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Punisher, The
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Creation & Design

The Punisher was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. He was designed as an anti-hero who uses lethal force against criminals, contrasting with the more traditional heroes of the Marvel Universe.

Early Years

Frank Castle was a Marine who became a vigilante after his family was murdered by the mob for witnessing a killing in New York City. He adopted the persona of The Punisher and began a one-man war on crime.

Character Development

Over the years, The Punisher has evolved from a simple anti-hero into a complex character who grapples with the consequences of his violent actions. His stories often explore themes of justice, morality, and the impact of trauma.

Cultural Reception

The Punisher has received mixed to positive reviews, with some praising his anti-hero status and others criticizing the glorification of violence. The character has become a symbol of vigilante justice.

Character Details

Real Name:
Frank Castle
First Appearance:
Comic Reader #100
Aliases:
The Punisher, Frank Castle
Species:
Human
Gender:
Male
Affiliations:
S.H.I.E.L.D., The Avengers, The Hand
Abilities:
Expert marksman, Hand-to-hand combat, Tactical genius
Equipment:
Firearms, Explosives, Body armor
Weight:
210lbs
Height:
6' 10"
Eye Color:
blue
Hair Color:
black
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Comic Reader #100
Street Enterprises ⋅ 1973
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Comic Reader #100
 
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$100

Key Facts

First printed image of The Punisher in a solicitation for The Amazing Spider-Man #129

Amazing Spider-Man #129
Marvel ⋅ 1974
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Amazing Spider-Man #129
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of the Punisher

1st appearance of the Jackal

[March 2023 - Jon Bernthal confirmed to reprise the role of Punisher for Daredevil: Born Again / May 2023 - a rumor suggests there may be a Punisher series in the works for Disney+]

Amazing Spider-Man #134
Marvel ⋅ 1974
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Amazing Spider-Man #134
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Tarantula

2nd appearance of the Punisher

⚠ Misconception: many sources cite The Amazing Spider-Man #135 as the second appearance of the Punisher and categorize this appearance as a cameo

Amazing Spider-Man #135
Marvel ⋅ 1974
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Amazing Spider-Man #135
 
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Key Facts

3rd appearance of the Punisher

Sources often refer to this issue as the second full appearance of the Punisher despite the character fully appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man #134

Giant-Size Spider-Man #4
Marvel ⋅ 1975
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Giant-Size Spider-Man #4
 
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4th appearance of the Punisher

Debut of the Punisher's Battle-Van

1st appearance of Moses Magnum, controls seismic activity

Marvel Preview #2
Curtis ⋅ 1975
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Marvel Preview #2
 
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Key Facts

Origin of the Punisher

1st appearance of Maria Castle, the wife of Frank Castle

1st appearance of Dominic Fortune, a hero for hire

Amazing Spider-Man #162
Marvel ⋅ 1976
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Amazing Spider-Man #162
 
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1st appearance of Jigsaw, an assassin whose face was mutilated by the Punisher

Amazing Spider-Man #175
Marvel ⋅ 1977
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Amazing Spider-Man #175
 
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Partial origin of the Punisher

Origin and death of Hitman

Marvel Tales #106
Marvel ⋅ 1979
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Marvel Tales #106
 
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Key Facts

First reprint of The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (1974), the Punisher's first appearance

Captain America #241
Marvel ⋅ 1980
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Captain America #241
 
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Key Facts

First battle of the Punisher vs Captain America

Daredevil #183
Marvel ⋅ 1982
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Daredevil #183
 
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Key Facts

First battle of Daredevil versus the Punisher

Daredevil #184
Marvel ⋅ 1982
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Daredevil #184
 
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First team-up of the Punisher and Daredevil

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #82
Marvel ⋅ 1983
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Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #82
 
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First battle of the Punisher versus Kingpin

Punisher Limited Series #1
Marvel ⋅ 1986
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Punisher Limited Series #1
 
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Key Facts

First solo series featuring the Punisher

Punisher #1
Marvel ⋅ 1987
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Punisher #1
 
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First ongoing solo Punisher series

Punisher #4
Marvel ⋅ 1987
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Punisher #4
 
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1st appearance of Microchip, a technology and weapons expert that aided Punisher

Punisher War Journal #1
Marvel ⋅ 1988
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Punisher War Journal #1
 
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Key Facts

Origin of the Punisher

Punisher Annual #2
Marvel ⋅ 1989
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Punisher Annual #2
 
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Key Facts

First battle of Punisher versus Moon Knight

Punisher War Journal #6
Marvel ⋅ 1989
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Punisher War Journal #6
 
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First battle of Punisher vs Wolverine

Punisher War Journal #7
Marvel ⋅ 1989
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Punisher War Journal #7
 
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First team-up of Punisher and Wolverine

Punisher Armory, The #1
Marvel ⋅ 1990
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Punisher Armory, The #1
 
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Key Facts

32-page inventory of the Punisher's weapons of vigilante warfare

Each entry is accompanied with the Punisher's reasoning for utilizing different types of weapons, explosives and defensive gear

The popularity of this concept resulted in 10 issues in this series from 1990 - 1994

Nam, The #52
Marvel ⋅ 1991
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Nam, The #52
 
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Origin of the Punisher skull, part one of a two-part story that explores the original meaning of the Punisher's skull emblem

Nam, The #53
Marvel ⋅ 1991
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Nam, The #53
 
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Origin of the Punisher skull, a two part story that begins in issue #52

Frank Castle adopts the skull to intimidate a rival sniper in Vietnam

What If...? #44
Marvel ⋅ 1992
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What If...? #44
 
