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Punisher is the fiercest and one of the most admired anti-heroes in the history of not just Marvel but the entire comic book medium. The hot-tempered Frank Castle, who sports a white skull on his chest, is known to shoot first and ask questions later.
Castle has killed dangerous villains in cold blood, whereas other heroes would hesitate to even harm them. His rage stems from the tragedy of his wife and two kids being killed in front of his eyes. Punisher stands for justice and judgment, and the readers love him for that.
However, Marvel has recently revamped the character from head to toe. From his emblem to his backstories and his choice of weapons, as well as his philosophies and ideologies, are all undergoing changes in the new Punisher series. The latest issue of the comics saw Frank Castle using mystical superpowers, which is a big change for the gun-slinging hero.
The series is written by Avengers Forever and Punishermax: Kingpin writer Jason Aaron while Paul Azaceta, who is well known for the Black, White, and Red series of Moon Knight and Elektra, is the artist. While the new series is a fresh take on the murder messiah, the changes uproot the character from its original vision.
The Punisher will have not one but five different superpowers as he works for the Hand
In the first issue of Punisher, Frank Castle is a member of the Hand, a supervillain organization. Castle is not just a team member; his classic white skull logo has been changed to Oni, a mythological Japanese demon. The Punisher's skull has long been a source of controversy, with various far-right groups and the military using the skull as an emblem for their organization. Marvel could be using the new logo to stray away from political propaganda.
While the major backstory of Frank Castle, including the heinous murder of his family, stays the same, his wife, Maria Castle, is still alive. Castle’s employer, Hand, has revived Maria, and she is the reason he is working for the villainous organization. While the revival brings a fresh change to the character, it definitely hampers his philosophy. The fact that Frank Castle has no one beside him is the reason for his poor judgment and crooked moral compass.
On further issues, we get to know that Castle has given up on guns and explosives and now prefers a sword as his choice of weapon. While the five issues of the comics offer enough hack and slash for the readers, it is definitely not enough for a man who boasts a wide arsenal of weapons. From sniper rifles to goblin pumpkin bombs to nukes, Frank Castle is known to punish his enemies with whatever weapon he has at his disposal.
The biggest changes to the character come in the form of his superpowers. While working for the Hand, Frank Castle is chosen as the Fist of the Beast (the god worshiped by the members of the Hand) and is granted the power to look into the past and future sins of the people.
In issue #4 when Castle is engaged against Lady Bullseye and Lord Deathstrike, Castle uses the power of infernal fire as flames engulf his enemies, and burns them alive. The Arch Priestess of the Hand has prophesized that Punisher will gain three more superpowers, including flight, super speed and super stamina.
Marvel seems to be straying away from political agendas and controversies. However, it is not fair to change such an important character just to be politically correct. The white skull emblem, lethal weapons, and trigger-happy attitude are what made Frank Castle such an iconic character. We hope these changes do not leak into the MCU.
