Marvel's Deadpool, aka Wade Wilson, is an antihero character created by artist/writer Rob Liefed and writer Fabian Nicieza, who first appeared in New Mutants #98 (1990) and quickly became a fan-favourite. The R-rated 2016 Deadpool movie was a box office smash hit, earning $760 million at the worldwide box office. A sequel to the Deadpool is currently in development for release in 2017/18.

Manning is a comic book writer, historian, and fan. He has written many comics for Marvel and DC Comics, including Beware the Batman, Batman, The Batman Strikes!, Legion of Super-Heroes in the 31st Century, Spider-Man Unlimited, and Marvel Romance Redux. When not writing comics themselves, he writes books about the comic book medium and its rich history.