Punisher

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Overview

Synopsis

Do-gooder

Full Name

Francis Castle, Sr. (born and legally changed from Francis Edward Castiglione)

Alias(es)

The Punisher
Frank Castle
Frank Rook
Frank Tower
Frank Hut
Charles Fort
Johnny Tower
Frankie Villa
Francis Stronghold
Mr. Smith
John Smith
James Maxwell
Skull-Face Guy
Big Boy
Ted Bishop
Captain America
Frankencastle
John Conway
Big Nothing
Fred D'Amato
Murder Messiah
Scourge of the Underworld

Origin

The Amazing Spider-Man #129

Occupation

Vigilante
Formerly:
United States Marine Corps Officer
Ryker's Island Inmate
Dannemora State Prison Inmate
Secret Defenders Member
Secret Avengers Member
Heroes for Hire Member
Marvel Knights Member
Legion of Monsters Member
Thunderbolts Member
Hydra Agent
Code Red Member
Leader of the Hand
Savage Avengers Member

Powers / Skills

High intelligence
Indomitable will
Extensive military and special forces training
Expertise in guerrilla tactics
Master strategist
CQC mastery
Stealth and infiltration mastery
Interrogation expertise
Master martial artist
Weapons mastery
Explosive expertise
Vast resources
Escape artist
Expert driver
Expert pilot
Master assassin
Peak-Human Condition:

Peak-Human durability
Peak-Human strength
Peak-Human stamina
Peak-Human endurance
Peak-Human reflexes
Peak-Human speed

Exceptionally high pain tolerance
Priesthood training
Bilingualism
Angelic Powers: (formerly)

Biological immortality
Accelerated healing

Gift of the Fist: (formerly)

Flight
Teleportation
Eyes of the Beast
Fire of the Beast
Marrow of the Beast
Healing Blood of the Beast

Hobby

None.

Goals

Rid the world of criminals (ongoing).

Family

Mario Castiglione (father; deceased)
Louisa Castiglione (mother; deceased)
Michael Castiglione (brother; stillborn)
Unnamed sister
Unnamed brother-in-law
Unnamed nephew and niece
Fred Castiglione (uncle; deceased)
Rocco Castiglione (uncle; deceased)
Esmerelda Castiglione (aunt; deceased)
Lou (uncle)
Maria Castle (ex-wife)
Lisa Castle (daughter; deceased)
Frank Castle, Jr. (son; deceased)
Max (pet guard dog and Rottweiler)
Loot (pet coyote)
Unborn child

Enemies

Jigsaw (sworn arch-nemesis)
Kingpin (archenemy)
Bullseye (Second archenemy)
Burt Kenyon
The Russian
Ma Gnucci
HYDRA
Bushwacker
Hitman
Hammerhead
Shocker
Jackal
Mister Negative
Flag-Smasher
The Trust
Gnucci Crime Family
Stone Cold
Lady Gorgon
Norman Osborn
H.A.M.M.E.R.
Sentry
The Hood
Daken
Hellsgaard
The Exchange
James Natale
The Leader
Hydra Supreme
Armand Petrov
Baron Zemo
Mandarin
Taskmaster
Kraven the Hunter
Thanos
Jack O' Lantern
Anti-Venom
Microchip (currently)
Spider-Man (sometimes)
Daredevil (sometimes)
Wolverine (sometimes)
Hulk (sometimes)
Blade (sometimes)
Black Widow (formerly)
Iron Man (formerly)
War Machine (formerly)
The Unwanted
Ryker's Island Inmates
Criminals

Type of Hero

Tragic Vigilante

“	They laugh at the law. The rich ones who buy it and twist it to their whims. The other ones, who have nothing to lose, who don't care about themselves, or other people. All the ones who think they're above the law, or outside it, or beyond it. They know all the law is good for is to keep good people in line. And they all laugh. They laugh at the law. But they don't laugh at me.	„
	~ The Punisher's speech during Return To Big Nothing.

Francis "Frank" Castle, Sr. (born Francis Castiglione), better known as the Punisher, is one of the main protagonists of the Marvel Universe, specifically serving as the titular main protagonist of the franchise of the same name. He is a violent vigilante who varies from being a dark anti-hero to being an outright protagonist villain depending on the writer and/or story.

Driven by the death of his family, the Punisher hunts down criminals and kills them in brutal ways, and he is also known to settle for intimidation or torture. Due to his extreme methods, he has been at odds with numerous superheroes, such as the pacifistic vigilantes Daredevil and Spider-Man. He briefly became the second War Machine following the death of James Rhodes, but relinquished the armor back to it's original owner following Rhode's resurrection.

He was created by Gerry Conway, the late Frank Giacoia, the late Dave Hunt and the late Ross Andru, and first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 in February of 1974.

