Punisher
Punisher | |
---|---|
Publication information | |
Publisher | Marvel Comics |
First appearance | The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (February 1974) |
Created by | Gerry Conway (writer) John Romita Sr. (artist) Ross Andru (artist) |
In-story information | |
Full name | Francis "Frank" G. Castle[1][2][3][a] (born Castiglione)[4] |
Species | Human |
Team affiliations |
|
Notable aliases | Mr. Smith Charles Fort Frank Rook Johnny Tower Franken-Castle War Machine II |
Abilities |
|
The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an
The character is depicted as an
The Punisher's brutal nature and willingness to kill made him an anomaly in mainstream
Despite his violent actions and dark nature, the Punisher has enjoyed some mainstream success on television, making guest appearances on series such as Spider-Man and The Super Hero Squad Show, where the depiction of his violent behavior was toned down for family viewers.
In feature films, Dolph Lundgren portrayed the character in the 1989 film The Punisher, as did Thomas Jane in the 2004 film The Punisher, and Ray Stevenson in 2008's Punisher: War Zone. Jon Bernthal portrayed the character in the second season of Daredevil, the spin-off The Punisher and will reprise the role in Daredevil: Born Again, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Publication history
First appearance
The Punisher was conceived by
Conway was also involved in creating the unique outfit for the character. As Conway recalled in 2002, "In the '70s, when I was writing comics at
Stan Lee, then Marvel's editor-in-chief, recalled in 2005 that he had suggested the character's name:
Gerry Conway was writing a script and he wanted a character that would turn out to be a hero later on, and he came up with the name the Assassin. And I mentioned that I didn't think we could ever have a comic book where the hero would be called the Assassin, because there's just too much of a negative connotation to that word. And I remembered that, some time ago, I had had a relatively unimportant character ... [who] was one of [the cosmic antagonist]
Punisher, and it seemed to me that that was a good name for the character Gerry wanted to write—so I said, 'Why not call him the Punisher?' And, since I was the editor [sic; Lee had been named publisher in 1972], Gerry said, 'Okay.'[22]
Appearing for the first time in
The character was a hit with readers and started to appear on a regular basis, teaming up with both Spider-Man and other heroes such as
Initial series
In the early 1980s, writer and college student
The miniseries premiered with a January 1986 cover date. It was bannered on the cover as the first of four; although the series had always been intended to be five issues long, and the banner was an error that recurred throughout the entire run.
An ongoing series, also titled The Punisher, premiered the next year. Initially by writer Mike Baron and artist Klaus Janson, it eventually ran 104 issues (July 1987 – July 1995) and spun off two additional ongoing series—The Punisher War Journal (80 issues, November 1988 – July 1995) and The Punisher War Zone (41 issues, March 1992 – July 1995), as well as the black-and-white comics magazine The Punisher Magazine (16 issues, November 1989 – September 1990) and The Punisher Armory (10 issues, no cover dates, starting 1990), a fictional diary detailing "His thoughts! His feelings! His weapons!" (as stated on the cover of issue #1). The Punisher also appeared in numerous one-shots and miniseries, and made frequent guest appearances in other Marvel comics, ranging from superhero series to the Vietnam War-era comic The 'Nam.
During this era, the Punisher was assisted by his then-partner, Microchip. Serving as a Q type figure, he would supply the Punisher with high-tech vehicles and equipment such as armored combat "battle vans" specially built and customized.
Over the next decade, the Punisher would be shown fighting virtually every known criminal organization, including the
Due to the Punisher's homicidal nature, few of his foes became recurring antagonists, the most notable of these being the severely-scarred enforcer
Decline
In 1995, Marvel canceled all three ongoing Punisher series due to poor sales. The publisher attempted a re-launch almost immediately, with a new ongoing series
Revivals
A 12-issue miniseries by writer
MAX imprint
Continuing his run on the character,
The imprint depicts the Punisher being active for almost 30 years, with Punisher vol. 6, #19 (June 2005), specifying he had killed approximately 2,000 people. Whereas the traditional Punisher stories remained within the United States and involved antagonists and settings of conventional domestic crime, stories of the MAX Punisher often focus on current events, ranging from
The miniseries
The MAX version of the Punisher ends with the character's death. After killing the
Punisher War Journal (vol. 2)
In November 2006, a new The Punisher War Journal series, written by Matt Fraction and penciled by Ariel Olivetti, was released. The first three issues of the book are set during Marvel's "Civil War" event. It involves Castle taking on supervillains rather than his traditional non-super-powered criminal antagonists. He has also made appearances in the main Civil War series (issues #5–7). Wearing both his traditional costume and his Marvel Knights/MAX attire, and a new costume designed to look like his costume and Captain America's combined, the series pitted the character against a series of super-powered foes while also being involved in crossover events such as "World War Hulk" and "Secret Invasion".
