10 Comics Changed Due To Fan Backlash

4. Saving Deadpool... Twice

Clone Saga
Marvel Comics

See Deadpool in that header image? Imagine that pooch is really the comic book fanbase running to his rescue to make their affection known. Not once, mind, but twice.

Even though these days the Merc with a Mouth has become a pop culture phenomenon, that wasn't always the case. If anything, Wade Wilson was a C-list (at best!) character who was sometimes a villain, sometimes an anti-hero, and sometimes had a mild sprinkling of humour thrown in for good measure.

Having debuted in 1991 as an X-Men villain, it took until 1997 for Wade to get his own comic book title.

That Deadpool Vol. 1 run saw writer Joe Kelly and artist Ed McGuinness do wonders with Chiyonosake and give the character so many of the traits fans now know and love about Deadpool. The thing is, Marvel Comics wasn't all that fussed on Wade Wilson and cancelled that title after just 25 issues.

An outraged response from readers saw Marvel backed into bringing that Deadpool title back, although the book would again be cancelled with Deadpool #33. Undeterred, those same fans went to bat for Wade - with Marvel having to once again un-cancel the book.

In total, that first solo Deadpool title would end up running for 69 issues before coming to an end in 2002. It would then take a further six years for Wilson to be given his own solo book again, and nowadays it seems completely unfeasible for Deadpool to be without his own title.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main dayjob, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg.