Just How Many Deadpools Are There?

The answer: only one per universe. Unlike Thor, Captain America and other popular Marvel [...]

By Christian Hoffer - February 21, 2016 01:21 am EST

The answer: only one per universe. Unlike Thor, Captain America and other popular Marvel superheroes, Marvel hasn't ever replaced Wade Wilson as the man under the Deadpool mask. However, Marvel has explored different facets of Deadpool's characters by bringing in Deadpools from alternate realities to occasionally provide some contrast to everyone's favorite Merc with a Mouth. The overarching lesson from all of these Deadpools is that Wilson's sardonic personality and penchant for violence is a near multiversal constant. Here's a look at a few of the many alternate Deadpools to appear in comics over the years:

Agent X

Marvel's

closest replacement to Deadpool is Agent X, an unholy merger of Deadpool with a rival mercenary. Nijo Minamiyori was an assassin working for Black Swan, a telepathic mercenary with a grudge against Deadpool. After Deadpool blew up Nijo and Black Swan in a presumable suicide attack, an amnesiac Agent X turned up in New York City a few months later with Deadpool's personality and healing factor, but with Nijo's looks. Black Swan had telepathically "merged" Nijo with aspects of Deadpool and his own personality while trying to save himself, creating an entirely new person. Agent X later confronted his ex-boss and "un-merged" himself from Deadpool and, with the help of the restored Deadpool, killed Black Swan once and for all.

Deadpool 2099

A new addition to the Marvel Universe, Deadpool 2099 is Wade Wilson's daughter from his marriage to the demon Shiklah. However, Warda Wilson has no love for her father and actually kidnapped him to find out where her missing mother is. Marvel's new Deadpool series will feature occasional "flash-forwards" featuring Deadpool's future daughter, so she may play a role in Deadpool's newest misadventures.

Dreadpool

"Dreadpool" was the star of several miniseries, in which he attempted to wipe out all of existence. Convinced that all of reality was a lie, Dreadpool systematically wiped out the Marvel Universe, before turning to the "Ideaverse" (a representation of classical literature) to wipe out the very concept of heroism from humanity, before finally attempting to wipe out every other Deadpool in the multiverse. The Earth-616 version of Deadpool finally stopped Dreadpool in the middle of an all out Deadpool Civil War.

Zenpool

What happens when you "invert" Deadpool's shifting personality and morals? In 2014, the Axis event series turned the Marvel Universe upside down when an inversion spell accidentally affected many of Marvel's heroes and villains. While the Avengers and X-Men both turned to evil, Deadpool transformed from a chaotic agent of violence to an enlightened pacifist. This new "Zenpool" refused to hurt anyone, even those who threatened his friends.

Ultimate Deadpool

The Ultimate Universe's version of Deadpool lacked all the goofy charm of his mainstream counterpart. A mutant-hating cybernetically enhanced mercenary with a hideously deformed face, Deadpool captured the X-Men (and Spider-Man) as part of a Genoshan television show's plan to execute mutants on television. While Deadpool was more than a match for the X-Men, he wasn't prepared for Spider-Man to unmask him on live television, showing off his hideous appearance to the world. When Deadpool attacked Spider-Man afterwards, Kitty Pryde phased through Deadpool's body, causing his cybernetics and body to shut down.

Dead Man Wade

Dead Man Wade was one of Apocalypse's deadliest tools during the Age of Apocalpyse. A psychotic assassin, Wade became obsessed with pain and trying to end all life (since he himself couldn't be killed). Sent to track Nightcrawler, Dead Man Wade massacred the hidden community of Avalon with such savagery that even some of Apocalypse's followers defected and tried to stop him. In the end, Nightcrawler put Dead Man Wade down, teleporting his head away

Evil Deadpool

Dreadpool isn't the only "evil" Deadpool that's plagued our version of Wade Wilson. Evil Deadpool was a facsimile of Deadpool created from various limbs and body parts Wade Wilson left behind during missions. When a woman stalking Deadpool gathered the body parts together, they fused together to become Wade Wilson's literal evil clone…only with two right hands.

