Top 10 Deadpool Jabs At Other Superheroes

Ryan Reynolds is no stranger to comic book adaptations, but it wasn’t until Deadpool that he got to be involved in an undeniably successful one. Of all his flops, however, none can compete with the spectacular disaster that was Green Lantern. Thankfully, Ryan Reynolds, and his on-screen alter ego, Deadpool, are only too willing to acknowledge that. From the Green Lantern trading card in Wade’s wallet to our cancer-riddled anti-hero’s plea that his suit not be green or animated, Deadpool makes his feelings about the live-action Green Lantern perfectly clear.

Realizing that he’s achieved a certain level of name recognition, Deadpool cashes in the only way he knows how - by ripping off somebody else! Deadpool puts together a “Heroes for Hire” type operation and promptly opens his business under that very same name. If it sounds familiar, that’s because “Heroes for Hire,” began in 1978, when Luke Cage and Iron Fist first monetized their crime-fighting to pay the bills. Unsurprisingly, an enraged Cage quickly put a stop to Deadpool’s flagrant copyright infringement with help from lawyer/superhero Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil. But hey, you gotta appreciate Wade’s bold disregard for common sense and good business practice. And thus, the equally cheeky “Mercs for Money” was born.

No superhero wants to be impersonated - especially not by Deadpool. But of all the capes out there, Thor is just about the worst candidate - or best, depending on your perspective. With his sense of self-importance, seemingly thin skin, old-timey costume, and penchant for prosaic speech… he’s begging to be parodied - and our merciless Merc with a Mouth is the ideal antagonistic anti-hero for the job. To be fair, Deadpool wasn’t acting solo in this instance. He was having his strings pulled by the trickster god/ terrible brother to Thor, Loki. Regardless, if you’ve ever thought to yourself… isn’t Thor a bit hard to take seriously? Deadpool is the guy to really hammer it home.

Tony Stark has a more colorful history than most - and in the world of comic books, that’s saying a LOT. The guy has got as many demons in his past as he’s got Iron Man suits in his closet - both of which our mischievous Deadpool was only too happy to take for a spin. Rocking a retro Iron Man outfit, and being drawn in an art style to match, the Merc with a Mouth hits Tony where it hurts - by dredging up the character’s influential “Demon in a Bottle” storyline, which explored Stark’s alcoholism. The parody is scathing, but set within a narrative that actually sees Wade help Stark stay sober - before knocking him out and taking his suit - it actually works!

Thanos is one of the most powerful beings in the Marvel universe, but he has at least one shortcoming: he’s got no sense of humor. None. And that’s what makes him such an ideal target for our irreverent mercenary. Thanos wants to commit mass murder on a huge scale… and he’s doing it all with a grim face in the name of the lady he loves - the embodiment of Death. The thing is, Deadpool doesn’t play by the rules, be they of the heroic variety, or your run-of-the-mill bro code of conduct. After many run-ins, Deadpool also developed a similar infatuation with Death, and sure enough, he comedically swoops in, seriously upsetting the Mad Titan. While Deadpool is a real thorn in Thanos’ side, the big purple guy gets the last laugh, since Wade can’t actually stay with death.

Deadpool has a real love-hate relationship with the X-Men. One minute he’s seemingly desperate to join the team, the next, he’s taking shots at them and their do-gooder ways. Since his debut in the pages of New Mutants #98 in 1991, he has mocked, parodied and generally irritated the X-Men in too many ways to count. Thankfully, when he made the jump to the big screen, he didn’t let up, instead, using this live-action opportunity to get meta about the X-Men film franchise. From his query about the multiple versions of Professor X to his hilarious shot at the fact that the X-Mansion keeps blowing up, he does not let up.

Poor Spidey. For whatever reason, Deadpool seems drawn to the Web-head. Perhaps it’s the visual similarities between their costumes. Or maybe Deadpool misguidedly views Parker as a kindred spirit because of similarly wise-cracking ways. Whatever the reason, it’s resulted in a long history of Deadpool copp ing Pete’s style, parodying him, or just generally annoying the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. As far back as the ‘97, he was copying classic Spidey covers and mocking Parker’s do-gooder attitude. In later encounters, he’s even gotten meta about Spidey’s movies, calling Parker “Dreamy Doe Eyed Tobey Maguire.” Of course, their team-up series is just one big glorious Deadpool troll-fest.

In this scathing little piece of parody, Deadpool and the creative team behind “All-New Wolverine” take aim at DC, mocking their competition for one of the more ridiculous panels from Batman comics past. Yes… we’re talking about the infamous “Bat-slap”, which has taken on a second life in the form of a popular meme. In the wake of the death of Wolverine, Marvel decided to have some fun by recreating the infamous panel with X-23 in the role of Batman, and Deadpool standing in for Robin. Though the subject matter was macabre, it was right up Deadpool’s alley. And hey, it’s not like Logan was gone for good.

Though the two unofficially shared a few pages in the 2006 Batman/Superman Annual, where an alternate reality version of Deathstroke in a costume that blends elements from both and never gets to say his name without being interrupted, one could argue that Deadpool’s very existence is one big walking, talking, sword-wielding jab at Deathstroke the Terminator. Deadpool is an unabashed rip-off of the grim and gritty DC mercenary, right down to his civilian name, Slade Wilson, which is only two letters off. From the costume and the penchant for guns and swords to his line of work, everything Deathstroke does, Deadpool mimicked - just with an added layer of ridiculousness.

Unlike so many of his fellow superhumans, Deadpool is blessed with a sense of humor. Though he throws comedic jabs at everyone who comes within arms' reach, the most frequent victim of his delightfully insufferable jokes… is Deadpool. There’s hardly an issue of Deadpool in which he doesn’t make a mockery of himself. But of all the jokes he’s made at his own expense, Deadpool’s takedown of his own previous live-action appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, was without a doubt the most satisfying. After taking a shot at 20th Century Fox’s monstrosity in a teaser trailer, he then called out his own “lowest point” in Deadpool - much to the delight of true Deadpool fans everywhere!