So, by now most you understand my fandoms, n’est pas?  Well, along with revisiting my Tron love, I happened to find a box of my old comics.  (I’d boarded and bagged all of them prior to storage of course, I’m a true fangirl after all.)  I still miss my Spawn comics.  Cannot forget that #6 Todd McFarlane cover.  Relatives should never be allowed to go through your things when you move.  Ever.  Sigh.

But I did find my full series run of Dark Horse’s Boba Fett comics that came out before those dreaded prequels.  You know, back when Fett was bad ass and sounded it.

Gorgeous, isn’t it.  Mine is in near mint condition too.  I also have the entire run the Ultimate Spider-Man series.  I had a subscription as any good fan does.  What I realized I am missing though are my Deadpool comics.  I only had a few and none of his series, mostly just random times when he’d show up in other titles.

So, I decided to start re-reading them from #1, online since my local comic book store is woefully short of the titles.  The early runs starting in 1994 (The four book outing with the main series starting up again in ’97) are remarkably different from the ‘Pool we see in comics today.  Oh, don’t get me wrong he’s always been ‘the merc with a mouth.’   The earlier runs had him struggling to become a ‘hero’ and questioning if he could ever live up to that title then there were the times he vehemently denied even wanting to be one.  Good stuff.  He’s quite the poster boy for internal conflict and conflicting motivations.  He can be incredibly violent and nearly sadistic and then turn around and do something totally unexpected and borderline heroic and make you agree with Al that somewhere under all that filth there is a good soul.  By the way, Al or Alfred is the elderly woman Deadpool kept prisoner in his house.  Needless to say their relationship is ultra complicated.

I can hear you mumbling, yes I’m getting to the point okay.  I don’t ramble like Deadpool.  Usually.  Though I do talk to myself or rather to my other selves.  That’s a whole’nother blog though.  I’m getting distracted again.  I blame this yummy rotisserie chicken and The Fray.

So, can someone like Deadpool who has been a killer/murderer for hire for years, be a hero.  Short answer.  No.  Long answer forthcoming:

First, what is a hero?

Webster’s Free Online Dic says:

Definition of HERO

1 a : a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descentendowed with great strength or ability b : an illustrious warrior c : a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities d : one who shows great courage

2 a : the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work b : the central figure in an event, period, or movement

3 plural usually he·ros : submarine 2

4: an object of extreme admiration and devotion : idol

 See hero defined for English-language learners »

See hero defined for kids »

Examples of HERO

1. He returned from the war a national hero.
2. the hero of a rescue
3. She was a hero for standing up to the government.
4. His father has always been his hero.
5. He has always been a hero to his son.
6. A motto of his hero, Thomas Edison, is inscribed on a favorite sweatshirt : “To invent you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.” —Britt Robson, Mother Jones, May/June 2008
7. [+]more

Origin of HERO

Latin heros, from Greek hērōs

Rhymes with HERO

zero

Feel enlightened yet.  Yeah, me neither.  By definition #4 anyone can be a hero to someone.  So what makes someone a hero.  Selflessness?  Compassion?  Willingness to act when other’s won’t?  Standing up for what is right?  Sure those are all good things.  Maybe even heroic things.  But where is motivation?  If the motivation is wrong is the action still heroic?  What makes an action heroic?  It’s like the age old question.  Are you brave or stupid?

I’ve always been a bit against the classical archetype of the hero.  I like to see people get beaten down by life and struggle to find a way to rise above it.  I guess that’s why I like our dear old Deadpool so much.  He’s had the snot kicked out of him more times than most Marvel heroes and villains.  Yet, he’s only ever once really gotten to the point he wanted to end it all.  Not that he can all that easily.  Healing factor and all.  But still, you gotta like a guy who loses limbs, gets decapitated and suffers all kind of bodily harm yet never shut’s the hell up.  Well only when he gets ‘really serious’ then its game over. A quiet Deadpool is an oxymoron.

DP is also unique in a few other ways.  He’s not afraid to address his reader directly. Yup, he is notorious for breaking the fourth wall and spouting his own observations about what’s happening in the comic.  In fact, he’s so excited about the upcoming Deadpool video game that he wrote the press release himself.  It’s quite epic and I use it in my class about how to write press releases.  Yup, it’s that good.  Here is the link.  Link.

Another unique thing about our red spandex clad anti-hero, he’s crazy.  Certifiable.  As in hears voices and has full blown hallucinations.  Quite like myself, but that’s my other blog.  I have to admit I find it quite endearing.  He’s so cute when he’s talking to his selves.

Is it dissociate identity disorder or schizophrenia? My vote is on the later.

When you’ve been through all the stuff DP has then you’d get your sanity link severed too.  It’s really too bad that this character doesn’t get the attention he deserves.  In fact just yesterday/today the artists who’ve worked on DP over the years were called D-listers as in Marvel wouldn’t put A-list talent on a crappy title like Deadpool.  And this by DP’s creator to add insult to injury.

Helloooo . . . waitagoshdarnminute.  Crappy?  Deadpool?  As DP might exclaim: “Exsqueeze me?”   Oh wait, here’s the explanation and honestly, can’t argue with the man on this point.  Linkage.  Rob is right Deadpool is amazing even in spite of, or maybe  because of the fact that he never gets A-list talent.  A-listers have images to uphold.  They can’t be seen slogging through DP’s filthy mind.  D-listers on the other hand have no such inhibitions.  Anything goes as long as they get to work.  And I think that’s one of the reasons Deadpool works.  He’s crazy, violent, chaotic and not afraid to call the reader out on shit.  And that’s why I love him.

 

End of line.  (Crap wrong fandom.)  (Who cares just post it already.)