As much of a fan-favorite asDeadpoolis, his brother is by far the most underrated hero of the 2000s era of Marvel Comics. Wade Wilson may have everything from dozens of ongoing titles and miniseries to a feature film franchise.But Deadpool’s lesser-known familyhas quite an interesting story himself.
Deadpool’s ‘brother’, of course, doesn’t refer to a legit blood relationship, but rather Wilson’s infrequently appearing frenemy, Agent X. Alex Hayden, also known as Nijo, was an assassin who took ona number of Deadpool’s traitsafter an explosion. His story is wild, but one that makes him far more complex and fascinating than the Merc with the Mouth.
Deadpool’s Brother Literally Took Wade Wilson’s Best Assets
A Mix-Up Turned a Normal Assassin Into a New Kind of Deadpool
Nijo, the man who would become Agent X, originally debuted in the final arc of the second volume ofDeadpool. In the four-part story arc “Healing Factor” by Gail Simone and Udon Studios, Nijo is presented as an assassin working for the telepathic criminal Black Swan. Nijo believes that his brotherwas killed by Deadpooland is desperate for revenge.
“Healing Factor” is told overDeadpool #65-69!
Nijo finally gets his chance at revenge inDeadpool #69, but discovers that the man who actually killed Nijo’s brother was Black Swan. Duringa final confrontation between Nijo, Black Swan, and Deadpool, the three men are caught in an explosion and the series concludes with no one seemingly making it out alive.But the storyline doesn’t end there, as this story led intoAgent X, starring the titular assassin. This book followed Nijo, now calling himself Alex Hayden, who was out to become the best assassin in the world. Though it was unclear to the world who Agent X was, the truth about him and his connection to Deadpool eventually came out.
Agent X gained both Deadpool’s superhuman healing factor and personality
As it turns out, the explosion Black Swan, Deadpool, and Alex were caught up in partially merged all three, giving them traits and powers of the others. Agent X gained both Deadpool’s superhuman healing factor and personality and Black Swan’s proficiency with weapons. Together, Alex and Deadpool killed Black Swan, andthe two have remained uneasy allies ever since.
Alex Hayden Was Funny and Incredibly Cool
While there’s a lot to like about Deadpool, Agent X improved on the hero in a lot of different ways. For one, there was an air of mystery to the character. He showed up right after the big explosion that capped off the previous Deadpool run, but there wasno certainty as to who Agent X truly was.
…skilled enough to even throw Taskmaster off of his game.
Wade is obviously skilled, but his and Black Swan’s traits in Agent X’s body pushed him to a whole new level. Agent X is one of the best killers alive, and skilled enough to even throw Taskmaster off of his game. And that’s not even getting into how amazing the healing factor he lifted from Deadpool is.
And yes, Agent X had a sense of humor about him. But unlike Deadpool, who just can’t shut his mouth to save his life, Alex was more restrained when it came to his humor. He’d crack a joke, but he wasn’t constantly shooting his mouth off in the middle of battle either.Agent X was simply a more refined Deadpool.
Agent X is More Than Worthy of a Modern Comeback
Bring Deadpool’s Brother Back to Balance Out Wade Wilson
Agent X is a great character and had a fascinating story. Unfortunately, after his miniseries ended, focus shifted back to Deadpool. While Wade became a cultural juggernaut, Agent X has been relegated to a handful of appearances over the last two decades, which is a shame considering how interesting he is.
Agent Xcame at a time when Marvel was being wildly experimental with Deadpool. Nowadays, the publisher wouldn’t dream of putting Wade to the side and letting someone else take the spotlight. But in doing so for Alex, fans got a really innovative story thatbucked the trend of usual Deadpool comics.
Agent X works as a good balance to Wilson…
Deadpool is a fun character, but even his biggest supporters agree he can be a little much. Agent X works as a good balance to Wilson, as Alex has many of the same great qualities, he’s just not as explosive as Wade. He complements Deadpool well and in lieu of a new series,Alex could at least join Deadpool again.
Alex is thankfully still around and there are plenty of directions Marvel could go by bringing him back into the fold full-time. Granted, Agent X is from another time, and he might not play as well as he did back in the early 2000s. But Deadpool’s ‘brother’ is still a fascinating character, and it’d be great to see him return.
