Debate Debunk: Cable and Deadpool #50 First Venompool?

I received an email in reference to this question. Is Cable and Deadpool #50 the first appearance of Venompool. There are several eBay auctions that say so. The writer of the email questioned if it was worth investing in the issue based on the claim. I thought it was an interesting question so I looked into it. Here is what I found.
First Cable and Deadpool #50 is a good book to look for, especially if you can find it cheap as it is a hard to find last issue, usually something that makes a book desirable. But the question comes down to, “Is this the first Venompool.”
The books Solicitation reads:

Alien symbiotes plus dinosaurs equals what? A threat unlike anything you’ve ever seen! The dreaded VENOM SYMBIOTE has multiplied, and made some new friends of the prehistoric variety, giving the Merc with a Mouth his final opportunity to prove himself the ultimate hero — or the ultimate villain!

So we know we have symbiotes in the book….
The book came out April 2008. What If Iron Man Demon in an Armor, which has been considered the first appearance, came out in February 2011. What If Venom Possessed Deadpool, the pricier reprint of the story from the Demon in an Armor (and a few other What if? books) came out April 2011.
So the first two initial tests would support it, an appearance of a symbiote, and came out earlier than  What If Iron Man Demon in an Armor.
However, reading the actual story, and thanks to Poyo for sending me scans, I can say it does not appear to be Venom.
Reasoning:

  1. The symbiote is never called Venom. Pretty simple to do.
  2. There are several symbiote covered dinosaurs in the issue. The symbiotes are of different colors at that.
  3. The one that actually possesses Deadpool in this issue is grey/tan which the Venom symbiote is always portrayed as black.
  4. When the symbiote possesses Deadpool, he does not refer to himself as Venom, nor speak in the third person, nor refer to himself in the plural “we”.  These are all characteristics of Venom’s speech pattern for the time period. He does say “I want to eat your brain”, which was par for the coarse for that time, but not in the “We”

Pretty simple reasoning.
 
cable-deadpool_50_p23-1cable-deadpool_50_p24-1
So there you have it. While Cable and Deadpool #50 is a desirable book for fans of Venom and Deadpool, fans of last issues in a series, or just for rare comics, it does not appear to be the first Venompool. Is it the first time Deadpool was possessed by a symbiote, sure, but not by Venom (people can argue the semantics of that however I would argue that Cletus Kasady is not possessed by Venom even though his symbiote is the “child” of Venom.) The honor of the first Venompool goes to What If Iron Man Demon in an Armor.

15 thoughts on “Debate Debunk: Cable and Deadpool #50 First Venompool?”

    1. I will be honest and say that I didn’t know this was mentioned on CBSI. I received an email asking me if I could clarify if it was a first appearance of Venompool. I had the issue sent to me and read it. While I can say it is a symbiote that possesses Deadpool I can’t say that it is Venom who did it.

      1. A couple sites have been pushing this misinformation recently causing Cable and Deadpool #50 to start selling, I have both books so not biased to either one but your write up is 100% correct and complete. Cable and Deadpool #50 has nothing to do with Venompool.

        1. I kind of feel like I was baited in to it. However I put the time and effort into looking it up so I posted the results. It’s still a desirable book. A Skottie Young cover, a final issue, a Deadpool book, and symbiote covered dinosaurs.

  3. Of course Cable & Deadpool #50 is NOT the one to go for. It was pumped up by CBSI, and more specifically Jimmy Linguini/Alex Hopf. His picks are always good for a laugh. Either he’s picking books that folks have been all over for weeks or longer (then acts like he’s first to shed light on the book), or he picks books that are laughable at best.
    I’m surprised that group (cbsi) has been able to keep the sheep interested/listening as long as they have. Come on… just listen to that podcast. More times than not they have no clue what they’re talking about. It’s sort of embarrassing, but it is what it is.
    Sorry to rant, just bothers me seeing those guys mislead people, pump and dump, try to claim first on everything and then cop an attitude with anyone that doesn’t blindly follow.

  4. Good point Tony. I was going crazy trying to find Cable deadpool 50, and was even going to buy it of ebay if I couldn’t find it on the LCS. But after reading this, tomorrow I am going to go back and call every LCS and ask for what if Iron Man. Thank for the clarification. I always thought it was in secret secret wars #3 lol.

  5. Good job Tony—thanks for researching and sharing your results! It’s always a challenge to stay ahead of the unscrupulous sellers.

  6. so I was half right last week. it is a final issue. butnot the first venompool. and a venompool equals money. &awesome comics and sets of all the what if chapters are extreamally cheap compared to the reprint . blind adam out

  7. This Demon in armor book is not only first Venompool but it is first Dr. Doom in Ironman armor both these story lines are going to be important with the new Marvel Now series being released. Exiles #23 some say is first Infamous Ironman but it’s Tony Stark still dressed as Ironman who kills Doom and takes his green cloak, where as Demon in a armor Tony and Dr. Doom switch places where Tony dons a Red and Yellow Dr Doom suit and Doom wears a green Ironman armor.

  8. While we’re on he subject of Venompool. DP Venompool 1st black costume confirmed on DP’s Secret Secret Wars #1 Nick Gazin ‘Run The Jewels’ variant. I have confirmation by the man himself. For proof just go to my g+ handle ‘Dakoit Cave’ for the post. This book is akin to Spidey’s first black venom suit, and investment potential especially due to its being the first app. on a variant cover.

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