Cable & Deadpool #38
Cable & Deadpool #38 (cover-dated May 2007) is the first appearance of Bob, Agent of Hydra — a cowardly low-level Hydra functionary who defects to Deadpool's side mid-mission and goes on to become one of Wade Wilson's most enduring and beloved supporting characters. The character distills the series' core comedic philosophy: treating the faceless cannon-fodder of supervillain organizations as actual human beings with mundane motivations, in this case a man who joined Hydra chiefly for the dental plan. Bob's debut also marks the moment Cable & Deadpool fully pivoted away from its titular co-lead — Cable is absent from this issue entirely — becoming, by narrative necessity, a Deadpool ensemble book that would shape the character's solo voice for the decade that followed.
Find on ebay
Sell my copy
Have this issue — or a whole collection? Get a fair offer from us, skip the marketplace fees and the hassle.
We Buy Collections ▸History
The issue was written by Fabian Nicieza, one of Deadpool's co-creators, with pencils by Reilly Brown — the regular artistic team handling the series' late run — inked by Jeremy Freeman and Pat Davidson, colored by Gotham Studios, and lettered by Dave Sharpe. The cover was produced entirely by Skottie Young, who was the series' cover artist during this period and handled pencils, inks, and colors on the cover himself. The story fell within the 'Separation Anxiety' arc (issues #36–42), a stretch during which Cable's absence from the book — driven by crossover obligations with Mike Carey's X-Men run — pushed Nicieza to lean harder on Deadpool's supporting cast, which created the editorial space for Bob's introduction.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Bob, Agent of Hydra (Robert Dobalina), created by writer Fabian Nicieza and penciller Reilly Brown; published May 2007.
- Bob's in-story motivation for joining Hydra: he was persuaded by his wife Allison and attracted by the promise of a steady job and dental benefits — Hydra does not, it turns out, offer full dental like A.I.M.
- Cable does not appear in this issue at all; the story centers entirely on Deadpool, Agent X, Weasel, Sandi Brandenberg, and Outlaw, with T-Ray appearing in cameo.
- The plot has Sandi and Outlaw hiring a Pym-particle-shrunken, four-inch-tall Deadpool to rescue Agent X from a Hydra base, during which Deadpool coerces Bob into defecting.
- Cover art (pencils, inks, and colors) by Skottie Young, who served as the series' regular cover artist during this era.
- The issue was reprinted three times: in the Cable & Deadpool Vol. 7: Separation Anxiety trade paperback (2007), in Deadpool & Cable Ultimate Collection Book 3 (2010), and as True Believers: Uncanny Deadpool #1 (March 2016).
- Bob's surname 'Dobalina' was not revealed in this issue; it was retroactively established years later in All-New Captain America #1, where writer Rick Remender confirmed it as a dual Easter egg — a nod to the character and a reference to the Del the Funky Homosapien hip-hop song 'Mistadobalina.'
- Bob had a live-action cameo in the 2016 Deadpool film, portrayed by Rob Hayter; because Marvel Studios held the Hydra rights at the time of filming, the character was reimagined as a henchman of Ajax rather than a Hydra agent.
Cast · 11 characters
Full credits
Full plot ⚠ may contain spoilers
▸ Reveal full plot — may contain spoilers
Sandi and Outlaw hire a 4-inch Deadpool to rescue Agent X from the clutches of Hydra.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).
Variants (1)
Reviews
Reader reviews
No reader reviews yet.