20 Weird Facts About Deadpool And Spider-Man's Relationship

Deadpool and Spider-Man are a fan-favorite comic pairing, a perfect match of smart-aleck wise guys who fight crime. As soon as they were allowed to team up together, fans jumped all over it, producing memes and videos and jokes all their own. The two costumed characters also have a rich history within the comics themselves, helped by their recent and ongoing team-up series. Their relationship may have started out antagonistic, but it eventually turned into one of respect, affection, and friendship. Granted, they’ve had some rough spots here and there, but nowadays they’re very good chums.

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With a character as wacky as Deadpool – the Merc with a Mouth who knows he’s in a comic book and breaks the fourth wall – teaming up with Spider-Man – the Wall-Crawler with much more integrity and morals who is just as quick with the witty retorts – it should come as no surprise. From their own personal dynamic to the villains they’ve fought to the times they’ve fought each other, it’s one strange moment after another with Spider-Man and Deadpool.

Updated on December 21st, 2021 by George Chrysostomou: Deadpool and Spider-Man could be very well be crossing over in the Marvel Cinematic Universe very soon and the comics could hugely influence how their relationship plays out on screen. These facts are surely vital in understanding how Marvel Studios will approach the friendship, with Ryan Reynolds and Tom Holland in the two titular roles. 

They Weren’t Very Friendly When They First Met

While various versions of Spider-Man and Deadpool had met in other issues – usually in storylines where Deadpool went into the past, or an alternate universe, or met an alternate version of Peter Parker – the two characters didn’t cross paths in the prime Marvel continuity until 2006, with Cable/Deadpool #24. In that issue, Deadpool wasn’t even trying to meet Spider-Man, but instead was trying to find another Daily Bugle reporter. That reporter was driving with Peter Parker over a bridge when Deadpool finally caught up with them, and the scene didn’t play out in the friendliest of ways.

Deadpool throws Peter Parker off the bridge. That’s the first interaction the two heroes ever had. A fight breaks out, as Spider-Man appears (who would have guessed?) and takes issue with the Merc with a Mouth. Spidey keeps trying to fight Deadpool and protect the reporter, while Deadpool seems to be more focused on making jokes about Tobey Maguire. This issue set the tone for a lot of Spider-Man’s early run-ins with Deadpool, as instead of being smart-alecky like normal, the Wall-Crawler acted as a straight man for Deadpool’s wacky attitude. It wouldn’t be until later that the two found a rhythm where they could both be funny in the same conversation.

Deadpool’s Design Was Based On Spider-Man

It doesn’t take much brainpower to realize that Deadpool’s look was based on Spider-Man’s when comparing the two side by side. The color scheme, the skintight design, and especially the cowl are all very similar. Heck, one look at Deadpool’s eyes should make it clear that Spidey’s eyes inspired them. Deadpool’s creator, Rob Liefeld, has admitted as much, saying that he didn’t have access to Wolverine or Spider-Man, so he had to make his own. Liefeld’s other famous creation Cable resembles Wolverine in spirit, and Deadpool’s look is undeniably based on Spider-Man and the DC assassin Deathstroke.

The look is so similar that pretty much every story that has both characters brings it up. When Deadpool makes an appearance in the Ultimate Spider-Man animated series, he actually accuses Spidey of stealing his style, because in that continuity he’s technically older. The references don’t stop there– there are rumors that the original script for the first Deadpool film actually took it further. In an early draft, Deadpool supposedly couldn’t figure out his costume, so he found Spider-Man’s cowl lying around on the street, turned it inside out, and that was his costume for the movie.

They Watched Batman V. Superman Together

Deadpool has always been one to break the fourth wall, and since he resides in the world of superheroes and villains that means that he tends to comment on the tropes and trends of that genre. So in the comics, the Merc with a Mouth goes to see superhero movies in his spare time – and who better to bring along on a movie date than his friendly neighborhood Spider-Man? One of the early sources of conflict in Spider-Man and Deadpool’s ongoing team-up series was that Spider-Man didn’t want to hang out with Deadpool when they weren’t fighting crime. They tried to solve that by seeing movies.