The Punisher and Punisher: Frank Castle
Marvel relaunched The Punisher War Journal in 2009 as simply Punisher, with a thematic link tied to the events of the "Dark Reign" storyline and, following the departure of writer Garth Ennis, retitled the Marvel MAX series (formerly Punisher MAX) as Punisher: Frank Castle MAX and, more recently, as Punisher: Frank Castle[43] or Frank Castle: The Punisher[44] (depending on the source); launching a new series called PunisherMAX by Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon.[45] As part of his work on the character, Rick Remender wrote the one-shot title Dark Reign: The List – Punisher, which, as part of the "Dark Reign" storyline, shows the character dismembered and decapitated by Daken.[46]
Following this, the main Punisher series was renamed FrankenCastle and featured a Castle who is resurrected by Morbius and the Legion of Monsters as a patchwork, Frankenstein-like creature.[47][48] He joins up with the Legion of Monsters to help protect the monsters of Monster Metropolis from the Hunter of Monster Special Force.[49] At the conclusion of the series, the character was transformed back into a normal human when he acquired the mystical Bloodstone, with its healing abilities restoring his humanity. Although the stone allowed him to heal from serious wounds, he ultimately chose to discard it after his monster allies helped him recognize that reliance on the stone would result in its side-effects eventually affecting his judgment, causing him to lose the ability to recognize innocents and kill people because of what they might do.[volume & issue needed]
Punisher: In the Blood
In 2010, a Punisher series was released titled Punisher: In the Blood. It is a five-part series that is meant to take place after FrankenCastle. In this series, the Punisher faces Jigsaw once again.[50]
The Punisher (2011)
A violent gang war resulted in the murders of nearly 30 people at a wedding reception, including the groom, leaving the bride, U.S. Marine Sergeant Rachel Cole-Alves, a widow just hours after getting married. Frank had connections with one of the detectives on the case and used the information he gave him to kill members of the Exchange, the group responsible, before the police had a chance to question them.
Later, the Punisher loses an eye while fighting a new version of the Vulture.[51] The Punisher later confronts a recuperated Rachel Cole-Alves in a Hotel where members of the Exchange were meeting. Together they kill the members. It is later revealed to be part of a plan to lure the Punisher to 727 Varick level 19 suite A. Both Rachel Cole-Alves and the Punisher go to the location only to find it to be a trap. They later find out that Daredevil has the Omega Drive.[52] Later Rachel Cole-Alves and the Punisher find Daredevil and Spider-Man. They then work together to destroy the drive.[53][54]
The Punisher and Cole-Alves later succeed in killing the heads of the Exchange, but in the process, Cole-Alves accidentally kills NYPD Homicide Detective Walter Bolt.[55] On the run from the NYPD, Cole-Alves eventually tries to commit suicide by police, only to be captured and sent to prison. Castle eludes capture.[56]
Cole-Alves is sentenced to death for her crimes. Meanwhile, Spider-Man confronts Castle, but he manages to escape. Spider-Man then talks to the Avengers, stating that Castle is a problem and needs to be taken care of. Wolverine, believing that lethal methods are sometimes justified, refuses to assist.[57] Black Widow tracks Castle to South America, where they fight to a standstill before Widow gets distracted by a group of mercenaries guarding a town full of sick villagers, abandoning the fight to help them.[58] Thor pursues Castle next, although all he wants is to talk Castle into turning himself in.[59]
Castle sneaks back into the US to try and break Cole-Alves out of prison. The Avengers set a trap, figuring Castle would target a transport unit. Castle sees through the deception, and rescues the real Cole-Alves by disguising himself as Iron Man.[60] Wolverine was later revealed to be the source of his information, and Logan helps Cole-Alves escape while Castle stays behind to battle the Avengers and buy time. Castle ends up in a special underwater prison, while Cole-Alves resurfaces in Los Angeles, shooting a mugger while wearing the Skull insignia.[61]
Thunderbolts
As part of the Marvel Now! event, the Punisher becomes a member of Red Hulk's Thunderbolts. Their first mission is to take down the civilian-murdering dictator of an island nation.[62]
The Punisher (2014)
As a part of
Original Sin
During the Original Sin storyline, the Punisher becomes involved in the investigation of the murder of Uatu when he is recruited by an unknown agent – later revealed to be Nick Fury – to track various deceased eldritch creatures with Doctor Strange, their combined occult and firearm knowledge allowing them to determine what killed various creatures that Fury had killed in his career as 'the Man on the Wall'.[64]
Secret Wars
During the Secret Wars storyline, the Punisher crashes the Kingpin's viewing party of the incursion between Earth-616 and Earth-1610. He informs the villains present that since he cannot take them with him, he is going to have to do something with all of his bullets.[65]
After massacring the supervillain gathering, the Punisher is approached by the Howling Commandos, who request his aid in completing one final mission before the world ends. The Punisher agrees to help, and is airlifted to Tikrit, where he works on "punishing" the Black Dawn, a terrorist group that had been filming themselves executing American hostages, including a former associate of the Punisher's.[66] The Punisher decimates the Black Dawn, and dies from gunshot wounds as the Earth is destroyed by the Incursions.[67]
