Warning: contains spoilers for Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe One Last Time #1!
After 36 years, finally found a great use for one of its most obscure superheroes. The Marvel Universe is full of heroic icons such as Captain America and Spider-Man, but for every major league player, there are many more languishing in obscurity. in Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe One Last Time #1.
Nth Man first appeared in 1989's Marvel Comics Presents #25.
Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe One Last Time #1 is written by Cullen Bunn and drawn by Dalibor Talajic. The issue opens on a desolate Earth, one seemingly empty of people, except for Deadpool. His solitude is broken by the arrival of Nth Man, the Ultimate Ninja, who challenges Deadpool to a fight. The two duel back and forth, with Nth Man taunting Deadpool. . Deadpool then learns Nth Man was sent to challenge his mettle, as a mysterious woman named Alfie has a job for him.
When Marvel Comics launched Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja in 1989, the publisher had grand designs for the book.
When Marvel Comics launched Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja in 1989, the publisher had grand designs for the book. It was written by Larry Hama, who was also the regular writer of Marvel’s GI: Joe: A Real American Hero comic. According to legend, Hama and Marvel initially intended for Nth Man to run for 24 issues, but it was canceled prematurely. Set on an alternate world in Marvel’s multiverse, Nth Man resides on a post-World War III Earth. As such, he never crossed over with the mainstream Marvel Universe.
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Why Nth Man: The Ultimate Ninja failed is anyone’s guess. At the time, Hama was one of the most popular writers in comics. His work on GI Joe helped that franchise soar to new heights, setting the gold standard for licensed comic book adaptations. There were even some similarities between Nth Man and GI Joe, namely both featured ninjas as part of the main cast. Nth Man may have also been too ambitious for the time, especially in American mainstream comics. Whatever the case, Nth Man came to an end, and seemingly so did he.
That is, until Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe One Last Time #1. Cullen Bunn and Dalibor Talajic bring Nth Man back to comics, only to turn around and kill him a few pages later. That is not to say Nth Man dies in vain, as he manages to hold his own against Deadpool. As Deadpool is one of Marvel’s best fighters, this was not an easy task. Yet Nth Man’s boasting during battle showed a hubris that Deadpool does not have, and the Merc With a Mouth was able to use this against his foe.
It is safe to say that the Nth Man fandom is dead, and the character is obscure enough that no one cares if he dies.
Bringing Nth Man back only to have Deadpool brutally slaughter him is the perfect use for this formerly obscure character. Nth Man has not appeared in a Marvel comic in over 30 years, and today is nothing but an entry in The Official Handbook to the Marvel Universe. While many contemporary creators will sing the praises of Larry Hama’s work on GI Joe, no one name checks Nth Man. It is safe to say that the Nth Man fandom is dead, and the character is obscure enough that no one cares if he dies.
Yet this does not necessarily mean the end of Nth Man. Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe One Last Time #1 is the character’s first comic appearance since 1990, meaning many are meeting him for the first time. The scant few pages Nth Man is in shows him to be a formidable, if proud, fighter, one who nearly took Deadpool down to the wire. This appearance could reignite interest in Nth Man, persuading to give him another shot, and this time make him shine.
Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe One Last Time #1 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!
