As fans of DEADPOOL’S SECRET SECRET WARS may recall, the Merc with a Mouth did a little dancing with Spider-Man’s future sartorial partner, the black alien suit, before the Wallcrawler even had a chance to slip into those duds.
Well, it turns out that after Spidey sent that treacherous suit a-packing, the symbiote came crawling back to Wade Wilson and wouldn’t you know Deadpool’s just too much of a big hearted softie to turn that alien parasite down cold.
The result? The brand new limited series DEADPOOL: BACK IN BLACK from writer Cullen Bunn and artist Salva Espin. We took a second with Bunn to interview him about the project he had to chaperone.
Marvel.com: This is your return to Deadpool’s “secret history” as first presented in DEADPOOL’s SECRET SECRET WARS. How did it feel to return to that version of the character and that “world”?
Cullen Bunn: I couldn’t be happier. I absolutely love the idea that Wade has been bumping around the Marvel Universe—in continuity—for all these years. We’ve seen these type of “secret history” stories with other characters, of course, but whenever Deadpool’s involved, it is kind of a game changer. And how exciting that something that started as a fun little note in DEADPOOL’S SECRET SECRET WARS leads to a bigger story exploring that era of Marvel through Deadpool's eyes!
Marvel.com: Salva Espin also is also no stranger to the character given his recent work on MERCS FOR MONEY. How has your collaboration gone? In what ways did you try to script to bring out the best in your artist and let him bring out the best in your words?
Cullen Bunn: Salva and I have a real cool working relationship. There’s a trust between us that I think comes across on the page. In this case, Salva gets to channel some Spider-Man-like action throughout the series. I sent him a lot of reference shots from Marvel books from the 80’s and it’s so much fun to see him do his thing in that world. He just does such an amazing job of making the action fun!
Marvel.com: For those unfamiliar, how does the symbiote alter Deadpool, if at all? Is his relationship to the alien suit similar to Spider-Man or Venom’s or does he, as he so often does, put his own unique Deadpool spin on things?
Cullen Bunn: Deadpool definitely puts his own unique spin on the symbiote/host relationship.
For some reason, that sounds really disturbing when I say it out loud.
But when he first merges with the alien suit, he tries to do things a little like Spider-Man would. That doesn’t serve him very well—and the suit has some issues with him trying to be Spidey—so he has to adjust his style and do things in his own way. Or in his own as much as the symbiote will let him.
Marvel.com: The symbiote has been known to alter a wearer’s personality. Given Deadpool’s unique state of mind, does the alien suit wreak havoc on his persona in similar ways?
Cullen Bunn: I think it is more likely that Deadpool is going to wreak havoc on the symbiote’s personality. I can tell you this, neither host nor symbiote will walk—or slither—away from this unchanged.
Marvel.com: Without spoiling things of course, what can you tell us about the sort of adventures the Merc with a Mouth will be going on with the suit?
Cullen Bunn: As I started working on this series, I took a long look at the stories that were being told in Marvel books around this time in the symbiote’s life. I took note of all the characters who were having adventures around this time and made a list of characters I’d like to have Deadpool meet while in the suit. I thought long and hard about the events that were taking place during the time period in which this story takes place. And, most importantly, I figured out a reason the symbiote would seek out Deadpool and how their reunion would impact both of them.
There is an overarching story that drives these two together. In the days after the symbiote and Spider-Man parted ways, someone comes looking for the symbiote for nefarious reasons. Lost and alone in the world, the symbiote turns to the one other Earth being besides Peter Parker that it has been connected to—and that’s Wade Wilson.
The symbiote is looking for help, but Deadpool sees this as a chance to be a real super hero. Pretty soon, he’s web slinging through New York, stopping crimes, having team-ups, and evading alien bounty hunters.
Marvel.com: Who are some of those familiar Marvel characters readers can anticipate Deadpool and the symbiote encountering? How do they react to this dangerous union?
Cullen Bunn: The nice thing is, I get to write some of my favorite characters from some of my favorite eras. Power Pack meets Deadpool? You bet! Black Cat? Of course! Kraven the Hunter? What kind of wild ideas might a meeting with Deadpool put in his head?
Deadpool will be meeting a lot of other heroes and villains from 80’s Marvel. There are also some new characters and “newer” characters who are part of this story. They never appeared in comics in the 80’s, but we’re changing all that now!
Some of the interactions Deadpool has in this series will carry over and be referenced in modern era Deadpool books, of course!
Marvel.com: As a writer, what was your main draw to this story?
Cullen Bunn: From the perspective of a guy who loved comics, this is a chance to relive some of the thrills of one of my favorite time periods in Marvel history. As a kid, I read these stories and wanted to be a part of that universe. So here we go!
Beyond that, though, I love the idea of playing with continuity. I know, there are people out there who will say “this is an alternate reality story!” But this story is 100% in continuity. So, if you don’t accept what you read here, you’re the one who is living in an alternate reality, bucko!
And while this is a fun, crazy story, I feel like there are some real moments of emotion and sadness here as well, mainly from the perspective of the symbiote. Writing that part of the story was really exciting for me.
Source : Marvel
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