Does everything you know about Deadpool come from his cameo in Wolverine: Origins? For shame, fan-boy! Every True Believer knows that’s not the real Deadpool.

With the movie coming out soon (and looking a lot better than Origins), Deadpool’s about to be catapulted up to the upper tier of cinematic superheroes, taking a place next to Batman and Captain America. Everyone’s excited because this is one of the first times a mainstream superhero movie earns its R-rating.

But ask a die-hard comic fan, and they’ll tell you Deadpool’s always been one of the greats. In fact, it was his cult status among comic readers that urged Fox Studios to redo their treatment of the hero and give him his own movie.

And why are people more excited about Deadpool’s film than, say, Aquaman? Here’s a primer of what makes Deadpool great:

• He’s an antihero, which is to say, he kills people.
• He’s hilarious, with witty snaps and pop culture references (and a boyish crush on Bea Arthur).
• He doesn’t always win, and is often a tragic character.
• He breaks the fourth wall constantly, fully aware he’s in a comic. At one friend’s funeral, he even wonders how long before the publishers think of a way to bring him back.
• He’s not Aquaman.

So, now everyone’s talking about the Merc with a Mouth, and you’re worried about losing your nerd status. The names Weasel, Blind Al, and Francis don’t ring a bell… You’ve never put much thought into how a transportation device fits in a belt… You had no idea a bicep could be used as a gun silencer…

Fear not, future Deadpool fan. There’s still time. Here are 4 essential Deadpool comics, collections, and storylines that highlight Deadpool’s career, so you can pretend you were a fan all along.

Deadpool Classic Vol. 1

As a Deadpool fan, I’ll be honest… this collection isn’t his best. It is, however, a historical document. There’s virtually no difference between Deadpool Classic Vol. 1 and the Canterbury Tales.

Here you will read the very first appearances of Deadpool, conceived by Fabian Nicienza and Rob Liefeld in New Mutants #98 (1991). You will blush with embarrassment at the blatant rip-off of DC’s Deathstroke, a.k.a., Slade Wilson (which sounds nothing like Deadpool’s alias Wade Wilson), and wonder what was it about this one-off character that Marvel execs decided to put their faith into.

Like the first season of The Simpsons, there are only a few similarities between Deadpool’s beginning and the greatness he became. But if you want to be a true Deadpool fan, you have to start with the beginning. Luckily, there’s plenty of cameos to keep it interesting: Cable, Juggernaut, Siryn, Banshee, and Sasquatch.

Deadpool by Joe Kelly Omnibus

This is the Deadpool you’ll learn to love. Joe Kelly and Ed McGuinness turn the Merc with a Mouth into a character worthy of his own run. These first 33 issues of this own title delve deep into his character, explaining his origins as a mercenary and Weapon X experiment to escape his cancer, and his struggles walking the line between hero and villain.

This run is hilarious, exhilarating, and at times will kick you square in the feels. Personally it’s one of my favorite comic runs ever, but I’m not alone. If this weren’t so epic, Deadpool would have just faded back into early 90s obscurity.

Deadpool by Daniel Way: The Complete Collection: Volume 1

Once Deadpool was cemented as a classic, other writers had the opportunity to have fun with him. One of the most successful of these authors was Daniel Way, who, along with illustrator Steve Dillon, took the hero to new heights by taking him to new lows.

Daniel Way’s run sacrifices the drama of previous runs for a lot more blood, guts, and gags. High points include Deadpool pitted against Wolverine, Super-Skrulls, and Norman Osborn. If you’re looking for pure entertainment, Daniel Way is often credited as being the funniest Deadpool writer — saying a lot for a character known for his humor.

Deadpool Volume 3: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Stepping into a more modern time, Marvel had the genius idea of teaming up writer and comedian Brian Posehn (“Mr. Show,” “New Girl,”) with comic veteran Gerry Duggan, and then teaming that team up with illustrators Scott Koblish and Declan Shalvey. A comic run so awesome, it needed four people to steer it.

The 5-issue series The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly features everything we love about Deadpool — off-color jokes, relentless violence, and the return of his luckless ethos.

But Deadpool’s not alone in this masterpiece. He teams up with none other than Captain American and Wolverine, plus a team of dollar-store, knock-off X-men from North Korea. Sometimes regarded as the best Deadpool story, it’s undoubtedly one of the finest.

4 Essential Deadpool Comics to Prepare for the Movie

Though most famous for playing everybody’s favorite feral mutant, Wolverine, Hugh Jackman is also a Tony award winning Broadway performer. In other words, just as Andy Samberg and SNL have so amusingly revealed, he’s the best of both worlds — able to sing, dance, and mercilessly slash his enemies to pieces. While each side of Jackman has had its fair share of success, the two have never truly shared the spotlight together… until now. Watch as worlds collide in Wolverine: The Musical!

