Deadpool Epic Collection: Agent X

Deadpool Epic Collection

by Gail Simone

Collects Deadpool (1997) #65-69 And Agent X #1-15. Goodbye Deadpool, hello Agent X! When Deadpool crosses paths with the Black Swan, the telepathic villain infects Wade with a virus that eats away at his mind. As his thought processes degenerate, Wade plays bodyguard to Dazzler and gets help from new friends Sandi Brandenberg, Ratbag, Outlaw and Taskmaster! But when a showdown with the Black Swan goes wrong, who - if anyone - will survive? In the aftermath, Agent X steals the spotlight! He's an amnesiac blank slate with healing powers, uncanny fighting skills and a burning desire to be a mercenary. Is he a deeply damaged Deadpool? And if not, who or what is he? The answers await his colleagues in the merc group Agency X - and one way or another, Deadpool isn't done yet!

Genres: Comics, Marvel

496 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2025

About the author

Gail Simone is a comic book writer well-known for her work on Birds of Prey (DC), Wonder Woman (DC), and Deadpool (Marvel), among others, and has also written humorous and critical commentary on comics and the comics industry such as the original "Women in Refrigerators" website and a regular column called "You'll All Be Sorry".

Reviews

[Shannon Appelcline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not Simone's and not really Deadpool (which is a bit disappointing, because Agent X is a much more interesting character IMO).

We get some great characters (Alex, Sandi, Tony). We get OK plots. We put a lot of investment in these characters, particular Alex/AgentX as a new incarnation of Deadpool, and then he's not.

I'd be OK with that if Alex became a new character to follow on his own, but pretty much not. So I have to ask why we followed this at all, when it was all going to get thrown on the ground for the new (great) Cable & Deadpool series.

Editorial messiness at its messiest. Especially after Simone was kicked-off the title and we got five fill-in issues, at least two of which were terrible.

[Del · Rating 1 out of 5]

Of the classic Deadpool epics this is easily the worst out. Only a quarter of issues in this book are actually Deadpool issues. Of these 5 issues, I think I only liked 2 of them (the rhino issues). As for the 15 issues Agent x run, it's not even average, it's awful. Uninteresting 2d characters, stilted dialogue, forgettable plots, if any, and not even the art is that good.

This isn't just the worst Deadpool epic, it's quite possibly the worst epic collection period, not that I've read them all. If you want good quality Deadpool stories, I'd avoid this and go for the Joe Kelly epics and the Christopher Priest run, which are far far better than this.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Gail Simone's writing quite a bit, even if the ending with Agent X not being Deadpool was really stupid.