With the recent announcements of T.J.
Miller playing Weasel and Morena Baccarin playing Copycat in the upcoming
Deadpool movie, Wade Wilson’s supporting castmates through the years are
starting to get some overdue time in the spotlight.
To prep yourself for next year’s film, here’s a little 101
on those who dare get close to Marvel’s Merc-with-a-Mouth:
Copycat:
Created by: Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza
1st appearance: New Mutants #98, 1991,
(masquerading as Domino), X-Force #19, 1993 (as herself)
Her thing: Vanessa Carlysle was a Boston prostitute who
dated Wade Wilson before the cancer and the Weapon X program. Eventually, the
shapeshifting mutant came into the employ of Tolliver, aka Tyler Dayspring,
Cable’s son from the future. As part of that employment, she disguised herself
as Domino during the period when Cable founded X-Force, while the real Domino
was held prisoner. In addition to dating Deadpool, she also dated Garrison
Kane, a member of the mercenary team Six-Pack.
Weasel:
Created by: Fabian Nicieza and Joe Madureira
1st appearance: Deadpool: The Circle Chase #1,
1993
His thing: Weasel is Wade’s weapons and tech guy,
information broker and friend, when the price is right. He also has no problem
selling Deadpool out to a higher bidder, such as when he took a job with
Taskmaster in issue #2 of Joe Kelly’s run. According to issue #11 of that same
run, Weasel went to the same school as Peter Parker, as a student named Jack
Hammer. Later, in Daniel Way’s run, Weasel gets a suit of armor and works as a
Las Vegas enforcer named The House.
Blind Al:
Created by: Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness
1st appearance: Deadpool #1, 1997
Her thing: Blind Al was Deadpool’s prisoner/roommate in San
Francisco. Apparently Wade was supposed to kill her during a pre-DP mission in
Zaire, but he didn’t. She looks like Aunt May with blue-blocker sunglasses and
spiky hair, and in fact impersonates May in the aforementioned Deadpool #11
adventure. The two would prank and insult each other, and at times, Deadpool
would put her in The Box, a dark torture chamber in Wade’s house. He eventually
frees her.
T-Ray:
Created by: Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness
1st appearance: Deadpool #1, 1997
His thing: T-Ray hates Deadpool. He’s a mercenary, like
Wade, and his powers involve magic. He wears a bandage across his nose and
looks like a character from a later iteration of Street Fighter. Oh, and he says his name is Wade Wilson and
Deadpool stole his identity and killed his wife. So yeah, T-Ray’s a little bit
of a continuity nightmare. But he looks cool.
Taskmaster:
Created by: George Perez and David Michelinie
1st appearance: Avengers #195, 1980
His thing: Tony Masters uses a photographic memory to
replicate the moves of anyone he fights. As such, he wields a sword like the
Black Knight, shoots arrows like Hawkeye and wields a shield like Captain
America. Though he spent more than 15 years as a third-tier Avengers baddie, he
found his calling as a regular frenemy of Deadpool, starting with trying to
lure away Weasel. Over time, Wade and Tasky would work as members of a new
Frightful Four, fight for the love of Sandi Brandenburg and just plain fight.
Sandi Brandenburg:
Created by: Udon Studios, Ken Siu-Chong and Alvin Lee
1st appearance: Taskmaster #1, 2002
Her thing: Sondra “Sandi” Brandenburg was a
dancer-turned-office manager for mercenaries. She was romantically involved
with Taskmaster and came to work for Deadpool and later Alex Haydn, aka Agent
X, a character created in a mindswap of Deadpool and two other people. She had
a habit of taking in strays and for a time was in an abusive relationship.
Deadpool threatens the boyfriend, but Taskmaster straight-up kills him.
Bob, Agent of Hydra:
Created by: Fabian Nicieza and Reilly Brown
1st appearance: Cable & Deadpool #38, 2007
His thing: Bob is, as his name implies, a Hydra agent, whom
Deadpool pestered into helping him on a mission to rescue Agent X. He becomes
an honorary member of Agency X upon also helping rescue agency members Sandi
and Outlaw. He also becomes Deadpool’s sidekick as Cable disappears from the Cable & Deadpool picture, having
abandoned the buddy-comedy book among the events of Civil War and Messiah Complex.
Deadpool Corps:
Created by: Victor Gischler and Paco Medina
1st appearance: Prelude to Deadpool Corps #4,
2010
Their thing: Deadpool. Headpool. Dogpool. Kid Deadpool. Lady
Deadpool. Together they traversed the multiverse righting wrongs and acting
like a bunch of unhinged goons. If you think five Deadpools is too many,
definitely don’t read Deadpool Kills
Deadpool, Cullen Bunn and Salva Espin’s 2013 miniseries in which every
Deadpool from every reality in the multiverse engages in epic battle.
SHIELD Agent Preston:
Created by: Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn and Tony Moore
1st appearance: Deadpool Vol. 3 #1, 2013
Her thing: Emily Preston is a SHIELD agent who contracts
Deadpool to deal with an invasion of dead presidents conjured by a necromancer
and former agent. She is killed by the undead George Washington and ends up
trapped in Wade’s psycho psyche, leaving Deadpool to figure out how to restore
her. Her consciousness is eventually transferred to a Life Model Decoy. Her
SHIELD partner is named after and looks exactly like actor Scott Adsit, who
played Pete Hornberger on 30 Rock. If
Adsit is cast in the Deadpool movie,
I will scream like a 13-year-old girl watching the Beatles on Ed Sullivan in
1964.
Shiklah:
Created by: Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn and Reilly Brown
1st appearance: Deadpool: The Gauntlet #3, 2014
Her thing: Shiklah is a demon succubus who marries Deadpool,
spurning Dracula, who had hired Wade to bring her to him. Because sure, why
not? If Deadpool can be romantically obsessed with Death, why can’t he marry a
demon?
Dan Grote’s new novel,
Magic Pier, is available however you get your books online. He has been writing
for The Matt Signal since 2014. He and Matt have been friends since the days
when making it to issue 25 guaranteed you a foil cover.
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