Marvel Comics Presents (2nd series) #10

Issue Date: 
August 2008
Story Title: 
Deadpool in “Fun with Ninjas” (Third Story) <br>Weapon Omega, part 10 (Fourth Story)
Staff: 

Third Story: Jesse Blaze Snider (writer), Marco Checchetto (artist), Dave Sharpe (letterer), Andy Schmidt (editor), Joe Quesada (editor-in-chief), Dan Buckley (publisher), Yanick Paquette with Serge LaPointe & Romain Gaschet (cover art)

Fourth story: Rich Koslowski (Writer), Marco Checchetto (Artist), Laura Villari (Colorist), Dave Sharpe (Letterer), Paul Acerios (Production), Michael Horwitz (Assistant Editor), John Barber (Editor), Joe Quesada (Editor-in-Chief), Dan Buckley (Publisher)

Brief Description: 


Third Story:

In the middle of a stealthy assassination job, Deadpool gets a call from his associate and pal Weasel. This wakes the target of the assassination attempt who screams for his guards. Help comes in the form of a ninja guard who fills Deadpool with throwing stars. Deadpool shoots at the ninja with an uzi, only to be attacked by several dozen ninjas… all while still on the phone with Weasel. The two engage in a heated back and forth while Deadpool dispatches the ninja guards in his own inimitable style. He finally finishes them all off and beheads the mark as he tries to flee. He finally gets around to asking why Weasel called in the first place only to learn that his employers on this hit called back and offered to quadruple his fee if he brought the target in alive. Deflated, he turns to the mark’s frightened mistress and asks if she had any duct tape.
Fourth story:

Pointer is monitored further, and begins causing trouble for psychics around the world, as something goes on his mind, a backlash is felt. Inside his mind, he is confronted by countless super beings, including himself as the Collective, before he finds someone he has been looking for - a mysterious red-haired woman. Tony Stark confronts Agent Brown about what is happening, but Brown doesn’t give him any straight answers, and someone pulls the plug on USAgent, causing him to flatline.

Full Summary: 

Third Story:

A grappling hook flies across the night sky and catches hold on the rooftop of a posh penthouse. The mercenary called Deadpool uses the line to gain access to the roof. He uses a glass-cutting device to cut a hole in the skylight and silently descend into the apartment below. As he unsheathes his sword, he places a finger to his masked lips and says “Shhhh…” He moves to the bedroom where his elderly target is asleep next to a gorgeous young blonde. Just as Deadpool draws back his sword to dispatch his target, his cell phone rings. The ringtone sings out loudly “It’s fun to stay at the Y…M.C.A.! It’s fun to stay at the Y…M.C.A.-A!!!” Deadpool mutters to himself “Aw, hell.” as his target wakes up.
Deadpool answers his cell phone with a casual “Hello?” as his target screams out “Assassin!!” and the man’s female companion screams. The caller on the other line is Deadpool’s friend and partner Weasel. Deadpool reprimands Weasel for calling in the middle of an assassination. Behind him, his intended target screams for the guards. Weasel apologizes for interrupting and Deadpool sarcastically informs him that he woke up the mark. Weasel asks “How do you know?” and Deadpool dryly replies that that’s him screaming in the background. Deadpool starts to really lay into Weasel when he hears several subtle “thwip” sounds. He turns to see that his back is filled with throwing stars! He screams at Weasel and announces that the mark has ninja bodyguards! He yells into the phone “You never said anything about ninjas!!!” He threatens to kill Weasel if they’re mutant turtles again.
Weasel tries to say that this isn’t his fault but Wade insists that it is. He then tells Weasel to shut up because he now has to kill some ninjas “…for FREE… because of YOU!” Wade taunts the ninja calling out “Come out, come out, wherever you are!” and calling him “Little red ninja”. He is still on the phone with Weasel as he pulls out an uzi. It is marked with the words “Super Blood Soaker… Keep out of reach of Deadpool”. He tells Weasel to shut up and that he isn’t listening as a ninja streaks past the doorway. He says “I think I see him” and Weasel asks who. ‘Pool replies “The little red ninja… the one I’m about to kill.”
But before he can open fire, the ninja hurls a throwing star with the characteristic “thwip” sound. Deadpool asks “Why do I think I’ve heard that before?” The star lands in his left eye and he cries out “Oooouch!” He declares to the ninja “Oh, it’s on!!!” as he opens fire with the Super Blood Soaker. He fires his uzi until it’s empty, never pausing in his banter with Weasel. He asks “So, why are you calling me again?”
He doesn’t hear the answer as dozens more ninjas descend from the skylight above. He asks Weasel to repeat that and Weasel tells him to pay attention. Deadpool reminds him that he’s fighting ninjas. Weasel asks why he doesn’t just shoot them and ‘Pool replies that he ran out of bullets in the Super Blood-Soaker and doesn’t like what he wrote on the other one. Weasel says that he thought it was funny and this convinces Deadpool to use it. This uzi reads “This space for rent!” and the clip says “Smarty pills”. He unloads the gun in the face of one ninja and mows down the rest in a rain of bullets.
The “little red ninja” who first attacked Deadpool has reappeared and refuses to be mowed down. Weasel suggests that Deadpool run. The ninja wraps a garotte around ‘Pool’s neck as Deadpool compliments him. He tells the ninja “You’re good… but I’m bad… and sometimes bad is better!!” He then head butts the ninja, driving the throwing star that is still lodged in his eye socket into the ninja’s forehead. Deadpool picks the diminutive ninja up and taunts him some more about how hard it must have been to learn ninjitsu in the peewee class.
The mark starts to run and Deadpool draws out his sword and decapitates him. He then returns to his phone call and tells Weasle that he now has his undivided attention. He asks what it was he wanted anyway. Deadpool listens to Weasel as he cleans his sword. He doesn’t like what he hears and screams “What?” and drops the phone. Weasel repeats what he just said “They’ll quadruple your money if you bring him back alive!” Deadpool sinks down onto the bed next to his mark’s terrified girl. He sits there for a moment, pondering his dilemma then turns to the woman and asks “You got any duct tape?”
Fourth Story:

