Let’s start with the basics: I know it seems like that, but she’s not a Deadpool copy (she’s way better), give her a chance.
Gwendolyn Poole – A.K.A. Gwenpool – is actually a comics fan from our world. After the “Secret Wars
After he kills her best friend, M.O.D.O.K. forces her to work for him. There she makes friends with some other henchmen, including Batroc the Leaper. Also, she finds numerous popular characters, like Ms. Marvel, Thor, Doctor Doom, and Hawkeye.
After her first solo series with 25 issues of pure fun, she joins Kate Bishop and a few others in the West Coast Avengers. There she also starts a romantic relationship with Quentin Quire.
Recently, in a new solo series, she battled cancellation again and faced the fear of the mighty retcon. Below you’ll find it all with the complete Gwenpool reading order!
Welcome To The Comic Book World!
Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars (2015) #2 (Bachalo Gwenpool Variant)
Actually, Gwenpool’s first appearance was in a variant cover of Deadpool’s Secret Secret Wars #2. She has no importance whatsoever to the story though.
The Unbelievable Gwenpool Vol. 1: Believe It
Collects: The Unbelievable Gwenpool #0-4
Unbelievable Gwenpool #0 collects stories from Howard the Duck #1-3, which tells part of Gwen’s origin and her first adventure.
Later, M.O.D.O.K. makes her work for him. She starts being friends with some members of the organization; her friendship with Batroc is the greatest thing ever.
Gwen and the ghost of Cecil, her best friend, defeat M.O.D.O.K. and send him to space. Now, the secret boss of the organization wants to talk to Gwen.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe
Collects: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Beats Up the Marvel Universe
Only a small cameo. She is beaten up by Squirrel Girl (hence the title again).
The Unbelievable Gwenpool Vol. 2: Head of M.O.D.O.K.
Collects: The Unbelievable Gwenpool #5-10
Miles is here! Gwen is helping him with a school bombing, but she ends up almost killing a kid, which makes Spider-Man arrest her.
To everyone’s surprise, Vinnie, the boss, is only a normal guy that wants things to stay as uneventful as they can. But – after a few chaotic stuff happens – Gwen finds out the guy was far from normal; Vince is a Doombot pretending to be human.
**Highlight** Gwen uses an army of strong guys dressed like her to fight alien squids. Again, this is just plain fun, go read it now.
Rocket Raccoon and Groot Vol. 2: Civil War II
Collects: Rocket Raccoon & Groot #7-10
I present you: The craziest Gwenpool ever. She fights Rocket and Groot a few times, but they also work together to take an alien out.
The Gwenpool Cut (every comic she’s in): Rocket Raccoon & Groot #8-10.
Champions: Because The World Still Needs Heroes
Collects: Champions (2016) #1-12
Gwen wants to join the Champions, but she only ends up making their job harder.
The Gwenpool Cut: Champions (2016) #4-5.
The Unbelievable Gwenpool Vol. 3: Totally in Continuity
Collects: The Unbelievable Gwenpool #11-15 and material from Gwenpool Holiday Special: Merry Mix-Up #1
Arcade traps her and her old team in a dungeon with rpg-like events. They reconcile and also fight Deadpool. It might be one of my favorite interactions in the comic (and Gwen meets A LOT of people). It’s just really cool to see how similar they are, but also how different they can be. In many ways, Gwenpool is actually for another public.
She also meets Kate Bishop! If you like seeing both of them together, be happy, West Coast Avengers will have way more of that.
Secret Empire: Brave New World
Collects: Secret Empire: Brave New World #1-5
Gwen is forced to spread Hydra propaganda.
The Unbelievable Gwenpool Vol. 4: Beyond the Fourth Wall
Collects: The Unbelievable Gwenpool #16-20
This is simply awesome. I can’t even begin to describe it; after this volume, I realized I was reading one of my favorite superhero comics.
Gwen’s brother appears and drags her back to our earth. Even though she doesn’t remember going to the Marvel universe, she ends up going through situations that will take her there. Issue #17 has some of the best and most creative panels of this whole run, trust me. Now she’s capable of warping reality, so things get a little crazy.
We also find out the plan was orchestrated by future versions of Miles Morales, Vince the Doombot, and Evil Eye (another character created just for Gwen’s story). In the future, Gwen turns evil and wrecks everyone’s lives; she even gets Miles’ family killed.
Also, evil Gwenpool is wild. Her whole point is that fans like her more when she is a villain, and I totally get why.
