Warning: contains spoilers for Punisher #3!
Joe Garrison, Marvel’s new Punisher, has proven himself to be every bit as violent as Frank Castle. While Frank may be gone, the brutal legacy of the Punisher lives on in Joe Garrison. After enduring a tragedy common to all who bear the name, Garrison is out for revenge, and in Punisher #3, he learns that the path laid before him is a dark and violent one.
Punisher #3 is written by David Pepose and drawn by Dave Wachter. The Punisher is fighting the new FearMaster. She doses the Punisher with her fear toxin, but he is able to fight it off.
The battle turns in the Punisher’s favor, and as he has FearMaster in a headlock, she asks how he is able to withstand the toxin.
Garrison then snaps the FearMaster’s neck, killing her. He tells her corpse that he does not scare easily.
The Time Had Come for a New Punisher
Frank Castle Had Wore Out His Welcome
Although Frank Castle had been a Marvel icon for over 50 years, he became increasingly problematic as time went by. The character, and his trademark skull logo, had become co-opted by white supremacists, leading to calls to retire the character. Marvel responded by giving Frank one last run, in which he became one of Marvel’s biggest villains before killing himself in a perfect storm of self-loathing and anger. Shortly thereafter, Joe Garrison’s family was killed in what appeared to be a hit, and the former SHIELD agent has set out to avenge them.
Joe Garrison and Frank Castle have other similarities, beyond losing their families to crime. Both men are former military officers, and have knowledge (and access) to advanced weaponry and firearms. Garrison, as a former agent of SHIELD, is particularly versed in weapons. Frank and Joe are both also expert hand-to-hand combatants. Their military backgrounds have also exposed them to a great deal of suffering and mental anguish, and it can be argued their service helped turn them into the killers they are today. So far, Joe has resisted giving in and fully embracing his destiny.
The New Punisher Has Crossed A Line
And There Is No Coming Back Now
Yet now, by killing FearMaster with his bare hands, Joe Garrison has finally become the Punisher. In this issue, Joe comes to the realization that there are many more monsters out there beyond the ones who killed his family and that they must all be punished. Joe now understands that the path he has chosen is a never-ending one, and that one death will beget another, until he is in the same league as Frank Castle. Regardless of the initial intentions, the mantle of the Punisher is a heavy one, and it is leading Joe Garrison down a dark road.
Punisher #3 is on sale now from Marvel Comics!
Punisher #3 (2024) | |
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