The Punisher
Frank Castle ’s rechristening as thePunisherwas contrive through tragedy . Watching his married woman and nipper gun down by gangsters made for " one bad day " for the military inductee . Using his particular set of acquisition to put the police into his own manus was the only way he could ensure justice for his fall family . Still , Castle has been forced to carry that catastrophe with him for his entire life .
What ’s worse and often overlooked aboutthe Punisher ’s origin storyis that his fellowship ’s violent death is n’t the only tragedy that he has suffered in his existence . It ’s the calamity that kickstarted his superhero career and arguably remains the worst tragedy that he has ever weather , but it’sfar from the last tragedy that Frank has ever endure . His anti - hero ’s journeying has been paved with twist and turn that continue to allow roue on his mitt and trauma in his intellect .
10The Hand Resurrects the Punisher’s Wife
Punisher#1 Jason Aaron, Paul Azaceta, Jesús Saíz, Dave Stewart, and Cory Petit
The Hand is best commemorate as the ninja organization that Daredevil finds himself combating night in and night out , but Matt Murdock is n’t the only superhero they ’ve crossed path with . The Punisher has a storied history of his own with the Hand , once even depose loyalty as a former leader . During his time as leader , he elevated the Hand to new heights , and as a token of grasp , they recreate his married woman . However , horrified by what Frank had done in his family ’s honor , she flash him at item - clean kitchen stove .
One Marvel story states that the Punisher was n’t always a violent man . In fact , Frank Castle never wanted to go to war in the first property .
The momentmakes Frank ’s foot race as Punisher all the more bittersweet . For age , Frank killed countless people in the name of his wife Maria and his children Lisa and Frank Jr. He justifies his violence as a way of honoring them , but upon visualise Frank ’s stigma of justice firsthand , Maria does n’t see her husband or a hero , only a monstrosity .
9The Punisher’s Wife’s Last Words Were to Ask for a Divorce
Punisher#11 by Jason Aaron, Paul Azaceta, Jesús Saíz, Matt Hollingsworth, and Cory Petit
Perhaps even more bittersweet than Maria Castle love what her husband has done since her expiry is lector knowing that their marriage was rough before either Maria or their children were kill . The Punisher#11 fell this bombshell in , ironically , the same issue where Maria shoots her hubby . Punisher readers have seen the flashback of Castle ’s family being gun down during a picnic several times over , but this clock time , it ’s bring out that second before being shot unexpectedly , Maria had asked for a divorce .
Maria dies before she can get that last word of honor out , but the second recontextualizes the Punisher ’s declaration to practice his mission to honour his decrease family in a novel light . He ’s not just hear to honor their murder out of Department of Justice or because he overleap them , butinstead out of guilt for a man and wife he could n’t save .
8The Punisher’s Entire Life Was Steered by the Hand
Punisher#2 by Jason Aaron, Paul Azaceta, Jesús Saíz, Dave Stewart, and Cory Petit
The Punisher ’s entanglement with the Hand dates back further than his leadership role - and even further than he even realized ab initio . The Hand had been see Franksince he was a modest male child , and his training to join them had begun at that stage in his life , even if he did n’t realize it at the time . Revealingthe Punisher ’s true originsnot only change how his course was carve for him , but defines the gentleman he is today .
It ’s easy to look back at Frank ’s initial root story and say that the Punisher was bear when he watched his kinsperson killed in front of his eye .
It ’s easy to look back at Frank ’s initial lineage narrative and say that the Punisher was born when he watch his kinsfolk killed in front of his eyes . However , the Punisher may have been born with or without tragedy thanks tothe vague guidance of the Hand . Much of Frank ’s violent bar stems from being born to be the Fist of the Beast , fit in to the Hand .
The Punisher stars Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher, who first appeared on Netflix’sDaredevil. Frank is a United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper veteran who is highly skilled in martial arts, stealth tactics, guerrilla warfare, and knows how to use a variety of weapons. The death of his wife and two children led him to take matters into his own hands, and he has been killing criminals indiscriminately ever since. Despite being beloved by fans,The Punisherwas canceled in early 2019. Thankfully for fans of Bernthal’s character, it was announced in 2023 that he would be joining the MCU by appearing inDaredevil: Born Again, starring Charlie Cox.