Obviously, the two characters seeing a superhero movie gave the Marvel writers a chance to rag on the DCEU, and they weren’t going to waste a chance like that. Specifically targeting Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice with a poster that reads “Nighthawk v. Hyperion: Yawn of Boredom,” the writers didn’t stop there. Spider-Man and Deadpool continue to levy thinly-veiled criticisms of the DC film for several panels. While some DC fans may take umbrage at this gag, many more open-minded fans likely thought it was a cute way for Spider-Man and Deadpool to deepen their friendship.

They Trade Yo Mama Jokes

Honestly, it would be more surprising if this wasn’t a key component of Deadpool and Spider-Man’s relationship. The two costumed characters are each known for their smart-alecky ways, so naturally, their banter would be even better together. In Amazing Spider-Man #611, Deadpool picks a fight with Spider-Man both physically and verbally. He starts by asking for Spidey’s autograph with a pen that turns out to be an explosive, and the situation soon devolves into name-calling and yo mama jokes, on both sides. It’s slightly jarring to see Spider-Man roll with jokes about his deceased mother.

This absurd scenario wouldn’t be complete without an audience of excitable teenagers playing basketball, of course. The whole thing builds up to Deadpool teasing some kind of perfect, atomic yo mama joke (censored, naturally, for the readers’ innocent eyes). Eventually, Deadpool leaves, since his contract was only to distract the Wall-Crawler, not end his life. The whole encounter, first revealed in late 2009, feels now like a preview for their eventual team-up series, which is still going on today. The insult exchange is indicative of the two characters’ whole dynamic, at once antagonistic and friendly, insulting and profane at the same time. More importantly: it’s funny!

Deadpool Has Pretended To Be Both Peter Parker And Spider-Man

Deadpool and Spider-Man may have very similar costumes, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t done a swap every once in a while. What’s odd is that Deadpool’s pretended to be both the Wall-Crawler and his mild-mannered alter ego Peter Parker– without knowing the connection between them. The first time the two characters ever shared a panel (outside of the main continuity) found Deadpool traveling to the past and ending up in one of Spider-Man’s classic issues. He faked a phone call to Peter Parker to get him out of the way, then pretended to be Parker to aid his own agenda.

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Deadpool also pretended to Spider-Man much later in the comics, but this time, it was for a more altruistic reason. Spider-Man was under attack from a villain called the Chameleon. A master of disguise, the villain kept popping out and stabbing Spidey, which turned the normally calm hero into a nervous wreck. Deadpool, ever an ally, dons Spidey’s costume to beat the Chameleon at his own game. The story by Christopher Hastings is a fun one, as Deadpool proceeds to get really excited about running wild in Spider-Man’s rogues gallery. The best part? Deadpool saves the day, looks good doing it, and even gives Spidey’s public image a boost, much to Peter Parker’s bewilderment.

Deadpool Has Tried To “Un-Alive” Spider-Man Many Times

Deadpool makes his living as a mercenary and assassin, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that he has a fairly long list of people he has eliminated. For a long time, his basic storylines mostly involved him meeting up with some superhero/villain and doing something to annoy them, causing a fight to break out. Thus, Deadpool fights almost everybody he meets at some point or another, and Spider-Man is no exception. Deadpool has earnestly attempted to take out Spider-Man and Peter Parker on more than a few occasions.

While Deadpool usually doesn’t succeed in that goal (or changes his mind because his conscience gets the better of him), there are a few disturbing incidents where he actually did. There are a couple of memorably titled Deadpool series that see the Merc with a Mouth terminate every single Marvel character, and that includes Spidey. The first time is less interesting, as Deadpool’s motivations are just that he realizes he’s in a comic book, so none of it matters. He shoots Spider-Man at close range there. The second is weirder: Deadpool is deceived into thinking he’s actually having wacky hijinks with the other characters, nothing lethal involved. While Deadpool thinks he’s having an eating contest with Spider-Man, the Wall-Crawler is actually the one getting eaten by none other than Venom.

