Deadpool Team-Up #888: [Untitled]
Writer: Cullen Bunn
Artist: Tom Fowler
Letterer: Jeff Eckleberry
Colorist: Nathan Fairbairn
Editor: Sebastian Girner
The Stars:
Deadpool and the Thing
The Villain:
Max Intensity
Guest Shots:
Ed Garner & Jim Jay McMayhew of the UCWF; various UCWF Grapplers (the Armegeddonists, "Beautiful" Freddie Baumgardner, Celtic Berserker, Faux Hawk, the Flyboys, the Hair Band of Brothers, Leetha, Lascivious, New Jersey Devil, Stock Breaker, the Terrible Twos)
The Set Up:
Ben Grimm signs on with Ed Garner and Jim Jay McMayhew of the Unlimited Class Wrestling Federation to serve as a one-time commentator at their "Mega-Match" wrestling night. Deadpool signs on as a wrestler, but both are disappointed when they learn that the wrestling is now scripted. However, the bouts are interrupted by the extra-terrestrial Max Intensity, who threatens to kill all the spectators unless the wrestlers take him on. He makes quick work of the UCWF's grapplers, leaving Deadpool and the Thing to face him...
Clobberin' Time?:
Page 18, panel 1. Ben puts down the baddie once and for all, telling Deadpool, who wants a special named wresting move, "How about yer special move is shuttin' yer yap... and mine is--- it's clobberin' time!"
Petunia's Patch:
Page 4, panel 3. Deadpool, commenting on how team-ups work, rattles the following off: "First, we fight. Then, we resolve our differences and join forces against a common foe. Then, you introduce me to that hot-cha-cha Aunt Petunia of yours."
Though not strictly relevant, I love Ben's reply to that for the obvious reference: "Don't talk to me about 'the rules.' I was doin' two-in-ones before you were a regret in yer daddy's mind!"
Things of Interest:
This issue is dated December, 2010. This is long after MTIO ended, but hey, its a Ben team-up, so I went ahead and added it.
Deadpool Team-Up started with issue 899 and started numbering backwards, so this is really about the 12th issue of the series.
I have to give the writer credit for doing his research. Ed Garner, president of the UCWF, previously appeared in the tail-end of the run of the first Thing series. Leetha and Lascivious are Letha and the first Titania, from the original Grapplers. There are a couple more shoutouts to earlier UCWFers, including the New Jersey Devil seen here (as opposed to the original Jersey Devil), and a sign giving a shout-out to Gator.
Beyond the Grapplers mentioned in the Guest Shots above, two were named but never pictured: Glamazon, and my favorite, Mistress Distress.
Several of the books creators/editors are mentioned on fan sign cards as well.
You know, I'm not sure I've ever seen a Marvel book before that doesn't have an internal title. Maybe I just never noticed. Odd!
Sooo... to tell the truth, I'm not much of a Deadpool fan. I bought a few of the Deadpool Team-Ups as they came out, but just because I like the particular guest. The non-stop rattling of Deadpool can be hit-and-miss for funny, and the misses usually pile up fast. There are a few nice lines here, most notably a "Thing Ring Do Your Thing" call out when Deadpool is looking for rallying cries for Ben.
