Warning: SPOILERs for Punisher #9.Marvel Comics has just made the Punisher its new God of War, and it’s a huge mistake. Frank Castle’s battle against Ares has concluded, and by killing the former Avenger, the Punisher has taken his mantle as Marvel’s God of War, which however will end up hurting both characters.
The current Punisher ongoing series has brought major changes to Frank Castle’s life, who let himself be recruited by the cult of assassins known as the Hand, in exchange for the resurrection of his wife Maria. It turns out that the High Priestess of the Hand has had her eyes on Frank since he was a boy, seeing in him the chosen representative of the Beast, the Hand’s demonic patron. The Punisher has thus become the Hand’s High Slayer, taking command of its forces and throwing them into his crusade to kill criminals all over the world. This, however, has aroused the ire of Ares and his acolytes, triggering an all-out battle between the Punisher and the God of War.
The Punisher Kills Ares To Claim The Title Of God Of War
In Punisher #9, by Jason Aaron, Jesùs Saiz, and Paul Azaceta, the Hand and Ares’ followers clash on the battlefield, while the two commanders engage in single combat. The previous confrontation between the two did not end well for Frank, who barely survived, but now the Punisher has unlocked the full set of powers granted by the Beast. The fight is bloody as one would expect but, in the end, the Punisher kills Ares using special bullets forged from a mystical dagger. Seeing this, Ares’ followers kneel before Frank, calling him “the new God of War”.
This development is quite unexpected, as Dr. Strange points out at the end of the issue, commenting on the news of the battle. Ares is a god, and a powerful one even by Marvel’s standards. More importantly, this turn of events does not benefit any of the characters. Ares had just come back from the dead, and he is a very popular character among fans, who still fondly remember his time as an Avenger. The version seen in this series was way more evil and brutal, but this also suited the God of War well. The Punisher, on the other hand, should be a grounded character, whose appeal lies in staying away from the world of garish costumes and impossible superpowers that is Marvel’s classic formula.
Marvel Wasted Ares’ Return And Made The Punisher Too Powerful For His Own Good
Now, not only does the Punisher have superpowers (something that never went well when it was tried in the past), but he is also becoming more mystical with each new issue. The title of “God of War”, while undoubtedly cool, hardly fits Frank, who has become simply too powerful, as proved in his following confrontation with Daredevil and the Fist, in Daredevil #8, where the Punisher goes as far as riding a dragon into battle. It will be interesting to see if the upcoming battle against the group of superheroes that are assembling to take down Frank will bring the Punisher back to his roots, or if Frank Castle’s reign as Marvel’s God of War will continue undeterred.
Punisher #9 and Daredevil #8 are available now from Marvel Comics.