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Key Facts

Alternate reality story where the Venom symbiote bonds with the Punisher

Amazing Spider-Man #330
JC Penney ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 1993
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Amazing Spider-Man #330
 
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Key Facts

JC Penney second print variant available from Christmas catalogs issued in the early 90s

Identified by the 30th Anniversary swinging Spider-Man in the UPC box

Punisher Ashcan #1
Marvel ⋅ 1994
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Punisher Ashcan #1
 
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16-page black and white ashcan

Brief recap of the history of The Punisher from his introduction thru 1994

Batman / Punisher #1
DC/Marvel ⋅ 1994
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Batman / Punisher #1
 
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One-shot 'Batman/Punisher: Lake of Fire'

First crossover of Batman, Jean-Paul Valley and the Punisher

Archie Meets the Punisher #1
Archie ⋅ 1994
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Archie Meets the Punisher #1
 
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Key Facts

Crossover of Archie and the Punisher

Marvel published the same story with alternate cover art titled The Punisher Meets Archie

Batman / Punisher
DC/Marvel ⋅ 1994
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Batman / Punisher
 
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One-shot 'Punisher/Batman: Deadly Knights'

Second crossover of Batman and the Punisher - the Punisher chases Jigsaw to Gotham where he clashes with Batman and the Joker

Punisher: Year One, The #1
Marvel ⋅ 1994
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Punisher: Year One, The #1
 
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Four-issue limited series that delves into the Punisher's early days after the death of his family

Punisher #100
Marvel ⋅ 1995
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Punisher #100
 
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Key Facts

Cover art by Michael Golden

Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe #1
Marvel ⋅ 1995
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Punisher Kills The Marvel Universe #1
 
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Key Facts

One-shot, alternate reality issue featuring the Punisher seeking revenge for his family who were innocent bystanders that were killed during a superhero slugfest

First printing can be identified by the 'Marvel Alterniverse' logo in the upper-left corner

First written work on The Punisher by Garth Ennis

Deadpool #54
Marvel ⋅ 2001
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Deadpool #54
 
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Key Facts

First meeting and battle of Punisher vs Deadpool

Deadpool #55
Marvel ⋅ 2001
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Deadpool #55
 
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Key Facts

Battle of the Punisher vs Deadpool

Punisher: Born #1
Marvel ⋅ 2003
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Punisher: Born #1
 
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Key Facts

Origin of Punisher, a four-issue series that explores Frank Castle's third tour in Vietnam

[March 2022 - Bleeding Cool reports Garth Ennis will return to this era of Frank Castle in a limited series later in the year]

Punisher #31
Marvel ⋅ 2006
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Punisher #31
 
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Key Facts

1st appearance of Barracuda, an enemy of the Punisher who is unmatched in his level of brutality

Civil War #5
1:10 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2006
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Civil War #5
 
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Key Facts

Variant cover art by Michael Turner

Retailer incentive cover featuring the Iron Spider-Man costume

Eminem / The Punisher: Kill You #1
Marvel ⋅ 2009
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Eminem / The Punisher: Kill You #1
 
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$425

Key Facts

8-page promotional comic included in a June 2009 'Special Collector's Edition' of XXL Magazine with Eminem on the cover as The Punisher to promote his fifth album, 'Relapse'

Two-issue limited series - the second half available as a free digital download from Marvel Unlimited

There are two versions of this magazine, one with the pages of the comic story bound-in to the book and another with the story as a self-contained comic book, not connected to the magazine

Hulk #15
1:15 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2009
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Hulk #15
 
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Key Facts

Variant cover art by Ed McGuinness

Dark Reign: The List - Punisher #1
Non-Key
1:100 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2009
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Dark Reign: The List - Punisher #1
 
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Variant cover art by Frank Cho

Marvel Universe vs. The Punisher #1
2nd Print ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2010
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Marvel Universe vs. The Punisher #1
 
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Variant second printing cover art by Goran Parlov

5 Ronin #3
Marvel ⋅ 2011
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5 Ronin #3
 
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Key Facts

Five-issue limited series set in 17th century Japan featuring one Marvel character per issue: Punisher

Punisher #1
1:25 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2011
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Punisher #1
 
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Key Facts

Variant cover art by Neal Adams

Punisher #5
1:50 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2012
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Punisher #5
 
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Key Facts

Variant cover art by Mike Perkins

Cover art inspired by New Mutants #87 (1990)

Thunderbolts #2
1:50 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2013
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Thunderbolts #2
 
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Variant cover art by Billy Tan

Connects with covers to issues #1-#5, the 1:50 variants

Punisher #1
1:50 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2014
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Punisher #1
 
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Variant cover art by Salvador Larroca

Punisher #2
1:50 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2014
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Punisher #2
 
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$325

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Jerome Opeña

Punisher #3
Non-Key
1:50 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2014
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Punisher #3
 
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$45

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Alex Maleev

Original Sin #4
1:50 ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2014
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Original Sin #4
 
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$50

Key Facts

Variant cover art by Gabriele Dell'otto

Punisher #11
Variant ⋅ Marvel ⋅ 2014
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Punisher #11
 
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Key Facts

Variant cover art by Mike Choi, limited to 3,000 copies

Cover art features Tim Duncan formerly of the San Antonio Spurs basketball team, handing the keys of his real life Punisher-themed car over to the Punisher

Duncan's BlackJack Speed Shop customized a 2013 Dodge Challenger with grill guards, a crash bumper, rocker panels, a matte wrap with the Punisher emblem and an autographed dashboard with Stan Lee, Tim Duncan and Mike Choi signatures

In 2015, the car was the prize in a raffle that raised $60,000 for a children's charity

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