10 Wildest Fourth Wall Breaks in Comics

The “fourth wall” is the imaginary barrier that exists between a story and its viewers. Every medium, from movies to comic books, has this rule of separation. Of course, there are many instances in both Marvel and DC Comics where characters break this narrative rule. Breaking the fourth wall can offer great comedy and commentary on the nature of the comic book genre and its readers. Many characters that know that they exist within the confines of a page, like Deadpool, are fan favorites because they push the envelope as to what’s possible in the comic book medium. These are some of the wildest and most bizarre times in comics where the fourth wall was broken.

There are numerous ways to engage with the fourth wall, from interacting with the spaces between panels to speaking directly to the audience. These are the times in comics where DC and Marvel characters left the fourth wall in shambles.

10) Deadpool Roasts the Readers

Deadpool is the most famous fourth wall breaker in comics. When the Merc with the Mouth acquires the Infinity Gauntlet, he uses its power to orchestrate a roast battle against everyone in the Marvel Universe. Once Deadpool’s done making fun of all of Marvel’s most iconic heroes and villains, he takes the opportunity to talk to the reader directly. He says that his knowledge that he’s a comic book character fills him with deep depression. He accuses the reader of using his suffering as a source of entertainment. It’s a bizarre yet nuanced portrayal of the character that shows his internal suffering.

9) Ultra Comics Creates Meta Horror

As part of DC’s Multiversity series, which explores the DC Multiverse, “Ultra Comics” takes place on Earth-33, a world without superpowers. However, with just paper and ink, the people of this Earth created a living comic book that evolved into the superhero known as Ultra Comics. The newly born hero set out into an apocalyptic world to discover why he was created. On almost every page, he screams at the reader and begs them not to turn the page, as it will bring about new horrors. Unfortunately, Ultra Comics’ pleas fall on deaf ears, and monsters and cannibals devour him. The comic ends with the reveal that it was all a trap set up by the eldritch monster known as the Gentry to infect the readers’ minds.

8) Gwenpool’s “The End”

Introduced as a character from the “real world,” Gwenpool’s entire identity is built on the foundation that she knows that she’s in a comic book. One of her most significant fourth wall-breaking moments is when she discovered that her series, Unbelievable Gwenpool, was to be canceled. The last few issues are dedicated to Gwenpool’s fear and acceptance of her “death.” However, before Gwenpool and her series end, a future version of Gwenpool appears. She tells the present-day Gwenpool that, as a comic book character, she can never really die. She says that even though the series is ending, Gwenpool will continue to live on as people write about her and read her comics. It’s a poignant moment that highlights how writers and readers carry on the legacies of fictional characters.

7) The Readers Save the Flash and Doctor Fate

Readers typically act as uninvolved observers of the character’s adventures. However, in The Flash #776, we are intrinsic to the hero’s survival. The issue sees the Flash and Doctor Fate chasing after the villain Eclipso in a strange realm of magic and monsters. Doctor Fate then yells at the reader that they need their help to survive the realm. Throughout the story, Doctor Fate asks the reader to help them avoid and defeat various monsters. Like an interactive story, the reader can shift gravity by flipping the comic upside down or snuff out torches by blowing on the pages. Thanks to us, Doctor Fate and the Flash manage to escape the realm with their lives.

6) Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite Fight in the Real World

DC Comics’ fifth-dimensional imps Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite are chaotic pranksters from a higher dimension that can warp reality however they see fit. Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite always argue over who’s better: Superman or Batman. In Superman and Batman: World’s Funnest, the two interdimensional imps engage in a clash that sends them traveling across the Multiverse. Their clash destroys several universes, ultimately bringing them to the real world. Real-life photographs of New York City and the DC editor’s room are used, contrasting the two imp’s illustrated designs. Mr. Mxyzptlk and Bat-Mite are freaked out by how weird everything looks in the real world, and they quickly leave. The use of real-life images in a comic book format is a unique approach that few other artists have implemented.

5) Roxxon Buys Marvel Comics

In a searing critique of corporate content farming, the series Immortal Thor features the villain Minotaur and his company, the Roxxon Corporation, buying the rights to Marvel Comics and the God of Thunder. The Minotaur collaborates with the villainous Enchantress, who has gained the power to influence narratives and storytelling. With their combined power, they can influence Thor’s strength and story as the comic proceeds. They can make Thor weaker, and his villains stronger. These villains even create a soulless doppelgänger of Thor to align with Roxxon’s corporate branding. It’s a unique story arc that calls out how companies shouldn’t control art.

4) The Fourth Wall Tries to Kill Deadpool

Deadpool is infamous for his constant abuse of the fourth wall. With so much abuse, the fourth wall eventually fought back. During a team-up with Spider-Man, Deadpool makes the horrific discovery that he can no longer interact with the fourth wall! Things only get worse when the reality-warping villain known as the Manipulator arrives to annihilate the two heroes. It’s revealed that the Manipulator is the living embodiment of the fourth wall. Deadpool and Spider-Man work alongside various other heroes to defeat the Manipulator. The entire story is a wild ride, featuring numerous creative references to the comic book medium and even an appearance by the comic’s writer and creator of the Manipulator, Robbie Thompson.

3) She Hulk Destroys Her Own Comic

Before Deadpool made his first appearance, She-Hulk had been one of the most prominent fourth wall breakers in comic book history. In The Sensational She-Hulk #9, the Hulk’s cousin faces off against the villain Madcap, who can also interact with the comic medium. Madcap believes that he is the funnier fourth wall breaker and should take over the hero’s comic. When She Hulk realizes that her punches do not affect the cartoonish villain, she decides that enough is enough. She grabs the edges of the comic panel with Madcap inside, crumples it into a ball of paper, throws it in the trash, and lights it on fire. She then demands that the comics’ artist, Bryan Hitch, draw a new background for her. A giant hand and pencil then appear, cheekily illustrating She-Hulk in Central Park being chased by a rhino.

2) Animal Man Meets His Creator

The DC character Animal Man began as a straightforward animal-based superhero. That all changed when, in Grant Morrison’s run of the character, Animal Man realized that he was a work of fiction. The discovery shatters Animal Man’s view of reality, and he tries to find his creator so that he can resurrect his deceased family. His journey takes him through “Comic Book Limbo,” where obscure and unused characters reside. Animal Man eventually confronts Morrison, nicknamed the Writer, and demands to know why he killed his family. Morrison states it was to create “drama,” and the two have a long discussion about the nature of creativity and existence. By the end of the comic, Morrison decides to give Animal Man a happy ending by resurrecting the hero’s family.

1) Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, and His Creators!

One of the darkest and most outlandish alternate universe stories Marvel has ever told is Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe. As the title suggests, the story follows Deadpool effortlessly slaughtering every single person in the Marvel Universe. No one knew why he began his rampage. It’s then revealed that the Merc with a Mouth did all of this because he realized that he and everyone else in Marvel Comics were works of fiction. Viewing everyone’s existence as meaningless, Deadpool had no qualms about butchering all of Marvel’s heroes and villains. Deadpool doesn’t stop there, as the series ends with him entering the Marvel writer’s room, ready to kill them all. The last panel also has Deadpool promising that he’ll come for us, the readers, next.

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