Deadpool (3rd Series) #16

Issue Date: 
December 2009
Story Title: 
Want You to Want Me (Part 2): No Man is an Island
Staff: 

Daniel Way (writer), Paco Medina (pencils), Juan Vlasco (inks), Marte Gracia (colorist), VC’s Joe Sabino (letters), Jason Trent Pearson (cover artist), Jody LeHeup (assistant editor), Axel Alonso (editor), Joe Quesada (editor in chief), Dan Buckley (publisher), Alan Fine (executive producer)

Brief Description: 

After being rejecting Deadpool’s request to become one of the X-Men, Cyclops has Domino keep an eye on Wade. Deadpool hits town and sees an interview with Ellis Kincaid taking place and quickly devises a plan. Kincaid is emerging from court after a judge prevented him from being able to remove his daughter, Mercury, from Utopia. Back on the island, Prodigy informs Cyclops that Kincaid is in Norman Osborn’s pocket, so it’s no wonder he managed to get national coverage so soon. Domino manages to catch up with Deadpool and they have a long conversation during which Domino invites him onto the team, only with the condition that it is as a probationer. Domino later informs Cyclops how her meeting with Deadpool went and gives him the bad news. She informs him that he intends to assassinate Ellis Kincaid and get rid of Scott’s problem. Meanwhile, Mercury calls her father, not knowing that he is currently being interviewed on national television. She tries to get through to him that she isn’t being held captive, but her father doesn’t believe her. Scott takes over and speaks to Kincaid himself. He warns him that someone dangerous is coming after him, but Ellis takes this to mean Cyclops is threatening him, which clearly isn’t the case. As they speak, Scott realizes that Kincaid is on live television and, therefore, the station is where Deadpool is probably heading. He asks Prodigy to get Domino over there ASAP. As Scott watches the screen, he sees Deadpool arrive to kill Kincaid.

Full Summary: 

(present, Utopia)

Deadpool looks at the X-Men gathered before him and asks Cyclops what he reckons. “I say no,” he replies, “As a matter of fact, I say hell no.”

(a little later)

Deadpool is in his kitchen, in costume, with a spatula and a plate of dripping pancakes. He breathes in the sweet aroma and sighs before tossing them on a massive pile of cold pancakes. “I love the smell of 372,944 pancakes in the morning.”

(later that day)

Wolverine informs Cyclops that he messed up by blowin’ Deadpool off. Scott asks if he thinks he should have let him stay there and join them. Wolverine replies of course not. He’s way too volatile to be trusted in a contained environment like Utopia. But, by the same token, doesn’t Scott think he’s too volatile not to be contained? Dagger asks what’s so bad about him anyway. Scott and Logan look at each other. “Everything,” they reply in unison.

Dagger reminds them that a lot of people say that about Wolverine, but isn’t that why they’re all there in Utopia… because nobody wants them? She looks down below at some of the others and asks them to look around. Almost half the people there have checkered pasts. “Doesn’t rejecting this Deadpool guy make us… I dunno…”

(meanwhile)

Deadpool walks through town in a Mac coat and hat. He isn’t happy. Maybe he should blow their island to smithereens, he thinks, or maybe just show ‘em his moves. As he walks, he comes across a crowd which has a strong police presence controlling it. He sees a guy named Ellis Kincaid emerge from court into a sea of reporters. One asks what the court’s decision was. He informs them that the court decided to do nothing. The judge said that due to present circumstances there is nothing the court can do. He explains that essentially, he has been told that, as a parent, he has no rights or recourse because California law evidently doesn’t apply to the X-Men’s island stronghold. Another reporter asks if he blames the X-Men for this. Mr. Kincaid makes it clear that he isn’t anti-mutant. He’s pro-parental rights. His daughter is a minor and she’s been transferred from what was initially described to him and his ex-wife as a school to some sort of militarized compound. He’s been blocked from visiting her and it’s that simple.

A reporter asks where he goes from here. Kincaid replies that the law has failed him, both as a citizen and a father. He’s not going to take that lying down. He calls on the mayor, the governor, their senators and congressmen, and especially the viewers at home, to help him do something about it.

Back on Utopia, Prodigy is watching the news reports on his laptop and he informs Cyclops that they have a situation developing. Scott asks what they know about the guy. Prodigy informs him that his name is Ellis Kincaid. He’s 48 years old and from Portland, Oregon. He’s divorced with extreme prejudice and a real estate developer whose company is in pretty bad shape. At least it was until four days ago when he hit the jackpot. All his derelict assets were bought out in a fairly suspect arrangement with United Holdings Limited… a distant subsidiary of Oscorp. Scott isn’t surprised that he’s in Osborn’s pocket. No wonder he was able to get national coverage so fast. He asks who his daughter is.