CSIS headquarters, the home to Canada’s newest super team, Omega Flight. One such member of that team, the rookie new Guardian, Michael Pointer, looks at his costume - a modified version of the original Guardian’s costume, the legendary James MacDonald Hudson - whom Pointer murdered. He clenches his fist, before putting the costume on, not knowing he is being watched by several scientists who have been monitoring him for some time. With his uniform on, he sits down in a chair, motionless, just sitting and staring blankly ahead. ‘Well…this is some exciting stuff, eh?’ one of the scientists mumbles. ‘What’s he doing?’ another asks. ‘Well, speaking in strictly scientific terms…I’d have to say ‘nothing’!” one of them exclaims.

However, inside Pointer’s mind, countless super powered beings, criminals, are milling about. ‘I see you…I hear you…so many!’ Pointer exclaims. Suddenly, he finds himself standing in the middle of them all, and confronted by himself - as the Collective. ‘My God!’ he exclaims, before being consumed by the fires of the Collective. ‘All right then…is that how this works?’ he exclaims as he makes his way through the crowds of villains, until, he comes across someone he has been looking for. ‘There you are!’ he exclaims to a red-headed woman, grabbing her by the shoulder. ‘Okay, then…let’s do this!’ he declares.

Meanwhile, in her office, Dr. Benning is working, when, suddenly, a voice in her head exclaims ‘I need your help! You’re the only one I can trust!’ Startled, Benning looks around her office, before realizing that it is Pointer. She presses an intercom button, ‘What’s going on down there?’ she shouts, to which a group of scientists dressed in strange full-cover suits reply ‘What? There’s nothing to report, Pointer’s just…sitting there’. Another reports that his heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory, all vitals, are normal. Another announces that the suit is maintaining a 15% output.

One of the scientists remarks that neither Pointer nor the Guardian suit are indicating any activities or irregularities of any - suddenly, one of the others interrupts, and announces that he has readings on the electro-encephalogram. ‘He’s doing something!’. The scientists call out to Benning, and tell her that she had better get down here, as Pointer is doing something.

Elsewhere in the facility, Agent Brown is speaking with Tony “Iron Man” Stark over video-com, and Tony asks what exactly is going on. ‘I’m not exactly certain what you’re referring to, Mr. Stark’. Agent Brown replies. Stark informs Brown that he just received an urgent telepathic message from a SHIELD telepath who is suffering from one hell of a splitting headache. ‘Says it’s psychic backlash from Michael Pointer - some sort of “massive cerebral event” occurred’ Stark explains, before snapping that he now has one hell of a splitting headache.

Stark tells Brown that the Guardian suit designed for Pointer has stopped transmitting data, ‘I can only surmise that the transmissions are being intentionally blocked somehow!’ Stark declares, before asking Brown again ‘What exactly is going on?’. Brown calmly replies that he is not aware of any intentional withholding of data. ‘You’re not making a smart move, Agent Brown!’ Stark warns him. But Brown assures Star that everything is under control, and that if any improprieties were to come to his attention, they will be taken care of immediately.

Meanwhile, in the infirmary, Johnny Walker a.k.a. the USAgent lies in a bed, hooked up to various machines. ‘I need your help! You’re the only one I can trust!’ cries a voice. Suddenly though, an unidentified figure lurks in the shadows of the room, and reaches for one of the cords, hooked to Walker’s arm - and pull’s it out! Blood begins to drip from the opening - and Johnny flatlines….

Characters Involved: 

Third story:

Deadpool
Unnamed wealthy target and his female companion
Lots and lots of ninjas
Off-panel:

Weasel
Fourth story:

Guardian VI, USAgent (both Omega Flight)

Agent Brown

Dr. Benning

Iron Man

Scientists

Countless villains in Guardian IV’s mind

Red-headed woman

Unknown figure

Story Notes: 

The other features in the issue are:

1st Story: Vanguard starring Stacy Dolan - Chapter 10 of 12

2nd Story: Machine Man – Chapter 3 of 5
Third story:

Deadpool’s ringtone is “YMCA” by the Village People.
Wade’s reference to “mutant turtles” is obviously a reference to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Fourth story:

The red-headed woman whose face is not shown may be the mysterious red head seen in the first couple of parts to this story line.

USAgent was beaten badly by an out-of-control Pointer in Marvel Comics Presents (2nd series) #8 (fourth story)
Binaryan & Daytripper