Deadpool Epic Collection 7: Agent X; 2002-2003

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! Collecting DEADPOOL (1997) #65-69 and AGENT X #1-15. RATED PARENTAL ADVISORY.

Gail Simone first drew attention with her 1999 “Women in Refrigerators” website chronicling comics’ frequent mistreatment of female characters. Becoming a popular online comics columnist, Simone later wrote Simpsons stories for Bongo Comics before breaking into the mainstream with her 2002 Deadpool run and its Agent X sequel at Marvel. Moving to DC, Simone had a long, acclaimed run on Birds of Prey, featuring heroines such as Oracle (Barbara Gordon), Black Canary and Huntress. She later wrote some of those characters for TV shows such as Justice League Unlimited and Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Her other comics credits include DC’s Rose and Thorn, Villains United, Teen Titans, The All-New Atom, Wonder Woman, Secret Six, The Fury of Firestorm and a 2011 Batgirl relaunch starring Simone favorite Barbara Gordon.

Award-winning Canadian-based art collective UDON was formed by friends Erik Ko, Arnold Tsang, Shane Law and Ken Siu-Chong in 2000 and named by the hungry quartet after their beloved Japanese noodle. The UDON crew brought their heavily Anime-influenced style to the printed page, fully rendering Marvel titles such as Sentinel, Taskmaster and the adaptation of animated series X-Men: Evolution. UDON’s high-octane art was well-suited to Marvel’s Deadpool and the title’s 2002 relaunch as Agent X. Now a full-fledged publisher, UDON Entertainment Corporation offers a highly successful line of graphic novels expanding the world of Capcom’s Street Fighter videogame series. UDON also specializes in importing manga to North America and sought-after art books, including Marvel vs. Capcom: Official Complete Works and The History of Sonic the Hedgehog.