Deadpool and Wolverine have a complicated comedic relationship that, over the years, has transformed into a disturbing version of a friendship. Their similar traumas and history with the Weapon X Program tie the two together forever. However, there is one other hero that Deadpool respects, loves, and admires far more than he ever will Wolverine. This particular masked vigilante is everything Deadpool wants to be and more.

The Merc With a Mouth is a volatile, violent, and morally reprehensible murder whose code is as thin as paper. Yet, underneath his cancerous mutated flesh and blood-soaked suit, is a gleaming heart of gold that yearns to be a hero worth remembering.

While Wolverine may be able to keep up with the Merc’s violent tendencies, Logan serves more as a topical solution to a deeper craving Deadpool wants: belonging. While Wolverine and the X-Men have told Wade to shove off, one hero in particular believes in the best parts of Deadpool and who Deadpool believes is the perfect hero.

Spider-Man is Deadpool’s Best Friend

The Merc With a Mouth Is in Love With Spider-Man’s Heroic Heart

It’s hard not to like Spider-Man. He’s lovably dorky, stylishly strong and acrobatic, and puts everybody else before himself. Even his enemies admire Spidey. Doc Oc laid his entire villainous past aside to honor Peter’s legacy. Spidey helped Norman Osborn turn toward heroism as the Gold Goblin. Venom and Eddie Brock used to be savage killers before Spider-Man’s intervention. Peter Parker, despite his human faults, is a hero among heroes. Meanwhile, Deadpool seemingly kills without a thought and treats the world as his playground. Not grounded by the same burden of responsibility as Peter, Deadpool’s an untrustworthy wildcard.

However, that doesn’t mean he wants to be. Wade knows the world thinks he’s a fool, and that’s intentional. Since childhood, Deadpool has struggled with suicidal ideations. Before the Weapon X Program or his mercenary days, Wade was a soldier, hoping that he could make a difference. However, after being discharged for insubordination on the basis that the military lacked morals, Deadpool was ready to throw his life and love away to die alone so that his recently developed cancer wouldn’t be a burden to anyone else but him. Like Peter, Wade hides his pain with humor.

Spider-Man Inspires Wade to Be a Better Hero

Deadpool Wants to Be Like Spidey

Spider-Man can’t let go of his heroic burden and Deadpool left his behind a long time ago. However, it’s this contradiction that makes Wade love Spidey so much.

Many years later, and with even more bodies in the ground, Deadpool warped into a comedic perversion of his previous self. Before being implanted with Wolverine’s healing factor, Wade wanted to die; now he can’t, so he might as well have “fun.” This is where Deadpool and Spider-Man have the greatest conflict. Spider-Man can’t let go of his heroic burden and Deadpool left his behind a long time ago. However, it’s this contradiction that makes Wade love Spidey so much. It can’t be forgotten that Deadpool breaks the fourth wall; he knows he’s in a comic book.

Because he can look at Marvel characters from the reader’s perspective, Deadpool knows Spider-Man is nothing but honest and true. Wade doesn’t have to know what makes Peter tick, because he knows that Spidey’s a main character who is beloved by everyone beyond the pages of the comic. Wade knows the gravitas of Peter’s burdens and the strength Peter has to keep pushing. In contrast to heroes like Wolverine or any of the Illuminati, Spider-Man genuinely cares for everyone but himself first. He’s just a guy named Peter Parker, and, thanks to Deadpool’s fourth-wall-breaking talents, Wade knows this.

Admittedly, Spider-Man Doesn’t Always Love Deadpool Back

Peter Still Gives Wade What He Desperately Needs

Of course, Deadpool is mostly made of hijinks and jokes. Despite Spidey’s burden of responsibility, Peter knows how to have fun. If there’s any hero that can keep up with the Merc With a Mouth, it’s Peter Parker. Trying to make Wolverine crack a joke is like trying to make a wall talk. Meanwhile, Spider-Man and Deadpool can maintain a constant and comedic back-and-forth while kicking ass. Granted, while Spider-Man hasn’t always found Deadpool as charming as Wade finds Peter, the Wall Crawler eventually accepted the unhinged mercenary’s “quirks.” Spider-Man sees the best in Deadpool, which means everything to Wade.

Hidden underneath his antics is a desperate craving for belonging and connection. Despite primarily being a solo act, Wade loves being part of a team. When his personal hero, Captain America, invited Deadpool to the Avengers, it was one of the happiest days of the Merc’s life. After years of Wade trying to join the X-Men, even Wolverine noticed Deadpool’s need and offered him a spot on X-Force. However, these moments don’t last long. Although, regardless of how irritated or appalled Spider-Man is by Deadpool at any given moment, he still makes a point to entertain Wade’s needs.

Spider-Man Inspires the Best From Deadpool

Wolverine Brings Out Deadpool’s Worst

Deadpool and Wolverine are an iconic duo. They always bring out the worst in each other, using the other to let off some lethal steam. But those are temporary fixes for what Wade really wants. Deadpool needs a community; people who allow Deadpool to be himself. Deadpool knows who Peter is and how hard this nobody-kid-with-a-smart-mouth works just for the sake of his neighbors. Spider-Man isn’t just a hero, he’s Deadpool’s hero. To have Peter’s respect would mean the world to Wade. And, while frequently disapproving of Wade’s methods, Spider-Man does recognize Deadpool as a good guy.

While it may seem that Deadpool and Spider-Man’s relationship is only meant to be defined by its inherent comedy, what draws the two together is something deeper. Spidey sees the down-on-his-luck kid inside of Wade and is willing to give him a shot at being a hero. Meanwhile, Wolverine reflects and encourages the worst out of Deadpool, all while shutting him out. While Deadpool may get a kick out of being hated by Wolverine, Spider-Man is always there for Wade, even if Spidey hates it.