Superman: DC's Version of Deadpool Joins the Metropolis Defenders
Superman's newest ally is a wisecracking, meta-aware hero who directly addresses the readers, traits that many fans associate with Marvel's Deadpool.
Superman may be one of DC’s most powerful heroes, but even he can’t defend the world by himself. Fortunately, the Man of Steel has a brand new ally to help him protect Metropolis - a hero by the name of Ambush Bug, DC’s version of Deadpool.
Many comic fans know that Marvel's Deadpool was initially created as a Deathstroke rip-off. However, aside from their names and penchant for murder, Wade and Slade have very little in common. Deathstroke is one of DC’s deadliest mercenaries and overall a pretty serious character, whereas Deadpool is known for his wisecracking dark humor and fourth-wall breaking shenanigans. However, DC’s Ambush Bug is much closer to Deadpool in terms of tone and personality, and he just signed up to be one of Metropolis’s newest defenders.
In Superman #30 by Philip Kennedy Johnson and Sean Lewis, while the Big Blue Boy Scout is off-world, the defense of Metropolis is left up to a rag-tag team of heroes, Ambush Bug being one of them. As the heroes listen to Jimmy Olsen describing their latest foe, an illusionist named Projectoress, Ambush Bug is nearly choked to death by Deadstream, one of Projectoress’s underlings who can meld his body with water, when he slips into Ambush Bug’s coffee. However, the rest of the heroes think Ambush Bug is just being dramatic as usual and berate him for making a scene - not unlike how Deadpool is treated by the X-Men and other Marvel heroes. Fortunately, Ambush Bug manages to save himself by teleporting to another realm, and even manages to get the best lead yet on Projectoress’s whereabouts. Not too shabby.
As mentioned, the way Ambush Bug is treated like a joke by the other heroes is very reminiscent of Deadpool, but that’s not all they have in common. The greatest similarity between the two characters is their ability to break the fourth wall by addressing the readers, putting them among the few characters who know they're in a comic. Either that or they are both insane; probably a mix of the two. In addition, both have a cocky, sarcastic demeanor that lends levity to otherwise intense situations, and neither hero is meant to be taken too seriously - Ambush Bug’s brain literally has a face on it for crying out loud. Both characters also have the ability to teleport, though Ambush Bug can evidently travel much further distances. Lastly, Deadpool and Ambush Bug have fought both with and against the superheroes of their respective universes - when he debuted back in 1982, Ambush Bug was originally a villain, albeit a silly one, and Deadpool has gone up against the X-Men and other Marvel heroes plenty of times.
Ambush Bug is nowhere near Deadpool’s level of popularity, but they both serve a similar function as meta-characters who provide comic relief. In that regard, Ambush Bug truly is DC's version of Deadpool, and is a great addition to Superman’s team.