Mercury appears and looks at the large screens which now show the news report. “Oh, my God.” she exclaims. “This is so embarrassing.” Mr. Kincaid holds up a photograph of himself with his daughter, Cessily. He tells the reporters the photo was taken when she was seven, before her… change. She’s the love of his life.

“Sure, we had problems…” he continues.

“Problems!” screams Cessily.

“…in the past,” he continues, “but what father and daughter haven’t?” He explains that when he and Cessily’s mother divorced he was only granted limited visitation. But, the time they were able to spend together meant everything to him.

“What?” barks Mercury. “You hardly ever bothered to even show up!”

Mr. Kincaid adds that he’s not only not allowed these meager visitations, but he’s not even allowed to speak to her. Scott asks Prodigy if the phones are down. David replies that he’ll look into it.

Mr. Kincaid then informs the reporters that for all he knows, she’s been kept against her will and the government is doing absolutely nothing about it.

Mercury tells Cyclops that she’s sorry about this, but Scott replies that he’s the one who’s sorry. Cessily takes this to mean she must leave Utopia, but Scott assures her that this isn’t the case. Emma informs her that Scott means he is sorry that her family is being torn apart by this. Though they’ve all had to pay a price for the creation of Utopia, it’s tragic and unfair that she is being forced to pay even more. Cessily admits that this makes the X-Men look bad. She doesn’t want that. Maybe it would be better if she did leave. Scott replies that she can leave if she wants, but they want her to stay. Utopia exists as a haven for people just like her; people who have been rejected by society because of their… differences. He glances at Dagger, who realizes he might just have got the point of her speech earlier.

He asks her not to worry. They will take care of this. He’ll get Archangel and his legal team on it immediately. It’ll probably just be a simple matter of filing for her emancipation. This isn’t a major problem like some of those they have to deal with. Cessily thanks him and departs with Prodigy. Alone with Emma, Scott rubs the back of his skull. “So. Deadpool… Do they know where to find him? Where‘s his base of operations?”

(meanwhile)

Deadpool shoots a lock and enters one of his safe houses, talking to himself as he makes his way to a cupboard filled with weapons. He knows Operation: Moves is risky but that’s just how he rolls.

Back on Utopia, Scott ask Domino to be Deadpool’s chaperone. She isn’t impressed with the idea, but Scott wants someone to keep an eye on him. Domino asks why her and Scott replies that it’s because they have history together. Domino agrees. “Bad history.” Wolverine reckons that’s why she’s the perfect choice, but Domino says that doesn’t make sense. Logan replies that with Deadpool… nothing ever does.

(later)

Deadpool is on a rooftop with a sniper rifle, talking to himself again. He’s too busy doing that to even notice Domino appear behind him.

(Utopia: later that day)

Cyclops asks Domino how it went. “Not well,” she replies. He asks if she made the offer. “Yes,” she replies. He asks if Wade believed her. She says no, and Scott tells her he didn’t think he would. Domino asks why, in that case, did he send her. Scott thought it made the most sense.

(present)

Domino tells Deadpool that she didn’t come all this far to be ignored. She came to offer him a spot on the X-Men! Wade turns quickly and points his pistol in Domino’s face. He reckons she’s come to kill him; because the nerd she works for knows he’s too much of a loose cannon to leave hanging. So, he sent someone he has history with to put him down. Domino reminds Wade that they’re friends. He has it all wrong. Deadpool replies so does she. They ain’t friends.

(present)

Deadpool orders Domino to step away from him. She takes a step backwards but he asks her to go a little further. She steps back more and doesn’t notice that she’s on a thin pane of glass. It shatters due to her weight and she falls through the skylight, landing on the squishy pile of pancakes Wade had made earlier.

(later that day)

Domino then asks Scott if he knew about the pancakes. She slaps him across the face. “I could’ve been crippled!” Scott apologizes for that, but reckons Domino knew what she was going in to and that there were risks involved. When dealing with Deadpool there always are. He is, after all, insane. Domino says she’s starting to think he might not be crazy.

(present)

Domino sits up. A pancake sits unceremoniously on her head. Her hairdo is ruined. Wade asks if they’re still friends. Domino pulls out her own pistol and points it back at Wade. She says he sure as hell ain’t acting like a friend. Deadpool extends his hand to pull her up. “So, I’m joining the X-Men, huh? Sweet.” Domino asks if he believes her now. Wade replies sure, and asks if she’s had breakfast yet.