All-New Punisher and Civil War II: Kingpin
After Earth-616 has been restored, Frank Castle returns from the dead and comes back to New York City, to continue his personal war against criminal organizations and enterprises.[68] His first target is a former mercenary outfit called Condor, that is currently selling a drug called EMC to terrorists and gang members because it gives users enhanced confidence, perception, strength and pain tolerance.[68] During Frank's first bust on a Condor drug warehouse, he runs into his former Special Ops C.O. Ray Schroder (aka Olaf) who is currently working for Condor but gives Frank a folder of important intel on Condor's EMC operation, before departing.[68] With his new mission to take down Condor before they can get EMC into the worst hands, the Punisher is followed by a D.E.A. Agent whose drug bust on Condor was disrupted by his, as well as a sadistic killer named Face who is also second-in-command of Condor.[68]
In the
Secret Empire
During the
Marvel Legacy and Fresh Start
Some time after the events of Secret Empire, Nick Fury Jr. gives The Punisher access to the War Machine armor in order to combat a rogue state using old S.H.I.E.L.D. resources.[75] During the aftermath of the operation, Frank resumes his war on crime in New York with the War Machine armor, only to surrender it after James Rhodes was revived. Despite wanting to atone for his sins for unknowingly working for Hydra, combined with the death of Natasha at the hands of a Hydra Supreme counterpart of Steve Rogers, the Punisher is still a fugitive, having gone too far in hunting the remaining Hydra remnants on his brutal crime fighting spree. After surrendering the War Machine Armor out of respect of the revived Rhodes, the Punisher surrenders to the authorities but was secretly freed by the Winter Soldier and a recently revived Natasha (the latter, now in a cloned body).[76]
The comic was relaunched in 2018, by writer Matthew Rosenberg and artist Riccardo Burchielli. The story ditched the War Machine armor, but kept the idea of the Punisher operating at the international level, dealing with an ill-fated battle against Baron Zemo.[77]
Punisher No More
A new 13 issue series began in 2022 with Jason Aaron serving as the writer and art from Jesús Saiz and Paul Azaceta. It showcases Castle serving as an assassin of the ninja organization The Hand.[78]
Punisher (2023)
Following the conclusion of the previous series, a new Punisher volume began publication in November 2023, written by David Pepose, illustrated by Dave Wachter, with covers by Rod Reis. The series follows Joe Garrison, a former S.H.I.E.L.D. agent who becomes the new Punisher following Frank Castle's disappearance.[79] This ongoing series was cancelled after only 4 issues.[80]
Characterization
The character has been described as being obsessed with vengeance;[81] Garth Ennis noted that the character of the Punisher "sees the world in very black and white terms, he solves his problems with utter finality" and that "his response to any problem: when in doubt, hit back hard."[82] The writer Steven Grant noted that:
Heidegger, who took Kierkegaard's philosophy further, comes even closer to describing the Punisher: 'Since we can never hope to understand why we're here, if there's even anything to understand, the individual should choose a goal and pursue it wholeheartedly, despite the certainty of death and the meaninglessness of action.' That's sure the Punisher as I conceived him: a man who knows he's going to die and who knows in the big picture his actions will count for nothing, but who pursues his course because this is what he has chosen to do.[83]
Punisher co-creator Gerry Conway stated that "He's a great Rorschach test. What's given him some sustainability is, you can put into him whatever you want, as opposed to Spider-Man, who truly is who he is and shouldn't be changed. The Punisher is a thin character on his own merits, but that allows for a lot of interpretations and different angles of approach."[28]
The Punisher's backstory initially introduced him as a
"Steve [Wacker, editor on the project] and I went round and round on this, but ultimately, he wanted to make Frank younger because if he fought in Vietnam, he's in his 70s, and I get more mileage out of him being in his early 40s. I don't think that takes anything away from his origin. In the Marvel Universe, the conflict matters only because he was asked to go and serve his country, and he did. When he returned, the society he was essentially defending betrayed him and murdered his wife and children in front of him. The conflict matters less than the fact that he gave his service, and this was the reward. In that broad brush vague Marvel Universe sense there's always 'the war' whatever it was. If that put him in the Middle East rather than South East Asia, I think that matters less for the purposes of the Marvel Universe."[85]
He also clarified that the retcon was only for the character in the main Marvel universe and not for the version in the MAX Comics, that retained the first origin.[85] The conflict was retconned again in 2019, in History of the Marvel Universe #2, to the fictional Siancong War.[85]
Skills, weapons, and abilities
The Punisher is the recipient of intense infantry training from the
He maintains multiple safehouses and vehicles around the greater
Aside from his physical prowess, the Punisher demonstrates superb intensive focus and mental discipline, providing a strong resistance against psychic and telepathic powers that are used against him. When
Supporting characters
Despite wanting to work alone, the Punisher has a few supporting characters to help fight crime.
