AsDeadpoolcontinues his mission to kill the Marvel universe all over again,Cyclopsand his brother have united the darkestX-Menteam in franchise history.Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe One Last Timesees Wade Wilson traveling across the multiverse, slaughtering twisted variants of iconic heroes drawn from across Marvel history.
In a preview ofDeadpool Kills the Marvel Universe One Last Time #3- from Cullen Bunn, Dalibor Talajić, Lee Loughridge and Joe Sabino - Wade goes after the X-Men, killing off Storm, Magneto, Cyclops and Omega. Havok is then shown with the rest of the team, revealingMarvel has pulled together the darkest variant of each X-Men hero.
The team is made up of evil X-Men variants from past stories, including the Dark Beast ofAge of Apocalypse, thedemonic Wolverine ofInfernoand the corrupted, post-AXISHavok. Marvel promised thatDeadpool Kills the Marvel Universe One Last Timewould bring together some unexpected Marvel characters, but the real treat is seeing these ghosts of X-Men past all in one place. Founding members Beast, Cyclops and Angel are brought together in their darkest guises.
The preview shows Deadpool camouflaging himself using a stolen Venom symbiote.
Marvel Serves Up the Ultimate Version of the ‘Dark X-Men’
Cyclops, Magneto, Storm and Wolverine Form a Killer Team
Deadpool previously took on the Marvel UniverseinDeadpool Kills the Marvel UniverseandDeadpool Kills the Marvel Universe Again- stories which introduced a new variant of Deadpool. This Wade Wilson variant was brainwashed by Marvel’s villains, turning him into a killing machine who slaughtered his universe’s heroes and then moved on to alternate realities.This time, the killer Deadpool is trying to make amends by killing off evil versions of Marvel heroes, tracking and killing everyone from the Red Hulk to the X-Men.
The series was billed as offering up incredibly deep-cuts from Marvel lore, withWade’s first kill being the Nth Man- a forgotten ‘ultimate ninja’ character from 1989. Now, his attack on the Dark X-Men unites a cavalcade of ‘evil’ cameos, from Magneto’s black costume era to Cyclops' mutant revolutionary costume (though Scott is already dead as the preview begins.) However, Wade isn’t just here to kill off these forgotten villains - the issue’s summary promises thathe’s looking for a unique weapon he needs to kill a corrupted Red Hulk.
There have beenseveral versions of the ‘Dark X-Men’in Marvel lore, usually with villains claiming the team name for themselves. However, this assemblage lives up to the name more than any version, as the corrupted heroes of multiple realities come together into a lethal team. Hopefully,X-Menfans will get to see this near-perfect take on theDark X-Mensoon, but givenDeadpool’s track record, it’s a safe bet thatCyclops’ team isn’t long for this - or any other - world.
Cyclops
Cyclops, a.k.a. Scott Summers, is the X-Men’s core team leader and one of the first characters to appear in the franchise. As a human/mutant hybrid, Cyclops has the power to launch massive bursts of energy from his eyes that are regulated through the use of a specially designed visor. Despite his calm and collected demeanor, he tends to lose it when in the presence of a fellow team member, Wolverine.
X-Men
The X-Men franchise, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, centers on mutants with extraordinary abilities. Led by the powerful telepath Professor Charles Xavier, they battle discrimination and villainous mutants threatening humanity. The series explores themes of diversity and acceptance through a blend of action, drama, and complex characters, spanning comics, animated series, and blockbuster films.
Deadpool
The merc with the mouth first appeared in an issue ofNew Mutantsin 1990, and since then has gone on to get his own series and a massive cult following. With his incredible powers of healing and regeneration, Deadpool was initially depicted as an X-Men villain but went on to become an anti-hero. After getting his own movie series starting in 2016, the third Deadpool movie finally brings the wisecracking, fourth-wall-breaking character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
