Deadpool & Wolverine: What Really Went Down Between These Characters in Comic Books?

The Deadpool & Wolverine movie, starring Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, hits theaters on July 26, and for the first time, the dynamic between the characters will be properly explored on the big screen.

To mark the occasion, we recall the entire history of Wade Wilson and James "Logan" Howlett.

Wolverine #88, 1994

The first meeting of Wolverine and Deadpool took place in 1994, in the comic book Wolverine #88. In true superhero fashion, the future friends' acquaintance began with a fight. Wade and Vanessa had broken up at the time, but the mercenary could not let go of his ex.

Deadpool sets a goal to find and kill the current boyfriend of his beloved, Garrison Kane. Kane, like Deadpool and Wolverine, was a former member of Weapon X and was Logan's friend, so the mutant stood up for him.

The encounter ended in a draw: Wolverine lost the first duel, but later took revenge.

Wolverine Annual, 1995

Deadpool and Wolverine next meet a year later in the Wolverine Annual. Another Weapon X test subject, Maverick, turns to Logan for help: the former members of Weapon X are being hunted.

Maverick has been infected with a deadly virus, and Deadpool, the only one whose blood can potentially provide the antidote, has already been captured and experimented on. Logan is reluctant to save Wade, but agrees anyway.

The partners free Deadpool, and Wolverine admits that Wade, despite his obnoxious nature, is capable of good deeds. At the end of the issue, we learn that Deadpool sent blood samples through the mail to thank the members of Weapon X for their help.

Deadpool #27, 1999

Wolverine and Deadpool reunite in 1999, in Deadpool #27.

Deadpool cannot remember the name of the woman he sees in sudden flashbacks. After seeing a therapist, he concludes that he needs to release some aggression in order to clear his head. Figuring that only Wolverine can give him a relatively even fight, Wade tracks down Logan and tries to pick a fight with him.

The mutant refuses to be provoked, so the mercenary has no choice but to hit Wolverine's fellow X-Men, Kitty Pryde. The maneuver works, and Logan hits Wade.

During the fight, a dialogue reveals the key difference between the characters. According to Wolverine, having experienced a similar dark past, Logan is trying to come to terms with what happened, and Deadpool — to bury it deep. In his escape from the past, Wade gave himself completely to selfishness and dishonor, and when the mutant accuses him of this, Wilson's mind is cleared and he remembers the woman’s name.

Wolverine Annual, 1999

In this issue, the characters finally establish friendly relations.

Deadpool is hired to kill a famous author of stories about werewolves. At the same time, Wolverine comes to the author to sign a book for Kitty Pryde, who is a fan of his work.

Picking up the scent of a mercenary, the mutant decides to seize the opportunity and take revenge for Wade's attack on Kitty. The fight between the rivals is interrupted by the appearance of a werewolf, who also came after the writer. As a result of the battle with the werewolf, Logan and Wade make peace.

Wolverine #154-155, 2000

The first encounter between Wolverine and Deadpool in the new century is their conflict in Wolverine #154-155. Wade and a group of cybernetic mercenaries ambush Logan. Deadpool says there is a very tempting reward for Wolverine's head. Disappointed, but not surprised by Deadpool's corrupt nature, Logan confronts Wade, but ends up being drugged with a massive dose of dormitive.

By the end of the issue, however, we learn that Wilson was lying, and that he actually agreed to work for the people who want Wolverine because they promised to cure his dying friend Siryn.

Cable & Deadpool #43-#44, 2004

A major milestone was the Cable & Deadpool series and its issues #43 and #44.

Here, Deadpool tries to rescue his friend Bob, who has ended up in the Hydra base where we also see Logan. When Wolverine sees Deadpool trying to help a man in an enemy uniform, he refuses to listen to an explanation and chops off Wade's head.

The next issue is devoted to the continuation of the fight and the resolution of the misunderstanding.

Wolverine: Origins #21-25, 2006

In the 2008 issues, Deadpool is hired by a mysterious client to kill Logan. The mercenary has littered San Francisco, where Wolverine is, with weapons and wears the mutant down before capturing him.

Deadpool admits that he took the job for personal reasons: according to Wilson, many see him as a failed attempt to create a second Wolverine, not recognizing him as an independent person. He envies Logan, who, with the same healing ability, does not suffer from a disfigured appearance and was accepted into the X-Men despite being a killer.

Deadpool #15-19, 2013

The turning point in the relationship between Deadpool and Wolverine happens in Deadpool #15-19. The mercenary visits Wolverine and Captain America and informs them that members of Weapon Plus are being hunted. Wilson himself has been targeted several times, waking up with evidence of his organs being removed.

The story reveals that Deadpool's organs have been stolen for several years, with the regenerative properties of his tissue being used as glue to give ordinary people superpowers.

A notable moment in the story is when Cap and Wolverine insist in the middle of the story that Deadpool is not their friend, but when they say goodbye in the final issue, Rogers calls Wilson a friend and Logan invites the mercenary out for a drink.

Uncanny X-Force #5, 2010

Logan decides to channel Wade's abilities in a constructive direction and recruits him into the new X-Force. In X-Force #5, readers witness one of the most famous exchanges between Logan and Wilson. Deadpool calls a team meeting where he calls the killing of a child, which the X-Force was forced to do at the end of the previous issue, unacceptable.

Wolverine, convinced that the ends justify the means, reminds Wade of his corrupt nature. Wilson replies that for all his faults, he has never taken the life of a child. Logan approaches Archangel, the team's sponsor, and asks him to pay off the mercenary and fire him.

Archangel responds that Wade has not cashed a single check. A shocked Wolverine realizes that Deadpool sincerely hoped to make the world a better place.

Wolverine #20, 2020

In Wolverine #20, Wade is rejected from joining X-Force, in part because he is not technically a mutant. Logan, however, is forced to work with Wade anyway: the mercenary learns of a threat to mutants, and Logan is forced to intervene.

After a series of tests and a frank conversation, Deadpool and Wolverine manage to deal with the threat, and Logan personally invites Wilson to join the team.

Deadpool & Wolverine: Wwiii, 2024

Deadpool and Wolverine are currently in a crossover. In the story, Wolverine and Deadpool stop a killer enhanced with previously unseen technology, after which Wade mysteriously disappears.

Here, we also see once again that despite everything, Logan does not abandon Wade in his time of need and makes great sacrifices to help him survive.

Deadpool vs. Wolverine: Slash 'em Up!, 2024

In June, another comic book was released: Deadpool vs. Wolverine: Slash 'em Up! It was written by Insomniac's Spider-Man co-writer Christos Gage.

Here, Deadpool once again tries to fulfill a mercenary contract, but Wolverine stands in his way.