In politics and popular culture
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Australia
Military personnel
Australian Special Forces units operating in Iraq and Afghanistan are known to wear Punisher iconography.
United States
Military personnel
The Punisher's skull first became noticeably visible as a symbol during the
Militia groups
In addition to being used by the United States military and police, the Punisher's skull emblem is used by anti-government militias, such as the
Law enforcement
Since 2015, the skull emblem became popular within police officers' Blue Lives Matter movement, with many companies producing decals, stickers, and T-shirts featuring the Punisher emblem colored with the thin blue line, or atop an American flag.[100] In 2017, the Catlettsburg Police department in Kentucky faced a public backlash after installing large decals with the Punisher's skull and "Blue Lives Matter" on the hoods of police cars, and removed the decals in response to public pressure.[101] Citizens and police interpreted its meaning differently; the police chief said, "We're getting so many calls, and they're saying that the Punisher logo (means) we're out to kill people, and that's not the meaning behind that. That didn't cross my mind."[102]
Firefighters
A variation of the Punisher's skull has been used by EMS/Firefighters. The skull is similar to the police version but the blue line is replaced with a red line.[103][104][105]
Reaction
Punisher co-creator Gerry Conway has decried the use of the Punisher symbol by law enforcement, saying, "To me, it's disturbing whenever I see authority figures embracing Punisher iconography because the Punisher represents a failure of the Justice system. ... The vigilante anti-hero is fundamentally a critique of the justice system, an example of social failure, so when cops put the Punisher's skulls on their cars or members of the military wear Punisher's skull patches, they're basically siding with an enemy of the system." Conway compares it to "putting a Confederate flag on a government building."[106] After members of the Detroit Police Department have been observed to be wearing the Punisher skull during the George Floyd protests in 2020, Conway and others have called on Marvel and its parent company Disney to take legal action to prevent law enforcement from using the logo.[107]
This controversy was addressed in Punisher Vol. 12 #13 written by Matthew Rosenberg in July 2019. In the issue, Frank comes across two police officers who are fans of his. They take a selfie with him and show they have a sticker of his logo on their car before comparing their work to his. Unimpressed, the Punisher tears up the sticker and tells them, "I'll say this once, we're not the same. You took an oath to uphold the law. You help people. I gave that up a long time ago. You don't do what I do. Nobody does. You boys need a role model? His name's Captain America, and he'd be happy to have you.... If I find out you are trying to do what I do, I'll come for you next."[108] In 2020, Marvel said this was their official opinion on the use of the image.[107]
Iraq
From the early 2000s, the Punisher rapidly gained popularity in Iraq. By 2015, his logo had become widely used by the Iraqi Armed Forces and Iraqi paramilitary groups. According to researcher Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, many Iraqis just thought that the logo was "cool" despite the widespread anti-Americanism in the country.[109]
Reception
Critical reception
David Harth of
Darby Harn of Screen Rant called the Punisher one of the "best antiheroes in Marvel Comics", writing, "The Punisher takes the antihero concept much farther than Wolverine. Wolverine obeys a strict code, which Frank Castle ostensibly does, but the results differ greatly. Frank Castle hunts down and murders criminals with extreme prejudice, operating outside the law and caring very little for the consequences. Though his actions stem from a need for justice for his murdered family, his violent behavior echoes that of the people he hunts so much that the distinctions are negligible."[111]
Noel Murray of Inverse described the Punisher as one of the "greatest antiheroes of all time", asserting, "Though the character debuted in a Spider-Man comic in 1974, the Punisher became a phenomenon in the late '80s, when his no-quarter-given approach to crime-fighting synched up with the tough talk of the Reagan era. Later takes on the character have restored some moral ambiguity to an antihero whose militancy makes him a fascinating case study in what we're willing to accept in exchange for security."[112]
Empire named the Punisher one of the "greatest comic-book characters", stating, "The Punisher is now one of the most iconic characters in the entire Marvel stable. A 'Nam vet driven by his family's murder to punish all criminals by death, it's perhaps not unsurprising that the dark, disillusioned '70s was the decade that saw a brutal, uncompromising psychopath (for that's what Castle is, no debate) become a fan favourite. Although, truth be told, operating within the confines of the toothless main Marvel titles never sat well with The Punisher – in recent years, with the move to the MAX label, and Garth Ennis' soon-to-finish installation as Punisher guru, the dark heart and psychology of Frank Castle has been fully explored, giving a new insight into this grimmest and most compelling of characters."[113]
