As Marvel fans will know, Deadpool was originally created by Rob Liefeld back in the 1990s as a parody of DC’s Deathstroke. Hence the almost identical names – Slade Wilson/Wade Wilson. As the Merc with the Mouth’s popularity grew over the years, though, the character left behind his darker traits and pretty much became a hero, even serving alongside the Avengers. That’s all about to change, though, in his latest solo series.
First, let’s recap the tumultuous journey Wade went through in the recent Secret Empire event. As a double agent for the good guys, Deadpool worked alongside HydraCap to uphold the corrupted hero’s fascist regime while still feeding info to the underground resistance. The turning point came when he killed Phil Coulson under Steve Rogers’ orders. In an attempt to prove he was still on their side, Wade gave S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Maria Hill some tips on how to break Blackout out of jail. Not only did Hill take the credit for herself though, but she also buried Deadpool under the rubble of a parking garage.
As part of Marvel’s Legacy event, Deadpool’s new series will see him come to a big realization. Having been betrayed, ostracized and viewed as a villain by his former colleagues, Wade Wilson decides the only thing to do is to go back to his roots and embrace being bad.
While speaking to IGN a while back, writer Gerry Duggan explained that the suitably-titled The Despicable Deadpool series will strip away the recent heroics the character has become known for and return him to his original factory settings.
“Mid-way through the event it’s not a secret to readers that Deadpool will get burned in Secret Empire. He will receive the blame for everything he did, and none of the credit for any of the strings he pulled behind the scenes. Peter Parker’s luck has nothing on Wilson’s. Deadpool’s origins were that of a villain. That’s what we’re honoring in Legacy.”
The Despicable Deadpool kicks off with the two-part storyline “Deadpool Kills Cable,” arriving in comic book stores on October 11th.