I think we can all agree that Lobo and Deadpool are two of the most beloved characters from their respective companies. Even when DC doesn’t know what to do with him, Lobo remains one of their most entertaining characters. Meanwhile, Deadpool plays a big part in keeping the lights on over at Marvel, both onscreen and on-panel. Their bombastic personalities are why I’m such a fan of them both.

That in mind, one thing needs to be said: Lobo is just the original version of Deadpool. Before you start ripping me to shreds, I’d like you to hear me out first. This isn’t a slight against any character or their fans because, again, I’m a fan of both – nor is the comparison meant to take anything away from Deadpool, but it is worth an honest side-by-side appraisal of the characters.

More than anything, the comparison hopes to highlight that as popular as Deadpool is today, Lobo deserves the same respective push from DC.

Lobo And Deadpool Share A Lot Of Similarities – Let’s Break Them Down

DC’s Lobo First Appeared in 1983; Marvel’s Deadpool Debuted In 1990

Deadpool made his first appearance under the Marvel banner in 1990’s The New Mutants #98, while Lobo made his DC Comics debut in 1983’s Omega Men #3. Honestly, I feel like the fact that Lobo pre-dates Deadpool by almost a decade is enough to prove my point about Lobo being a better Deadpool. Everything Deadpool is about, Lobo wrote the book on it, so to speak – and a closer analysis of their similarities emphasizes that. Let’s start by taking a look at their respective powers.

Both men are expert marksmen and have an accelerated healing factor. However, this is where Lobo first has an edge. Lobo’s healing factor is the best the DC roster has to offer. While the same can be said for Deadpool over at Marvel, there’s been too many instances where Deadpool’s healing factor has been known to be reverse-engineered to beat him. After all, in current continuity, Wade Wilson is permanently dead ,because someone found a way to beat his healing factor. We haven’t seen anyone be able to beat Lobo’s healing factor, at least it’s rare.

To Be Honest, Lobo Is The Better, Scarier Assassin Than Deadpool

The Main Man > The Merc With A Mouth

Lobo can regenerate from a single drop of blood, but he’s also a character skilled enough that he is rarely in a position where he needs to. His super strength is enough to rival Superman’s, making him a major DC powerhouse. Meanwhile, Deadpool routinely finds himself mangled, severed, decapitated, and on the brink of death. Sure, the way he’s able to meet death like it’s a monster of the week, in practically every issue, is an endearing quality about Deadpool, which I love as much as the next reader, but it costs him his credibility as a fighter.

Lobo manages to maintain his sarcastic, often self-referential sense of humor while still being outright terrifying in his approach.

In a sense, that also makes Lobo a better assassin, given that he can do his job without the need for his powers. More importantly, Lobo is a lot more sinister than Deadpool is. Both fill out that snarky anti-hero box impressively well, but Deadpool has leaned almost too far into being a comedian over the past couple of decades. Don’t get me wrong, I find Deadpool to be the funnier of the two, but again, credible isn’t intimidating or credible. Lobo manages to maintain his sarcastic, often self-referential sense of humor while still being outright terrifying in his approach.

DC Needs To Look At Marvel’s Success With Deadpool And Try To Replicte It With Lobo

Lobo Deserves To Be A Star

Looking at the comparison between the two characters, when we take into account all of the similarities between Deadpool and Lobo, it leaves one to wonder why Lobo isn’t on the same level as Deadpool in the mainstream. Think about it: Deadpool is practically Marvel’s biggest draw at the moment, in terms of casual audiences. He has his ongoing comic series, a trilogy of movies, and since joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he’s become the new face of the MCU, as he’s placed front and center of all Disney+ and Marvel movie posters.

This begs the question of why his counterpart, Lobo, doesn’t have a more prominent role. DC Comics just kickstarted its highly publicized Absolute Universe and its new All-In era for its main continuity, and as of this writing, Lobo is nowhere to be found in either universe. It mystifies me why Lobo doesn’t get the same kind of push that Deadpool has from Marvel, and given that Lobo is a better version of Deadpool, it doesn’t make much sense to me why he isn’t used in a greater role by DC.