The Marvel icon Deadpool has so many variations because he’s simply such a popular character. Whether the Mutant has been reimagined by other artists and writers, brought together in alternative ways throughout the Multiverse, or switched identities completely, the core of the Merc with the Mouth is always the same.
Deadpool’s versions thus could alternate based on everything from narrative potential to the shifting of reality itself. They’re always bold, always violent, and ready to drop meta jokes at any point. The character continues to evolve in unique ways and there’s no telling where Marvel might take Wade Wilson next.
The mainstream Marvel Universe incarnation of Deadpool (the Earth-616 version) and many of the entries on this list came together in one of the most over-the-top Multiversal crossovers of all time, featured in the trilogy of miniseries known as the “Deadpool Killogy”:
Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe
,
Deadpool Killustrated
, and
Deadpool Kills Deadpool
.
25 Classic Deadpool (The Mainstream Marvel Version)
First Appearance: New Mutants #98 (1983)
The Deadpool that has been established in the comics, and indeed the Ryan Reynolds iteration seen throughout his big screen appearances (soon to be part of the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse), have both firmly set the general tone and vibe of Deadpool that audiences now know. The character is quirky, unpredictable, incredibly intense, and boasts quite a warped moral compass – though he has one, unlike several of the variants featured on this list.
Wade Wilson, the hero known as Deadpool, one of the funniest characters in Marvel Comics, and his interactions with other heroes – from his perennial ally Cable, to Wolverine, to Marvel’s earliest heroes like Captain America – are always legendary. The mainstream continuity version of Deadpool sets the standard by which all other versions of the character are judged.
24 Babypool (The Baby Deadpool)
Earth-TRN872
Babypool is possibly the least threatening Deadpool of any in the multiverse, since he doesn’t even have any weapons. Babypool was one of the many members of the Deadpool Corps who made their debut on film, summoned by Cassandra Nova to prevent Deadpool and Wolverine from interrupting her plans for total multiveral annihilation.
While all the other Deadpool variants did their best to stop Deadpool and Wolverine, Babypool mostly hung out in the background and enjoyed the show. There really isn’t much else that Babypool was capable of doing, but maybe some day they’ll grow up into a true danger.
23 Headpool (The Floating Zombie Deadpool Head)
Earth-2149
Headpool may not look dangerous, considering he’s just a head and nothing more. But Headpool might actually be one of the most dangerous Deadpool variants around. Headpool is infected with The Gospel of Hunger virus, meaning anyone he bites will be instantly transformed into a zombie, just like him.
This makes Headpool an incredibly dangerous bio-weapon, since all he needs is one little bite and he could start an outbreak that has destroyed entire universes in the past. Thankfully, without a body of his own, there’s not much Headpool can do to infect other people. But the potential makes him absolutely terrifying.
22 Deadpool Pulp (The WWII Deadpool)
First Appearance: Deadpool Pulp #1 (2010)Earth-10310
Deadpool Pulp has a uniquely tragic backstory. He joined the military service during World War Two for the shallow reason of simply wanting to “kill the bad people.” This version of Deadpool would fight his way across Singapore before eventually being captured by the Japanese army.
It’s here he would be tortured for an entire year, and this brutal torture would eventually snap his mind. In terms of danger levels, Deadpool Pulp is on the lower end, as he’s doesn’t have Wade’s typical regeneration powers, and he ended up being killed during the Deadpool Wars.
21 The Deadpool Kid (The Cowboy Deadpool)
Earth-1108
The Multiverse is a wild place, and that’s no better setting than for a cowboy. That’s where The Deadpool Kid comes in, and despite his name, he’s not actually a kid. He’s just a wild renegade who loves using guns and a lasso. The Deadpool Kid was nearly killed by 616-Deadpool when he was shot in the head after a disagreement.
The Deadpool Kid was able to regenerate, and went from a mild annoyance to a major threat when he joined up with Dreadpool. Ultimately, The Deadpool Kid was killed during the Deadpool War between the Deadpool Corps and Evil Deadpools.
20 “Best Bud” Deadpool (The Comic Take on ‘Nicepool’)
Unknown Earth
It’s no secret that Wolverine and Deadpool don’t exactly get along, but one god-like being sought to fix this. She manipulates events and forces Deadpool and Wolverine of Earth-616 to go on a major adventure together to save the multiverse. Unfortunately, they completely fail. This forces the God-like being to bring in some better versions of the two iconic heroes. This results in the reveal of Best Bud Deadpool, a Deadpool variant who is completely best friends with Wolverine, and considering just how powerful and dangerous these two are, seeing them team up like this makes Best Bud Deadpool surprisingly powerful.
19 Ellie Wilson (Deadpool’s Daughter)
Earth-616
Deadpool has had a few children over the years, with most beingy daughters, but the most important has always been Ellie Camacho. Now that Deadpool is seemingly meeting his end in Deadpool #6, his daughter will finally be stepping into his boots and taking over as the new Deadpool in Deadpool #7. While Ellie isn’t likely to be the combat expert that her father is, she has the exact same mutant powers as her father, and they’re even a bit stronger. This means in the long run, Ellie could be even more dangerous than her infamous father.
18 Watari
Earth-11542
Watari came from an Earth that was perpetually set in Feudal Japan. He was a skilled Ronin and a master of the blade, just like his Earth-616 counterpart. His regenerative healing factor made him practically unbeatable thanks to his world’s limited technology, but unfortunately, his healing factor wouldn’t save him when he went up against enemies of equal strength. During the Deadpool Wars, Watari came to the aid of 616 Deadpool and Pandapool, saving their lives. But he would ultimately meet his end against Dreadpool’s army of evil Deadpools.
17 Dogpool (The Man’s Best Friend Version)
First Appearance: P relude To Deadpool Corps #3 (2010)
No other Marvel character quite straddles the line between being badass action hero and functioning as goofball comedic relief the way Deadpool does. Some of the entries on this list emphasize the brutal killer side of him, while others are more representative of his unrepentant silliness. Dogpool is without a doubt the latter.
That isn’t to say that Dogpool couldn’t hold his own in a fight – just that a wild-eyed, slobbering canine version of Marvel’s most unhinged hero hilariously embodied the unpredictable spirit that has elevated Deadpool into one of the most recognizable superheroes in mainstream culture. Like many iterations of Wade Wilson featured on this list, Dogpool has been underutilized as a character – which is to say, the memorable four-legged Merc With a Bark is overdue for a glorious comeback.
16 Ultimate Deadpool (The Scariest Version Ever)
First Appearance: Ultimate Spider-Man #91 (2006)
The Ultimate Marvel Universe featured an alternative version of the most notable characters in the Marvel Universe. Deadpool was known as Wadey Wilson in this timeline. The Ultimate Universe lived up to its concept with its take on Deadpool, giving him a vastly different look, as well as a significantly divergent origin, personality, and ideology from what fans were familiar with.
With a see-through plastic mask showcasing the damage he endured from the Wakandan Wars,this Deadpool was actually an anti-mutant hunter, a human supremacist with no problem dispatching his targets. When an Evil Deadpool Corps was formed, bringing together the most heinous versions of Deadpool from throughout the Marvel Multiverse, it was no surprise that Ultimate Deadpool was one of their first recruits, considering he proved to be one of the most incredibly intense and vile takes on the character.
15 Grootpool (The Version Readers Lost Too Soon)
First (& Last) Appearance: Deadpool Kills Deadpool #4 (2013)
Grootpool is another genius Deadpool variant that deserves more attention. Appearing as more or less a one-off joke in Deadpool Kills Deadpool, this fusion of the Merc With a Mouth and Guardians of the Galaxy’s Groot was sadly killed off in the same issue as his first appearance. However, given the popularity of both characters, an appearance by another version of the character seems inevitable.
The joke at the core of the Grootpool character concept also seems too good not to do more with. Deadpool is one of the most loquacious characters in the Marvel Universe – that is to say, it is at times difficult to shut him up. As MCU fans are familiar with, Groot is known for only saying his name; in his brief appearance, Grootpool carries on this trait.
