Deadpool's Fabulous Five Superteam Play A Cruel Trick On The Merc With The Mouth

Contains spoilers for "Deadpool" #8

Deadpool might be the class clown of Marvel superheroes, but that hasn't stopped him from being an important part of several superteams, including the X-Force, the Deadpool Corps, and even a few Avengers spin-off teams. 

However, in "Deadpool" #8 from Marvel Comics, his newest team, the Fabulous Five, represents the Merc with a Mouth's closest allies banding together like never before. But Wade Wilson isn't buying what he's seeing. Instead of the Fabulous Five being his dream team, they are actually a full-blown nightmare aiming to take out Deadpool for good.

In the new story, Deadpool faces off against a group of trained killers who have taken the form of some of his friends, with Wilson and his partner Valentine Vuong soon learning the world they are in is not their normal reality but a well-crafted mirage meant to entrance and trick them. Can Deadpool survive the throes of a group of assassins who have a bone to pick with the mutant hero, or is he destined to be defeated even with his incredible healing factor?

In "Deadpool" #8 by Alyssa Wong, Luigi Zagaria, Matt Milla, VC's Joe Sabino, and Tom Muller, the issue opens with Deadpool being awoken by his daughter, Ellie. However, he is shocked to see that his body has completely recovered from its cancerous and mutated appearance. The surprises don't stop there. When Wade Wilson goes downstairs, he's met with four of his closest superhero allies who are making breakfast for him. Deadpool is deeply confused about what is happening as Wolverine calls the pancake breakfast a tradition among the group. Joining them are Cable, Domino, and Spider-Man.

Deadpool is told his memory might be iffy after the group fought Taskmaster the day before. Spider-Man reveals to him the heroes collectively make up a team called the "Fabulous Five" and that they've been fighting together for years. Despite the team being one of Deadpool's dream scenarios, he grows increasingly frustrated with something being off about what he's seeing, leading to continued comments that he's just suffering from memory issues and forgetting the Fabulous Five's shared history. 

But when he asks about Valentine Vuong, things start to break down before him. Cable responds by asking where Valentine is, leading to an explosive fight between Deadpool and the Atelier, as the group of assassins have taken on disguises of the heroes to track down their rogue member. The Atelier chases down Deadpool and Ellie, with the Merc with a Mouth using guns to combat the villainous group.

The ensuing fight between Deadpool and the Atelier is filled with violence. Deadpool shoots Spider-Man in the head after the faux web-slinger tries to pin him down. Making his way through the house, Deadpool is met by Wolverine, who stabs him in the chest with the claws. But Wade Wilson laughs off being impaled, shooting the fake Logan in the head. When it seems like Deadpool is finally close to being taken out by the phony Cable, Valentine arrives and impales him, then cuts the faux assassin in half.

Despite the fight appearing over, Deadpool realizes Ellie is also a member of the Atelier in disguise. When he asks her about her mother Carmelita, she responds, "She's fine," leading Deadpool to quickly figure out she's not his daughter since her mom was killed. He pours salt on the monster, revealing them to be Aster, another member of the Atelier. Acaudon, also of the assassin organization, hurts Deadpool's symbiote dog Princess before turning her attention to Wilson. 

Impaled with sharp objects, including many knives, Deadpool laughs off the injury, telling Acaudon his healing factor makes him unkillable. However, Deadpool discovers he's not healing after the injuries, thanks to a special poison on the blades preventing him from doing so. "Deadpool" #8 ends with Deadpool and Valentine bleeding out on the floor below while Acaudon takes Princess and returns to their emperor alongside Ms. Gingko.

Does Deadpool die in the issue? The answer isn't fully revealed, but probably not. Even with his incredible healing factor not working and as he's suffering several grave stab wounds, he still seems to have a pulse by the issue's end. Additionally, Valentine crawls to their partner and extends their syringe-like fingers to reach out to Wade Wilson's hands, managing to prick Deadpool with one of their nails, which potentially contains the cure for the poison in his body. With their chemokinentic powers, Valentine could have used their last bit of consciousness to save Deadpool. 

While the mirage didn't trick Deadpool, and the Fabulous Five didn't defeat him immediately, Aster and Acaudon managed to infect him with a poison that could kill him. Still, seeing Deadpool's hopes of a team featuring Spider-Man, Cable, Wolverine, and Domino immediately dashed is hilarious and sad. Next up for Deadpool and Valentine? They will come face-to-face with the Horned Emperor, with "Deadpool" #9 teasing Deadpool's capture by the cloud-headed Atelier member. The text solicitation for the issue hints at significant trouble ahead for the Merc with a Mouth, with Valentine and Princess teased as trying to save him from the assassin's grip.

Deadpool has tackled some incredibly powerful and monstrous villains before, but the collective force of the Atelier might be too much for him to handle. With his life hanging in the balance, Deadpool will need to figure out a new plan to stop them. Otherwise, they will continue hunting him and those closest to him until his healing factor can't save him. "Deadpool" #8 by Marvel Comics is now in comic book stores and online retailers.