As one of Marvel’s show-stealing characters, Deadpool has undergone several costume changes over the years. From joining the X-Men to undergoing personality changes, Wade Wilson has an outfit for every occasion. While his iconic appearance that began in his debut will always be one of his best, his other costumes shouldn’t be overlooked.
There are several variants of Marvel’s funniest mercenary, including Lady Deadpool and Kidpool. However, Deadpool is at his best when Wade is at the helm of the character. The Merc with a Mouth has several infamous one-off costumes, many of which were not mainstays and did not last long enough to be counted among his best. To be the best, Deadpool’s suits have to allow him to jump into action readily and keep him easily recognizable.
15 Pirate Deadpool: The Biggest Opportunity Marvel Missed
Deadpool (2008) #14: Jason Pearson, Daniel Way, Shawn Crystal, John Lucas, Lee Loughridge, Corey Petit
Though it was only used once, solely in cover art, Deadpool’s pirate costume is one of the best the character ever had. It’s also the suit with the most missed potential. Appearing on the cover of Deadpool #14, the interior stories feature the titular mercenary in more basic attire: shirtless, eventually gaining a peg leg. Missing are the fancier coat and hat that are essential to the pirate look on the issue’s exterior. However, this iteration has garnered a lot of success despite its lack of use, having been turned into an action figure and included in the game Marvel Heroes. Given its popularity, it should be able to rank among the top of Deadpool’s costume options instead of just being a fun gimmick that could have been implemented so much better story-wise.
14 Pulp Deadpool: A Realistic Look At The Merc With A Mouth
Deadpool Pulp #1: Adam Glass, Mike Benson, Laurence Campbell, Lee Loughridge, and Clayton Cowles.
There are tons of universes in the Marvel Multiverse, and there are dozens of different versions of Deadpool. While almost all versions are bombastic larger-than-life figures, some are more subtle, as with Pulp Deadpool. This version of Deadpool joined the military during World War Two, for no reason other than to “kill the bad guys.” This didn’t exactly work out for Wilson, as he was eventually captured and tortured in Japan for over a year. Eventually, he’d escape and kill his torturer, taking his mask and the two swords that would become iconic for him. Overall, this Deadpool outfit is much closer to a Daredevil look, and it’s very cool.
13 Dead Man Wade: A Dark Take In An Even Darker Reality
X-Calibre (1995) #1-4: Warren Ellis, Ken Lashley, Joe Rosas, Wegryzn, Moy, and Larosa
In the Age of Apocalypse timeline taking place on Earth-295, X-Calibre (1995) primarily follows Nightcrawler but includes an alternate version of Deadpool referred to as Dead Man Wade. As one of Apocalypse’s Four Horsemen, Wade gets two alternate outfits for his role, with his field suit being the most interesting. Foregoing the mask entirely, his suit loses some smaller accents and detailing. He wears goggles over his eyes and missing from his suit are the usual pouches that have become a staple of his design. Nonetheless, this is a very distinct look for Dead Man Wade who serves only to kill people and be a vessel to the Shadow King, ferrying the villain to Avalon. Lacking his humor, but maintaining his insane nature, this is a dark twist with an outfit that matches his purpose under Apocalypse.
12 Ultimate Deadpool: An Alternate Costume For the Ultimate Alternate Universe
Ultimate Spider-Man (2000) #91-94: Brian Michael Bendis, Danny Miki, Mark Morales, Jimmy Palmiotti, John Dell, Mark McKenna, Laura Martin, Justin Ponsor, Richard Isanove, Mark Bagley, Cory Petit
The Ultimate universe made several adjustments to a variety of Marvel characters, including Deadpool. Going by the name Wadey Wilson, the mercenary is a far cry from his teetering murderer/potential hero dichotomy. Instead, he is a mutant-hating man who willingly undergoes genetic enhancement surgery with the end goal of killing mutants on the island of Krakoa. His hatred towards mutants is ironic given the frequency with which he aids the X-Men and assorted mutant teams. The Ultimate Deadpool suit accordingly shifts up the red and black arrangement of his suit, adding bigger gauntlets and boot elements. While not traditional, he is still recognizable as an evil alter of Deadpool. His hate makes him a far more evil iteration, though his suit stands out positively against a very unhumorous persona that is completely contrary to his usual self.
