With one of the most potent and powerful healing factors in the Marvel Universe, Deadpool almost seems invincible. However, the abilities of the fourth-wall-breaking antihero have been overwhelmed more than once, and Wade Wilson has died or come close to dying several times.
While he always gets dragged back to the land of the living, the Merc with the Mouth has had more than his fair share of encounters with death, some in a very literal sense. Now, we're taking a look back at the many deaths and resurrections of the fast-talking Marvel mercenary.
DEADPOOL'S DATE WITH DEATH
Deadpool has had lots of origins over the years, which left hist early days of the character something of a mystery. One version of events was introduced during the Deadpool #33, at the end of Joe Kelly and David Brewer's run on the title. T-Ray, Deadpool's arch-nemesis at the time, confronted Wade and revealed that the origin he thought he had -- being attacked by T-Ray and losing his wife to the killer -- was actually T-Ray's origin and that Deadpool had been the killer. In an attempt to break Wade's mind and spirit as revenge, T-Ray resurrected his wife, who Wade had accidentally killed, along with bringing back the spirits of every person Deadpool ever killed across his life.
But after trying to become a better person throughout the series, Wade refused to cower and instead insulted every single person he killed except Mercedes, T-Ray's late wife. He even said that he'd kill them all again in a heartbeat. Wade was soon overwhelmed by the army of henchmen, villains and creeps he'd killed over the years and was greeted in the afterlife by Death. Death reveals that Wade isn't done suffering yet though, in a very meta moment explaining that "the big wigs" have decided that Wade will return to the land of the living in 30 days. However, this does give Deadpool and Death -- who is infatuated with Deadpool -- a full month to, as Death describes it, "make out like pubescent rabbits".
FUNERAL FOR A FREAK
In 2001, Deadpool rejoined the rejuvenated Weapon X alongside characters like Sabertooth. He did this partly for the perks they could provide -- such as curing the scarring that came as a result of his healing factor -- as well as the fact this his old lover Copycat was among their ranks. But after Wade was ordered to kill her, he turned against Weapon X. Unfortunately, Sabertooth was able to reach Copycat before Wade could, and he killed her. Deadpool went on the warpath against Weapon X. However, the program was able to remotely shut down Wade's healing factor, reducing him to a collapsing pile of flesh. After having his soldiers shoot what remained, they sent what was left - Deadpool's hand - to Wolverine as a taunt.
In Frank Tieri and Georges Jeanty's Deadpool #59, Wolverine held a funeral for Wade, which is attended by a number of his reluctant allies (like Typhoid Mary, Cable, Black Panther, and the Great Lake Avengers). Even Bullseye comes to pay his respects to his respected rival. Wade's spirit set off a major brawl between the mourners for one last laugh. Deadpool soon made his way to the afterlife, where he's reunited with Death. But a mysterious figure - later revealed to be T-Ray, who'd been recruited by Death's other paramour Thanos - used his powers to restore Wade to life. This actually ended up splitting Deadpool's persona into four bodies, but Deadpool was eventually fully restored.
THE BLACK SWAN AFFAIR
Deadpool ran afoul of the telepathic German supervillain Black Swan during Gail Simone and UDON's run on the character. Eventually growing tired of Wade and his habit of interrupting his plans, Black Swan infected a mental virus into Deadpool's brain that would reduce his mind to nothing. Deadpool went to confront the villain, along with his personal mercenary Nijo, who thought Wade was responsible for the death of his brother. However, Black Swan was the real killer, and the villain mortally wounded Nijo by running him through with his sword.
Wade and Black Swan dueled, with Deadpool eventually getting the upper hand, but not in time to stop the bomb he'd brought to kill his enemies. The bomb detonated, seemingly killing all three. However, Black Swan used his powers to psionically connect himself to Deadpool to gain access to his healing factor. Deadpool, Black Swan, and Nijo briefly bonded into a single being known as Agent X, who shared all their personalities. They were eventually split apart, with Nijo keeping the Agent X identity and becoming frenemies with Deadpool.
THE DEATH OF DEADPOOL
Marvel teased another "Death of Deadpool" in Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn and Mike Hawthorne's Deadpool #250. After months of build-up, U.L.T.I.M.A.T.U.M targeted Wade and his loved ones, leading the mercenary to go all out and wipe out the entire organization. Deadpool decided that he couldn't risk the people he cared about anymore and decided to give up the identity of Deadpool. To celebrate, Deadpool took his friends and family on a trip. However, this unfortunately coincided with the Incursions that caused 2015's Secret Wars finally reaching the main Marvel Universe.
As the Ultimate Universe collided with the core Marvel world, almost everyone on both worlds was killed. Deadpool died smiling, but he got to die contently and with his family. But following the events of Secret Wars Deadpool and his family were restored to life, like the rest of the world, with no memory of their earlier demise.