Deadpool Appeared In Spidey’s TV Show

Deadpool appeared as an antagonist in the recent animated series Ultimate Spider-Man, and he showed up to teach Spidey some tricks of the trade. Of course, he’s eventually revealed to be actively betraying S.H.I.E.L.D., so he and the Wall-Crawler have to fight over important data.

The episode ended up showcasing why fans love the two characters and their relationship so much, throwing Spider-Man into Deadpool’s zany world and allowing both of them to get plenty of jokes in. It all culminates in a “fantasy fight” where they each try to mentally manipulate each other in increasingly silly scenarios. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the whole episode? Deadpool is funny and fun even though he’s on a kid-friendly TV show. Even without cuss words or gore, he’s able to bring the laughs and the same manic energy he’s famous for.

They Had A Very Different Relationship In The Ultimate Universe

The Deadpool that appeared in the Marvel Ultimates universe was considerably different from the Wade Wilson fans know and love in the main continuity. Instead of the cancerous flesh found on normal Deadpool, Ultimate Deadpool (who went by “Wadey” Wilson) had barely any flesh on his face at all, and it was encased by a glass mask. Instead of a sometimes-friends, sometimes-rivals dynamic, Ultimate Deadpool and Spider-Man had a much more straightforward relationship: Villain and hero. Ultimate Deadpool wasn’t an antihero or even morally gray like his mainstream counterpart: he was just evil.

Wadey Wilson didn’t even have the same sense of humor that normal Deadpool had. He wasn’t without jokes, but they tended to be of the sadistic, evil kind. The character’s design was clearly based on Sin-Eater, another Marvel villain, rather than the original Deadpool. The Peter Parker from the Ultimate universe was mostly the same as his Earth-616 counterpart, and since he’s a quintessential hero type, there’s no way he’d get along with Wadey. Funnily enough, while Ultimate Deadpool’s claim to fame came through his run-in with Spider-Man, it was actually Earth-616’s Deadpool (i.e. the mainstream continuity Deadpool) who finally put Wadey down for good.

“What If Venom Possessed Deadpool?”

That’s not just a question from a speculative fan. Marvel has done several issues of comics in their “What If?” universe that allow writers to explore strange alternate universes in the comics. One of these alternate universes had a fairly straightforward idea: what if the alien symbiote had attached itself to Wade Wilson? Unfortunately for Peter Parker, that set-up involves him and the Beyonder. The Beyonder, a nearly all-powerful being, ends up manifesting as a pretty normal-looking dude who goes around in a flying limousine.

Deadpool initially finds the Beyonder in the flying limo to satisfy a contract, which he promptly reneges on because he ends up liking the Beyonder. The two hang out but are found by Spider-Man with the alien symbiote suit. Spider-Man blames the Beyonder for his current suit situation, but that doesn’t help him much in the ensuing fight, as he gets blasted out of the sky and the symbiote jumps off him and onto Deadpool, where Venom winds up taking just as wild a ride as Deadpool. What follows is an adventure worthy of the Merc with a Mouth, and an outright strange one, given that it starts with Deadpool, Spider-Man, and the Beyonder in a flying limo.

Spider-Man Is Deadpool’s “Heartmate”

Poor Deadpool. The man is a raging ball of libido, yet his off-putting, decaying appearance makes him a less-than-desirable partner for most. Then there’s the whole thing that he’s a hardened assassin who hears multiple voices in his head. It’s hard for the Merc with a Mouth to get a date, but that doesn’t mean he won’t try. One of the targets of Deadpool’s affections is none other than Spider-Man, though unfortunately for Wade, the attraction isn’t reciprocated. While Deadpool has said that he isn’t attracted to Spider-Man, some recent events made it clear that he wasn’t being entirely truthful. First, there was a magic spell performed on Deadpool meant to summon his wife (yes, Deadpool had a wife, she’s a succubus called Queen Shiklah, don’t worry about it).

