When two iconic Marvel anti-heroes collided, the Punisher won the first few rounds, but Deadpool ultimately emerged victorious – thanks to a technique he picked up from, of all places, a DC Comic. The bloody rivalry between the Merc With a Mouth and the arch-vigilante Frank Castle culminated in bang, not a whimper, and in the process, gave a direct shout-out to the legendary character the Question.

Deadpool vs. the Punisher – written By Fred Van Lente; with art By Pere Pérez – was a five-issue miniseries that featured Wade Wilson and Frank Castle crossing each other’s paths, while dealing with a criminal boss known as the Bank.

Frank wins several “rounds” of their conflict by shooting Deadpool in the head – only for Deadpool to shockingly do the same to him. The final issue of the series reveals that the Punisher survived, thanks to Wade’s comic book inspiration.

Deadpool Got His Idea to Defeat Punisher from The Question

Deadpool vs the Punisher (2017) – Written By Fred Van Lente; Art By Pere Pérez, Ruth Redmond & Joe Sabino

The penultimate issue of Deadpool vs. the Punisher ends with Deadpool finally gaining his own victory, getting some much deserved revenge by shooting Punisher in the head. While such a move would conceivably kill the human Castle, the final issue reveals that he was shot by an air-gun, with the pellet flattening against his skull and rolling around to exit through the back of his head. While explaining how Punisher survived the wound, Deadpool lets slip that he “totally stole the idea from an old comic by Denny O’Neil and Denys Cowan!”

Though Deadpool vs. the Punisher #5 doesn’t explicitly name the comic being referenced, familiar readers will recognize that it is 1987’s The Question #1. That issue ended with the Question’s alter-ego Vic Sage taking the beating of his life after running afoul of the corrupt Reverend Hatch, culminating with Sage taking a bullet to the head and being thrown into the river, apparently dead. Subsequent issues went on to reveal that Sage survived the experience, because he was shot with a low-powered air-pistol – exactly as Deadpool does to the Punisher.

Deadpool’s Reference To The Question Is A Perfect Nod To A Classic Character

And It Reveals His Comic Fandom

Launched in the aftermath of Crisis on Infinite Earths – a mega-crossover saw the Charlton stable of heroes like Captain Atom, Blue Beetle and the Question incorporated into the DCU – The Question ran for thirty-six issues, making it the longest-running series to feature Steve Ditko’s signature character. O’Neil and Cowan’s Question series was an early precursor to the later Vertigo line , as it carried a “Suggested for Mature Readers” label starting with The Question #8.

Deadpool stealing this trick from The Question highlights the character’s pop culture expertise, and serves as a nice nod on the creators’ part to a classic DC comic by two legendary creators. It is a nifty way for a character to survive a gunshot wound to the head, and it’s kind of hilarious to think of Deadpool reading the comic in question and thinking that would be an excellent way to take down an opponent without killing them. Whatever the case, it’s interesting to learn that Deadpool beat the Punisher from an idea he stole from an old DC Comic.

Deadpool vs. the Punisher is available now from Marvel Comics.