When someone mentions comic books, pretty much everybody has the same basic ideas in their head. They think of super power, bright clothes and a good set of morals for the main guys, while the villains are over the top and cartoonishly evil. That is a a decent idea for the most part, without any of the subtlety that makes the best characters really rise to the top. These guys usually are super powered/aliens, save for a Batman or Hawkeye. So it would seem like a near impossibility for a character to come about that has no powers, is very drab, with down to earth villains and who not only has no problem with mass murder, but actively takes part in it weekly. Right?
Around 1974, Gerry Conway was writing The Amazing Spider-Man. He had a habit of making sketches of potential characters to work on. And it was this way that he drew a man with a skull on his chest. Handing it off to John Romita Sr., we ended up with the very famous costume of a black outfit with a giant skull emblazoned on it. Then with Conway writing and Ross Andru drawing, issue #129 of The Amazing Spider-Man saw the debut of comics most famous mass murdering anti hero, The Punisher.
Initially appearing as a foil to Spider-Man, The Punisher was a big hit with fans and ended up appearing in many titles as a supporting player throughout 70s and early 80s, even appearing in Frank Millers groundbreaking run on Daredevil. Then around the mid 1980s, it was proposed that the man would get his own series. And in 1986, the world got it’s first taste with a miniseries. Then in 1987, we were introduced to The Punisher, initially headed by writer Mike Baron and artist Klaus Janson. This lead to other series for the killer, from The Punisher: War Journal and The Punisher: War Zone. A big hit throughout the late 80s and early 90s, he suffered a big decline like many other titles. His titles were cancelled and he disappeared as a main man for a while. But like any good harbinger of death, he was hard to keep down.
Frank Castle was gone for a while, but it took a hot writer to see the potential in him and bring him back, both barrels blasting. Garth Ennis, of Preacher and Hellblazer, came in and completely made The Punisher hotter than ever. With a stripping down of who the character is and a focus on sharp writing and black humor, Ennis went on a monumental run with Castle. Not just in one title. No, he had two titles with The Punisher, most famously being The Punisher Max run.
A completely stripped down version of the man and set in a different continuity, The Punisher Max focusing on realism and grittiness, Ennis once again revamped the man. Taking him out of the black tights and the go go boots, putting him into combat pants and a t shirt with a leather jacket, this is now the go to version of the man. So much so that he has now taken on this look in the regular Marvel universe.
How has Frank Castle lasted so long, despite being a cold blooded mad man with a penchant for the brutal murder of any criminal he sees, leaving him almost no continuous villain? It’s because he stands out from the other Marvel titles, even DC. He is completely and utterly a dime store crime novel in comic form, with a big dose of PTSD. Castle saw his family get gunned down by gangsters accidentally during a shootout. This is a man who was a world class soldier and was helpless to protect his family. We get to watch a man who shares many attributes with other heroes, but has taken it to an absolutely final outcome. That in and of itself is another reason we love to see him around.
Readers love to see him interact with the likes of Daredevil and Captain America, men who essentially share the same goal. But whereas Cap and Daredevil try to let the justice system do their job, Castle is not interested in the broken justice system. He believes these men have made their bed and have to sleep in it. No more, no less. The best parts in Marvels last good event series, Civil War, involves Castle. Spider-Man is getting pummeled in the sewers and is saved by The Punisher. He couldn’t care less about the costumes Civil War, only saving Spidey because he saw the criminals and just acted. And he gets further involved because he idolizes Captain America, but is almost killed by Cap when he guns down some villains trying to join their side. And Castle won’t fight back because it’s Cap. If there is absolutely one reason people keep going back to Castle, it’s because he is completely set in his ways. The world is black and white, and we never have to worry about any existential problems with him. He is what he is.
Now, while The Punisher has endured as a popular character, he hasn’t seen much success on the big screen the way others have. First suffering indignity in a 80s action movie with Dolph Lundgren. Then he was pretty decently played by Thomas Jane in a 2004 movie that wasn’t successful enough to keep it going in a pre Avengers world. Then the character may have had a bullet put in his cinematic head when Ray Stevenson played the character in the abysmal The Punisher: War Zone in 2008. There are always rumor he might show up again, now that Marvel now has the movie rights back. But there’s the distinct possibility that Marvel just doesn’t wanna touch a character with such a failed history. Then again, we may be getting the Punisher movie we always wanted, without actually being the Punisher.