Skills and Abilities[]

“	I thought I could be like you. Be precise and cold and dead and pure like you. But no one can be like you.	„
	~ Rachel Cole-Aves to the Punisher.

Frank Castle is a military veteran with years of experience and training to handle himself against any threat, and is skilled in weapons, stealth tactics, espionage, and many other tactics. Though he has no superhuman powers, Nick Fury's intel classified him as a being power level 6 or greater due to his said abilities, and use of lethal force.

Former Powers[]

Angelic Powers: After being resurrected by a Grigori named Gadriel, he was imbued with divine essence giving him biological immortality, accelerated healing, supernatural sense, and dream-based precognition. In addition, Castle was also given access to a "hammerspace" portal to Heaven, giving him the ability to produce special firearms that were capable of killing both mundane and paranormal threats. These powers were removed when Frank wouldn't work for Haven and the Angels.
Franken-Castle Powers: After his death by Daken, Castle was resurrected by Morbius to aid him and the Legion of Monsters. He had superhuman strength to an unknown degree, and he was rendered immune to Lady Gorgon's telepathic mind control, and Daken's pheromones.
Bloodstone Fragment: At one point, Castle once had this fragment that enhanced in unknown ways, giving him some degree of a healing factor which allowed him to recover from serious injuries.

Abilities[]

Indomitable Will: Frank has complete control of his mind and consciousness, providing a strong resistance against telepathic powers that are used against him.
Military and Extensive Special Operations Training: As part of his training, Castle completed Marine Force Reconnaissance pipeline, U.S. Navy SEAL (SEA Air Land) training, EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) training, graduated the Army's Ranger School, complete the U.S. Army Airborne School, graduated the U.S. Army Special Forces Qualification Course, and LRRP (Long Range Recon Patrol) training. He also took part in cross-training with the British Special Air Service Regiment, and also is a qualified HALO/HAHO jumper.
Master Tactician and Strategist: Frank shows himself to master tactician, allowing him to single-handedly incapacitate up to a dozen well-armed and experienced opponents in a single encounter and escaped uninjured. This is achieved to his attention to detail, and getting to know the environment around him.
Maximum Human Conditioning: Castle is at the peak physical condition of a human being, going through rigorous training and exercise regimes. As a result, he developed strength, speed, endurance, stamina, healing, metabolism, immune system, longevity, reflexes, and agility near the limits of a super-soldier's capabilities. Black Widow, a Russian super-soldier and hero of the Avengers, has stated that Castle is stronger than her.
Master Martial Artist: Castle was trained in multiple forms of armed and unarmed combat, becoming highly adept in Nash Ryu Jujutsu, Hwa Rang Do, Chin Na, Ninjutsu, and Shorin-ryu Karate. His mastery of hand-to-hand combat allows him to fight mundane heroes, but strain against enhanced, superhuman, or paranormal enemies.
Weapon Profiency: Being trained to fight in modern warfare, the Punisher is a recipient of multi-disciplinary military knowledge from the U.S. Armed Forces. Thanks to this and continued training, the Punisher is a master of many weapons and firearms, favoring long-ranged weapons and knives. His training has allowed him to be master marksman, and favors using melee weapons, mainly knives and daggers.
Expert Pilot: Castle received helicopter training with the U.S. Army and U.S. Naval Special Warfare Command, allowing to fly helicopters and airplanes when the situation calls for it.
Master Interrogator: Castle is a master interrogator, and get information from people with little effort, due to his brutal methods and intimidating demeanor. He shows himself to be creative with his torture techniques, such as using water boarding, electrocution, suffocation, sleep deprivation, and starvation to name a few.

Portrayals[]

Live-Action[]

In the titular 1989 film, he was portrayed by Dolph Lundgren, who also played He-Man in Masters of the Universe, Gunnar Jensen in The Expendables films, Claude Luc Hallyday in Showdown at the Grand and Travis Johansen in Wanted Man.
In the titular 2004 film, he was portrayed by Thomas Jane, who also played David Drayton in The Mist.
- Jane would voice the character in the 2005 video game, and portray him again in the fan film The Punisher: Dirty Laundry.
In Punisher: War Zone, he was portrayed by the late Ray Stevenson, who also played Volstagg in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Porthos in the 2011 The Three Musketeers film.
- Stevenson also voiced the character in The Super Hero Squad Show.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe', he is portrayed by Jon Bernthal, who also played Shane Walsh in The Walking Dead and Grady "Coon-Ass" Travis in Fury
In the fanmade YouTube series The Punisher: Uprising, he was portrayed by Brandon Forgione.

Animation[]

In the Spider-Man animated series, he was voiced by John Beck.
In Iron Man: Rise of Technovore, he was voiced by Norman Reedus, who also plays Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead and Sam Porter Bridges in the Death Stranding series.
In Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher, he was voiced by Brian Bloom, who also voiced William "B.J." Blazkowicz in the MG Wolfenstein series, Alex Shepherd in Silent Hill: Homecoming, Adam "Kane" Marcus in the Kane & Lynch series, Matt Horner in the StarCraft series, Jackie Estacado in The Darkness II and Nick Reyes in Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.

