Since his introduction in The New Mutants in 1991, Deadpool has grown to become one of the most beloved characters in comics. After being given his own series in 1997, he quickly established himself as the comic relief of the Marvel Universe, with his wisecracks and tendency to break the fourth wall to let readers in on the joke.
The release of the Deadpool movie this week should be a boon for the character’s popularity, and it wouldn’t be too surprising to see even more of the “Merc With a Mouth” if the movie is even mildly successful. As the character’s profile has grown over the years, so too has his presence in video games. With the help of the Marvel Database, here is a chronological list of Deadpool appearances in games.
X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse (2005)
This action-RPG from Raven Software expands upon the roster of playable characters from the original X-Men Legends, and this time they included Deadpool as an unlockable character. This makes for an interesting conundrum later in the game, when you face off against a villainous version of Deadpool controlled by Mister Sinister. The only thing better than Deadpool is… more Deadpool!
Marvel Ultimate Alliance (2006)
Deadpool returns in another Raven action-RPG. This time he gets his own unlockable mission where he must survive Arcade‘s Murderworld. To unlock the mission you must focus the light from four mirrors to break the ice and free Heimdall, who will then ask that you retrieve his horn. Run back to the… You know what? Just watch the video above to see how the mission plays out.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 (2009)
Deadpool returns in the follow-up to Ultimate Alliance. In Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, his arsenal has expanded to include use of his katanas, teleporter, guns, and grenades. He also has a few Easter Egg conversations if you use him to talk to certain characters, such as Weasel. In the end credits, he also complains to the writers that he isn’t the star of the game. I cannot argue there.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
Ho boy. Let’s just get through this one and never mention it again, shall we? Deadpool is featured in his most prominent appearance yet as the final boss to the action-adventure game starring Wolverine. Unfortunately, it is the version from the Wolverine movie, aka the “Merc Without a Mouth.” At least we get to chop his head off and kick him down a nuclear cooling tower.
Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions (2010)
In this action-adventure game that blends together four different Marvel universes, Deadpool challenges Ultimate Spider-Man to appear on his reality show Pain Factor. After making it through a series of challenges and Deadpool fanboys, Ultimate Spidey confronts Deadpool directly, who then uses a fragment of the Tablet of Order and Chaos to split into three versions of himself, each representing his different fighting styles: hand-to-hand, swords, and guns. To follow the logic from above, the only thing better than two Deadpools is… three Deadpools!
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds (2011)
It’s hard to believe that it wasn’t until the third iteration of the Marvel vs. Capcom fighting games that we saw Deadpool, a character known for his unorthodox fighting style. I would say this was due to his reliance on guns and swords, but War Machine and Wolverine were in since the first game, so there goes that theory. Oh well, at least we get to see Deadpool wipe that smug look off Wesker‘s face.
Marvel Super Hero Squad Online (2011)
Who thought including Deadpool in a kids game was a good idea? This toned-down version of the character still brings the funny and breaks the fourth wall, clearly getting the irony of his inclusion with lines like “Punisher?! Woah, woah, woah, I thought you were way too violent for the Super Hero Squad!”
Marvel Avengers Alliance (2012)
Deadpool may be the most talkative, most social character in the MU, so he is a natural fit for this social game, originally released on Facebook. If your friends are going to shamelessly ask you for help with annoying posts on your Facebook wall, those posts may as well come from a character with no shame.
Marvel Heroes (2013)
In this free-to-play MMORPG, you can choose to specialize in talent trees that focus on one of Deadpool’s many fighting styles. You can also customize the character in one of many available costumes, including Pirate Deadpool, Lady Deadpool, and even Headpool, a bodiless zombie-head version of Deadpool from an alternate universe.
Deadpool (2013)
This is it, the biggie: Deadpool finally got his own video game! It only took 22 years and several appearances in lesser games before the world realized what it was missing. They could finally buy their very own game starring Deadpool… That is, until it was delisted from all digital storefronts in January 2014. Not to worry, the game made its triumphant return in July of that year, and even got an HD makeover for this generation of consoles last November. I’m sure that had nothing to do with the surge in interest in the character with the new movie coming out this year. Nope. Nothing at all.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (2013)
This massive open-world LEGO game contains over 180 Marvel characters, so you better believe Deadpool makes an appearance in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes. While he may not get a starring role in the main story, he does narrate several side missions strewn about New York City. Somebody at TT Games knows exactly what they are doing.
Marvel Puzzle Quest (2013)
Multiple versions of Deadpool populate this free-to-play match-three puzzler. The player can join him in a fight against both heroes and villains on a quest for Iso-8 and chimichangas. He also has his very own daily quest, Deadpool’s Daily.
Marvel Contest of Champions (2014)
Finally, Deadpool returns to the fighting genre; right where he belongs, and he really gets a chance to shine. In fact, he even got his own Deadpoolooza event in Contest of Champions this February with a series of quests and in-game rewards.
Marvel Pinball (2014)
You know you have hit the bigtime when you get your own pinball table. This table from Zen Studios features supporting characters including Blind Al, Weasel, Lil’ Deadpool, and of course the merc himself, who provides constant commentary on the pinball action. The table also features some unique modes and events, such as a “Blind Mode” in which only the ball, flippers, and target lanes are visible (thanks for nothing, Blind Al) and a mode where Deadpool has to battle raging comic book fans.
Honorable Mention:
LittleBigPlanet (2013)
In what is perhaps the cutest entry in the list, this Deadpool costume DLC helps you convert Sackboy into a pantomime version of everyone’s favorite mercenary.
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