14 Kidpool (The Version That Had So Much Potential)
First Appearance: Prelude to Deadpool Corps #2 (2010)
There have been several stories featuring young versions of Deadpool, but the lightsaber-wielding Kidpool is the most memorable. Initially the resident troublemaker at the “Xavier Orphanage for Troubled Boys,” Kidpool subsequently went on to be a key member of the multiverse-hopping Deadpool Corps.
Kidpool is a great example of putting a familiar twist on exactly the right character. De-aging, or featuring childhood versions of superheroes is nothing new – but when applied to Deadpool, it takes everything great about the character and doubles down on it. Wade Wilson is always childlike, in a way; naturally, Kidpool accentuates that aspect of him. At the same time, Kidpool’s irreverence, and his self-awareness, are potently funny in their own way when coming from an adolescent, rather than a man approaching middle age.
13 Deadpool 2099 (The Version With Something To Prove)
First Appearance: Deadpool #6 (2016)
Marvel’s 2099 timeline has seen a few notable superheroes come into their own. Spider-Man 2099 might be the most famous among them, but Deadpool 2099 shouldn’t be ignored. Warda is the daughter of Wade Wilson and Shiklah – and despite growing up hating her father, she decided to take on the Deadpool mantle.
With a futuristic costume that fits right at home in the 2099 landscape, this iteration of the Merc with a Mouth actually has her own dragon that flies with her in battle. While she may have began her career as a villain – much like her dad – she later redeemed herself, and overcomes her difficult relationship with her father in the process. Based on what readers have witnessed from Deadpool 2099 so far, she has the potential to be the true hero Wade never quite managed to be.
12 Lady Deadpool (The Truly Heroic Version)
First Appearance: Deadpool: Merc With a Mouth #7 (2010)
Wanda Wilson might have come from a different Earth, but she has had plenty of adventures on Earth-616. Essentially the female equivalent of Wade, Lady Deadpool is even more skilled with a blade than her male counterpart, and is without a doubt far more blatantly heroic than the Deadpool most audiences are familiar with.
The character is a resistance member on her Earth, fighting against a fascist state led by a villainous variant of Steve Rogers. Even after claiming victories in her reality, she protected so many more by sacrificing herself in the service of defeating the Evil Deadpool Corps, warning Wade Wilson of the threat in the process. Despite limited appearances, Lady Deadpool has been portrayed as an incredibly well-rounded character, making it likely she will return at some point in the future.
11 Gwenpool (The Fan-Favorite Version)
First Appearance: Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #2 (2015)
When looking at comedy characters, Gwenpool must be one of the most beloved and fun-loving. While there’s usually a murderous edge to other versions of the Merc With a Mouth, Gwenpool is a little friendlier, and perhaps even more bizarre. There are countless variations of Gwen Stacy in the Multiverse, but this is one that really stuck with fans.
A fourth-wall breaker in her own right, there’s a meta nature to the character based on her actually originating from the “real world,” according to the character’s origin story. She later retconed the Marvel Multiverse into believing she’s a Mutant, and has been shown to have quite the adorable relationship with Jeff the Land Shark. Kind and considerate, she’s a far cry from the traditional Wade Wilson – which has gone a long way toward distinguishing her as a truly unique version of the character.
Gwen-Pool’s character creation was unique – she began as one of a number of variant covers featuring versions of Gwen Stacy dressed up as different Marvel heroes, building on the immediate popularity of the recently introduced Spider-Gwen. Gwen-Pool later made her first appearance in a back-up story from an issue of
Howard the Duck
, of all places. She has since gone on to star in several of her own series.
10 Octosquatchpool Was An Absurd Mash-Up Of Characters
First Appearance: Edge of Venomverse #3
There’s nothing fans and writers love more than taking two characters and mashing them together. This can get even more absurd when it’s more than just two characters. While readers only get a quick throwaway glance, it’s hard to imagine a Deadpool more physically menacing than Octosquatchpool, the fusion of Sasquatch, Doctor Octopus, and Deadpool.