Accolades
- In 2008, Wizard Magazine ranked the Punisher 39th in their "Top 200 Comic Book Characters" list.[114]
- In 2012, IGN ranked the Punisher 27th in their "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes" list.[115]
- In 2018, GameSpot ranked the Punisher 23rd in their "50 Most Important Superheroes" list.[116]
- In 2019,
- In 2019, Empire, ranked the Punisher 19th in their "50 greatest comic-book characters" list.[113]
- In 2019, ComicBook.com ranked the Punisher 42nd in their "50 Most Important Superheroes Ever" list.[119]
- In 2020, Inverse ranked the Punisher 9th in their "50 greatest antiheroes of all time" list.[112]
- In 2020, CBR.com ranked the Punisher 10th in their "Marvel's 10 Greatest Marksmen" list.[120]
- In 2022, The A.V. Club ranked the Punisher 88th in their "100 best Marvel characters" list.[121]
- In 2022, Screen Rant ranked the Punisher 1st in their "10 Best Antiheroes In Marvel Comics" list.[111]
- In 2022, Screen Rant included Punisher in their "10 Best Marvel Characters Who Made Their Debut In Spider-Man Comics" list.[122]
- In 2022,
Literary reception
Volumes
Punisher - 2004
According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Punisher #1 was the 20th best selling comic book in January 2004.[126][127][128] Punisher #2 was the 24th best selling comic book in January 2004.[126][127][128]
Joey Esposito of
Punisher - 2009
According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Punisher #1 was the 33rd best selling comic book in January 2009.[131][132][133] Punisher #2 was the 39th best selling comic book in February 2009.[134][135][136]
Dan Phillips of IGN gave Punisher #1 a grade of 7 out of 10, asserting, "Because the main feature of the series is so simple and fast-moving, there's not much else to say about this issue other than I found it entertaining. Remender kept me at the edge of my seat, and artist Jerome Opena did a good job capturing the energy of this chase, even if his work is a little too rough around the edges in places. All in all, I'd say the premise of Punisher trying to kill Norman Osborn is an interesting one; I just don't know how long they'll be able to milk it without convincing fans that Norman could actually die in a Punisher comic."[137]
Punisher - 2011
According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Punisher #1 was the 25th best selling comic book in August 2011.[138][139][140] Punisher #2 was the 30th best selling comic book in August 2011.[138][139][140]
Ryan K. Lindsay of
Punisher - 2014
According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Punisher #1 was the 18th best selling comic book in February 2014.[143][144][145]
Benjamin Bailey of IGN gave Punisher #1 a grade of 7.5 out of 10, asserting, "As a huge fan of the character, I'm just excited to have the Punisher back in a series all his own with a solid creative team telling his tales. It's only the first issue, but there's enough promise here to warrant a commitment from fans of the skull-wearing vigilante. Here's hoping for a long run, filled with bullets, blood, and action. That's all we really want and need out of a Punisher series. The Punisher brings our favorite skull-wearing vigilante back into the spotlight in a storm of bullets, violence and death. There's nothing new here, but any time Frank comes back is a good time indeed. Glad to have you back, Mr. Castle."[146]
Punisher - 2016
According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Punisher #1 was the 3rd best selling comic book in May 2016.[147][148][149]
Bob Franco of ComicsVerse called Punisher #1 a "must read", writing, "As a first installment, this issue sets The Punisher off to a good start. There's not a lot of explanation, but there doesn't need to be yet. It's reminiscent of the circumstances Frank surges through in the Netflix DAREDEVIL series, though Frank is mute through this first issue: not a word spoken, nor a thought given. Everything we know has been told to us, so there's real intrigue to see how this series progresses. It's a book that gives little character examination but makes one pine for more."[150] Jesse Schedeen of IGN gave Punisher #1 a grade of 8.2 out of 10, saying, "Frank Castle is in fine form after taking a few months away from the spotlight. This new series doesn't do anything dramatically different with the franchise (not yet, at least), but it does feature a hands-off approach to the lead character and introduce some intriguing new villains to the mix. The series also proves that Steve Dillon isn't simply content to rest on his laurels after so many Punisher projects. This is a solid start to what may become a very memorable Punisher run."[151]
Punisher - 2018
According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Punisher #1 was the 11th best selling comic book in August 2018.[152][153][154] Punisher #1 was the 121st best selling comic book in 2018.[155][156][157]
Jenna Anderson of
Punisher - 2022
According to Diamond Comic Distributors, Punisher #1 was the 15th best selling comic book in March 2022.[160][161]
Hannah Rose of
