Deadpool: Beginnings Omnibus

Background. Deadpool first appeared in New Mutants #98 in February 1991, created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld as a mercenary hired to attack the team. He was originally a villain — a riff on DC's Deathstroke with a red-and-black costume — before a combination of writer interest and fan response gradually revealed the character's comedic potential. These earliest stories are the raw material from which everything that followed was built.

What's inside. This omnibus collects Deadpool's early appearances from New Mutants and X-Force, his first limited series by Fabian Nicieza, and the Circle Chase and Sins of the Past miniseries that established his mercenary world, his complex relationship with Copycat, and his history with the Weapon X program. Mark Waid and Ian Churchill also contribute early Deadpool material collected here.

Why it's worth it. Understanding how Deadpool was originally conceived — as a competent, dangerous mercenary who happened to be funny — makes the later comedy work better. The Nicieza issues in particular show a writer who understood the character's potential before the fourth-wall breaking became the dominant mode. This is the origin library for any serious Deadpool collection.

Edition details. Hardcover omnibus. US edition published by Marvel Comics. ISBN 9781302904296.