The Marvel movies have taken some strange new directions with some of their beloved characters. Not every comic book icon works on the big screen, and some characters need a second draft. Take Negasonic Teenage Warhead, a character who was completely rewritten in her first on-screen appearance, then became so popular that the source material changed to fit her new look.
The overwhelming majority of Marvel fans met Negasonic Teenage Warhead for the first time in Tim Miller's 2016 film Deadpool. If those fans were to grab a comic that came out since then, they'd see a very similar character. However, she'd been around for 15 years before that movie, and she's changed a lot since then.
Who is Negasonic Teenage Warhead in Marvel Comics?
Negasonic Teenage Warhead, AKA Ellie Phimister was created by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely in 2001. Her name was taken from a 1995 Monster Magnet song. Incidentally, that name earned her a spot on several fan sites' lists of worst superhero names of all time. She's introduced as a student of Emma Frost. She's a goth from the fictional nation of Genosha whose mutant power grants her apocalyptic visions of the future. Her ability to see the future allows her to warn her classmates and her teacher of an upcoming genocide. Sure enough, sentinels pop up and lay waste to Genosha, swiftly eliminating half of the world's mutant population, Ellie included. Emma Frost survives, suffers a breakdown, and claims vengeance on the perpetrator with the help of Professor X.
Through some psychic shenanigans, a villain later attacked the X-Men with enemies derived from Emma Frost's subconscious. This sent a projection of Ellie into combat with the heroes. She used her precognitive powers to defeat Kitty Pride in combat, only to be gunned down by Cyclops. Comic book characters never stay dead, so she was later resurrected by a villain named Black Priestess. She again served as a brainwashed minion against the X-Men, but she mostly just stands around and delivers exposition. These three appearances are her entire legacy before the release of Deadpool. After the release of Deadpool, Ellie had a new lease on life.
Why is Negasonic Teenage Warhead different in Deadpool?
The process of picking characters for Deadpool was a bit of a mess. Names were crossed off the list for budgetary concerns and sequel potential, but the real problem was securing rights. Director Tim Miller was handed a list of characters he was free to play with, and he was immediately drawn to Negasonic Teenage Warhead. Miller was also considering the minor X-Man Cannonball. Rather than try to include both, Negasonic Teenage Warrior was given a version of Cannonball's powers that better fit her explosive name. Her downer goth look from the comics no longer fit, so he reimagined her as a teenage punk. A sullen and derisive voice to counter Colossus's relentless positivity. However, changing the character required a bit of negotiation.
Fox had the rights to Negasonic Teenage Warhead, but altering a character who had originated in a Marvel Comic was still off-limits. Miller spoke with Kevin Feige, who clearly had no plans with this total nobody with a famously unpopular name. A deal still had to be struck. 20th Century Fox traded Ego the Living Planet for the rights to alter Negasonic Teenage Warhead. Fans who enjoyed Kurt Russell's character in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 have this bizarre deal to thank. However, Marvel arguably got more out of the trade than Ego, since Miller's changes brought Ellie Phimister back to the page.
Years after Negasonic Teenage Warhead's last appearance in the comics, she reappeared with a familiar new look. She's now a close partner of Deadpool with a shaved head and a fresh set of explosive powers. She can still see the future, but she can also alter reality and turn into a bomb as she does in the film. She joins Deadpool's Mercs for Money and sticks with him after Domino takes over the group. She watches over Deadpool's daughter and joins him in the fight against his succubus ex-wife. In one of her most recent appearances, Deadpool wipes his memory to get over all of his recent foibles, then partners up with Negasonic again. He remarks that he can't recall if they've ever actually worked together, or if he only thinks they did because he saw them in a film together.
Deadpool didn't just change Negasonic Teenage Warhead, they saved her. The writers of the comics saw what the film did for the character and immediately added her to Deadpool's recent adventures. Negasonic Teenage Warhead was created as a minor figure and immediately killed off for the benefit of a larger one. For years, the only thing people heard about her was cracks about her name. That name convinced artists to pull her out of the obscure pages. Negasonic Teenage Warhead is a lot of fun, and she still has room to grow. Sometimes, a character just needs one chance to blow up.