The Unbelievable Gwenpool Vol. 5: Lost in the Plot
Collects: Unbelievable Gwenpool #21-25
Trying to avoid her future self, Gwen uses her powers to make villains cease to exist; hoping it would attract the Avengers’ attention, she attempts to fight Doom (who is not evil at the time).
Her plans don’t go the way she is expecting, and she ends up being lectured by him (it feels weird saying that a moment with Victor Von Doom is sweet, but it kinda is).
It’s nice seeing Gwen dealing with her comic ending and not wanting to be evil only to guarantee she’ll keep popping up in other titles. The last chapter is so great it’ll leave you wanting more.
Gwenpool, West Coast
West Coast Avengers Vol. 1: Best Coast
Collects: West Coast Avengers (2018) #1-4, Young Avengers Presents #6, Gwenpool The Unbelievable #1.
And there is more! Kate is looking for heroes to protect the West Coast, and Gwen appears at the right time. The team consists of Kate Bishop, Clint Barton, America Chavez, Quentin Quire, and Fuse.
Gwen and Quire seem to hate each other at first, but they start dating. Also, Gwen suspects that she was retconned and lost her powers to be part of a team title.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Vol. 10: Life is Too Short, Squirrel
Collects: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #37-41
The Gwenpool Cut: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl #37.
Spider-Man/Deadpool Vol. 8: Road Trip
Collects: Spider-Man/Deadpool #41-45
The Gwenpool Cut: Spider-Man/Deadpool #42.
West Coast Avengers Vol. 2: City of Evils
Collects: West Coast Avengers (2018) #5-10
JEFF THE LAND SHARK IS IN THE HOUSE! If you weren’t waiting for this to happen, you don’t know him or you are just plain wrong. He is the cutest little guy. While the team fights gigantic sharks with legs, Gwen finds Jeff, who is only a baby, and keeps him as a pet (if you haven’t realized this yet, I love him).
Superior Spider-Man Vol. 2: Otto-Matic
Collects: Superior Spider-Man (2018) #7-12
A last adventure with the West Coast Avengers. It’s cool seeing Superior Spider-Man having to be around Gwen and not understanding anything she says.
The Gwenpool Cut: Superior Spider-Man (2018) #7-8.
Collects: Fearless (2019) #1-4
The Gwenpool Cut: Fearless (2019) #1
Collects: Deadpool #1
In this, you can see how much West Coast Avengers being canceled affected Gwen. Concerned she’ll keep losing all of her books, Gwen gives Jeff to Deadpool.
Retcons Incoming
Collects: Gwenpool Strikes Back #1-5
Gwenpool gets her powers back and now she can manipulate everything that happens off-panel.
She starts doing a lot of random stuff to get people’s attention, but she hits her peak when she forces all of the heroes (that were available) to participate in an all-out battle. If this doesn’t excite you, wait because I have more. She brings some of her other appearances to fight while she gets Thor’s severed arm (I’m serious) to use the Mjolnir in the fight.
After all of that, she has a heart-to-heart talk with Ms. Marvel that triggers a retcon. Now Gwenpool is a mutant and is allowed to go to Krakoa.
X-Factor by Leah Williams Vol. 1
Collects: X-Factor (2020) #1-3, 5
The Gwenpool Cut: X-Factor (2020) #3.
Collects: X-Men #14, Marauders #14-15, Excalibur #14, Wolverine #7, X-Force #14, Hellions #6, Cable #6, Excalibur #15, X-Men #15, X of Swords: Destruction #1
She can be seen helping in the big battle.
The Gwenpool Cut: X of Swords: Destruction #1.
Collects: M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games (2020) #1-4, M.O.D.O.K: Reign Delay One-Shot (2009), Fall of the Hulks: MODOK (2010)
Gwen is hired to kill M.O.D.O.K., and she succeeds at it, but she realizes she was only a guest star in a story humanizing the villain. So, Gwen uses her powers to mess with the comic book and revive M.O.D.O.K.
The Gwenpool Cut: M.O.D.O.K.: Head Games (2020) #2-3.
Collects: Marvel’s Voices: Pride (2021) #1, Marvel’s Voices (2020) #1 (“Assembled” story), Incredible Hulk (1968) #240, Astonishing X-Men (2004) #51, King in Black: Wiccan and Hulkling (2021) #1, America Chavez: Made in the USA (2021) #1, material from United States of Captain America (2021) #1
The Gwenpool Cut: Marvel’s Voices: Pride (2021) #1.
Collects: Champions (2020) #6-10
Only a small cameo.
The Gwenpool Cut: Champions (2020) #9.
Leave a Reply