Agent X #3

History

Agent X grew out of Marvel's decision to cancel the sales-struggling Deadpool series and relaunch the corner of the line with X-branded titles — the same editorial wave that turned X-Force into X-Statix and Cable into Soldier X. Gail Simone, who had written Deadpool's closing arc, was tapped to launch the new series, with UDON Studios — fresh off a well-received Taskmaster miniseries — supplying the house-style art built around penciller Alvin Lee. Issue #3's internal story title, 'Dead Man's Switch — Part 3: Quiet Desperation,' places it squarely in the six-part opening arc; the creative team was Simone (script), UDON Studios (pencils, inks, colors), Cory Petit (letters), and editor Andrew Lis. Simone and UDON would later depart the series under disputed circumstances with the editorial team, leaving Mary Zero's storyline an unresolved thread until the creators returned for the wrap-up issues #13–15.

Trivia · 8 facts

• First appearance of Mary Zero (Earth-616), a mutant with the power of imperceptibility — she cannot be seen, heard, or remembered by virtually any human being; created by Gail Simone and UDON Studios.
• Mary Zero's debut occurs during the jewelry-store robbery sequence: she is present in the shop undetected by everyone except, mysteriously, Alex Hayden — a detail Simone embedded as a clue to Alex's true, non-Deadpool identity.
• Story title: 'Dead Man's Switch — Part 3: Quiet Desperation'; release date September 25, 2002; cover date November 2002; editor Andrew Lis; editor-in-chief Joe Quesada.
• Written by Gail Simone with art by UDON Studios (pencils, inks, and colors); lettered by Cory Petit — the same core creative team that launched the series in Agent X #1.
• Taskmaster formally breaks with Sandi Brandenberg and exits the Agency X arrangement in this issue, driven by jealousy over her apparent attachment to Alex Hayden — a rupture that restructures the book's ensemble going forward.
• The Four Winds crime boss Higashi makes a significant move in this issue, approaching Alex at his theme-park headquarters and attempting to purchase the property, deepening the arc's central antagonist threat.
• Outlaw (Inez Temple), already introduced in Deadpool vol. 1 #65, appears prominently here as Alex's field partner on the jeweler-protection job, cementing her early role as his most reliable combat ally and laying groundwork for their later romantic relationship.
• The issue's material was collected in Deadpool Classic Vol. 9 (trade paperback, 2014), which assembled the full 'Dead Man's Switch' arc alongside the Deadpool 'Healing Factor' closing arc, making this content accessible to later readers of the Deadpool Epic Collection line.

Cast · 7 characters

Full credits

Key issues in Agent X

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#1 1st appearance — Agent X