Wade Wilson’s secret phobia is the driving force that would have made Deadpool the DC Universe’s biggest hero had he been born in Marvel’s competitor universe. Like Batman himself, Wade’s tendency to channel his fear into shocking violence would see him target one of the planet’s deadliest threats with a vengeance.
The zany killer-for-hire has seen a lot in his time. Wade Wilson has fought zombies, vampires, aliens, and a number of superheroes with some pretty serious firepower. Aside from Deadpool’s superhuman healing abilities and fourth-wall awareness, his biggest asset is his willingness to run headfirst into danger, no matter the consequence. Deadpool’s annoying sense of humor might be what he’s known for best, but Wilson’s lack of fear has made him one of the most ambitious – and effective – mercenaries in the entire Marvel Universe.
However, even someone with a powerful healing factor is bound to be afraid of something, and Deadpool is stricken with a serious case of coulrophobia, also known as a fear of clowns. Fans got a peak into Deadpool’s mind in Cable and Deadpool #15 by Fabian Nicieza and Patrick Zircher. After being kidnapped by the villainous Black Box, Deadpool was brainwashed to target his fellow superheroes. However, it appears that the hatred of colorful merry-makers runs deep in Wade Wilson, because slaying clowns is the main thing on the antihero’s mind as Black Box attempts to brainwash him. When asked “Who is the greatest threat to public safety?” Deadpool instantly replies “Clowns!” Black Box tries to get Deadpool to focus on other, greater threats, but Wade clarifies that he hates clowns even more than Simon Cowell, Galactus, or Karl Rove.
The answer Black Box is looking for is “superhumans,” but if he was just one universe over, Deadpool would have a point. Often known as the Clown Prince of Crime, the Joker has one of the highest body counts of any DC villain, and has threatened to literally end the world on many occasions. In the Marvel Universe, Deadpool’s obsession is dismissed as his usual brand of bizarre comedic fixation, but if he ever found himself in Gotham city, he’d be immediately motivated to seek out and destroy the ultimate clown. What’s more, Deadpool is one of the few people who could out-random Joker, and his ridiculously powerful healing factor is something the street-level villain wouldn’t expect after so long dealing with the Bat-Family.
In the DC Universe, Deadpool would have the means, motive, and opportunity to take down one of the biggest threats to human life, where in the Marvel Universe, those same traits just make him frustrating to the villain trying to turn him against his friends. This possibility isn’t as outlandish as it seems, as past comic crossovers have seen Joker face off with Marvel vigilantes like the Punisher. Hopefully, Deadpool will one day get the chance to set his sights on Joker, and his conviction that clowns are the ultimate threat to public safety will be vindicated.