This month sees the release of the horror sequel, The Purge: Anarchy. Now while the first one set up an interesting premise for a sci fi esque movie, it squander it on a basic home invasion premise. But this movie seems to be what that first movie should have been, a bunch of people stuck in the city while all crime is legal for the day. Why bring this up? Because there is a character in this movie, as played by Frank Grillo, who is pretty much The Punisher. His son is killed by a drunk driver, so he is going to use the Purge to legally seek revenge. Now, that wouldn’t be too explicit if he wasn’t essentially wearing his damn revamped, leather jacket uniform without the white skull. Also, judging from the trailers, his morality forces him to help innocents from criminals. If Marvel was smart, they’d be looking right at this guy to play the character in their world. Either as a supporting guy in the movies or on the Netflix shows, or give him his own movie/show.
How could he fit in this world after so many failed attempts to connect? There’s a few ways. Introduce him the way he was in the comics, as the “villain” out to kill one of the heroes because he has bad info. Have him go after Banner for breaking Harlem or go after Ant-Man for being a thief. Then in that way, you can introduce him in a way that shows the comic roots, while comparing his brutal ways to the other characters ways. Another way to get him into this is by having him show up in the Daredevil show, or the other Netflix ground level shows. Especially Daredevil, as they are pretty much diametrically opposite of each other despite similar goals. He may be too human to go against the Avengers right off the bat, so bring him down to the level of Matt Murdock or Luke Cage. Show that even people on the street aren’t for his almost serial killer-esque antics. The best way though might be to just give him his own show, maybe the most easily adaptable to the TV model, with a crime of the week element that also has an overarching villain. Hell, that’s another way to interlock the worlds. Have Castle going after a crime boss the whole season, and that ends up being Wilson Fisk aka The Kingpin which then in fact ties him into Daredevil. That would be great too, as Castle sometimes can be too good at his job, so give him a villain that manages to survive his attacks despite a season of him killing everyone in sight.
Now, those were ideas for TV or supporting roles. But movies could theoretically support him. There are two ways about it that would be different than the others and ties them into the world at large. Both ideas would have to start with him already being The Punisher. Make him elemental, the shark in the water, death incarnate. He is mythical, even in a world with a Norse God. One idea would be to have a procedural of sorts, with him looking into missing kids which then in turn leads him to a Hyrda conspiracy. The second idea is pretty bold but pretty great. Make him the villain of the movie, but not like the comic introduction he had. Make it a slasher movie, with him as the killer in the shadows and the teens are actually mafioso. Make one of the Mafioso an undercover agent, either Hawkeye or Black Widow, or even someone else they want to bring out. See the devastation that Castle can unleash from a new perspective, seeing the damage that he is actually capable of. Have someone who is used to this violent world, and see the storm that is Frank. Make this character try to recruit Castle. It would make the ground level heroes more important to the world at large, that even Super Heroes look at a simple man with a wary eye, with fear in their minds. More so than Daredevil or Luke Cage or Iron Fist. Castle is truly street level, with only his wits and his psychotic dedication to keep him going.
Frank Castle will always be around. Even if sales slip, he will always be around the Marvel universe. He is too unique and interesting a presence to not use. He’s the wild card with a bullet in a world where a green rage monster exists. As long as great writers keep writing him, he will always be around. The talent he has seen is only reserved for those worthy. Talent such as Jim Lee, Garth Ennis, Tim Bradstreet, Jason Aaron, John Romita Sr. and Jr., and current writer and up and coming talent Nathan Edmonson amongst many others. The Punisher is an anomaly who manages to be the easiest character to write in Marvel, yet also the hardest. The proper balance needs to be struck or you end up with alot of his 90s run. He can be too dark, or too comedic. But with the right balance, he is a fantastic character with a great potential. Castle needs to be brought back to life by Marvel Studios, to truly lend some dynamism to the world. They have technology, super science, aliens, and upcoming mysticism. But to truly get every angle, they need a man on the fringes. A man who isn’t really a man, who is more an idea. That the justice system is broken and someone needs to fight the good fight. That man is Frank Castle. And chances are, if you see him coming, he’s the last sight you will ever see.
- Tom Lorenzo
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