- Deadpool made his first comic appearance in The New Mutants #98.
- He got his powers from the Weapon X program.
- Deadpool's powers include superhuman strength, agility, and regeneration.
After the first teaser for Deadpool 3, the new trailer for Deadpool and Wolverine is out and if we talk about comic book characters, Deadpool is among the biggest and most loved characters of all time. After Detective Comics introduced Deathstroke in 1980, Marvel came up with its gun-for-hire in the form of Deadpool in 1984, which became a hundredfold more popular than the characters he was inspired by. Deadpool being as crazy as he is, his skillset and powers are equally crazy. So, let’s talk about Deadpool’s origin and powers.
Deadpool’s Origin in Comics and Movies
If we talk about Deadpool’s origin in comics, Wade Wilson was a part of the Special Forces before he was dishonorably discharged from duty. After he was relieved from duty, he became a mercenary or a gun for hire. However, soon he was diagnosed with cancer and volunteered for the Weapon X program since they claimed they could heal him from his cancer and also give him superhuman abilities.
However, after Wade got there, he was injected with the serum meant to give him a healing factor that might also heal his cancer. The serum was created and administered to Wade by Dr. Emrys Killebrew who created it from the samples of Wolverine’s blood.
Even though the treatment healed him, it also accelerated his cancer mutation essentially turning him into a walking tumor that could regenerate from any physical damage. After he escaped from the Weapon X facility, Wade took up the alibi of Deadpool, and hence the fan-favorite antihero, Deadpool came to origin.
Deadpool’s origin in movies is the same as in comics. We see in Deadpool (2016) that Wade Wilson was experimented upon after he was diagnosed with cancer and turned into a superhuman with regenerative capabilities.
Deadpool Powers and Abilities
Deadpool has several abilities and powers, but only a few are well-known. Most of his abilities come from the mutation caused to him by the Weapon X serum. However, his combat skills are a result of his military training. Now while you go through this, remember that this is Deadpool, his abilities are quite limitless.
1. Regenerative Abilities
The experiment Deadpool was subjected to gave him the ability to regenerate from the worst of injuries. He can grow limbs that are cut off from his body and can even grow back his head if it is ever decapitated. However, the ability to regenerate from wounds does not give him resistance to pain and initially, even death.
But, that changed when Thanos cursed him with eternal life, thus making Deadpool immortal. Deadpool feels every bit of pain for every hit he takes but since he can quite literally grow everything back, he can be reckless and crazy, making Deadpool you know, Deadpool.
2. Super Strength
Most people think that the Weapon X experiments just gave Deadpool the ability to regenerate from damage. However, the experiments conducted on him also gave him a certain degree of superhuman strength. Since Deadpool has regenerative abilities, he can push his muscles beyond human limits.
It has been noted that Deadpool has a high level of superhuman strength allowing him to lift weights of approximately 800 pounds. In the comic Cable & Deadpool #13, we got to know that Deadpool can seriously hurt a man by just using his forefinger and thumb.
3. Superhuman Agility
One of the key factors in Deadpool’s abilities is his agility. Wade Wilson was quite agile even before the Weapon X experiments. However, after the serum was injected into him, it modified his body to produce less to no fatigue-inducing hormones. because of this very modification, Deadpool can run, jump, and fight for literally hours without feeling any fatigue.
Wade Wilson was a Deadly combatant as is with all his military training but paired with his Weapon X agility, Deadpool becomes a force to be reckoned with for even the greatest of heroes.
4. Teleportation and Time Travel
Deadpool has a whole arsenal of weapons in his armory. However, one of the greatest weapons in there is his teleportation belt. In the comic books, the belt was designed by his friend and weapons supplier Weasel but gradually, Deadpool stopped using it for two reasons.
One, according to him, it made things too easy, and second, with time the teleporter started to malfunction and whenever Deadpool used it to teleport, the teleporter would strip his body of random muscles and bones.
Deadpool also has a time-traveling device which was shown to us for the first time in Deadpool 2. In the movie, Cable used the last of his time-traveling charge to save Deadpool from dying after which his time-traveling device became useless. However, Yukio and Negasonic Teenage Warhead fixed it for him and Deadpool went on an adventure through time, the aftermath of which we will get to see in Deadpool 3.
5. Resistance to Mind Control and Telepathy
In the comic books, Deadpool has an ability that gives him an upper hand over one of the greatest X-Men known to us, Professor X himself. The experiments conducted on him permanently altered the wiring of Deadpool’s brain. It keeps changing constantly making him immune to mind control and telepathy. Even one of the greatest telepaths in the X-Men saga, Emma Frost, is unable to influence Deadpool or even peek into his brain.
