Ajax

Lore & Background

Francis Freeman was the former enforcer at Emrys Killebrew's laboratory, the Workshop. Having grown annoyed with his test subject Wade Wilson, Killebrew allows Freeman to kill him. Freeman removes Wilson's heart, but his healing factor activates and regenerates his heart. The entire series of events costs Wilson his sanity. As Deadpool, he hunts down and seemingly kills Freeman. Freeman resurfaces years later using the codename Ajax. He hunts down and kills many of the surviving members of Weapon X to exact revenge on Deadpool. Ajax punches Deadpool off a cliff, but he survives. Deadpool has Ajax plunge them both into a lake, short-circuiting Ajax's armor and enabling Deadpool to kill him by snapping his neck. Blackheart releases Ajax from Hell in an attempt to prevent Deadpool and Thanos from meddling in his plot to overthrow Mephisto. Ajax, now calling himself Abyss Man, locates and attempts to kill the pair, but the duo subdue him and turn him into a gateway to Hell with the help of Black Talon.

In Their Own Story

The air smelled of antiseptic and blood. Ajax watched from the glass booth, his pale, unprotected features illuminated by the harsh lights below. He did not flinch as another scream echoed through the chamber, merely sipping coffee while noting the subject's vital signs stabilizing against all odds. To him, pain was just data.

Reader's Guide

Francis Freeman operates as a ruthless commander within clandestine genetic enhancement programs. His personality is defined by cold calculation and deep-seated sadism, viewing test subjects not as humans but as resources to be broken and rebuilt. He holds a specific grudge against Wade Wilson, believing the mercenary failed to meet expectations during testing. This hatred drives much of his motivation throughout the origin narrative. While physically imposing due to tactical gear and weaponry, Ajax relies on psychological torment rather than brute strength alone. His relationship with Wade is purely adversarial; he seeks to control or destroy the man who escaped his grasp. In major storylines, Ajax represents the trauma of the Weapon X experiments that birthed Deadpool. He serves as a dark mirror to Wade's own healing factor, possessing durability but lacking the rapid regeneration that ultimately saves his enemy. His defeat marks the end of Wade's servitude and the beginning of his vigilante career.

Did You Know?

• Francis Freeman first appeared in Deadpool #14 (March 1998), created by Joe Kelly and Walter A. McDaniel.
• Freeman removes Wade Wilson's heart, but Wilson's healing factor regenerates it, costing Wilson his sanity.
• Ajax is killed by Deadpool twice: first seemingly, then later by having his neck snapped after his armor is short-circuited in a lake.
• Blackheart releases Ajax from Hell to prevent Deadpool and Thanos from interfering with his plot to overthrow Mephisto.
• Ed Skrein portrays Francis Freeman / Ajax in the 2016 film Deadpool.