WARNING: The following contains spoilers for X-Force #20 by Benjamin Percy, Joshua Cassara, Guru-eFX and VC's Joe Caramagna, on sale now.
The Hellfire Gala has, ideally, been a time to build bridges between mutants and humans. Old allies like the Avengers and Fantastic Four have arrived in support of mutantkind. But even though mutants are trying to mend fences with humanity, they still haven't completely accepted one unpredictable ally: Deadpool.
Wade Wilson makes his entrance to the Hellfire Gala in the latest issue of X-Force. During the event, Wolverine is guarding Krakoa's shores against any unwanted guests when the Merc With a Mouth arrives in typically outlandish form.
Immediately, a fight breaks out between Logan and Wade, which causes a great deal of trouble for Wolverine. Fortunately, Domino arrives and stomps Deadpool into the ground before burning him alive. To be fair, Wolverine did try to reason with Wade, telling him that the Hellfire Gala is a diplomatic summit, not a keg party.
It's understandable that mutants wouldn't want Deadpool at the gala, since his presence would be troublesome for both world leaders and superheroes in attendance. Domino also notes that Deadpool will survive his injuries, due to his healing factor. Even so, this encounter is indicative of Deadpool's current relationship with the X-Men.
This isn't the first time that Deadpool has been denied entry to Krakoa's shores. The Merc With the Mouth initially tried to visit Krakoa in Deadpool #6, by Kelly Thompson and Kevin Libranda. This time, Deadpool tried to sneak into Krakoa by hiding inside Jelby, a mutant monster capable of transporting objects (and people apparently) inside of its body.
As soon as Wade was discovered, however, he was attacked and brought to Emma Frost of the Quiet Council. Just like the other mutants, Emma tried to reason with Deadpool, while also realizing the trouble he would cause on Krakoa. Frost stated that there was a 97% chance that, within a month, Deadpool would burn Krakoa to the ground. With this in mind, Deadpool could visit Krakoa, but he could not live there.
Just as he was rejected from the Hellfire Gala, Deadpool was denied full access to Krakoa, even after everything he'd done for mutantkind. As a former member of X-Force and the Avengers Unity Squad, Deadpool has been a great ally to mutants. After working alongside the members of the X-Men, there is no wonder Deadpool feels slighted by the mutants' attitude toward him.
Wade's visits to Krakoa also demonstrate that he's still friends with Wolverine and Rogue. Wolverine has gone easy on Deadpool, considering their history, while Rogue went so far as to offer Wade a Krakoan flower. It's clear, then, that certain mutants appreciate what Wade has done for them, and want to maintain friendly relations with him. Despite these attempts at compromise, Deadpool hasn't been very receptive to Krakoa's offers.
The Merc With the Mouth wants full acceptance on Krakoa, which is virtually impossible. Deadpool's rejection from Krakoa will always come down to the fact that he's just not a mutant. No matter how many times Wade insists, he'll never be part of mutantkind, which makes him feel like an outsider. The main reason Deadpool keeps coming back to Krakoa is that he wants somewhere to belong.
If Wade actually went through the proper channels and attempted an official visit to Krakoa, things might be different. Yet Wade has never been one for conventional methods, which have seriously botched his chances with Krakoa. Every time that Deadpool has tried to visit Krakoa, it's been through surreptitious, illegal means. As the Hellfire Gala continues, and Deadpool heals from his injuries, it will be interesting to see how his relationship with the X-Men is further impacted.