Video Games[]

In the 2000 Spider-Man video game, he was voiced by Daran Norris, who also voiced Cosmo in The Fairly OddParents, Jack Smith in American Dad, Knock Out in the Transformers series, and played Gordy in Ned's Declassified School Survivor's Guide.
In Marvel Super Hero Squad Online, he was voiced by Crispin Freeman, who also voiced Alucard in the Hellsing series, Itachi Uchiha in the Naruto series, and many others.
In Marvel Heroes, he was voiced by Marc Worden.
In Lego Marvel Super Heroes, he was voiced by Robin Atkin Downes, who also voiced Minh Young Kim in the Gears of War series, Tenzin in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Kazuhira Miller in the Metal Gear Solid series, Nikolai in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, and Michael Becket in F.E.A.R. 3.
In Marvel Avengers Academy, he was voiced by James Arnold Taylor, who also voiced Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars: Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels series, Ratchet in Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, and Leonardo in the TMNT film.

Quotes[]

“	I was the Punisher. Long as there's a crime preying on innocents in the swill of corruption, I will be.	„
	~ The Punisher.

“	Well, Spider-Man... it seems we meet again... and this time, I'm in control. This time, you have to face... THE PUNISHER!	„
	~ The Punisher to Spider-Man.

“	Sometimes, there is a happy ending, John Blaze. You remember that every time you look at those kids... and you remember that there are some people out there who won't ever have a happy ending.	„
	~ The Punisher to Ghost Rider.

“	I don't want to be friends. I just know my limitations. And the fires of Hell will burn this city to the ground if you don't follow me. That enough to get you out of bed, Doc?	„
	~ The Punisher to Doctor Strange.

“	I'm not afraid of death, Electro. That's a weakness of men. I'm the Punisher.	„
	~ The Punisher to Electro.

“	Remember my face! It's the last thing you're ever going to see ... and I want you to carry the memory of it straight to HELL!	„
	~ The Punisher.

“	Maria watches from someplace... ...I see her... ...she's waiting for me. Her arms open... I see Maria waiting... it's a good lie.	„
	~ The Punisher on Maria.

“	We're nothing alike, me and the enemey. Yes, we both deal in death. But they sell theirs. I give it away.	„
	~ The Punisher.

“	I was the Punisher. Long as there's a crime preying on innocents in the swill of corruption, I will be.	„
	~ The Punisher.

“	These men believe they are agents of death. The terrorists think that they bring war. But they don't know how long I've spent in the company of death and war. They don't know... death and war are my allies.	„
	~ The Punsiher on the Black Dawn Fighters.

“	This feels more and more like fighting a war in someone else's name, fighting a war for politics... victory doesn't feel like victory. When war becomes politics you fight for your brother instead. We are soldiers, not politicians. Not even civilians. But my brothers are gone... so who do I fight for?	„
	~ The Punisher.

“	Some people wonder how I sleep at night. I tell them I just close my eyes.	„
	~ The Punisher of Earth-1610.

“	And I figured it out. I know why man sins. Do you know why man sins? Because he wants to.	„
	~ The Punisher of Earth-1610.

“	I don't do redemption.	„
	~ The Punisher from Valley Forge, Valley Forge.

“	I caught a glimpse of Heaven once. The angels showed me. The idea was I'd kill for them. Clean up their mistakes on Earth. Eventually redeem myself. Tried it. Didn't like it. Told them where to stick it. So they brought me up to Heaven, to see what I'd be missing. A wife. A son. A daughter. All finally at peace. I hadn't seen them since they bled out in my arms. Then I was cast down. Back to a world of killers. Rapists. Psychos. Perverts. A brand new evil every minute, spewed out as fast as men can think them up. A world where pitching a criminal dwarf off a skyscraper to tell his fellow scum you're back is a sane and rational act. The angels thought it would be Hell for me. But they were wrong. Welcome back, Frank. Says New York City.	„
	~ Punisher.

Gallery[]

Images[]

Comics[]

Other Media[]

Thomas Jane as the Punisher in the 2004 film The Punisher

Jon Bernthal as the Punisher in the Daredevil Netflix series

Trivia[]

Ranked 27^th in IGN's "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes".
Ranked 39^th in Wizard Magazine's "Top 200 Comic Book Characters".
Ranked 19^th "Greatest Comic Book Character of All Time" by Magazine Empire.
The character is based on Don Pendleton's The Executioner character/vigilante Mack Bolan.
According to editor Don Daley, he's stated that the Punisher's version of justice is based on the Code of Hammurabi: "An eye for an Eye".

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