Deadpool is famous for taking shots at his Marvel and DC Comics colleagues. And whether it’s poking fun at Marvel’s biggest competition, or throwing shade at Marvel’s own less successful books or movies, he’s almost always guaranteed to get a laugh. With blockbuster movies taking the comic book shop “war” between Marvel and DC to new levels, that’s just the kind of comedy fans need.
Ryan Reynolds is already making Justice League jokes in Deadpool 2, but the comic book writers and artists behind the Merc With a Mouth have been at it for years. And in case fans missed some of Deadpool’s best slams and zings, we’ve got you covered.
10. Deadpool’s Biggest Batman v Superman Insult
Sure, taking a shot at the critically lambasted Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice may not be all that difficult (or at this point, original). But you’ve got to hand it to Deadpool and Spider-Man for putting them on blast using an old Batman and Superman analogy from Marvel’s own history. Well, hand it to Scott Aukerman and Reilly Brown for crafting the dig in the pages of Spider-Man/Deadpool #6. Because plenty of the Marvel Comics fans who read the issue and enjoyed the joke may have missed the deeper backstory behind this surface-level dig.
For those who may not know the Marvel heroes Hyperion and Nighthawk, they were both created as pastiche (or straight up knockoffs of both Superman and Batman, respectively). So it’s no coincidence that they should also have a blockbuster movie in the world of Marvel Comics, in which they, too, start as enemies. A movie attended by Wade and Peter, titled “Nighthawk V. Hyperion: Yawn of Boredom.” It may be a more MAD Magazine slam than a subtle takedown, but the shot stands on its own.
Especially with the heroes specifically criticizing the montage of small setups for other films - one aspect of BvS which was heavily criticized at the time (to be fair, few knew the heroes would play key roles in the direct sequel).
9. The X-Men Get No Love From Marvel
The division of rights between Marvel Studios (Disney) and 21st Century Fox have kept the comic book publisher’s characters divided for close to two decades. The X-Men helped make the superhero blockbuster a reality, but in the years since, Marvel has taken the ball and run with it for too many touchdowns to count. And still, Marvel’s mutants are left out in the cold.
Nobody will be having a tag day for Fox’s roster of Marvel heroes since Deadpool has taken off like the most successful of action movie heroes. Still, the fact that Marvel’s Cinematic Universe turns a completely blind eye to the mutants living beside them in the comics isn’t forgotten by Deadpool.
When Deadpool learns that Hollywood is turning his life’s story into a big-budget movie in Spider-Man/Deadpool #6, he heads to the studio to experience the movie magic up close. While there, Wolverine and Storm comment on the fact that other superheroes ignore them completely… as Daredevil is left confused by the suddenly Hydra-loyal Captain America.
8. Deadpool & Punisher’s “Martha” Joke
A certain amount of insanity can be expected when Deadpool and Punisher set out to kill one another, so the premise of Deadpool vs The Punisher sells itself without any tease of throwing shade towards the DC competition. But in the fifth and final issue of the showdown, Deadpool ends up getting the edge, having Frank Castle down and out, being beaten to a bloody mess. Until he hears that one magic word to stop him dead in his tracks: “Martha.”
Frank Castle is clearly not as familiar with the Batman v Superman scene in which Superman utters his mother’s name, since he’s as confused as can be by Wade’s sudden change of heart. Eventually he clarifies that he didn’t say Martha, but was simply calling Deadpool a “Mother****er.” The shot at the scene is a bit obvious, but worthy of the laugh. In the end Frank would probably have been better off not clarifying that his mother’s name is Louise, since that immediately snaps Deadpool back to his senses, grabbing his pistol to finish the job.
7. Deadpool Throws Shade at Marvel TV Shows
It isn’t just the competition that ends up taking some heat from the Merc With a mouth, since a bit of ‘friendly fire’ is always guaranteed to happen whenever Deadpool is involved. In the case of Despicable Deadpool #298, it isn’t even the world of Marvel-branded films that feel his wrath (or those created by 21st Century Fox, since the MCU may be a harder target to convincingly take to task).
No, it’s one of the easiest targets that Marvel has produced to date which feels the burn, as Deadpool puts ABC’s failed Inhumans TV show on blast. And with a playful wink thrown to its more successful counterparts on Netflix. At first, observing that Taskmaster and Bullseye’s ability to collaborate as partners to take Deadpool on likens them to Luke Cage and Danny Rand. The team-up may be as short-lived as Netflix’s Defenders, in the end.
But following on the idea of the two comic book supervillains becoming a new “team-u,” Deadpool suggests they negotiate for the time slot previously held by Inhumans, the series which aired on ABC for eight episodes starting in September of 2017, after an IMAX premiere of the first two Inhumans episodes. A series that underwhelmed to the point that fans had to deduce its cancellation after ‘Black Bolt’ actor Anson Mount joined Star Trek: Discovery.
6. Deadpool & Spidey Take a Shot at Zack Snyder
Even though he only ended up making three DC movies (well… two is probably more accurate) director Zack Snyder’s re-imagining of Superman, Batman, and the rest of the Justice League was soon taken to represent the DC movie brand as a whole. So perhaps Nick Giovannetti and Paul Scheer deserve some extra credit for putting Zack Snyder’s aesthetic in the crosshairs for Spider-Man/Deadpool #12. According to them, Snyder’s love for muscle bound warriors and adaptation means even Father Christmas isn’t sacred.