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The spell summoned Deadpool’s “heartmate,” who turned out to be none other than Spider-Man, rather than his wife. On top of that, in Spider-Man/Deadpool #4, it’s revealed Deadpool has a top-five free pass list that allows him some very specific infidelities. Number five on that list is Spider-Man, which is confirmation that Deadpool wouldn’t mind if their relationship was a little more physical and a little less platonic. Spider-Man, on the other hand, has never indicated any romantic interest in the Merc with a Mouth, so fans may have to wait a while for that ship to come in.

Spider-Ham And Deadpork

Several of the most important Marvel superheroes have animal counterparts, and of course, Spider-Man is one of them. The thing is, instead of it being a spider in the animal-verse, he’s a pig called Spider-Ham. The animal versions of the heroes have their own reality, which is home to dozens of furry and feathered alternate visions of the heroes, including Hulk Bunny and Scarlet Pooch. Unfortunately, Deadpool doesn’t get his own animal version until much later in the Marvel continuity, and he only gets it as an illusion. Beginning in Avenging Spider-Man #12, the story that brings out the pig version of Deadpool, Deadpork, takes place inside Peter Parker’s mind.

The 2012 storyline actually finds its genesis in Wade Wilson trying to terminate Peter Parker on behalf of the Hypno Hustler. Wade eventually can’t pull the trigger, and backs out of his deal with the villain, though Peter doesn’t just automatically forgive him for that. The adventure finds them in Spider-Man’s dreamworld, where he imagines himself inside the plot of the film The Breakfast Club, in his high school, and as animal versions of himself and Deadpool. This is the first canonical appearance of Deadpork, and he hasn’t appeared anywhere else, really. Fingers crossed that Spider-Ham and Deadpork get to meet up and save some bacon soon!

Deadpool Has Met Several Different Versions Of Spider-Man

There have been a lot of different characters to take on the mantle of Spider-Man; enough that the upcoming animated movie centered on Miles Morales has the subtitle Into The Spider-Verse. Deadpool, naturally, has met many of these, though his friendship is still strongest with the original Peter Parker. One of the very first issues of Spider-Man/Deadpool saw Deadpool try to get Spidey’s attention by hugging random citizens in New York City – an activity that got the attention of the wrong Spider-Man. Miles Morales showed up on the scene, and Deadpool thought he was either a clone or an impostor.

That mix-up was later straightened out, but Miles Morales is far from the only alternate version of Spider-Man Deadpool has encountered. Deadpool also met the Superior Spider-Man (who was then none other than Doc Ock possessed Spider-Man’s body). Deadpool didn’t like Otto Octavius as much as Peter Parker, but he liked him more than some of the other Spider-Men he came across, like an alternate reality where he met Peter Parker having bonded with the alien symbiote Carnage. It doesn’t matter how many of these other Spider-Men he meets, though, since Deadpool’s favorite is always prime continuity Peter Parker.

They Teamed Up With The Punisher While They Were Zombies

The Marvel Universe Vs series of comics was interesting, to say the least. In Marvel Universe Vs The Punisher story, the entire world has been turned into zombies. The Punisher, naturally, isn’t a fan of this predicament, and he spends his days putting down zombified heroes and villains. One zombie character who just won’t go away, though, is Deadpool, thanks to his regenerative healing ability. The series finds The Punisher shooting Deadpool over and over until they finally team up, thanks to the leadership of Spider-Man. In the comic, Spider-Man formed one of the more powerful zombie tribes because he was actually Patient Zero for the whole outbreak. Deadpool joined that tribe, because why not?

