on Deadpool’s own series, considering the importance of Siryn to his character. That aside, it was a great little story, and I am glad that it got printed in something.

1- Dead Reckoning (Deadpool #23-25) : The ongoing concept of the Mithras Directive that culminated in the “Dead Reckoning” arc was by far the best story that Deadpool was a part of. It had it all-a great build-up, splashes of destiny, secrets, betrayal, twists, and moral ambiguity. The foundations of this arc were laid down all the way back in Deadpool #1 (vol. 3) and Deadpool as a character was ultimately defined by this story. Really there is nothing that I can say that does this story justice other than read it!

Loose Threads

As I have already mentioned, there are a TON of loose threads throughout the Deadpool/Agent X run. Here are most important (in no particular order)-

1- Blind Al: Blind Al was Deadpool’s “prisoner” during the Joe Kelly run. This Aunt May look-a-like served as Deadpool’s butler/torture victim/Mommy, and while she was a major character early on in the Deadpool series, much needed to be answered about her. While she was Deadpool’s prisoner in name, he had offered her freedom more than once, and she denied it every time.

Her sudden disappearance from the title left several questions- first off, why did Deadpool take her prisoner in the first place, and what debt did she feel she owed him that kept her there? In addition, Joe Kelly spelled out the fact that Al did indeed have a brief relationship with Captain America during World War II, and set up the making of a conflict between the Cap and Deadpool during Dead Reckoning, but nothing ever came of it. I, for one, am curious as to where that was intended to go.

2- Who is Agent X? Even though it seems like this question is all set to be answered in the final three issues of Agent X, the issues are not out yet, so the thread is still technically loose. Agent X Showed up on Sandi’s doorstep shortly after Deadpool and the Black Swan blew up in that building. Agent X exhibits many traits of both men, including Deadpool’s unique sense of humor, along with hints of the Black Swan’s refinement, so it is possible that Agent X could really be either of the two. Thankfully, we should find out soon!

3- Deadpool is not Wade Wilson: Throughout the entire run of Deadpool, his real name was said to be Wade Wilson. Sadly, this is not the case. Joe Kelly’s final arc revealed that T-Ray was, in-fact Wade Wilson, and Deadpool was just some lunatic who fell in love with his wife and tried to take over his identity a long time ago. The ending of this arc was rushed, in my opinion, and all of the lose threads started by Kelly were forgotted, and Deadpool’s real identity was never revealed, and he never stopped going by Wade Wilson. So forget “Who is Agent X?” – Who is Deadpool?

4- Deadpool and Siryn, sitting in a tree: Deadpool has been pining after Siryn since Sins of the Past. He has watched over he while she slept, she has come to her rescue when called- heck, he even tried to kill Wolverine to save her voice. While they have teased their relationship over the years, it is something that has never been resolved. They have time and time again decided to “just be friends, for now…” but they have never resolved this relationship one bit. I am not saying that they should definitely have hooked these two up, but at some point, the question should be resolved. Is it “Yes,” or is it “just friends?”

5- The Adam-Unit: This is not a major loose thread, but it is one that I felt writers of Deadpool have had many opportunities to explore. The “Ultimate Weapon of War” alluded to in the Circle Chase was one of these Adam-Units. It’s function was to nullify all other weapons of war, including those people it deemed to have lethal intentions. At the end of the Circle Chase, it spared Deadpool, for the moment, deeming him a conundrum, worthy of further analysis, and left to pursue its own agenda. With Deadpool’s ongoing growth from a villain to hero and back again, I think it would have been interesting to have this Adam-Unit resurface at some point to challenge Deadpool’s status as a hero.

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