11 Deadpool’s Weapon X Inversion
Deadpool (1997-2002) #57-62: Frank Tieri, Jon Holdredge, Dexter Vines, Tom Chu, Dave Sharpe, Georges Jeanty
During a brief stint in Deadpool (1997-2002), Wade found himself back with the Weapon X program, serving as one of their agents. Pushed in by Sabretooth and encouraged by an improved healing factor, Deadpool agrees and gets a new costume for the occasion. This era is very short-lived, lasting only seven issues and ending in tragedy for Marvel’s top mercenary. Nonetheless, this suit is a standout, similarly reversing his color palette and being darker than his typical look. It features reddish eye patterns against a black background. The primary top is also black with black pants that have red stripes on the side matching his boots. However, he does maintain his usual pouch look, upgrading his belt to silver over brown or black for his Weapon X era. While different, this look is still very fitting for Deadpool.
10 Deadpool Has Several Classic X-Men Looks
Weapon X: Days of Future Now #1: Frank Tieri, Bart Sears, Mark Pennington, Michael Atiyeh, and Dave Sharpe
Deadpool has joined the X-Men a few times, and almost every time he comes with a new outfit. This particular outfit was seen in a future where the X-Men were finally wiped out by the Sentinels. Knowing the world needs the X-Men, Wolverine assembles a new team, and he invites Deadpool to be on it. While the Merc with a Mouth was initially hesitant, he did end up agreeing and joining the team. This included a brand-new orange and blue outfit that looked like an X-Men outfit. Usually, when Deadpool joins the X-Men, it’s just his regular outfit with an X on it or his regular mask, but this one truly merges both designs.
9 Deadpool Puts A Twist On Classic X-Men Suits As Only He Can
Cable & Deadpool (2004-2008) #8-10: Fabian Nicieza, Patch Zircher, Cory Petit; Deadpool (2008) #17: Daniel Way, Paco Medina, Juan Vlasco, Marte Gracia, Joe Sabino
The X-Men have had several different team uniform iterations, with Deadpool donning a couple on the few occasions where he has joined their ranks. No matter which iteration he wears, both have Merc with a Mouth flare that deserves recognition for the classic appearance or humorous approach. In Cable & Deadpool #8-10, the titular mercenary joins the mutant hero team wearing a bluish-black bodysuit with yellow accents. It features the iconic X-Men crest, but maintains Deadpool’s classic mask design, albeit in the new color scheme. Contrarily, in Deadpool (2008), Wade is seen in a black and yellow X-Men uniform. Taking a sillier approach, Deadpool’s version of the suit reads “X-Men” in red, splashed across his chest. Teetering between humorous and classic, Wade Wilson’s forays with these suits are noteworthy and memorable regardless of the selected color scheme.
8 Tron Deadpool Was A Killer Cyberpunk Look
Deadpool Kills Deadpool #4: Cullen Bunn, Salva Espin, Veronica Gandini, and Joe Sabino
Futuristic outfits are almost always amazing. During the Deadpool Wars, there were tons of Deadpools working with 616 Deadpool or serving under Dreadpool. One of the many Deadpools under Dreadpool was TRONpool. Very little is known about TRONpool aside from the fact he has a futuristic look with glowing neon lines along his costume. It’s possible that his world was trapped in a computer simulation or something similar, and he escaped by killing everyone, mirroring Dreadpool’s own journey. The only thing readers know for sure, is if TRONpool sided with Dreadpool, he was probably evil.
7 Armored Futurepool: Deadpool’s Mechanized Dream Becomes Reality
Cable/Deadpool Annual #1 (2018): David F. Walker, Paco Diaz, Chris Sotomayor, Joe Sabino
Although there are several iterations of Deadpool that come from the future, Futurepool in an armored suit is one of the best in terms of appearance and power. Not to be confused with Deadpool 2099, Futurepool is seen in Cable/Deadpool Annual #1 from 2018. Recruited by the Merc with a Mouth out of time to assist Ali Ciad, this version of Wade has an armored suit similar to Iron Man. Marvel’s mercenary doesn’t often get to wear an armored power suit, so this is a standout design for the character that should make a comeback. Known for his humorous and irreverent nature, it makes sense that if provided the technology, Deadpool would want to imitate Iron Man. A design like this provides him with much higher levels of firepower, opening the door to even more destructive potential.
6 Dark Ages Gave Us A Medieval Looking Deadpool
Dark Ages #2: Tom Taylor, Iban Coello, Brian Reber
With so many powerful characters in the Marvel Universe, it was only a matter of time before one of them accidentally ended the world. When the Unmaker threatened Earth, Doctor Strange was able to stop the ancient machine by opening a portal to a dimension full of EMP waves. Unfortunately, Strange was killed before he could close the portal. While the Unmaker was defeated, the world full into darkness as it could no longer use technology. Every hero had to learn to live without modern tech, including Deadpool. This version of Deadpool has a much more medieval design, sporting a red hood and favoring knives more than ever now.
