Random Happenstance

We mentioned this comic, about two and a half years ago, when Judith Chambers started appearing in the homemade strips. Did it take me two and a half years? Um, well, I wasn't looking for it all that time...from 2010, Deadpool Team-Up #892, "Soul Mates" Written by David Lapham, art by Shawn Crystal.

After a poker game with "a pack of dateless wonders" goes bad, Satana not only loses her soul, but she's also going to be forced into a marriage. In fact, she mentions they forced her to take an old form, like "some bygone 1970's pin-up goddess."

After hiring Deadpool to help her, the situation is further complicated when the "dateless wonders" are revealed to be several of the biggest names in Marvel's hell: Mephisto, Asmodeus, Lucifer, Belasco, and Dormammu. Actually, was Belasco a real demon? And I know Dormammu is from the "Dark Dimension" but I'm not positive he was a straight-up devil. And I don't see Lucifer at Marvel all that often, either; Lapham may have just needed to fill some seats there. Deadpool does ask the demons why they know so much about pop culture, but doesn't appear to get an answer.

Pool marries Satana, to block the demons' claim to her, and she uses his "dried up and puny" soul to power up his sword. (His katana, she means, despite what Pool was hoping.) Before Pool can enjoy his wedding night, Asmodeus summons Satana, having won the dice tourney against the others. (Belasco and the rest lament having to play fair on this one, but can't risk full-on war.) Pool manages to hack up Asmodeus, but his wedding night plans are stymied again when Satana leaves him with a note, having helped herself to half his soul, as she would "get in any court of law."

This was a cute little throwaway issue, but I liked it enough that it became part of the continuity around here. Kind of miss Deadpool Team-Up now: I don't think I picked it up every month, and it might've been hit and miss, but maybe a few good ones.