7The Punisher Has a Daughter
The Punisher#50 by Garth Ennis, Howard Chaykin, Edgar Delgado, and Cory Petit
The last timethe Punisher fought his R - rated curse , he result Barracuda in shark - infested waters with four severed fingers and an eye jab out . Bloodthirsty for retaliation , he wants to injure Frank Castle more emotionally than physically . He embarks on the former by digging into Frank ’s past , unearthing a secret daughter , Sarah O’Brien .
Frank had slept with Kathryn O’Brien after she lay aside his lifespan inThe Punisher#23 . She did n’t get to tell Frank that they had a kid together before her death in an earlier issue , instead letting the girl be raise by her auntie and uncle . After killing Barracuda and saving the girl ’s life , Frank rejoin Sarah to her guardian , convinced that she was safe away from him and unaware her father existed . Nonetheless , canonically , there is stilla little Castle child running aroundsomewhere in the Marvel Universe , who theoretically could resurface any minute .
6The Punisher Made a Deal with Death to Keep Fighting and Killing, Leading to the Death of His Family
Born#4 by Garth Ennis, Darick Robertson, Tom Palmer, Paul Mounts, and Rus Wooton
Frank Castle had a penchant for killing long before becoming the Punisher , especially after surviving three tours in the war machine . As is the problem with many former soldiers , it ’s severe to adjust to living a life of composure after being in an environment that was anything but . ThePunisher require fury to remain reasonable , as harebrained as that may sound . That part of Castle is exposed in ways he does n’t even remember whenPunisher : Bornreveals that he made a quite a little with expiry during his third tour to be gifted the forever warfare that he always want .
The Punisher ’s motivation has always been to retaliate his phratry , but when his Logos in the end came back to lifespan it was in one of the drear ways potential .
Upon returning , he is contacted by destruction , reminding Castle that their deal come with a Mary Leontyne Price : Frank ’s family , though Death promises he ’d never remember making the deal or talk with decease . Still , this twist reveals thatthe Punisher ’s punishing spree is Frank ’s fault . His mob ’s blood is on his hand .
5The Hood Resurrects the Punisher’s Family, Only for Frank to Burn Them
The Punisher#10 by Rick Remender, Tan Eng Huat, Lee Loughridge, and Joe Caramagna
Frank Castle ’s path as the Punisher isdefined largely by his family ’s destruction , to the item that many readers assume that getting his family line back would be the only agency to convince Frank to lay off being the Punisher . That hypothesis is challenged when the Hood - long before his comeback asthe new Ghost Rider- uses conjuring trick to make for Frank ’s sept back to life . Rather than accept the offer , Frank ordersFirebrand to torch his married woman and fry .
The Hood presumes that Frank does n’t trust his magic and that he does n’t want his mob used against him . However , a conversation with Henry Russo reveals thatFrank never wanted his family resurrected . There ’s a little logical implication that he never wants to get peace - not even with his category - because he wants to keep punishing , recontextualizinghis delegacy as the Punisherin the most haunting direction potential . Perhaps he never wants to stop his violent crusade .
4The Cosmic Ghost Rider Is a Future Frank Castle Who Is Driven Mad by Serving King Thanos
Thanos#13 by Donny Cates, Geoff Shaw, Antonio Fabela, and Clayton Cowles
earthly concern - TRN666 encapsulatesan substitute hereafter for the Punisher , one where , during the hero community ’s last base against Thanos , Francis Castle gets bonked upside the drumhead by a bit of debris that obliterate him . After being sent to Hell , he makes a deal with Mephisto to become the Ghost Rider , just so that he can get a 2nd chance at payback against Thanos . alas for Castle , Thanos was already go and the planet extinguish when he returned to Earth to ordain retaliation . Mephisto ignored Castle after scamming him , driving him mad .
The latest issue of Cosmic Ghost Rider shows how a controversial style from the Marvel Cinematic Universe is slowly alleviate into the comic .
Frank ’s desire for retribution becomes so great , he induce a deal with Galactus to become his trumpeter in Leslie Townes Hope of reaching Thanos . Not only does this produce an evolution of Castle as a hero , but it gives him a new life andnew opportunities for storytellingoutside just being the Punisher .