Other versions
Punisher 2099
First version
The
Marvel Knights version
Amalgam Comics
In Amalgam Comics, the Punisher is merged with Steve Trevor to make Trevor Castle. In this continuity Trevor Castle lost his family when they were caught in a gang war, which led him to become the Punisher and eventually marry Diana Prince, with whom he had a son named Ryan before they separated. In Bullets and Bracelets, Ryan is kidnapped which leads to Trevor and Diana to work together to figure out who is responsible. Their search leads them to Thanoseid, who apparently kills their son. Trevor was about to kill Thanoseid's personal assassin Kanto, but was stopped by Diana who figured out Kanto was actually Ryan.[volume & issue needed]
Wanting revenge on Trevor for indirectly causing the death of his own son, Thanoseid sent Ryan back in time to become Kanto so that either Trevor will kill his son or Kanto would kill his father. With his plan foiled, he sent Trevor and Diana back to Earth, with the two deciding to give their relationship another chance.[166]
Frank Castle
Alternative versions of the Punisher have appeared for over three decades. The earliest examples of those alternative versions can be found within the monthly What If series. Using existing Marvel stories as a starting point, the series examined scenarios in which, for example, Frank Castle's family has not died or he had killed Daredevil in their first encounter. Other "What If" stories looked at his adventures as a new Captain America or as an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. Garth Ennis wrote a one-off special entitled Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe where Frank Castle kills every superhero and supervillain in the Marvel Universe after his family are caught in the crossfire of a battle with the Brood.[167]
The Punisher also featured in a number of more extended looks at alternative universes and lives such as the Age of Apocalypse's Frank Castle (as a man who fled genocide to become a monk).[volume & issue needed]
House of M
In the alternative universe House of M, Castle appears as a media vigilante nicknamed the "Punisher" and is recruited after his arrest by John Proudstar to join and be the other human in the strikeforce known as the Brotherhood.[168]
A Man Named Frank
The Punisher: A Man Named Frank, written by
Marvel Noir
In
Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness
In the universe of
Marvel Mangaverse
In the alternative universe
MC2
In the alternative-future universe of MC2, the Punisher is still active, but has moved to South America to deal with the level of drug runners there. He returns to New York after hearing of a gang war between Black Tarantula and a Maggia don called Silverback, whom he had once crippled, but now has cybernetic implants.[170] He eventually dies in a final confrontation with Silverback.[171]
Old Man Logan
In the possible future timeline depicted in the Old Man Logan storyline that takes place on Earth-21923, the Punisher shows up to help fight the villains during the days the villains rose to power. He shot Electro before he was stabbed in the chest during a sneak attack from Kraven the Hunter.[172] He survived the attack and resumed his war on crime, killing Nuke and other criminals. 50 years later, the Punisher finds that a gang calling themselves the "Punishers" has been tarnishing his reputation by killing men and kidnapping children in light of the Hulk Gang having most of its members killed. In addition, the Punisher is shown to have a failing memory as the Punishers have stolen his war journal. This causes the Punisher to assist Old Man Logan in attacking the stronghold of the Punishers to save the kidnapped children. Fighting the Punishers' leader, Panhead, he is fatally injured. When Panhead is killed, the Punisher reclaims his war journal and looks at the picture of his late family as he peacefully dies.[173]
On Earth-807128, a new Kingpin captures two men who have taken up the mantles of the Punisher and Daredevil after they along with Ashley Barton / Spider-Bitch apparently tried to destroy his empire. Chained to posts in a stadium and in full view of a crowd, the new Punisher and Daredevil are gruesomely dispatched by carnivorous dinosaurs as they ask after the imprisoned Ashley. After being freed by her father, Ashley kills Kingpin before attempting to kill her father, revealing that she and the new Daredevil and Punisher had actually sought to take over the former Kingpin's empire themselves, with Ashley becoming the new Kingpin of the Wastelands.[174]
Ruins
In the reality of
Venomverse
In the reality of Venomverse: War Stories, Frank Castle led a war on crime for years, until the Kingpin organized the crime families of New York against him, Frank found himself hunted by the criminal underworld. Growing desperate, Frank made a deal with the Venom Symbiote, the symbiote would allow him to kill Fisk and 'win' his war on crime, on the condition that Frank would kill one target for the symbiote. This target was revealed to be Spider-Man, an innocent, and Frank tried to resist the symbiote as it formed a rifle in his hands. Fortunately for Frank, a Venomized Doctor Strange chose that moment to transport them into a war between Venoms and Poisons, inadvertently saving Spider-Man's life. He was unfortunately assimilated by a Poison along with his symbiote, thus creating Poison Punisher.[176]
