The Punisher is one of the most popular anti-heroes of all time. His militant abilities allow him to kill the worst of humanity and get away with it.
Since his creation in the 1970s, his legend has grown exponentially. He is now more popular than ever, and he will be featured in the upcoming TV show, Daredevil: Born Again. Today, multiple characters throughout the Marvel universe have been called “The Punisher”.
Frank Castle – The Punisher
Frank Castle is the first character to operate as “The Punisher”. Frank Castle is usually depicted as a war veteran who loses his family to a senseless act of violence. Their death motivates Frank Castle to begin a one-man war on crime, a war where he takes the lives of all enemies. He becomes a nearly unstoppable killing machine, driven by hate, who shows no mercy.
Joe Garrison – The Punisher
Joe Garrison is the new Punisher in the Marvel comics universe. Garrison was a high-level assassin working for SHIELD before his family was killed. Seeking revenge for their murder, Garrison goes rogue and begins punishing those involved. His costume and methods remind people of Castle, and so they begin referring to him as The Punisher.
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While Joe believed that his family was killed due to his work at SHIELD, The Punisher (2023) Issue #2 revealed that it was his wife’s business connections that led to their death. Garrison has not been the Punisher for long, and his storylines do carry some promise. But so far, Joe Garrison’s turn as The Punisher feels derivative and by the numbers. Hopefully, Joe can step out of Castle’s shadow soon.
Rachel Cole-Alves – The Punisher
Rachel Cole-Alves was a newlywed marine whose family was brutally murdered on her wedding day. “The Exchange” slaughtered her husband, family, and friends, then tried to kill her. She survived the ordeal and began targeting members of the criminal organization. Frank Castle was also hunting The Exchange. Upon realizing their common goals, they began working together.
Rachel’s origin story as The Punisher is effectively the same as Frank Castle. But it is her relationship with the original (something that Joe Garrison lacks) that makes her interesting and deserving of the mantle. Rachel Cole-Alves is one of the only people who can truly understand Frank Castle, why he does what he does, and who he truly is. They are cut from the same cloth, and that likeness allows them to stop evil dead in its tracks.
Carlos Cruz – The Punisher
Carlos Cruz became a new version of The Punisher in the final issues of the 1987 run on The Punisher. Cruz was a former Navy seal recruited by Frank Castle’s longtime ally, Micro. Micro imprisoned Frank Castle due to his increasingly unstable mental condition, but he couldn’t leave the streets without a Punisher. So he put together a new costume, complete with a ballistic helmet/mask, for Carlos and unleashed him on the guilty.
Carlos Cruz did not resort to lethal violence as immediately as Frank would have, choosing to leave his enemies alive unless killing became necessary. He appeared in 11 issues, and in those stories, he went toe-to-toe with both Bullseye and The Punisher. While both of those brawls would end in a stalemate, his fight with the villain “Stone Cold” resulted in an untimely death.
Cossandra Castle – The Punisher 2099
There are multiple different versions of the Marvel 2099 timeline. By extension, multiple different characters have operated as The Punisher 2099.
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Cossandra Castle is the daughter of Frank Castle and Elektra Natchios. After the death of her parents, Cossandra continued in her father’s footsteps. She raised a son and kept her mission secret until she got cancer. With time running out, Cossandra tried to teach her son to kill those who needed killing, but he couldn’t bring himself to take a life. Cossandra passed away without converting her son to the ways of her father, and so The Punisher died with her.
Hector Tago – The Punisher 2099
Hector Tago was a police officer in an alternate 2099. In his timeline, a powerful artificial intelligence monitored everyone’s vision and memories. He was led to believe that he was a hero in the field, but after some investigating, Tago discovered that he had been forced to kill an unarmed man. He released the truth to the public, effectively committing social suicide in a timeline where perception is everything.
In Hector Tago’s new life of exile, he donned a suit of futuristic Punisher armor and began a campaign of justice. This take on The Punisher is commendable for trying something different, but the change comes out of nowhere. Tago strangely chooses to become The Punisher despite no apparent connection to the original.
Jake Gallows – The Punisher 2099
Jake Gallows is the original Punisher 2099, and in his timeline, the rich can pay to have crimes expunged from their record immediately. One day, a wealthy madman decides to murder the family of police officer Jake Gallows.
Gallows comes to court seeking justice, but when his family’s killer walks away by swiping a credit card, his faith in the system is destroyed. He uses his skills as a police officer and the high-tech resources of his time to seek revenge at night, while still serving on the force during the day. Shortly into his vigilante career (which was inspired by Frank Castle’s journal), Jake Gallows almost stopped killing.
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He fell in love and was preparing to stop acting as The Punisher until his girlfriend was brutally murdered. With any hope for peace now shattered, he returned to his violent ways with a vengeance. Over time, Gallows’ mind would fracture, and he began viewing The Punisher and Jake Gallows as two separate beings who shared his body.
Vendetta – The Punisher 2099
Vendetta is the second Punisher in the original Punisher 2099 comics and the first female Punisher. Vendetta is an android, created to work as a slave to man in the furthest reaches of space.
She gained free will, escaped her captors, and led a revolution of freedom for her sisters. Eventually, she came to Earth to exact revenge on an enemy from her past. While on the planet, she was inspired by the mission of The Punisher. Vendetta’s interactions with Jake Gallows are priceless. She often declares herself the superior Punisher, and she’s arguably right. Vendetta is more mentally stable, more physically powerful, and more morally straight than Jake.
What unifies all of the Marvel characters on this list? The Punisher needs revenge. They have military prowess and a strategic mind. Killing in the name of justice is perfectly acceptable to them. And the mission of punishment is the most important part of their life. These qualities extend beyond Frank Castle, even if he is the first to go by the name.
Who is your favorite version of The Punisher? What do you find most interesting about Frank Castle’s legacy? Let us know your thoughts on social media, and thanks for reading! We are always watching.
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