3History of the Marvel UniverseRetcons the Punisher as a Vet of a Fictional War
History of the Marvel Universe#2 by Mark Waid, Javier Rodríguez, Álvaro López, and Joe Caramagna
Since his debut , the Punisher was established as having suffer the Vietnam War , but in 2019’sHistory of the Marvel Universe , Marvel re - establisesthe Punisher as a Siancong veteran . The Siancong War is a fictional warfare that is exclusive to the Marvel Universe , now eternally retconned into theorigins of both Frank and Iron Man .
Rather than have Castle walk around as a seventy - something vigilance man , create a fictional warfare collapse the Punisher more of a timeless feel .
It makes good sense as to why Marvel would make such a drastic alteration to the character , knowing thatplacing him in Vietnam dates the Punisherin modern times . Punisher : The Tyger#1 first confirms that Frank Castle was born in 1950 , think of he would have service in Vietnam in his twenties . It ’s hard to keep him as a superhero in his thirties in forward-looking comics when the United States ' involvement in Vietnam ended fifty years ago . Rather than have Castle walk around as a seventy - something vigilante , creating a fictional war gives the Punisher more of a timeless flavor .
2Microchip Debuts as Punisher’s Iconic Helper, Revealed to Have Been Helping Off-Panel for Years
The Punisher#4 by Mike Baron, Klaus Janson, and Ken Bruzenak
The Punisher#4 was a pivotal issuein the type ’s history as it marked the introduction of his long - lasting sidekick , chip . The issue establishes that former Ford weapons and systems interior designer Lowell Bartholomew Ori ( later reveal as an assumed name for David Linus Lieberman ) had become an infamous hacker as the aurora of the cyberspace . In retirement , Castle had become his only client , buying battle vans from him for a decade .
Afterward , his inception narrative is elaborate upon inThe Punisher : The Origin of Microchip , divulge that Professor Halliday had blackmailed Microchip into mulct the coin bank out of $ 100,000 . Halliday is then remove , along with his wife and two children . silicon chip just evades death himself . pressure to go on the rill without his married woman and child , Microchip try out the Punisher , under the imprint that they have a common enemy , markingthe kickoff of a beautiful friendly relationship .
1The Punisher Finally Dies
PunisherMAX#22 by Jason Aaron, Steve Dillon, Matt Hollingsworth, and Cory Petit
The death of Frank Castle was further as aPunisher story that rooter would never expect to see , and clearly so . The Punisher has endured the regretful punishment and conflict damage conceivable , even before becoming a superhero bravo , considering that he abide three tours in Marvel ’s version of Vietnam . That third tourmade the Punisher who he is today , but his encounter with Bullseye provided his final fate .
The Punisher actually dies inPunisherMAX#21 , while # 22 is give completely to Nick Fury view Frank Castle ’s physical structure in the morgue , survey the offence scene , then assign him to catch one’s breath for a funeral . The twenty-second issue is entail to establish that his death is no trick ; there ’s no last - hour revival or crook in which he survived . PunisherMAX#22 throw it exculpated that Frank Castle is deadened , and , for the remainder of the serial publication at least , he ’ll stay dead .
InPunisherMAX#17 , the Punisher start his last onslaught against Kingpin . He has had small to no rest , but survive plenty of stabbings and hummer . Once he finally kills Wilson Fisk , Castle is convinced that he just ask to walk home and rest his untreated wounds . The Punisher collapse before get there . He support unparalleled price across several issues , but Frank uses his last breath to trek down a warpath . As Fury suppose upon see his body in the dead room , it ’s the only direction that thePunisher’sstory could have ended .
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Cast
The Punisher stars Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle / The Punisher , who first appear on Netflix’sDaredevil . Frank is a United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper veteran who is highly skilled in martial arts , stealth tactics , insurgent warfare , and knows how to use a variety of weapon system . The death of his wife and two children led him to take matters into his own custody , and he has been killing malefactor indiscriminately ever since . Despite being beloved by fan , The Punisherwas canceled in early 2019 . Thankfully for fans of Bernthal ’s character , it was announced in 2023 that he would be conjoin the MCU by appearing inDaredevil : Born Again , asterisk Charlie Cox .