Deadpool can still speak, which is not something every one of the zombified savages can boast, so he serves as Spider-Man’s messenger. They end up supporting The Punisher in his goals – being the only hero unaffected by the virus, as he had been granted immunity. All this despite Frank Castle just opening fire on Deadpool pretty much whenever he likes. They all team up to take down the King of Fear (formerly known as Kingpin), successfully rescuing a bunch of people. The Punisher eventually betrays Spider-Man, however.

They’ve Fought All Kinds Of Crazy Opponents Together

Marvel heroes have to fight all kinds of zany villains and monsters. Deadpool and Spider-Man, however, are in a league of their own. Since they’re both funny characters, they tend to get paired up with only the wackiest of opponents. This list includes (but is certainly not limited to) dinosaurs, symbiotes, dinosaur-symbiotes, zombies, succubi, a hitman monkey, the god Saturn, members of the X-Men, a whole range of villains, and Richard Nixon. When these two heroes team up, they’re only going to see the strangest villains.

Also, most of them tend to be Deadpool’s fault. He’s the one who brought dinosaurs to New York City during an alien symbiote outbreak, he’s the one chased by a hitman monkey, he’s the one who ended Richard Nixon’s life in the main Marvel continuity. And these are just the enemies the two have had while working together, not even including the ones they fought on their own.

Spider-Man Broke Deadpool Out Of Prison After Fighting A Monkey

Deadpool Vol. 2 #19-21 begins with Deadpool getting chased by Hit-Monkey, a hit-man who is a monkey, and end with Spider-Man breaking Deadpool out of Rikers Prison. Apparently, this is one of the less complicated narratives that writer Daniel Way crafted on his run on the Deadpool series. At first, Spider-Man suspects Deadpool of terminating a bunch of people in New York City, but it turns out it was all Hit-Monkey trying to terminate Deadpool. Deadpool still has his healing factor, so he isn’t in any danger, but he still wants Spider-Man to help him escape Hit-Monkey, because he doesn’t want to get shot.

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Obviously, hijinks ensue. Spider-Man and Deadpool have to work together to foil and evade the sinister monkey. Hit-Monkey does not have any superpowers. He is literally just a monkey who got his hands on some guns and is a hitman. He may be smarter than the average Japanese macaque, but he is literally just a monkey and this somehow constitutes a supervillain that Deadpool and Spider-man must defeat. Hit-Monkey is apparently difficult to handle, however, and Deadpool manages to get himself locked up. Lucky for him, his old pal Spider-Man is there to bust him out of jail. What else are friends for?

They Saved Christmas Together

 Early on in the Deadpool/Spider-Man team-up series, there was a holiday special that saw them face off against the god Saturn (also known as Cronus, father of the Greek gods). Saturn is angry because Christmas has usurped his holiday, Saturnalia, and goes on a lethal spree around New York City. To get him to change his ways, and also use his god powers to resurrect those he stepped on, Deadpool and Spider-Man step in and try to teach him about the spirit of Christmas. They end up making a bet with Saturn that he’ll have more fun with them on Christmas than he ever did at his own feasts.

Their night of cavorting involves gambling, ice skating, dancing with the Rockettes, and Spidey getting buzzed on an energy drink. Deadpool also chops off Saturn’s pinky finger at one point, but Saturn laughs it off. All in all, they end up showing the god a magical night, and he ends his rampage and flies away in a chariot pulled by dragons and driven by a cherub. So, really, just normal hero stuff. Thus did Spider-Man and Deadpool save Christmas in New York City – and also find out about an underground gambling ring that they really should have gone back and busted.

They Went On A Double Date With Thor And A Succubus 

The recent (and ongoing) Deadpool and Spider-Man team-up series has taken the two heroes in red on a whole variety of strange adventures. Perhaps the weirdest one was the story that started with a pretty mundane set-up: a double date. Naturally, however, the dates of Spider-Man and Deadpool couldn’t just be anyone, as Queen Shiklah’s cousin Jenny was Peter’s and Thor (the Jane Foster version) was Deadpool’s. Fans of Deadpool will remember that he’s actually married to Queen Shiklah, but his top 5 free passes included “Thor if he ever becomes a girl.”

