Breaking the fourth wall doesn't happen very often in Marvel Comics, but there are a few comic series that use it to great effect. Writers and artists sometimes use fourth wall breaks to add their own comments or jokes, and there are some characters who are aware of their fictional statuses.
These characters, including She-Hulk, Gwenpool, and Ambush Bug, often reference their own comics. One of the most famous fourth wall breakers is Deadpool. He often steps out of the story to make humorous asides, comment on what's going on to the reader, and plan out his next moves. Some of Deadpool's funniest jokes involve fourth wall breaks that address fictional comic book stories or even real-world events.
10 The Fourth Wall Fights Back
Deadpool has played fast and loose with the rules of the fourth wall for a long time, so it's no surprise that the fourth wall eventually fought back. Spider-Man and Deadpool fought a villain called the Manipulator who could warp reality.
With help from Gwenpool, who existed outside the story, Deadpool realized that the Manipulator was the embodiment of the fourth wall, and Wade couldn't break it anymore. Wade gathered a team of superheroes to help him reclaim his ability to step out of the panels and defeat the Manipulator, much to his fellow heroes' dismay and the reader's delight.
9 Deadpool Mentions Ryan Reynolds
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In Cable and Deadpool #2 by Fabian Nicieza and Mark Brooks, published in 2004, Deadpool made a dig at Ryan Reynolds (misspelling his name). During a fight with Cable, Deadpool pulled off his mask and said, "Hey, if you looked like a cross between Ryan Renolds and a Shar-Pei, you'd understand."
Deadpool often makes pop culture references, but this joke is particularly entertaining for fans, as Ryan Reynolds would go on to play Deadpool several years later. Reynolds was not yet considering making a Deadpool movie, but the gag makes for a fun foreshadowing of what was to come.
8 Deadpool Breaks A World Record With His Wedding
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Deadpool #27, by Joe Kelly, Victor Gischler, Gerry Duggan, and Christopher Priest, features one of the most famous comic book covers ever created, drawn by Scott Koblish. This cover broke the Guinness World Record for the most recognizable comic book characters on a single front cover.
The cover includes 232 characters, 224 of which were counted as recognizable for the record. All these characters are guests at Wade's wedding. The roster includes a mix of friends and enemies, and characters both dead and alive. This is a great example of Deadpool existing on a different level from other Marvel characters. He is able to bring hundreds of characters together and break records in the process.
7 Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe
Deadpool has experienced a fair bit of reality-hopping in his time, and is aware of the multiverse. Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe, written by Cullen Bunn and drawn by various artists, is one of his most popular arcs. In this unexpected story, Deadpool plans to take out all the of major players in the Marvel Universe.
There are no big fights in these issues. Instead, he kills each character quickly, efficiently, and brutally. When he's finished killing the characters, Wade goes after Marvel's real-world writers and illustrators too, taking revenge for all the poor storylines he existed in.
6 Deadpool Has A "Choose Your Own Adventure"
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You Are Deadpool by Al Ewing, Paco Díaz, and Salva Espin experimented with a very different comic book format that worked perfectly for the Merc with a Mouth. This story was inspired by the Choose Your Own Adventure series, combining RPG mechanics with classic superhero shenanigans.
Deadpool's fourth wall breaking allowed Ewing to keep the adventure light and fun, and have Deadpool speak directly to the reader to explain their choices and comment on the outcome. Deadpool is the perfect character to star in an experimental comic like this.
5 Deadpool Chooses The Montage Music
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Deadpool often uses fourth wall breaks to show off his personality and poke fun at the medium of comics. In Deadpool: Dead Presidents by Brian Posehn, Gerry Duggan, and Tony Moore, Wade takes a swing at action movies, making a joke about montages.
Knowing he has a lot of people to kill with very few pages remaining in the book, Deadpool suggests a montage to speed things up. He instructs the reader to play the song Five Minutes Alone by Pantera, or, if the reader doesn't have it, "play whatever crap you like." This level of engagement further connects the reader with Deadpool and the events of the story.
4 Deadpool Becomes His Own Editor
Deadpool's very first fourth wall break came in Deadpool #28 by Joe Kelly and Pete Woods. In this issue, Deadpool is reunited with Bullseye, who asks, "How long has it been?". Without missing a beat, Deadpool replies, "Issue sixteen."
This is a small fourth wall break isn't addressed to the reader, but it is an interesting choice. Comics continuity is complicated, and it's common for editors to use footnotes to clarify past events like this. By answering with an issue number, Deadpool has taken on the role usually filled by an editor.
3 Deadpool Knows He's Not Real
After Deadpool #28, Wade carried on making references to issue numbers and making jokes that flirted with the fourth wall, but the first true fourth wall break, where Deadpool openly references not being a real person, didn't happen until Deadpool #33, by Joe Kelly and David Brewer.
In this issue, Deadpool is captured by a scientist, who tortures him. Luckily, Wade isn't too bothered about all this and explains why, saying, "None of this is actually happening. There is a man. At a typewriter. This is all his twisted imagination." The scientist doesn't believe him, of course, but a new, meta aspect of Deadpool was born.
2 Vanessa's Movie Persona Is Very Different From The Comics
Deadpool's love interest, Vanessa, appears in both the comics and the movies. However, the two versions are pretty different, and Wade uses this as a way to make a knowing joke for comic readers. Movie Vanessa first met Wade in a bar where she was working as a prostitute.
Wade tells her, "I just want to get to know the real you, not the 2D sex object peddled by Hollywood." This gag works on several levels, referencing typical Hollywood depictions of sex workers, but also working as an inside joke for comic book readers who are familiar with a much more sexualized and scantily-clad version of Vanessa.
1 She-Hulk Reveals Deadpool On A Variant Cover
Deadpool isn't the only Marvel hero who is aware that they're a comic book character. She-Hulk knows too, and the two smart-mouthed heroes teamed up for a variant cover. Deadpool has a history of popping up on variant covers.
For She-Hulk #9, illustrated by artist Mike McKone, She-Hulk lifts a curtain to reveal Deadpool. The cover is a reference and homage to John Byrne's cover for Sensational She-Hulk #3. Despite both regularly breaking the fourth wall, this cover is one of She-Hulk and Deadpool's only appearances together where they both reference their knowledge of the real world beyond their comics.