The Deadpool Corps

Although Deadpool hasn't ever had a true sidekick or replacement, he did once lead a team of Deadpools from alternate universes. The Deadpool Corps included Lady Deadpool, Kidpool, Dogpool and Headpool (a zombified head) and traveled the multiverse in a ship called The Bea Arthur. Deadpool formed the team to stop a cosmic entity from eating the multiverse, as Deadpool was immune to the entity's abilities due to his damaged brain and shifting personality. The Deadpool Corps later fought Dreadpool and his evil version of the Deadpool Corps, which included a 'Galactipool'. Although the Deadpool Corps emerged victorious over their evil alternates, "our" Deadpool was the only survivor.

The Antimatter Universe Deathstroke

Fabian Nicieza named Deadpool "Wade Wilson" as a joke to the character's shared characteristics to the DC Comics villain Deathstroke (aka Slade Wilson). DC parodied Deadpool in an issue of Superman/Batman when Owlman hired his universe's version of Deathstroke to protect him. The antimatter Deathstroke had Deadpool's goofy mannerisms and super-strong healing factor and just wouldn't shut up, even when the real Deathstroke filled him full of bullets and blades.

Gwenpool

Last year, Marvel unveiled a series of variant covers featuring Spider-Man love interest (and star of Spider-Gwen) Gwen Stacy. One of the covers showed a goofy version of Stacy dressed in a pink and white Deadpool costume, which fans nicknamed Gwenpool. After discovering Gwenpool's massive fan following, Marvel gave the character a backhistory and her very own ongoing series. Gwenpool lives in the Marvel Universe but believes that she's actually from "the real world" and thus can live without consequence in a comic book universe.

Deadpool Pulp

Marvel introduced a gritty pulp version of Deadpool in 2010 as part of its "Noir" line of comics. Although this Deadpool didn't have the healing factor or enhanced agility, he did share the original version's almost suicidal recklessness and multiple personalities. Working for the American government during the Cold War, Deadpool teamed up with Cable to stop a rogue American general from assassinating JFK. Although the general had brainwashed Deadpool to act as his assassin, Deadpool's multiple personalities helped him to break free of the brainwashing. When Deadpool later stopped a nuclear bomb from wiping out New York, he gained his familiar scars (and cancer) and turned to the newly formed Weapon X program for a potential cure.

The Golden Age Deadpool

Marvel introduced a "Golden Age" version of Deadpool in a one-off parody issue mocking Captain America's post-Civil War death and replacement. A cousin of President Woodrow Wilson, "Wheezy" Wilson became Deadpool after Nazis subjected him to tests as part of the "Veapon X" program. Wearing a gas mask, Deadpool inexplicably spoke in 90s slang.

Death Mask

In one alternate universe, Reed Richards cured Deadpool's cancer, paving the way for him to become a Doctor Doom-esque supervillain. Coincidentally, the Victor Von Doom from that universe became a kooky assassin for hire who went by the name of "Deathwish".

Battle of the Atom Deadpool

Recently, various teams of X-Men from the past and future have visited the present day to alter the course of mutant history. One evil team of future X-Men led by Charles Xavier's son included a future version of Deadpool. Deadpool claimed his future was obviously bad because the X-Men had added them into the team and that he no longer had the stomach to crack jokes because of all the funerals he attended. However, Deadpool's team of X-Men turned out to be a future Brotherhood and were stopped by the real X-Men of the future.

Millennial Deadpool

While Deadpool's occasional hits on the X-Men have always failed, one alternate universe showed a world where Deadpool actually succeeded in killing the X-Men. After fulfilling an assignment to kill all of the X-Men, a human supremacist hired Deadpool to kill off the entire mutant race. This Deadpool loved to wear trophies from the mutants he killed, including a cape made out of Beast's fur.

Wade Wilson's War

A recent Marvel MAX miniseries depicted Deadpool as an American operative carrying out clandestine missions overseas alongside teammates Bullseye, Domino and Silver Sable. After two of his teammates are killed during a mission, Deadpool appears before Congress to reveal his team's existence to the world and get revenge on his former handlers.