In 2016's Deadpool film, Gina Carano's Angel Dust was a standout character, with her unique look and super-powered brawl with Colossus being a highlight of the movie for many.
However, fans of the live-action iteration might be surprised to find out that this rendition of the character is almost completely different from her comic book counterpart. Let's take a look back at how one character became two.
ANGEL DUST IN THE COMICS
Created by Geoff Johns and Shawn Martinbrough for 2002's Morlocks limited series, Angel Dust is a teenage mutant from Chicago whose powers only recently manifested. Not trusting her parents to accept her for who she is, she runs away from home and falls in with a cell of Morlocks -- mutants that live underground to stay safe. An outcast even among the group, Angel Dust always moves with unsure footing as she adjusts to being homeless and a mutant.
Like most Morlocks, her main goal is survival. Her day to day existence is simply a higher priority for her than ensuring the safety of mutants everywhere -- a far cry from the idealism of the various X-teams. Angel Dust's powers are activated by adrenaline, giving her a massive boost to her speed, stamina and strength. She's also prone to fits of berserker rage, making the effects of her powers similar to those of the drug that's her namesake. The only big drawback to Angel Dust's powers is that they only last as long as the adrenaline rush does. However, considering her lifestyle, that rush isn't hard to come by.
ANGEL DUST IN DEADPOOL
Angel Dust's origin in the Deadpool movie is completely different from her comic book counterpart. Most notably, it gives her a direct link to Wade Wilson, a character she had no connection to in the source material. This version of the character is also an adult and not technically a mutant at all. Rather than growing into her powers, Carrano's Angel Dust received them as a result of experimentation by the movie's villain, Ajax, who uses her henchwoman as he attacks Deadpool and Co. Her powers are also slightly different. Instead of being adrenaline-activated, Angel Dust's powers are always on and seem much stronger than in the comics. This translates to her being a super strong and durable mutant that can bend steel beams to choke out Colossus without passing out or needing a break.
If there's one thing both Angel Dusts have in common, it's that they've vanished from Marvel without a trace. Angel Dust the Morlock has never appeared outside of her limited series, and Carrano's rendition did not return in Deadpool 2. But even with that connection, there's little to compare the two versions of the character. The reason she likely appeared in Deadpool was to have a way for writers to acknowledge hardcore fans -- using the name of an existing character as a callback.
In recent years, the more new characters are introduced to a film adaptation, the more disconnected it is to the source material. With that reasoning, it makes sense to bring in an old character with an applicable history and adjust them to the story being told. Following in that vein, Angel Dust is a completely different in the comics as compared to the movies, offering fans something different entirely.