It’s Deadpool! Chimichangas, Violence, & Foul Language
Gird your loins, kiddies; it’s time for off-color jokes and fourth-wall breaks! Here’s everything your average RPG player needs to know about Deadpool.
Few characters would be as fun to bring to a D&D table as Deadpool. I mean, which other character at the table can talk sh*t directly to the DM in-story? Canada’s mouthiest superhero has always been popular, but now that he’s a movie star, the whole world knows about Wade Wilson. For those about to potentially ruin (in a fun way) the whole party’s day by playing him, here’s a little refresher on the Merc with the Mouth.
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How Did Wade Wilson Become Deadpool?
Our boy Wade Wilson was a U.S. Army Special Forces and later CIA-sponsored mercenary assassin. Before all the X-gene stuff, Wilson had lots of mercenary adventures—at one point, he infiltrated a sumo-wrestling ring in Japan.
But all the good violence-for-pay came to a screeching halt when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. So when the U.S./Canadian Special Weapons Development Agency, Department K, offered him a survival option, he took it. He was a part of the Weapon X program—basically he was injected with Essence of Wolverine and Logan’s healing factor pressed pause on Wilson’s growing cancer.
Why is He Called Deadpool?
For weird comic-book-science reasons, Wolverine’s special healing DNA started to destabilize and Wade’s cancer began growing again. It was at this time that he developed scarred skin.
Under the guise of helping him recover, Wilson was sent to the Hospice. No, that doesn’t sound ominous! Never mind that it’s run by a dude named Dr. Killbrew. Killbrew and his colleague Ajax (who movie fans might remember as Francis) performed torturous experiments on Wilson and the other patients. The crew of medical douchebags even had a “deadpool” betting on how long their test subjects would live.
After those jerks killed off Wade’s only friend, Ajax tore out Wade’s heart and left him for dead. But his need for vengeance jump-started that healing factor. He broke out, left Ajax for dead right back, and then freed himself and his the other victims in his symbolic rebirth as Deadpool.
Since then, he’s worked as a mercenary and a true chaotic neutral, serving his own twisted moral compass to everyone in the Marvel universe.
READ MORE:The Bea Arthur: The Only Ship Capable of Killing Both Galactus AND Deadpool
Friends of Deadpool
He’s just so darn lovable—so Deadpool has a lot of supporting characters. Many of these characters made it to the big screen! But we’ll get to that later.
Vanessa Carlysle is one character that stayed the same. In Wade’s early life, he meets and falls in love with a sex worker named Vanessa. When he’s diagnosed with cancer, he leaves her. And she reappears once again later in his life.
Deadpool also forms a relationship with Death; by “relationship,” I mean they do it. But they’re also super in love, and at one point, he tries to kill himself to join her. But he literally cannot die. It’s a real bummer.
Blind Al is a character that changed when making the transition to film. In the comics, Al was Althea, a British government operative Deadpool was hired to kill.
The Deadpool Corps
Maybe it’s his ability to talk directly to the audience, but Deadpool as a character is particularly well-suited for multiverse stories. There are so many versions of Deadpool. And yeah, they definitely do the team-up thing. Characters like Lady Deadpool, Dogpool, Kidpool, Headpool, The Deadpool Kid, and so many more. One of comic book fans’ favorite Deadpools is a mix between him and Spider-Gwen known as Gwenpool.
Deadpool on Film and In The MCU
In 2009, Deadpool first made his way to the silver screen, and boy was that… something. X-Men Origins: Wolverine was a movie and it did show in theaters. And that’s all I’ve got to say about that. Except that Deadpool’s mouth was never sewn shut in the comics like that. Just… why?
Anyway, fast-forward to today, and Deadpool is the star of three blockbuster movies. He’s also officially joined the MCU—and brought the X-Men along with him—in the multiverse romp Deadpool & Wolverine.
Powers, Abilities, and Weird Little Quirks
Deadpool is the Marvel universe’s wildest wild card. He uses his humor to deflect (or even relish) dark subject matter. His humor is very adult, so he might not be best for a family-friendly game night.
He’s also got a filthy sense of humor and we love to see it. Deadpool is bi-pansexual. He’s attracted to, well, sometimes it seems, everyone. In fact, for all of his inappropriate humor, Wade has been a solid ally and treasured member of the LGBTQ+ community.
Physically, Deadpool’s healing factor makes him basically unkillable. He can endure any kind of death blow. If someone cuts off his head, he will regrow it! He has also transferred his consciousness in a real pinch. Dude just won’t die!
If he has any weakness, it’s definitely magic. You can’t fight your way out of a magical pocket dimension—even if you are immortal. He also has a fear of clowns, which, you know, is valid.
Deadpool is most famous for continuously breaking the Fourth Wall by speaking directly to the audience. It gives him extra knowledge about the goings-on of the Marvel universe that we, the reader, would also know. It gives him plenty of advantages and makes him real lovable.
Deadpool in RPGs and Other Games
Marvel crosses over with quite a few RPG systems—officially and otherwise.
Marvel Crisis Protocol
Players and mini fanatics can add Deadpool to their Marvel lineup in Marvel Crisis Protocol. According to our MCP expert Adam Harrison:
“Deadpool in MCP is surprisingly effective as a Threat 3 character. He’s great for snagging and holding objectives. Plus actually gets better once he flips to his injured side. He’s also got a Healing Factor of 2 so Wade has the potential to really stick around longer than he should in games. If you’ve got room for his brand of silly then Deadpool is a solid addition to your MCP rosters.”
READ MORE: Let’s Play D&D with Deadpool
Marvel Multiverse RPG: Deadpool Roleplays the Marvel Universe
Marvel’s most immersive RPG added a whole Deadpool supplement. I feel like there’s a dirty joke there, but I can’t put my finger on it.
Marvel Zombies: A Zombicide Game
For those who love zombie-survival game system Zombicide, Deadpool appears in all the glory of rotting flesh in Marvel Zombies: A Zombicide Game.
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