| The Punisher | |
|---|---|
| |
| Information | |
| Real name: | Frank Castle |
| Species: | Human |
| Hair: | Black |
| Relatives: | Maria Castle (wife, deceased) Lisa Castle (daughter, deceased) Frank, Jr. (son, deceased) |
| Affiliations: | New York Police Department (formerly) United States Marine Corps (discharged) |
| Abilities: | Tactical expert; Highly trained in armed and unarmed combat; |
| Weaponry: | Various firearms, explosives |
- "In his own way, the Punisher is just as psychotic. His mind is completely focused on accomplishing his goal, by any means necessary. He is unable to appreciate the difference between right and wrong; by his logic, the murder of criminals is completely justifiable…and collateral damage is perfectly acceptable."
- ―Batman[src]
The Punisher, real name Frank Castle, is a vigilante who employs murder, kidnapping, extortion, coercion, threats of violence, and torture in his war on crime.
History[]
Frank Castle was a Gulf War veteran who had served as a United States Marine in black ops operations. It is suspected that Castle had Post-Traumatic Syndrome during his service, but Castle had refused further psychiatric evaluation. Following his discharged, Castle joined the New York Police Department in the Narcotics Division. While working a drug bust that turned bad, Castle's team killed the son of one of the larger dealers. In retaliation, Castle's wife and children were killed. The murder of his family drove Castle to waged a country-wide, one-man war on crime; in which he became the Punisher.
Punisher came into conflict with other heroes when he came to Gotham City in an attempt to kill the Joker, forcing Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Cyclops and Phoenix to stop him. In a confrontation between the Punisher and the Batman, Batman admitted that he has always thought about killing the Joker, but refuses to cross that line.
Batman speaks briefly with Punisher as he departs Gotham, warning the other vigilante that he will attempt to bring Castle in if he comes to Gotham again, acknowledging that Castle's intentions are good even if he vehemently disagrees with his methods.