Welcome, X-Fans, to another uncanny edition of X-Men Monday at AIPT!
This past April, when writer Benjamin Percy stopped by X-Men Monday #337 to discuss Wade Wilson: Deadpool, he teased, “When I was writing Wolverine and Ghost Rider… I couldn’t resist pushing them together. That’s not an official announcement. That’s just math that makes sense.” As Punisher is Ben’s other ongoing Marvel series, it was only a matter of time before we got the crossover now known as “Big Guns.”
Aside from, you know, big guns and lots of violence, this mini-event promises a super-villain “glow-up,” a 616-altering new weapon, and the introduction of the massive Merc-mobile. That’s a lot, but fortunately Ben was willing to return to discuss all of it and more. Let’s see what he has to say.
AIPT: Welcome back to X-Men Monday, Ben! As you mentioned inyour last XMM appearance, you’re no stranger to crossing over two series you’re writing simultaneously. So when it came time for Deadpool to meet the Punisher, what, in your opinion, did the crossover that became “Big Guns” have to include? (You know, besides big guns.)
Benjamin Percy: When I wrote Wolverine and Ghost Rider in theWeapons of Vengeancecrossover, I said that the two characters came together like peanut butter and jelly. A natural combination. But when it comes to Deadpool and Punisher? Their pairing is more like… Skittles and, I don’t know, pickled herring. It’s an ugly, unnatural confrontation. Which makes “Big Guns” all the more fun.
Ultraviolence and non-stop mayhem are the expectation, and we’re going to deliver on that. But I want this to be more than just… you know… the Punisher shooting Deadpool over and over. So the premise has a little bit of The Good, The Bad and The Ugly to it. Three deadly people, sometimes aligned, sometimes at odds, their stories intersecting over the same prize.
AIPT: I’m not sure if you’ve had a chance to seeSpider-Man: Brand New Day yet, but one of its highlights was definitely the relationship between Spider-Man and the Punisher. Who knew Frank could be so much fun? What kind of relationship can readers expect from the Punisher and Deadpool?
Ben: I’m up on the north shore of Superior right now—far from any theater—but I’m excited to eventually get home and see it. I don’t know that I’d ever call the Punisher fun. Not the way I write him anyway. I want to make him impossible to look away from, but terrifying, like an approaching storm or a gun aimed at your face.
But Deadpool and Bullseye—those guys are “fun.”
AIPT: In “Big Guns,” you’re collaborating with Geoff Shaw and José Luis, whoyou referred to as “the perfect pairing.” What kinds of visuals can readers look forward to during this crossover?
Ben: Both of these guys have been killing it in their respective series. But we’ve been operating in what I’d call street-level mode. Everything that’s happened so far—in Wade Wilson: DeadpoolandThe Punisher—is grounded in crime and grime.
But there’s an expectation—with a crossover—that you dial things up to 11. The events in “Big Guns” are bonkers, the plotting is full throttle, and the soundtrack would be speed metal. It’s way over the top compared to what we’d normally do in our individual series, and Geoff and Jose are both having so much fun with the insanity.
AIPT: “Big Guns” promises “the re-invention (and glow-up) of a classic villain.” What can you tease about this character (who I assume is Black Hole) and their transformation?
Ben: I like to take characters that have been on the bench and dust them off and give them a new look and feel. That’s how I approached Quentin Quire and Omega Red inX-Force; that’s how I played around with Daken when making him into the Hellverine. That’s what we’re doing with Black Hole in “Big Guns.”
I mean, dude’s carrying around a black hole in his torso. That’s pretty freaking awesome. Let’s give him a spotlight.
AIPT: Speaking of Black Hole — X-Fan Mario B wonders if this villain has any connection to what happened in the first arc ofWade Wilson: Deadpool. Similarly, X-Fan The Majestic Phenomenal Whacky Fan of ‘Pool asks if this event might end with Wade learning more about Ellie.
Ben: There is a connection to the first arc of Wade Wilson:Deadpool—and certain events Whacky Fan is referring to—but readers don’t need to do their homework. This is a great jumping-on point.
AIPT: What X-Fan Patrick Maloney has enjoyed most about yourWade Wilson: Deadpool run so far is that, between the omens and his healing factor, Deadpool can’t help but get involved in situations that he doesn’t understand and gets him in over his head. Will “Big Guns” also be above Wade’s pay grade? Or is it more in his comfort zone?
Ben: Deadpool has a knack for making poor decisions and getting himself into disastrous situations… but he also has a knack for hacking and shooting his way out of them.
AIPT: The Merc-mobile looks insane—the type of vehicle/playset I would have put on my Christmas list as a kid. How did this concept come about?
Ben: I wanted to give Deadpool the opportunity to grow. This felt like a fun way to make his mercenary status into an actual business. Put him on the road. Give him a fresh start. A rolling HQ. He’s a merc-for-hire, and if this were a 007 story, Blind Al would be a sort of de
AIPT: Another question from X-Fan Mario B, who asks, on a scale from 1 to 10, how violent can we expect both Wade and Frank to be in this conflict?
AIPT: A general Punisher question from X-Fan Tim—how did Frank solve the ‘brain chip’ issue by shooting himself in the head with a shotgun? Will this be clarified?
Ben: Circle back and give it a re-read, and you’ll find the answer. That wasn’t buckshot. It was a special EMP cartridge that Micro designed. It interrupted and wiped out the chip’s influence on Frank’s brain.
AIPT: Beyond “Big Guns,” is there anything you can tease about what the future has in store for Deadpool and the Punisher in their series?
Ben: For Deadpool, the “Big Guns” story kicks off a fun “road trip” story that will last for five issues, each installment in a new locale (from the swamps of Florida to the snowbound Rockies).
For Punisher, we’ve got some hard crime installments that will then give way to a larger story called “The Hunters” (that might bring back a certain baddie highlighted in Punisher: Red Band).
AIPT: Thanks for that, Ben, and thanks for stopping by X-Men Monday!
X-Fans, “Big Guns” kicks off in Wade Wilson: Deadpool #8, on sale September 2, 2026. Here’s that issue’s eXclusive preview, courtesy of our friends at Marvel, featuring writing by Ben, art and inking by Geoff Shaw, colors by Alex Sinclair, and lettering by VC’s Clayton Cowles and Joe Sabino.
Next X-Men Monday – August 17, 2026
In the next edition, we reach a new mutant milestone: X-Men Monday #350! As is tradition, let’s see what the X-Men were up to when they reached 350…
But what are we up to? I can’t say. And I don’t mean that like, “Oh, I totally forgot the next one’s 350.” I definitely know what’s happening. But when I pitched my idea for X-Men Monday #350, an opportunity came about that I couldn’t say no to, and I had to pivot. But I’m not teasing anything, as I know how you all get with uncanny eXpectations.
So until then, X-Fans, stay eXceptional!
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