Where did Wade Wilson's codename 'Deadpool' come from anyways? While it was originally just a cool sounding name that fit the Marvel Comics era of the early 90s, the Deadpool name was eventually given its own origin in the late 90s, giving readers a dark and sad tale that eventually produced the Merc with the Mouth and his now iconic name. This same origin story was also adapted fairly well by the 2016 Deadpool film starring Ryan Reynolds in the titular role, though there are some key differences that make the original comic's tale much more tragic.
The origins for the Deadpool codename can be found in the 1998 annual issue Deadpool & Death, which sees Wade Wilson forced to reminisce about his past and how he got his powers and codename, all for the sake of Lady Death, his first love. Desiring to become a superhero, a handsome Wade Wilson enlisted in the Weapon X program, hoping to also receive a cure for his cancer in exchange for his service. However, Wade bombed out of the program and was subsequently sent to a facility where the program experimented on Weapon X rejects, and the experimentations resulted in Wade's cancer living on top of his skin (which is what makes him so grotesque).
Additionally, Wade learned that the other inmates/test subjects had a running betting pool on who would die the soonest. Because he was living in tremendous pain, Wade was able to see Lady Death awaiting him, desiring to be with him. Wade made it his mission to increase his odds of dying, taunting the facility's attendant known as Ajax (real name Francis), doing all that he could to try and die as soon as possible. However, Ajax turned on the friends that Wade had made, punishing them in unimaginable ways instead of him. As a result, Wade started to seek revenge over his own death. As a result, when Ajax finally did kill Wade, the vengeance backfired by activating Wade's healing factor, meaning that he couldn't die. This is what caused Wade to snap and go crazy, taking on a new name inspired by his winning of the Dead Pool, despite all of his efforts to lose it.
Fans of the Deadpool films should be able to quickly pick up on many of the similarities between this origin story and the origins for Wilson provided onscreen. It's evident that this annual issue in particular was used as a large source of inspiration for the films (including Wade learning Ajax's real name). However, Lady Death was never a presence in the film, nor was Ajax's punishment of other inmates instead of Wade, or the head doctor known as Killebrew. Likewise, the Dead Pool was not a creation of Wade's fellow inmates/test subjects in the film, but was invented by Wade's friend Weasel and the mercenary bar he ran known as Sister Margaret's School for Wayward Children.
While the original comics story is one that is extremely dark and tragic, it birthed one of the most popular anti-heroes of all time nonetheless. Regardless, it is interesting to learn the deeper meaning and history behind Wade Wilson's codename, and it's good that Marvel Comics eventually gave it a solid backstory that would go on to define the darker and deeper levels of Deadpool's character for years to come.