The problem is, the double date goes awry. Jenny’s race of succubi hates Asgardians (for whom Thor is the champion), so Thor and Jenny get into it and brawl all over the restaurant. It turns out that Deadpool planned for this, unveiling a mud pit that the ladies notice before falling into. As their revenge, Thor and Jenny egg Spidey and Deadpool into dancing on stage in their underwear. All in all, it may have gone a bit sideways, but it sounds like a pretty fun time! Who knew Deadpool and Peter Parker would be the go-to guys for a good date?

Ryan Reynolds Trolls Tom Holland On Twitter

Deadpool and Deadpool 2 took creative approaches to marketing their films. Using everything from standard trailers to viral campaigns to emoji-centric billboards, the team went out of their way to showcase the constant barrage of humor the movies are now known for. Naturally, some of these attempts spread to social media, and others were aimed directly at lampooning other superhero films. One of those marketing stunts was both of those things, and it saw Ryan Reynolds tweet his appreciation to the Vancouver police department for closing down the city so he could film his new movie: “Spider-Man.”

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Not stopping there, Reynolds tagged Spider-Man actor Tom Holland in the photo he included of the police force, which all served to troll the young British star and possibly get him in trouble with anybody from Vancouver who didn’t get the joke. Reynolds made sure that he was actually thanking the local police force and the other behind-the-scenes helpers, but that didn’t mean he would refrain from getting the drivers of Vancouver mad at Spidey. Seeing one’s neighborhood get taken over by a movie production can be frustrating, and seeing roads get closed more so.

They Had A Crossover Team-Up With Penn And Teller

Penn and Teller are world-renowned magicians known as much for their wit and humor as for their incredible magic tricks. Even so, they may not seem like perfect fits for a comic book team-up with Spider-Man and Deadpool, but team up they did. In an issue of Spider-Man/Deadpool titled “Change Partners!” Deadpool and Teller switch places. Teller helps Spider-Man with his crime-fighting, and Deadpool lets Penn stab him with a ninja sword onstage (which he can, of course, heal easily thanks to his mutant powers). The plan works out great at first, with the trick generating plenty of buzz for the magicians.

Naturally, however, the team-up had to end eventually. Teller and Deadpool switch back to their original partners, no one the wiser. After a long day of fighting against the villain Tarot, Spidey and Deadpool are back to what they do best: kicking butt. Penn and Teller, on the other hand, get in trouble with their fans, who now expect to see the sword through the heart trick at every performance.  A special bonus from this issue: it was actually written by Penn Jillette himself! That’s right, in what he termed a “dream come true,” Penn penned the issue.

Spider-Man believes Deadpool is a good person, deep down

Deadpool isn’t the easiest guy to get along with. He’s loud, he’s rude, and he’s violent, which tends to get on the nerves of most humans on the planet. That’s part of what makes his relationship with Spider-Man special because Spider-Man is (usually) able to see past all that and recognize that Wade Wilson does have a capacity for good. If he didn’t, Spider-Man wouldn’t team up with him so often or as readily. It took a while for Peter Parker to see the good in Wade, as their first few encounters usually resulted in Spider-Man being the responsible straight man and Deadpool the amoral funny guy, but nowadays they’ve put aside their differences because Spider-Man knows Deadpool’s really a good guy.

Spider-Man has actually said this to Wade directly. He knows Deadpool can be a true hero, despite his issues and propensity for shooting and stabbing things. Not just that: Spider-Man acknowledges that he owes Deadpool a debt for the many times he has saved the Wall-Crawler’s skin. Of course, Spider-Man has also saved Deadpool plenty of times, but that’s beside the point. As it is now, Spider-Man and Deadpool’s friendship is strong, no longer just a fun headcanon the fans made up. Even in the prime Marvel continuity, Spider-Man realizes he has a true friend in Deadpool.

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