10 Best Deadpool Storylines in Marvel Comics, Ranked by Impact

Deadpool first appeared as a villain in Marvel Comics‘ The New Mutants #98 in 1991, created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza. But it was the 1997 series Deadpool Vol. 1, by Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness, that truly shaped the character we know today – a comedic, fourth-wall-breaking hero. Since then, Marvel has consistently built on that foundation. Over thirty years later, Deadpool is a major movie star, with his latest film earning over $1 billion worldwide. Talented writers like Gail Simone, Fabian Nicieza, Daniel Way, Gerry Duggan, and Kelly Thompson have all contributed to Deadpool’s evolution, continually reinventing the “Merc with a Mouth” for new and existing fans.

Deadpool’s most memorable stories, whether focusing on his days as a hired gun or his time as a major monster, consistently combine intense action, clever humor, and surprisingly heartfelt moments – all of which have defined his place in Marvel Comics.

10) “Deadpool: King of the Monsters”

Let me tell you about a really fun run of Deadpool comics from 2019. Kelly Thompson and Chris Bachalo crafted a 10-issue story where Wade Wilson somehow becomes the King of Monsters! It’s as wild as it sounds – he actually defeats the previous king and rules over a hidden monster kingdom right in Staten Island. The story doesn’t just stay in the monster world, though. We see Deadpool interacting with major Marvel heroes like Captain America and teaming up with Elsa Bloodstone. Plus, there’s a great conflict with Kraven the Hunter, who sees Deadpool’s kingdom as a hunting ground. And it all happens against the backdrop of Knull’s massive symbiote invasion from King in Black. What I loved most is that even while dealing with all this political responsibility as a leader, the series never lost Deadpool’s signature humor. It’s a surprisingly clever and consistently funny take on the character.

9) Deadpool & The Mercs For Money

Deadpool & The Mercs For Money was a short comic book series released in 2016, with five issues written by Cullen Bunn and illustrated by Salva Espin. It brought together a team of mercenaries led by Deadpool, including lesser-known Marvel characters like Stingray, Massacre, Solo, Foolkiller, Terror, and Slapstick. The story revolves around Deadpool essentially renting out his likeness and passing off undesirable jobs to his team – and he’s not a very good boss! The series allowed Deadpool to experience what it’s like to lead a team, despite his incompetence. A second series was later released featuring Domino as the team leader.

8) Deadpool: Dracula’s Gauntlet

The comic book storyline Deadpool: Dracula’s Gauntlet, created by Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn, and Reilly Brown in 2014, began as a digital Marvel Infinite Comic before being published in print. The story centers around Dracula hiring Deadpool to transport a secret package—Shiklah, a succubus queen who eventually becomes Deadpool’s wife. This storyline is significant because it launched the surprising romance between Deadpool and Shiklah, a relationship that became central to many subsequent Deadpool comics by Gerry Duggan, and ultimately led to the story arc “Til Death Do Us…”

7) Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe

Published in 2012, Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe is a four-part What If…? series by Cullen Bunn and Dalibor Talajic. The story takes place on an alternate Earth where Deadpool is brought to the Ravencroft Institute for help by the X-Men. There, he’s manipulated by Psycho-Man, which ultimately leads to the destruction of the entire world. Psycho-Man alters Deadpool’s mental state, replacing his usual internal voices with one solely focused on destruction. This drives Deadpool to systematically kill all the heroes in his universe, including Captain America, Spider-Man, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four. The story expanded into a trilogy with Deadpool Killustrated, Deadpool Kills Deadpool, and a sequel, Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Again, collectively known as the “Killogy.”

6) Deadpool Vol. 3

Deadpool Volume 3, created by Daniel Way and originally illustrated by Paco Medina, ran for 63 issues between 2008 and 2012. The series began as part of the ‘Secret Invasion’ storyline, with the first three issues, ‘One of Us,’ featuring Deadpool battling Skrulls who had been given his healing ability. Throughout the run, Deadpool appeared in several crossover events, including ‘Dark Reign,’ where he fought Norman Osborn’s Thunderbolts. It was during this series that Deadpool also met Hit-Monkey. Ultimately, this run transformed Deadpool from a fan-favorite character into one of Marvel’s best-selling heroes.

5) Cable & Deadpool

Launched in 2004, Cable & Deadpool brought together one of Marvel’s most iconic duos. Their history began with Deadpool initially appearing as an enemy of Cable and his New Mutants team, but the two quickly became linked. Created by Fabian Nicieza and Mark Brooks, the series ran for 50 issues until 2008. The stories focused on the comedic partnership between Cable and Deadpool, solidifying their modern-day friendship. Many fans consider it the best Deadpool story that isn’t part of his own individual series.

4) Deadpool #11 (“With Great Power Comes Great Coincidence”)

Many fans consider the 1997 Deadpool comic, “With Great Power Comes Great Coincidence,” to be the best ever. The cover of Deadpool Vol. 2 #11 cleverly references Amazing Fantasy #15, the comic where Spider-Man first appeared. In this story, Deadpool and his roommate, Blind Al, are unexpectedly sent back in time and find themselves in the middle of Amazing Spider-Man #47 (1967), originally written by Stan Lee and illustrated by John Romita Sr. The comic brilliantly blends Deadpool into panels from the classic issue, serving as a heartfelt tribute to Marvel’s Silver Age of comics.

3) Deadpool Vol. 2

Deadpool Vol. 2, a 33-issue comic series that ran from 1997 to 1999, was created by Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness. This series is where Deadpool’s now-familiar personality really took shape. It introduced key characters like Blind Al, his reluctant roommate, Weasel, who provides weapons and support, and the villain T-Ray. Most importantly, it’s where Deadpool began to frequently break the fourth wall, talking directly to the reader. This run was crucial in transforming Deadpool from a minor character into one of Marvel’s biggest stars.

2) Deadpool: Sins of the Past

The storyline ‘Sins of the Past,’ from the second Deadpool miniseries by Mark Waid and Ian Churchill, was a key step in the character’s development. It brought back familiar faces like Banshee and Siryn, while pitting Deadpool against Black Tom Cassidy and the Juggernaut. The series also introduced Dr. Emrys Killebrew, a geneticist responsible for the Weapon X program that gave Deadpool his powers, adding depth and emotional weight to his typically over-the-top violence. This miniseries directly led into the launch of the first ongoing Deadpool comic, making it a crucial part of his history.

1) Deadpool: The Circle Chase

Deadpool’s first solo miniseries, Deadpool: The Circle Chase, debuted in 1993 with four issues. It marked the first time Marvel gave Deadpool a chance to shine outside of the X-Force team, created by Fabian Nicieza and Joe Madureira. The story follows Wade Wilson as he searches for the will of a deceased arms dealer, Tolliver, all while battling villains like Juggernaut, Black Tom Cassidy, Weapon X (Garrison Kane), Nyko, and a new threat named Slayback. Copycat also reappears in this series. The success of The Circle Chase demonstrated that Deadpool could headline his own comic, paving the way for Sins of the Past and his first ongoing series.

2026-05-29 19:13