Marvel’s Newest Villain Is A Nightmare Fusion Of 3 Iconic Heroes

Published Oct 16, 2026, 9:19 PM EDT

Jared is a writer, editor, and Communications Studies graduate who loves popular nerd culture (almost anything to do with Marvel, DC, Star Wars, or The Lord of the Rings) and the interactive storytelling medium. Jared's first console was the PS1, wherein he fell for Spider-Man, Spyro the Dragon, and Crash Bandicoot.

Marvel’s newest crossover storyline event, “Big Guns,” is an action-packed romp that essentially gives Frank Castle’s Punisher an excuse to use Wade Wilson’s Deadpool as a punching bag. That is, if the punching bag was a wad of flesh that can’t be killed due to a regenerative healing factor, and if every bit of tissue that’s severed from it regenerates into its own degenerate, revolting sentience, also known as Wade Wilson: Deadpool’s Badpools.

Deadpool has been dealing with Badpools for a while now in Benjamin Percy’s ongoing Wade Wilson: Deadpool series, and, with Percy’s ongoing Punisher series intersecting with it for this event, Badpools have suddenly become Punisher’s problem, too. Punisher is exceptional at slaughtering Deadpool, as well as any Badpools that spawn when the dust settles and the floor is littered with bullet casings, and that includes a freakish nightmare that was teased as something much greater than it actually turned out to be.

Punisher, Deadpool, and Iron Man Combine For A Horrific New War Machine

In the last issue of Wade Wilson: Deadpool, “Big Guns” left off on a cliffhanger as a mischief of heinous Badpools stumbled across the black-and-white War Machine armor in a subterranean S.H.I.E.L.D. vault—discovered by Merc Mobile’s Deadpool and Blind Al—that also held a time gun, a weapon that Deadpool has already accidentally caused the extinction of the saber-toothed tiger with, and could theoretically cause many more lore-rupturing retcons. The Badpools quickly took a liking to the War Machine armor, teasing that a big battle would ensue with them commandeering it.

Now, Wade Wilson: Deadpool #9 has given readers their first look at the Punisher’s War Machine armor being operated by Badpools, making for an excellent splash page. The Badpools had fired all of the armor’s guns at Punisher, leaving them smoking, with Badpools crawling over the suit and one head occupying the helmet. It’s a terrific, gruesome sight, and such a formidable weapon in the hands of Badpools is especially haunting.

The Badpools’ War Machine… Didn’t Even Get A Fight?

Egregiously, we don't even get to see Frank fight this Badpool-infested War Machine. The next time we see Punisher, he’s in the suit himself, as if the Badpools had never stolen it or posed any problem to him. Of course, because the final chapter of “Big Guns” will be featured in The Punisher #9, it’s possible this upcoming issue could begin by depicting Punisher’s battle against the Badpools in a prologue that sheds light on his perspective, seeing as it’ll be from the perspective of Punisher and his book.

With any luck, Frank will hopefully decide to hang onto the War Machine armor beyond this crossover event. Either way, though, there’s a lot that The Punisher has to wrap up for “Big Guns,” including how things with Black Hole and Bullseye will be resolved. The solicitation for The Punisher #9 reads as follows:

BLACK HOLE pulls DEADPOOL and PUNISHER into his deadly trap, as the BADPOOLS and BULLSEYE make their own plays! The chaotic climax to the wildest crossover of the year concludes with a dramatic addition to FRANK CASTLE’s plans going forward (as well as WADE’s fortunes!) A can’t-miss issue for readers of PUNISHER or WADE WILSON: DEADPOOL!

Wade Wilson: Deadpool #9 is out now.

The merc with the mouth first appeared in an issue of New Mutants in 1990, and since then has gone on to get his own series and a massive cult following. With his incredible powers of healing and regeneration, Deadpool was initially depicted as an X-Men villain but went on to become an anti-hero. After getting his own movie series starting in 2016, the third Deadpool movie finally brings the wisecracking, fourth-wall-breaking character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.