The YouTube short by “Glove and Boots” offers a lovingly hilarious parody of Broadway classics starring a puppet version of Wolverine. It’s like Les Miserables, but with felt… and claws! (And mercifully less Russell Crowe.) Yes, we’ve all seen the character kick ass on the big screen, but have you ever heard him longingly reminisce about his time in Alpha Flight through the gift of song? Did I mention that the video also features a cameo from The Hulk and a chorus of singing Multiple Men? How have you not clicked play already?!

I don’t know about you, but I’m now even more pumped for James Mangold’s The Wolverine — though, I’ll be mightily disappointed if Logan and the Silver Samurai don’t share a duet. I mean, their chemistry together in the trailer was palpable. I can’t be the only one who noticed that, can I?

Forget that Big Budget Hollywood Sequel, Wolverine: The Musical is Here!

Opening this weekend, The Wolverine picks up after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand and details Logan’s journey to Japan to meet with someone from his past. After events lead to Logan losing his immortality and ability to regenerate, he is tasked with taking on a legion of samurai warriors while continuing to fight his own inner demons related to the death of Jean Grey (otherwise known as The Phoenix).

While the new Wolverine movie is getting mild reviews from critics, the current 67ish percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes is vastly better than the 38 percent rating garnered by X-Men Origins: Wolverine. However, this hasn’t stopped fans from creating a collection of fan art and posters prior to the upcoming launch of the film. Fans are probably also excited about the 2014 release of X-Men: Days of Future Past, a new film combining young and old versions of classic X-Men heroes and villains.

Check out this collection of The Wolverine posters and fan art collected off the Web:

Twelve Bloody Amazing Fan Posters for The Wolverine

Created by graphic designer Kode Logic of Australia, this collection of illustrations mashes Iron Man’s armor with classic characters from comic books, video games, movies. music and other forms of pop culture. Characters depicted within the series include Superman, Wolverine, Magneto, Mega Man, Ezio Auditore da Firenze (Assassin’s Creed series), Son Goku (Dragonball), Wing Gundam, Daft Punk, Predator and Darth Vader.

Kode Logic’s other work takes on other superheroes like Batman, Spider-Man and Green Lantern as well as popular sports icons like Lebron James and soccer star Lionel Messi. You can take a look at his full gallery on Behance here. Check out the fantastic Iron Man mashups below:

Iron Wolverine

Iron Punk

Iron Vader

Iron Ezio

Iron Wing Gundam

Iron Magneto

Iron Predator

Iron Son Goku

Iron Superman

Iron Mega Man

Ten Amazing Iron Man Mashups with Comic, Pop Culture Icons

Developed by graphic design and illustration company Locust Year, Superstaches is a collection of illustrations that adds the most manliest of mustaches to popular superheroes and pop culture heroes. Characters in the collection include Iron Man, Wolverine, Batman, Superman, Yoda, the Flash and Spider-Man.

In addition to the obsession with the stache, Locust Year also takes on subjects such as Star Wars, He-Man, Indiana Jones, Arrested Development, Galaga and Inglourious Basterds. If you are interested in any of the prints below, check out the Locust Year Society6 page here for more details. The designs can be applied to everything from iPhone cases to throw pillows.

Check out the entire collection of Superstaches below:

Logan

Bruce

Barry

Tony

Pete

Clark

The Jedi Master with a Mustache

Superstaches: When Superheroes and Mustaches Collide

Developed by photographer Santlov, this series of photos takes traditional Marvel superheroes and combines them with zombies from universes like The Walking Dead. Characters that have been converted into terrifying zombies include Iron Man, Spider-Man, the Hulk, Thor, Captain America and Wolverine.

In addition to the Marvel zombie series, Santlov also does a ton of work with other pop culture figures. For instance, one photo combines characters from the Toy Story universe (Woody and Buzz) with John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson’s characters in Pulp Fiction. Other television and movie characters included within his work include the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Captain Jack Sparrow, the Joker, Bane, Daffy Duck, Wall-E, Mickey Mouse, Gollum, Bender and various stormtroopers.

Check out some of our favorite shots from the Marvel Zombie series below. You can also check out Santlov’s entire portfolio on Instagram here.

Zombie Avengers

Hulk

Iron Man

Spider-man

Thor

Wolverine

Which photo is the most terrifying?

Marvel Superheroes as Terrifying Zombies