Later he was present in the Hive's invasion of the Prime Marvel Universe and was able to bond Spider-Man to a symbiote.[177] He continued to face off against that universe's heroes, also successfully bonding Devil Dinosaur to a symbiote, but was soon killed when Agent Anti-Venom arrived and attempted to free him from the Poison, only to find he was hollow, having been already consumed by the Poison.[178]
Cosmic Ghost Rider
In the alternate reality of
Ultimate Marvel
The
In
What If
- In What If...the Punisher's Family Had Not Been Killed in Central Park?, Castle's family does not die in the park and he joins the police force following his discharge from the Marine Corps. However, Frank tries to collect evidence on corrupt cops, but they attack Frank's house in the middle of the night, killing Frank's family and his brother-in-law. Castle returns to kill those who murdered his family, making Frank become the Punisher after all. However, a major divergence from his mainstream version's modus operandi includes providing proof of his targets' wrongdoing to the press.[186][187]
- In "Jackal successfully dupes the Punisher into killing Spider-Man and abandons him to take the fall in his place. Becoming a hunted fugitive, the Punisher eventually hunts Warren down and intends to surrender him to the police. But when the NYPD is about to arrest him instead, threatening to kill him should he shoot Warren, Warren is executed (off-panel) by the Punisher after the latter gleefully concludes the story with the words: "See you on the other side, Jackal.".[188]
- In What If, Captain America is seriously injured in a fight with the Red Skull (an alternative ending of Captain America #212) and converted into a cyborg, which drives him to bestow his uniform upon another candidate. Castle is eventually chosen, and although he first pursues his family's killers in his usual alter ego, after a talk with the recovered Steve Rogers and some soul-searching he becomes a new and worthy Captain America.[189]
- In What If, Frank is possessed by Kingpin. He eventually confronts the symbiote and they work together.[190]
- In What If...Wolverine Had Become the Lord of Vampires?, Frank is chosen by the spirit of Juggernaut, all of whom became vampires. When Frank fights Wolverine, he accidentally kills Kitty Pryde, causing Wolverine to kill him.[191]
- In What If features Wolverine becoming the Punisher during the 1920s.[192]
- In What If... Peter Parker Became the Punisher?, Peter Parker's history echoes his 616 counterpart, but he becomes a vigilante that kills people with specialized bullets using a wrist chaingun attached to his webshooters. His costume is a mixture of Spider-Man and the Punisher. After killing the Sinister Six and the Green Goblin, he ultimately retires the Punisher persona to avoid putting his loved ones in danger. However, this results in a local crime organization killing Frank Castle's family. While escaping the scene, Frank stumbles upon Peter's costume in the trash, suggesting he will become the next Punisher.[193]
Age of X
In the X-Men crossover Age of X, another universe's General Frank Castle commands a mutant-hunting version of the Avengers.[194]
Marvel Universe vs The Punisher
In this alternate universe, an unknown pathogen transforms the entire superhuman population, as well as basic civilians, into zombie-like cannibals. Five years prior, the Punisher raided a Mafia deal in a warehouse, incidentally releasing the plague. Due to being overly exposed to the pathogen, he has gained a special immunity from the virus. He is one of the few people immune to the pathogen, the others being Hawkeye and Wolverine.[volume & issue needed]
During the beginning days of the outbreak, Wolverine sought out Frank after getting a tip from Reed Richards that someone with Frank's M.O. was present when the virus was released. When confronted, Frank recounted the events which occurred eighteen months prior to when the virus was released, revealing that all it did was make him sick for a few weeks. Richards, overhearing their conversation via radio, determines that Frank's overexposure to the pathogen has given him a special immunity and that he is humanity's best chance at getting a cure. After fighting to the Baxter Building, both men find that the building's emergency generator has stopped working and the security team has been slaughtered. Upon further investigation, they find a badly injured Reed, who tells them that both the Thing and Beast have turned with the latter feasting upon Hank Pym.[volume & issue needed]
Later, following a failed counterattack against a large cannibal army led by an infected Hulk, the Punisher, Deadpool, and Captain America save a badly injured Wolverine, who lost his arm in the battle. The four later coordinate two diversions while Mr. Fantastic and Black Panther lead a convoy of scientists out of the city so they could begin work on a cure in a safe location. Frank and Captain America launch an offensive against a large cannibal horde, though Captain America begins to succumb to the plague and begs Frank to kill him before he turns. A solemn Frank obliges and is soon confronted by Hawkeye, who witnessed the execution.[volume & issue needed]