Presuming that this version of Deadpool has the qualities of all three characters, this means that Octosquatchpool had physical strength great enough that he could generate shock waves with a clap of his hands. The brilliant mind of Otto Octavius, and the healing factor and fighting skills of Deadpool. These three things combined would make Octosquatchpool one of the deadliest versions of Deadpool in terms of pure physical capability. While other versions of Deadpool, like Galactipool are stronger overall, it’d still be a nightmare scenario to fight Octosquatchpool for most Marvel heroes.
9 Venompool (The Symbiote Version of Deadpool)
First Appearance: Venom/Deadpool What If? #1 (2011)
Characters in the Marvel Universe have been Venomized again and again. It is always a lot of fun to see how a hero might look, and act, once they have bonded with a gooey Symbiote. When Deadpool bonded with the Venom symbiote, birthing Venompool, it combined two of Marvel’s most lethal characters. While Venompool hasn’t been the threat he has the potential to be, the character’s depiction nevertheless answered a must-ask question for Marvel fans.
He becomes a weapon in a way that the Merc with a Mouth simply wasn’t able to. He doesn’t lose all of his humor, but his hunger is insatiable. He’s such a cool design, although this Variant also joins the Evil Deadpool Corps. If more stories were to be told from the anti-hero perspective, he could combine some of the best personality traits of Venom and Deadpool.
8 Dead Man Wade (The Age Of Apocalypse Version of Deadpool)
First Appearance: X-Calibre #1 (1995)
Introduced as part of the 1990s crossover event Age of Apocalypse, Dead Man Wade took the antagonistic version of Deadpool to its most extreme conclusion. At the time of the crossover’s publication, Deadpool was still in the process of transitioning from his initial portrayal as a villainous mercenary into the belovedly irreverent hero contemporary readers are familiar with.
Dead Man Wade lacked even a single ounce of humor. Nor did he possess any remorse for his brutal actions, or any hesitation about committing more. Though he was killed by Nightcrawler in the original Age of Apocalypse storyline, Dead Man was later resurrected as a lieutenant of Dreadpool, bringing him into direct conflict with multiple overtly heroic variants of the character, including the Earth-616 version of Wade Wilson.
Age of Apocalypse
was released in 1995. Deadpool’s first solo series – which firmly established many of the most iconic elements that have come to be synonymous with the character – wasn’t launched until 1997. In other words,
Dead Man Wade represented an extrapolation of the original character’s potential
– thankfully, Marvel quickly decided to take Deadpool in the complete opposite direction.
7 Deadpool, King Of The Underworld
First Appearance: Deadpool: The End #1
Deadpool and Lady Death have always had a bit of a complicated relationship. The two are deeply interested in one another, but due to Deadpool’s absurd healing factor, it’s never been possible for Deadpool to die, especially after Thanos cursed Wade with immortality. This has meant their love has always been a forbidden one, but during the events of Deadpool: The End, Deadpool makes a deal with Mephisto.
As King of the Underworld, Deadpool has a whole army of zombies at his command, which adds both humor and a bit of a scary element to the story.
This deal allows Deadpool to finally die and meet Lady Death, but he doesn’t stop there. After reaching the underworld, Deadpool decides to take over as the new king of the underworld, and he keeps Lady Death by his side during it. In a comic all about giving Deadpool different endings, the idea of the Merc with a Mouth becoming the undisputed ruler of the underworld is certainly one of the more absurd ideas.
6 Zenpool (The Enlightened Version)
First Appearance: Deadpool #36 (2014)
If readers have ever wondered what Wade Wilson would be like if he decided to hang up his katanas, get rid of his guns, and decide to become a pacifist, then they have to look no further than Zenpool. After this transformation, Deadpool branded himself as this much calmer Zenpool and was accompanied by a conscience bubble.
Refusing to ever harm a living thing again, Zenpool underwent a costume change linked to his slightly cooler mood, with the whites of his suit seemingly proving quite a spiritual choice. He was content with his lifestyle change for the brief period before the spell prompting this change wore off. Still, Zenpool remains one of the most novel inversions of Deadpool’s traditional character, making him a variant readers would be happy to get more of.