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Deadpool Finally Admits One Marvel Villain Has a Better Healing Factor (and It’s Not Who You Think)
April 23, 2025Wade Wilson—aka Deadpool—has never been shy about his powers. Superhuman agility? Check. Master assassin skills? Check. An off-the-charts healing factor that lets him come back from anything short of being atomised? Absolutely. Or… maybe not.
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In Deadpool #4 (2016), Wade finally admits that there’s someone out there with an even better healing factor than his own. And no, it’s not Wolverine. It’s not Sabretooth. It’s not even Hulk. It’s a deep-cut villain you probably forgot existed: Madcap. Let’s break down why even Marvel’s Merc with a Mouth had to give props (reluctantly) to one of the most twisted, indestructible characters in the entire Marvel universe.
Who Is Madcap, and Why Is He Basically Immortal?
Madcap first appeared way back in Captain America #307 (1985), created by Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary. At a glance, he looks like a Joker wannabe—colourful costume, psychotic smile, manic energy. But behind that clownish appearance is a genuinely terrifying and deeply tragic figure.
Once a regular guy, Madcap lost his entire church group in a freak accident involving a chemical spill. Instead of dying, he was granted two “gifts”: the ability to regenerate from practically anything, and a disturbing immunity to pain. Physically and emotionally unkillable.
And like all truly dangerous Marvel characters, he didn’t handle that power well. Madcap descended into nihilism, using his abilities to create chaos, manipulate emotions, and test the limits of his own immortality. While Deadpool jokes his way through pain, Madcap doesn’t even feel it.
Deadpool Says It Himself: “His Healing Factor Is Unequalled”
In Deadpool #4 (2016) by Gerry Duggan and Mike Hawthorne, Wade’s attempt to expand his brand leads him to assemble a squad of zany mercenaries to operate under his name. One of those mercs? Madcap. But Madcap doesn’t play by the rules. He goes rogue, impersonating Deadpool on solo missions and causing mayhem. And when Wade decides to rein him in, he warns his team with a rare bit of seriousness:
“Madcap’s healing factor is unequaled. Even mine doesn’t compare.”
Coming from Wade, that’s basically the mutant version of a bow of respect. Madcap has not only survived being blown up, decapitated, and dismembered—he once disintegrated himself with alien tech just to prove he could come back from a molecular level. Spoiler alert: He did.
How Does Madcap’s Regeneration Work?
Madcap’s body constantly rebuilds itself, no matter the injury. He’s not slowed down by the pain or trauma of wounds because he literally can’t feel them. This makes him more reckless—and more dangerous—than characters like Deadpool or Wolverine, who still feel pain and occasionally hesitate.
During one story arc, Madcap gets vaporised entirely… and reconstitutes himself from thin air. This wasn’t a healing factor assisted by mutant regeneration or alien tech. This was straight-up molecular regeneration. Not even Deadpool has done that without help. It’s the kind of immortality that stops being a gift and starts feeling like a curse. And Deadpool, of all people, seems to get that.
While Madcap is often played for laughs, his story is anything but funny. The guy is functionally immortal, can’t feel pain, and has lost any sense of purpose or emotional connection to life. He’s not evil in a traditional sense—he’s broken. In a way, he’s what Deadpool might’ve become without friends, purpose, or chimichangas.
Wade’s admission about Madcap’s superior healing isn’t just about power levels—it’s a rare moment of recognition and empathy. Wade, who’s spent his whole existence in a constant state of healing, understands what it’s like to be invincible… and still feel empty inside.
Where Else to See the Madcap-Deadpool Rivalry
If you want to explore more of this chaotic rivalry, these are the must-read comics:
- Mercs for Money (2016) – Madcap temporarily joins Wade’s team. It does not go well.
- Deadpool #3–#6 (2016) – The main storyline where Madcap impersonates Wade and things get wild.
- Captain America #307 – Madcap’s bizarre debut.
- Deadpool vs. Madcap (Secret Empire Tie-In) – Their tension comes to a head, with Madcap proving just how unkillable he really is.
Deadpool’s healing factor is top-tier, but Madcap’s is in a league of its own. He can’t feel pain. He won’t stay dead. And most terrifying of all—he doesn’t care. For Wade to admit that out loud? That says something. Because in a universe full of regenerating super soldiers and unkillable aliens, Madcap might just be the most indestructible—and unpredictable—villain of them all.
