Warning: contains spoilers for Deadpool #9!
Love him or hate him, Deadpool is a tough guy to get rid of, and that’s not just because of his massive popularity with fans. Wade Wilson’s healing factor helps him come back from the worst injuries imaginable. He’s been ripped in half, blown apart, and even vaporized by a single punch, yet he always manages to walk away (or, in many instances, get dragged away) from a fight. Even though these feats are incredible, there is still an even more impressive aspect of Deadpool’s regenerative abilities that fans sometimes forget.
Before the Merc with a Mouth acquired his handy-dandy healing powers, his life wasn’t going so great. Just like in 2016’s Deadpool, starring Ryan Reynolds, Wade Wilson’s world was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Searching for options, he joined the Weapon X Program, which promised a cure for cancer. While Wade received a healing factor that kept him from dying from the disease, it wasn't quite what he'd had in mind.
Since it’s no longer a fatal problem, Deadpool’s unrelenting cancer can be easily forgotten amidst his wacky adventures. Still, it is something Wade has to deal with all the time, and a constant source of suffering for the character, even driving him to attack the X-Men's island home of Krakoa in Deadpool #4 when he believed they were withholding the cure. Readers get a reminder of this aspect of Wade's character in Deadpool #9 by Kelly Thompson, Gerardo Sandoval, Victor Nava, and Chris Sotomayor. The issue kicks off with Deadpool fighting bone beasts while imbued with the power of an infected Bloodstone crystal. In the issue prior, the regenerating degenerate decided to take the crystal off Elsa Bloodstone’s hands (literally) because it was killing her. This leaves him with heightened abilities, but the poisonous effects of the infection leave him in agonizing pain.
As Deadpool fights the monsters at the beginning of the ninth issue, the fourth-wall breaking hero decides to give a recap of the situation. As he briefs readers on what’s happening, he says, “Thanks to the Bloodstone being infected, I’m now dying. I mean, I’m always dying, fair enough, but there’s definitely more… urgency to it now.” While it’s only a small moment, it's a reminder of a dark truth about the hero: his healing factor hasn't "cured" his cancer, it just keeps it at bay, meaning Wade is in a constant cycle of bodily degeneration and regeneration.
When considering all of the grotesque injuries that Wade Wilson has survived over the years, it’s easy to forget that his cancer is always killing his cells, only for his healing factor to fix them. It’s a vicious cycle that could make anyone go mad and certainly takes its toll on Deadpool. This is especially impressive given what Wade's regenerative powers can do on top of this constant healing; he ends the issue as a decapitated head, knowing his healing factor will regenerate his body, all while pushing back the cancer. A tragic figure at the best of times, Deadpool's incredible healing factor means that not only can he withstand immense damage, but he's also dying and healing 24/7. Even in his calmest moments, Deadpool is in a constant state of regenerating - and it's not like Wade has all that many calm moments to begin with.