Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, cullen bunn, deadpool, entertainment, joe kelly, marvel, rob liefeld, Secret Wars

The Moment Deadpool First Broke The Fourth Wall (Secret Wars Spoilers)

Published Wed, 26 Aug 2015 06:00:37 -0500

Last updated Wed, 22 Nov 2023 06:23:41 -0600

Article Summary

Explore Deadpool's evolution into a self-aware comic character by Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness.
Deadpool's fourth wall breaking likened to Groucho Marx's comedic style.
Cullen Bunn's 'Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars' reveals his origin with Beyonder energy.
Deadpool's influence extends to 80s Marvel fandom and impacts iconic storylines.

Since Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness redefined the Deadpool character into the version that we know today, he began to show signs of self awareness of being a character in a comic book. As they turned him into a foul-minded comic book action hero version of Groucho Marx "I've got to stay here, but there's no reason you folks shouldn't go out into the lobby till this thing blows over"

It soon became an established aspect of the character…

And one that was much enjoyed and appreciated by its audience, even as the character moved away from what its original creators had planned.

This wasn't an Animal Man #5-style realisation. This was just the way things were for Deadpool.

Was it just down to his mental issues and brain injury that he saw the world this way?

Or was there something else?

A moment of inspiration?

Well, in today's Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars, by Cullen Bunn and Matteo Lolli, we get that. Not only does this issue firmly place the comic in 616 past continuity – Deadpool did go to the Secret Wars, he did form Venom's mental patterns, he did sleep with the Wasp and he does give one Secret Wars tragic storyline a far happier ending than we could ever have wished for (and my internal thirteen year old a happy moment of glee) we also see the moment when, awash with Beyonder energy, he gets a glimpse of the way the whole multiverse works. And a Damascene moment.

This is Deadpool's real secret origin. As well as giving us a Beyonder that will reflect future versions of the character (with mullet).

If you haven't been reading this comic, an you are any kind of eighties Marvel fan, do your self a favour and jump on. And someone, somewhere, get Jim Shooter's take on it….

Deadpool's Secret Secret Wars #4 is published today from Marvel Comics. Comics courtesy of Orbital Comics, London. With a signing for Doctor Who and Planet of The Apes artist Rachel Scott today, and launching an exhibition for Jessica Martin on Saturday.