by John Romita, 1974

Punisher

Real Name: Frank Castle
Identity: Former Marine and Vigilante
Affiliation: None
First Appearance: Amazing Spider-Man #129
Status: Active

Powers & Abilities:

Non superhuman abilities. The Punisher is a seasoned veteran with exceptional combat skills. He is well-versed in the arts of warfare and hand-to-hand combat.

Equipment & Weapons:

The Punisher is a walking arsenal of portable weaponry. He is typically equipped with an automatic rifle, semi-automatic rifle, multiple sidearms, multiple combat knives, and an assortment of grenades. The Punisher also travels in a heavily armored combat van disguised as a TV truck. His transportation is a combination mobile arsenal and command post. It was designed to withstand any firearm fire short of anti-tank weaponry. Along with duplicates of the Punisher's personal arsenal and stores of ammunition, the van also carries anti-tank weaponry, large-caliber assault weapons, high-explosive demolitions, and underwater breathing apparatus. The van is equipped with sophisticated communications equipment include police broadband monitors and an on-board computer. Finally, the van is equipped with a thermite bomb remote-controlled self-destruct mechanism which could incinerate the entire vehicle.

Origin:

Frank Castle was a captain in the United States Marine Corps and served five years in the Vietnam War. He was twice decorated with both the Bronze and Silver Stars and also received the Purple Heart four times. After the war, he ran special training missions for Marine commandos in the upper New York State area. While on leave he took his wife and two children to Central Park in New York City for a picnic. There Castle's wife and children witnessed a mob killing, and fearing witnesses, the mobster's murdered Castle's wife and children and escaped. Traumatized by his family's murder, Castle deserted the Marines and conducted a one-man anti-crime campaign throughout New York City. Outfitted with a variety of weapons and his now distinctive battlesuit, the media-dubbed 'Punisher' sought out and executed criminals who he believed were associated with the gangsters that killed his family. Thus began the Punisher's career as a vigilante, a self-proclaimed enemy of crime.

by Ross Andru, 1974

Appearances:

The Punisher debuts in the classic Amazing Spider-Man #129. Hired by the Jackal to kill Spider-Man, the Punisher tangles with both.

The Punisher's untimely arrival prevents Spider-Man from capturing the Tarantula in Amazing Spider-Man #134.' The pair set aside their difference and capture the Tarantula in Central Park in Part II: Amazing Spider-Man #135.'

In Amazing Spider-Man #161, a mysterious sniper is killing civilians around town. Accused of being the sniper, The Punisher attempts to track down the killer who's impersonating him and dragging his reputation through the sewers.

Amazing Spider-Man #162 continues the story as the Punisher, Spider-Man, and Nightcrawler face off against Jigsaw who's trying to frame the Punisher for ruining his face.