DC Has a Deadpool Parody Character Who’s Obsessed With Harley Quinn

If a fabled Marvel and DC crossover were to ever take place on-screen, one of the most interesting pairings to see would have to be Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). The similarities between the two anti-heroes simply border upon the uncanny. They both are reformed villains, they both use humor to mask deep-seated trauma, and they both are known to break the fourth wall occasionally.

A crossover like that is years away, if it even happens at all. However, both Marvel and DC are no strangers to “borrowing” certain traits from each other to create certain characters. Sometimes these characters can be fleshed-out enough to stand on their own, other times they are a self-aware parody of a specific character, and in the most specific scenarios, they can be a bit of both. In the case of the character most relevant to today’s conversation, there is a clear parody of a certain “Merc with a Mouth,” but they also have a very distinct character arc that ties in with the Clown Queen of Crime, Harley Quinn.

The comic Harley Quinn Vol. 2, Issue #3, introduces a seemingly average character named Wayne Wilkins. Wayne is the humble steward of a local hardware store in Gotham City, and he loves tools about as much as The Riddler loves puzzles. However, Wayne’s life changes dramatically as soon as Harley Quinn and a horde of manic admirers stumble through his door.

The comic’s earlier events almost sound as if they were ripped straight from a Rick and Morty episode. Harley Quinn, being the agent of chaos that she is, accidentally comes into contact with a special plant that was created by her sometimes friend, sometimes enemy, and sometimes romantic partner, Poison Ivy. The plant causes everyone that Harley comes into contact with to fall helplessly in love with her, and always to a ravenous and dangerous level.

While being chased by a mob of admirers, Harley stumbles into Wayne’s shop and his life. Wayne is helpless to defend against the mad mob, and when they believe he’s trying to stop them from reaching Harley, they relentlessly maim, dismember, and disfigure him. Wayne survives his wounds, but he becomes obsessed with Harley Quinn, thinking of her as both his sworn enemy and his ultimate soul mate. With the conflicting personas of wanting to kill her and wanting to impress her, Wayne uses his arsenal of tools to become the masked vigilante known as The Red Tool.

The main similarities between The Red Tool and Deadpool can be seen in their appearance. Their skin-tight jumpsuits, fully covered masks with white eyes, and an arsenal of tool belts and weaponry are significantly similar to one another. Not to mention, their scarred appearance underneath their costumes is also quite similar, and it’s their scarred appearance that primarily motivates them. Additionally, Red Tool also has a cybernetic arm that gives him an edge in combat.

Powers-wise, Deadpool has the edge with his healing factor, which Red Tool does not have. However, the injuries that Red Tool sustained did give him a unique edge. The trauma and nerve damage he received make it so Red Tool cannot feel any form of significant fame, thus making him a more durable and relentless fighter. It’s a funny coincidence, given that the villain of the first Deadpool movie, Ajax (Ed Skrein), also had powers that made him immune to pain.

Certainly, the biggest difference between Red Tool and Deadpool is their personalities and methods of humor. While Red Tool certainly provides comic relief, he isn’t constantly breaking the fourth wall like his Marvel counterpart does. Instead, Red Tool is more utilized as a foil to characters in Harley’s life, such as The Joker. Where the Joker is a manipulator who pretends to love Harley for his own selfish devices, Red Tool is legitimately in love with Harley to the point where he is obsessive. He could essentially be referred to as the ultimate antithesis of The Joker.

The Red Tool being a parody of Deadpool is no accident, as the character’s creation was almost certainly a direct answer to Deadpool himself being a parody of a very recognizable DC villain. Where Deadpool’s name is Wade Wilson, there’s another masked assassin in the DC universe who typically goes by the name of Slade Wilson. Unless their introduction to the character was the animated Teen Titans show, most DC fans know the character of Slade Wilson by his intimidating alter ego – Deathstroke the Terminator.

In the comics, Deathstroke is consistently referred to as one of the most, if not the most, deadly assassins in the DC universe. The one-eyed veteran assassin has tangled with just about every hero in the DC universe at some point, be they rookie crime fighters like the Teen Titans or the most powerful members of the continuity, like Superman. His ferocity and slick design are what have made Deathstroke an instant fan favorite, and one that we’re still waiting for a truly great live-action movie version of (although the version from Arrow was pretty good).

Deadpool is an obvious parody of Deathstroke, but again, the two characters are very different from a personal perspective. Where Deadpool is constantly cracking jokes and making light of even the most dire of situations, Deathstroke almost consistently plays things straight and is the subject of much more serious stories. With Deadpool becoming a character that has easily exceeded the already high popularity of Deathstroke, it makes perfect sense that DC would try to fire back with a character like The Red Tool.

Deadpool & Wolverine is in theaters now.

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