Weeks later, Frank continues to fight the horde alongside other uninfected heroes. He is one of few heroes who do not accept Dr. Doom's offer of wearing a Doom Stone to prevent the infection. Frank, Hawkeye, and Black Widow end up being the last uninfected heroes in New York after the surviving heroes are forcibly turned by Doctor Doom using Doom Stones to accelerate the turning process. Though they attempt to save their fellow heroes, their attempts are in vain and Black Widow is kidnapped by Spider-Man, while Frank leaves Hawkeye and goes out in search of him. Frank later witnesses Hawkeye's murder at the hands of Thor, leaving him as the last uninfected person in New York.[volume & issue needed]
Five years later, the Punisher hunts for the first known infected, Spider-Man in a New York City that has been depopulated. Castle is constantly bugged by a cannibalistic Deadpool, who he has killed over 35 times. While out on patrol, Frank encounters an elderly priest and a young boy who have been surviving in the ruins of New York. While the Priest attempts to appeal to Frank's humanity in hopes that the infected can be saved, Frank coldly tells him that the only way to win is to kill them all.[volume & issue needed]
They are soon confronted by Spider-Man, who offers Frank and the remaining human survivors safe passage out of the city in exchange for returning his wife to him from
Spider-Gwen
In this alternate universe of Spider-Gwen, Captain Frank Castle of the NYPD is called in to take over for George Stacy in the hunt for Spider-Woman. He was a veteran of the wars in Afghanistan and the Second Gulf War, where he and Maria Walls were the only survivors of a massive firefight. The two later marry and have 2 children. He then worked as a mercenary for Tony Stark's private military company, WAR MACHINE. After that stint, he joins the NYPD, rapidly rising through the ranks. On the day he was named to take over the Spider-Woman case, he finds a note that Maria and the children have left him, and Frank finds himself now only focusing on his job.[volume & issue needed]
After following the Vulture on an attack on George Stacy, Castle takes on both the Vulture and Spider-Woman, the latter of whom brutally beats Castle, though Castle does see her unmasked face, he is unaware of her actual identity; Castle subsequently takes on the forces of
In other media
The character of the Punisher has appeared in many types of media. Since his first appearance in 1974, he has appeared in television, films, and video games—each on multiple occasions—and his name, symbol, and image have appeared on products and merchandise.
Notes
- ^ Francis "Frank" Castle's full name as seen in this New Avengers: Letters Home panel, also more info here. Middle initial "G." seen on dogtags in The 'Nam issue #69.
References
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Writer Gerry Conway and artist Ross Andru introduced two major new characters to Spider-Man's world and the Marvel Universe in this self-contained issue. Not only would the vigilante known as the Punisher go on to be one of the most important and iconic Marvel creations of the 1970s, but his instigator, the Jackal, would become the next big threat in Spider-Man's life.
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- ^ Greg Rucka (w), Carmine Di Giandomenico (p), Carmine Di Giandomenico (i), Matt Hollingsworth (col), VC's Joe Caramagna (let), Stephen Wacker (ed). Punisher War Zone, vol. 3, no. 2 (5 December 2012). United States: Marvel Comics.
- ^ Greg Rucka (w), Carmine Di Giandomenico (p), Carmine Di Giandomenico (i), Matt Hollingsworth (col), VC's Joe Caramagna (let), Stephen Wacker (ed). Punisher War Zone, vol. 3, no. 3 (9 January 2013). United States: Marvel Comics.
- ^ Greg Rucka (w), Carmine Di Giandomenico (p), Carmine Di Giandomenico (i), Matt Hollingsworth (col), VC's Joe Caramagna (let), Stephen Wacker (ed). Punisher War Zone, vol. 3, no. 4 (30 January 2013). United States: Marvel Comics.
- ^ Greg Rucka (w), Carmine Di Giandomenico (p), Carmine Di Giandomenico (i), Matt Hollingsworth (col), VC's Joe Caramagna (let), Stephen Wacker (ed). Punisher War Zone, vol. 3, no. 5 (27 February 2013). United States: Marvel Comics.
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- ^ Wolverine Vol. 3 #68. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Ruins #1. Marvel Comics. 1995.
- ^ Venomverse: War Stories #1
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- ^ Thanos Vol. 2 #13. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Ultimate Marvel Team-Up #6-8
- ^ Ultimate Spider-Man #61
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- ^ What If? Vol.2 #58
- ^ What If? Vol.2 #51
- ^ What If...? vol. 2, #44 (December 1992)
- ^ What If...? vol. 2, #24 (April 1991)
- ^ What If? Wolverine #1 (February 2006)
- ^ What If? Punisher #1 (October 2018)
- ^ Age of X: Alpha (single-issue) (January 2011)
- ISBN 978-0-7851-4355-0
- ^ Spider-Gwen Vol 1 #1-2; Spider-Gwen Vol. 2 #5
External links
- Punisher at the Marvel Universe wiki
- The Punisher at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)