There have been several comic book characters who either know they are in comic books or talk to the readers by breaking the fourth wall. This has been best shown in the case of Deadpool, who has openly broken the fourth wall for years, so much so that when the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law used the technique, viewers wrongfully accused that series of copying the Merc with a Mouth. What was worse about those complaints is that She-Hulk was breaking the fourth wall years before Deadpool ever existed. Deadpool and She-Hulk aren’t the only characters who speak to the readers.
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Here is a look at the 10 best characters in comics who break the fourth wall.
10) Ambush Bug
DC Comics had its own version of Deadpool years before Deadpool was ever introduced. Ambush Bug made his debut in DC Comics Presents #52 in 1982 as a villain who was more of an annoyance than a bad guy. His origin was also ridiculous, as a man named Brum-El’s planet was about to explode, so he sent his clothing off on a spacecraft to save them, and a giant radioactive space spider infected the Ambush Bug suit. A human named Irwin found the suit and became Ambush Bug. He then tried to become a hero by working with his comic creators, but no one could make his comics successful since other heroes considered him a joke.
9) Superboy-Prime
Superboy-Prime is aware he is in a comic because he originally came from the “real world,” where all the DC heroes are comic book characters. His parents were comic book fans and named him Clark Kent, but that caused bullying at school, which hardened him. When Superman opened a rift to the DC Universe, Superboy-Prime then developed powers of his own and became the “real world’s” only superhero. After Crisis on Infinite Earths, he became one of DC’s most dangerous villains, and he even spoke to the readers, showing his anger at the Crisis that destroyed his life.
8) Loki
Loki hasn’t always broken the fourth wall, but once he gave up his role as the Trickster and became the God of Stories, that all changed. This change to his character gave Loki a very unique outlook on the Marvel Universe, and he would often turn and speak directly to the reader about the incidents happening at the time. In fact, what many people might not know is that it was Loki who first told Deadpool in Deadpool (1997) #37 that they were comic book characters and a man with a typewriter was the one who controlled their stories. Kid Loki was even able to move between comic panels in the 2013 Young Avengers series to help free him and Wiccan from a pocket dimension.
7) Mister Mxyzptlk
Mister Mxyzptlk is an imp from the fifth dimension, and while he is not a villain, he is a complete nuisance to the heroes of DC Comics, and specifically to Superman. He has also caused disasters to happen just to get Superman’s attention, and the only way to beat him is to have him spell his own name backward. He is one of the first-ever characters to break the fourth wall, doing it from his first appearance in Superman #30 in 1944. He has even referenced Marvel Comics, mentioning the Infinity Stones at one time. The idea is that the fifth dimension is a world outside of all comics.
6) Jack of Fables
Jack of Fables comes from the Vertigo Comics series Fables, and he was so popular that he got his own spin-off comic book. He is based on several fairy tale characters, including Little Jack Horner, Jack and Jill, Jack Be Nimble, Jack the Giant Killer, Jack and the Beanstalk, and several others. His solo comic follows his adventures after he was exiled from Fabletown. As with all Fables characters, Jack is a mixture of the classic character, but with a twist, and in his case, he is the Trickster of all fictional characters. Jack knows he is a comic book character and speaks to the readers, often lying about what is about to happen next in the series.
5) Squirrel Girl
Squirrel Girl was always a character that was going to be a little weird. She not only breaks the fourth wall, but she is also someone who is often put into ridiculous situations where she is the only one who can win. Squirrel Girl actually once beat Galactus with the power of friendship. On top of Squirrel Girl being considered “unbeatable,” she is also someone who talks directly to the readers in her comics, with a self-awareness that is unique for the Marvel Universe. She provides a running commentary for the readers with metatextual jokes as a source of humor, and has even taken some critical shots at her past creative teams.
4) Gwenpool
Gwenpool is the Marvel version of Superboy-Prime, but without the bad attitude and murderous intentions. She is from the “real world,” and she knows all about the Marvel Universe characters by reading about them in comics in her world. Gwenpool shockingly made her debut in a Howard the Duck comic, where she showed up as a mercenary and started killing bad guys, thinking their lives didn’t matter since they were just comic characters. Luckily, Howard the Duck convinced her of everyone’s value and right to live, and she became a hero. The one thing that she has going for her is that she knows everyone’s secret identities and weaknesses thanks to reading about them in the comics.
3) She-Hulk
Many people who watched She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, but had never seemingly read a Marvel Comic, claimed that she ripped off Deadpool by breaking the fourth wall. That is completely inaccurate since She-Hulk was the first Marvel superhero ever to break the fourth wall when she did so in The Sensational She-Hulk in 1989, from the creative mind of John Byrne. In fact, Byrne played with this fact from the outset when She-Hulk threatened to destroy people’s X-Men comics if they didn’t also check out her new series. The comic was about the life of a superhero who was also an attorney, and her breaking the fourth wall made it all the more amusing.
2) Animal Man
While not the most famous fourth wall breaker, Animal Man is the best written comic book ever about a hero breaking the fourth wall in his comics. That is because writer Grant Morrison used his run on the comic to show how devastating a character’s life could become if they realized they only existed in the pages of a comic book. Buddy Baker’s series under Morrison started off normally, with him using his powers of the animal kingdom to battle bad guys, but then he learns he is in a comic. When Buddy’s family died, he then left the panels of his comic to go and ask Grant Morrison why he had to kill his family, a meta-fiction masterpiece about trauma that has never been done better.
1) Deadpool
Deadpool is, by far, the most famous comic book character who has ever broken the fourth wall. She-Hulk did it first, and it was Loki who told Deadpool that he existed in a comic book, but it was the Merc with a Mouth who mastered the technique. He often talks to the readers, and even insults his own creative team, often in the middle of a battle. In the series Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, he even finishes the job by killing his own creative team. The Marvel movies have made it a strong part of the storyline, with Deadpool cracking jokes for the viewers and often pulling back the curtain, which is why his films are often the most entertaining in the MCU.
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