(soon)

Wade and Domino are eating pancakes. She asks him why, and that he knows what she’s talking about. Wade wipes his mouth and informs her that if Cyclops really had sent her to whack him, he’d have also sent a back-up crew the minute she went down. They would have made their presence known. They didn’t, so he hadn’t, but he had to be sure. “You knew I was coming?” she asks. Wade then admits that he only made the pancakes ‘cause he was bored, not to save her from injury. Domino asks incredulously what if Cyclops had sent him to whack him. Wade replies that he would have blown her brains out and had some pancakes. He then turns the conversation back to her offer. He says he will join the X-Men on one condition…

(later that day)

Domino informs Cyclops that Deadpool wants an X-Men uniform. He wants to wear the X-Men uniform he made himself. “Is it bad?” asks Scott.

(present)

Wade shows off his hand-made uniform. It’s a black and yellow number with a gun belt. His name is written across his back.

(later that day)

Scott grimaces. “Fine.” He reckons if that’s the worst thing the have to worry about when it comes to Deadpool…

Domino interjects. She hasn’t gotten to that part yet.

(present)

Wade asks what ‘probationary status’ means. She informs him that it means his application is under review and, while that’s happening, Cyclops has several objectives he’d like them to sort out. Wade asks if he’d like to see what he can do. He’d like to see his moves? Confused, Domino guesses that must be the case. Wade reckons that’s cool as he’s got a little something going right now. He looks over at the screen which is showing an image of Ellis Kincaid. He asks Domino if she knows who she is. She replies that she does, and Cyclops is already dealing with him. However, it’s just a legal thing which should blow over in a few weeks. Wade tells her it’s going to be over a lot sooner than that. Domino asks what he means by that. Wade informs her that he’s totally gonna waste him. And by waste, he means assassinate. “Problem solved.”

(later that day)

Scott’s mouth drops when Domino tells him the news. Meanwhile, Mercury calls her dad, who tells her he’s been worried about her. He asks how they’re treating her and how she was able to contact him. She tells him that all she had to do was pick up the phone. It’s not like she’s a prisoner. He tells her that he knows she is scared and he is scared for her, but he’s working on getting her out of there. Cessily asks what he’s talking about. She’s there because she wants to be there. Doesn’t he get that? She adds that she knows why he’s doing this. She knows that Norman Osborn is bailing out his company. “Mom got everything in the divorce and you’re just using me to…”

Scott interrupts her and puts his hand out. He thinks he should take things from here. He introduces himself to Mr. Kincaid and asks if he knows who he is. Kincaid replies yes… he is Cyclops, the leader of the X-Men and the man who’s holding his juvenile daughter against her, and his, will. He tells Kincaid that this isn’t true and then warns him that he is in danger. There is someone coming after him.

Prodigy enters and shouts at him to stop talking. Ellis Kincaid is on television, right now! “Are you threatening me?” asks Kincaid as his interviewer looks on. Scott realizes his mistake and tries to explain that he isn’t threatening him, but merely advising him of the situation. “That sounds like a threat to me,” replies Kincaid. Scott becomes perplexed and asks Prodigy if Domino has found Deadpool yet. He replies no, and Scott twigs that the station is probably broadcasting live. He asks him to tell Domino to get there… now!

Ellis Kincaid asks if Scott is sending someone after him; to shut him up. Is that what he’s saying. Watching from his office, Norman Osborn reckons this is fantastic. Scott replies that what he’s saying is that there is someone after him who is extremely dangerous. Ellis asks who? One of his X-Men? Scott replies no, but, as he speaks, on television he sees a commotion in the studio. Deadpool has caught up with him and he warns Kincaid that it’s life lesson time. He warns him that this is what happens when you *#$% with his people.

Characters Involved: 

Deadpool

Cannonball, Colossus, Cyclops, Dazzler, Emma Frost, Rogue, Wolverine (all X-Men)

Dagger, Domino, Karma, Magik, Mercury, Dani Moonstar, Prodigy, Warpath

Ellis Kincaid

Onlookers and Cops

Reporters and camera crews

Norman Osborn

Interviewer

(on screen)

Ellis Kincaid and the press

Onlookers

Story Notes: 

“I love the smell of 372,944 pancakes in the morning,” paraphrases Robert Duvall’s line in the 1979 movie Apocalypse Now, only it’s the smell of napalm to which he refers.

Issue Information: 
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