Summary
Deadpoolis one of Marvel’s most popular characters, but many fans may not know about the variant that exists in the DC Universe. WhileDeathstrokehas often been cited as an inspiration for the Merc with the Mouth, one alternate universe version of theTeen Titansvillain makes the connection quite literal.
2006’sSuperman / Batman Annual#1 by Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness presents a “reimagining” of the moment Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne discovered their secret identities on a cruise. In the opening scene, Deathstroke attempts to assassinate Bruce Wayne, but unbeknownst to Slade Wilson, he was getting mixed up in some multiversal shenanigans involving theCrime Syndicate of the Antimatter Universe.
Whereas Deathstroke was hired to take out Wayne, his Antimatter Universe counterpart arrives on the cruise to save the billionaire playboy. He never gets to say his name, buthis snarky attitude and overall look strongly resemble a certain other mercenary-for-hireover at the other Big Two company: Deadpool.
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DC Has Their Own Version of Deadpool, But It’s Not Deathstroke
Superman / Batman Annual#1 by Joe Kelly, Ed McGuinness, Ryan Ottley, Carlo Barberi and Sean Murphy
While Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld has often stated that thecharacter was more inspired byG.I. Joe’s Snake Eyesthan Deathstroke, later comics have made the connection more apparent. Fellow Deadpool co-creator Fabian Nicieza gave the characterthe alter ego of “Wade Wilson,” a direct nod to Deathstroke’s real name, Slade Wilson.Of course, Deadpool went on to be further developed by several creators in the years since, creators such as Kelly and McGuinness, who worked onSuperman / BatmanAnnual#1.
Superman and Batman’s counterparts, like Ultraman and Owlman, are villains in the Antimatter Universe, while DC’s traditional villains are the heroes. As such, the Antimatter Deathstroke is more of an antihero when compared to the Prime Earth version.
Kelly is the writer who truly gave fans the Deadpool they know and love today, and his run with McGuinness onDeadpool’s first ongoing series resulted in some ofthe very best Deadpool comics of all time. Both creators taking the opportunity to recreate some of that magic in the DC Universe was a nice nod to their previous work, andfans got to see what would happen if Deadpool were to interact with Superman and Batman.It’s even more hilarious to see the no-nonsense Deathstroke get increasingly annoyed with his Antimatter counterpart, at one point claiming he’d rather die than hear the assassin talk anymore.
Will DC Bring Back Their Own Version of Deadpool Any Time Soon?
Now’s the Time to Re-introduce the “Antimatter Deathstroke”
While the Antimatter Deathstroke is eventually sent back to his own universe by the story’s end, this “DCU Deadpool” has never been seen again. Given thatDeadpool & Wolverineis currently burning up the summer box office, it seems like an opportune time to bring back the Antimatter Deathstroke in some form or other. If DC can get Kelly and McGuinness to collaborate on the story, then all the better. With any luck, DC will bring back their version ofDeadpool, and the AntimatterDeathstrokewill have his day in the sun again.
Superman / Batman Annual#1is available now from DC Comics.
Deadpool
The merc with the mouth first appeared in an issue ofNew Mutantsin 1990, and since then has gone on to get his own series and a massive cult following. With his incredible powers of healing and regeneration, Deadpool was initially depicted as an X-Men villain but went on to become an anti-hero. After getting his own movie series starting in 2016, the third Deadpool movie finally brings the wisecracking, fourth-wall-breaking character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