5 Zenpool: Deadpool’s Life Crisis Inverts His Look Masterfully
Deadpool (2015) #36-39: Gerry Duggan, Brian Posehn, Mike Hawthorne, Terry Pallot, Jordie Bellaire, Joe Sabino
Tying into the Marvel event, Axis, in which the moral compasses of characters are reversed, Deadpool transforms into Zenpool. This lasts four issues, marking the mercenary’s pacifist period. Shying away from violence, his entire persona is changed. This era is marked by a completely new costume with a white and black color scheme, moving away from his blood-red tone. It also marks the loss of his usual sense of humor, but this aspect adds to this character’s own brand of whimsy. This Deadpool costume takes notes from Buddhism. Though incredibly different, it maintains his signature design pattern and brings new approaches to his signature abilities. This includes finding a new Daredevil-esque means of breaking the 4th wall by tuning into his other senses. It also explores his emotional state at the time and shortly after this period concludes.
4 Deadpool’s Best Symbiote Twist Comes With Poison Venompool
Venomverse (2017) #1-5: Cullen Bunn, Iban Coello, Matt Yackey, Joe Caramagna, Nick Bradshaw, Edgar Delgado
In Venomverse (2017), a Venomized version of Deadpool is one of many Venomized symbiote hosts pulled into an alternate world by a Venomized Doctor Strange. His initial symbiote form is rather basic, as his usual suit remains mostly the same, but with reverse mask coloration. He also has claws and sharper teeth, which are standard for symbiotes. However, when he turns himself over to the enemy – known as Poison – as a spy. Poison Venompool is a much scarier, fiercer iteration of Marvel’s best mercenary. This is one of Deadpool’s biggest power-ups while being distinguishable from other heroes included in this event. The design is easily identifiable as a Deadpool iteration given the color scheme, facial layout, and incorporated belt aspect. This iteration is also vastly different from the Venompool Marvel has used as of late, being more sleek overall.
3 X-Force Looks Good On Deadpool
Uncanny X-Force (2010-2012): Rick Remender, Jerome Opeña, Dean White, Cory Petit
Another instance of Deadpool joining an X-Men adjacent team is his time spent on X-Force. This team-up also grants him an X-Men-themed suit. However, unlike the previous iterations, this suit is far fiercer and more to his style. It uses the black-and-white color scheme seen in his Zenpool persona but doesn’t change his personality, allowing him to continue being a violent mercenary who gets jobs done. Deadpool’s X-Force suit also keeps his traditional suit cut and design, just adding some X-symbol embellishments. It also changes his masked eye color from white to red, providing a bloodthirsty look matching his teammate Wolverine’s. This suit should remain in his primary rotation whenever this team-up arises. The X-Force design is one of Deadpool’s most sleek, yet classic, keeping the best elements of his signature suit while adding an epic twist.
2 Dreadpool: The Deadpool Who Tried To Kill Everyone
Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe: Cullen Bunn, Dalibor Talajic, Lee Loughridge
Dreadpool is by far one of the most terrifying versions of Deadpool. On this Earth, his mind was accidentally broken by Psycho-Man who was attempting to brainwash him. This resulted in a Deadpool who was fully aware he was in a comic book, and he hated it. To “free” his friends, he began murdering everyone he came across, slaughtering his way across Earth before eventually turning his sights on the Multiverse. His outfit started out identical to the classic Deadpool look, but it quickly became more and more disheveled, most notably with the mouth section of the mask torn off and blood and grime often being on his suit.
1 Classic Deadpool Can’t Be Beat
New Mutants #98: Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld; Deadpool (1994); Deadpool (1997); Deadpool (2012)
Though it has undergone several minor alterations, Deadpool’s red and black classic suit is his trademark. It’s distinct, memorable, and iconic. Even when it appears bulky and loaded with pouches, it’s still highly practical overall. Over time, it has slimmed down and changed color on his belt and weapon holsters. It’s his most common costume, but its consistency over Deadpool’s thirty-four-year history is a testament to how well-designed it is. With minor alterations, it’s able to stay up to date with his latest comic adventures. This allows his alternate costumes to stand out even more since it’s rare that they occur. It is so simple, but very flexible, capable of being used by his variants very effectively, whether they be female, symbiote, canines, fowl, or other organisms. Deadpool‘s classic suit is – and likely will always be – his best.
