Deathstroke Rips Deadpool Over Plagiarism Claims

Comic book superheroes fight each other all the time - in fact, it's part of the appeal.

Superman wouldn't be very interesting if he got around a table with Lex Luther and thrashed out their differences over a cup of Kryptonite-free tea. We like to see them knocking ten bells out of each other, chucking skyscrapers around and generally making a nuisance of themselves.

The chief nuisance-maker is Deadpool - the wise-cracking, foul-mouthed star of recent movies and not-so-recent comic books.

The original Deadpool comics came out in 1990 and created a new style of superhero, often joking, breaking the fourth wall and generally larking around in a way that made the other Marvel characters look sour-faced and serious.

What few people know, however, is that the original design for Deadpool was first born in 1990, and was heavily informed by a pre-existing DC Comics character, Deathstroke.

Deathstroke was part of the Teen Titans series and a favourite of Fabian Nicieza, the creator of Deadpool. Now, a trailer for the film version of Teen Titans - called Teen Titans Go To The Movies - has brought back up the not-so-original origins of Deadpool for comic (excuse the pun) effect.

"Let me tell ya a little something about Deadpool," says Will Arnett, aka Gob from Arrested Development, in character as Deathstroke.

"My name is Slade Wilson. His name is Wade Wilson. My costume, like, rocks and his is just a copy. I fight a whole team of Teen Titans and he fights ONE angry dude. I'm like way cooler in every way. Deadpool might have a sequel but remember, he's just a rip-off of me. It's time to DRAIN THE POOL. But sure, go see his movie because it comes out before mine."

It isn't as if Deadpool has ever sought to hide that the series was inspired by Deathstroke and DC Comics.

The name Wade Wilson was an in-joke between the two teams of comic book creators. Deadpool co-creator Rob Liefeld has also openly said that he drew inspiration from Spider-Man and Wolverine as well, telling Forbes: "Wolverine and Spider-Man were the two properties I was competing with at all times. I didn't have those, I didn't have access to those.

"I had to make my own Spider-Man and Wolverine. That's what Cable and Deadpool were meant to be, my own Spider-Man and my own Wolverine."

Topics: TV and Film, Deadpool, Marvel, USA, , DC

Mike Wood

Mike Meehall Wood is a freelance journalist and translator. He writes for LADbible, VICE and countless sports publications, focusing on rugby league, football and boxing. He is a graduate of Leeds University and maintains a fizzy pop obsession. Contact Mike at [email protected]