Batman is a man of few words, as he’s more focused on getting the job done than small talk. Meanwhile, Deadpool is named Merc with a Mouth for a reason, as he’s got the reputation of being overly talkative, to the point where many fellow heroes (and villains) consider him to be severely annoying. But, what happens when the two totally different heroes meet?

Deadpool was created by Rob Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza, as he was clearly inspired by the DC Comics assassin Deathstroke (Wade Wilson/Slade Wilson). Writer Joe Kelly was responsible for shaping Deadpool into the fourth-wall-breaking antihero that’s beloved today, as he made the character much sillier and self-referential. Back in 2006, when Kelly was writing in the Superman/Batman annual, he managed to sneak Deadpool into the book in a creative and fun way that was subtle enough that Marvel couldn’t sue.

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In Batman/Superman Annual #1, Deathstroke is hired to kill Bruce Wayne. Bruce and Clark Kent go on a cruise ship on a trip to the Bermuda Triangle. Thanks to a mix-up, Bruce and Clark are forced to sleep in the same cabin. However, when a mysterious rift opens in the sky above them, Deathstroke attacks. As Slade shoots a healthy dose of bullets at Bruce and Clark, a Deathstroke lookalike jumps in the way and takes all of the shots. Things get worse as the Crime Syndicate shows up (via the rift), causing more destruction. The masked Deathstroke-lookalike continues to save Bruce as Deathstroke tries to kill him – including ripping his arm off and using it as a weapon. He also gets a sword stabbed through his head and is shot directly in the neck. Eventually, Bruce puts on his Batman costume and knocks out Deathstroke. He thanks the stranger for helping him and asks his name, which the stranger responds “Deaaaaaa–” before he’s sucked back into the rift.

Deadpool’s not so subtle cameo is extremely meta, as he’s wearing the literal costume that inspired the character to begin with. The ongoing joke that he’s about to reveal himself before getting interrupted is a perfect way to use Deadpool without ever admitting it. The last panel where he reveals that he’s “Deaaaaa…” before getting cut off is the perfect tease to his true identity. DC Comics actually managed to use Deadpool for an entire story, without fully revealing him. It’s clearly Wade Wilson, as his mannerisms, quippy nature, invulnerability, and look all point to Deadpool. DC Comics avoided getting sued by Marvel by playing it as close to the edge as possible without ever going over. Batman really met Deadpool in the comics.

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Liam McGuire
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Lead writer for Screen Rant’s comic team. [email protected]. Find me on Twitter @LiamRMcGuire for comic news and reporting.

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