The story follows Peter and Wade enjoying some Christmas festivities before a massive, murderous god shows up to trash the show - with particular scorn for the red-suited Santa. The raging Titan turns out to be Saturn himself, back to remind everyone that these holiday festivities were originally performed in his name. The god is cut more from the 300 cloth than Clash of the Titans, so Spidey’s claim that he resembles “Zack Snyder’s Santa Claus” is a fair shot. But if we’re being completely honest… that might still be a movie pitch we would probably want to hear.
Page 2: Deadpool Takes on Superman, Star Wars, and Zack Snyder
5. Deadpool Hates Star Wars Prequels, Too
With his ability to break the fourth wall and comment not only on pop culture existing outside of Marvel’s universe, and in the real one of the reader, but have access to the total history of geekdom. That includes the Marvel and DC Comics movies and characters, as his other jokes show. But when it comes to the Star Wars franchise, we doubt Wade Wilson would even think twice about throwing shade if he knew Disney would one day buy the property. Marvel and Disney are sibling cinematic universes as a result… but even for a loyal guy like Deadpool, there’s no defending the prequels.
We mean that literally, since fans got to see what happens when a faceless goon voices his support for the prequels, praising the wealth of visual effects, and lead Anakain Skywalker actor Hayden Christensen. Clearly not one for debate on the topic, Wade simply draws his gun, and blows the groom’s head off. Yes, a bit more extreme and violent a reaction than usual. But then, the last few years have shown fans can get extremely passionate when it comes to Star Wars.
4. Deadpool is A Bigger Seller Than Superman
The version of Thanos that movie fans got with Avengers: Infinity War may have seen killing half the universe as a good thing, but the comic book version was very different. The crusade of Thanos that led to Infinity Gauntlet was based on devotion and service to Lady Death, the embodiment of death in Marvel’s universe. And a cosmic woman who had just one other major suitor. The one man she could never have: Deadpool, the unkillable killer.
And in Tim Seeley’s Deadpool vs Thanos comic miniseries, the two finally met. After having spent years committing supervillainous acts throughout the Marvel universe, Deadpool knew enough about Thanos to be worried. Even so, he was sure he could kill the Mad Titan.
In the face of overwhelming odds, Deadpool told the villain Black Talon that he’s “an unkillable mutant merc” who doesn’t just outsell Superman" at that point in the comics - but does so “regularly.” Well played, and… very true back in 2015.
3. Deadpool Mocks DC’s Half-Page Advertising
It’s no secret that comic book publishers have been struggling to some extent to make their comics count for decades (largely unable to channel the box office success of their superhero adaptations to actual comic sales). The recent DC Rebirth relaunch boosted sales, and Marvel’s own comic events drove discussion and sales - but things haven’t always been so good. As recently as 2015, DC tried to boost sales revenue by taking a controversial move, allowing advertisers to claim one-half of pages inside of the book (a shift from the standard ad pages scattered throughout).
That meant that readers couldn’t actually focus on the story being told without also staring at an image of, for one example, Nick Lachey selling not one, but both sides of a Twix bar. The move had been tested and abandoned by Marvel decades earlier, and DC earned plenty of publicity (though not the kind they were hoping for). Their own writers and artists took shots at the decision, but Deadpool won.
His own comic called out the practice from the competition by invading half of his own cover art, sharing space with an ad for a fictional protein bar. DC scrapped the plan soon after.
2. Deadpool and His ‘Secret Wars’ Shield
As proof that comic books written just to “sell toys” isn’t always a bad thing, there is Marvel’s 1984 Secret Wars event. Driven by a desire to make marketable toy lines for Mattel, this mega-event was cooked up, throwing all kinds of Marvel superheroes and villains into all-out combat against on another. And the toys that released alongside the heroes’ most iconic looks or overhauled designs became the stuff of legend… for a few reasons.
Not for the overall build quality, but for the rather unexpected gadget that accompanied each action figure. A shield makes sense for Captain America, but Mattel packed each figure with a plastic shield, displaying a lenticular image of the characters in and out of their superhero identities. Risky? Extremely. But also perfect for a Deadpool send-up.
The toy shields made a return as part of Deadpool Secret Secret Wars in 2015, making Wade Wilson a key part of the 1984 event - despite him not being created for seven more years. The most memorable scene? When Deadpool and Spidey battled inside a gallery of the massive, mysterious shields somehow “psychically” capable of revealing the future. In Deadpool’s case, a recreation of Ryan Reynolds’ infamous Deadpool movie promotion photos.
1. Deadpool V Gambit
At some point, the success of jokes aimed at Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman are going to reach diminishing returns, and the release of Marvel’s Deadpool V Gambit series may be exactly that for some. Writers Ben Acker and Ben Blacker (speaking of jokes we can’t quite come up with on the spot) decided that the part of DC’s event film they wished to lampoon was the title. Specifically, the decision by Snyder and co. to avoid the expected “Batman VS. Superman” title, and go with “v” instead.
On the surface, it makes the movie feel more like the title of a court case than a superhero showdown, which may be what Snyder was after. But Snyder’s explanation that he chose “v” to make the film feel less like a direct fight in any way possible didn’t convince Acker and blacker.
To call out what they clearly felt was an opinion worthy of parody, they released Deadpool V Gambit with its tagline, The “V” is For “VS.” leaving no confusion.
