Rules The Punisher Has To Always Follow

Frank Castle, better known as The Punisher, is a fan-favorite character and one of the quintessential anti-heroes in the comics industry. His violent tendencies, uncompromising nature, and murder sprees against the criminal underworld are the stuff of legend. Beneath that blood-and-guts facade, however, lies a character defined by the struggles and desperation resultant from the slaughter of his family. Though few have been through anything close to the tragedies Castle has, his story resonates with readers and helps them emotionally comprehend his decision to become a vigilante: by "punishing" evil-doers, he saves innocents from suffering his own family's fate. His history and motivations make The Punisher's story a cautionary and timeless tale in the same breath.

First appearing as a villain in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (1974), Castle has shown himself to be versatile over the years, with his own highs, lows, and share of ridiculous storylines (it's better if we all forget when he was an angel). He's guest-starred in many other books, and he was even a Thunderbolt and an Avenger at one point, while also crossing paths with Batman, Eminem, and Archie. One thing that makes Castle so interesting when he teams up with others or is put in compromising situations is his level of violence juxtaposed to the rules he follows. That code has been with him since the beginning, and he will only bend (depending on the writers) on rare occasions; yet what are the rules exactly?

Part of protecting the innocent is minimizing the number of non-combatants around when the attack happens. Frank Castle isn't the type to go into a fight blind, as the former soldier is a master tactician. He's constantly aware of his surroundings and escape routes, places hidden weapons as well as traps, and only in the 2004 movie does he bother setting up a flaming skull in the parking lot. Some of his hits are planned for weeks to ensure that he has all the information on his targets, their routines, and what he needs to dispose of them. His plans have backups, those backups have fallbacks, and in the end, it is very rare that the Punisher is caught without some level of preparation. This is in part how Castle can keep to his code and improve his chances of success.

A common part of Punisher stories is upsetting those finely-tuned operations or putting him in situations that can't be planned for, to see how he improvises when caught off guard. Castle rolls with the punches and figures things out with what he has available. He has gotten sloppy a few times and even made mistakes. In Up is Down, Black is White, a mobster named Nicky Cavella desecrates the graves of the Punisher's massacred family and almost kills him. Castle's rage — and even his compassion at times — can cause him to err, but it is rare not to see some level of recon.

Many writers enjoy teaming Frank Castle up with someone — a reluctant partner, an arrangement of convenience, or a hero who doesn't agree with his methods — to create conflict. But if the Punisher had his way, every mission would be solo. Castle doesn't trust easily and his capacity for dealing with stupidity is limited. He's not the type of guy to just hang out at a barbeque and socialize. Most of the people he interacts with are out of necessity, shopkeepers or neighbors, but everyone is kept at a distance. The people he speaks to regularly are often contacts and informants — those who are already slightly in the criminal world and dirty.

When he does establish a relationship with someone, it often ends poorly, like when Spacker Dave is tortured for information in Welcome Back Frank. Being associated with the Punisher in any positive way makes one a target, a weakness that can be exploited to get at him. Frank avoids making friends to keep people safe and minimize his social footprint. Castle's most well-known associate is Microchip, David Lieberman, but depending on the story, Castle has had to kill his former ally at least twice. In one of Garth Ennis' many Punisher stories, the vigilante finds out that he has a daughter, but after she's used as leverage against him, Castle spends the day with her before giving the daughter away and instructing that she should never know about him, guaranteeing her safety. 

It won't come as much of a surprise, but The Punisher isn't fond of making deals with those in the criminal underworld. His word means something to those he wants to keep safe or respects, but past that, Frank Castle says what he needs to for the situation. In some instances, a henchman that knows he's about to die will try and offer up information, bargain for his life, or simply ask to be spared, but there is usually no mercy to be found. Sometimes, even when the information is given and freedom is implied, Castle will still leave them with a memory of the encounter — in the form of a non-lethal bullet — or kill them anyway. This is seen often, but probably best imitated in The Punisher, a 2004 video game that captures the character and his methods well.

Some stories see Castle put in positions with more complicated arrangements, either forcing him into working for or with a potential target or when someone important is being held against their will. In these cases, Punisher will go along with the plan or agree to certain parts of it to buy himself time or wait for a better opportunity to retaliate. In stories like Business as Usual, Castle is seen using these situations and playing along to get something else he wants or a bigger prize in the end. For most though, making a deal with the Punisher is just prolonging death.

We all know the Punisher is harsh on crime. He used to take shots at jaywalkers and litterbugs in the early years, but has, thankfully, mellowed out on the small issues. Now he's more about hurting those whose actions harm others; he is judge, jury and executioner. Once he decides that someone needs to be punished — that they would be better off dead — there is no holding back. These are comics that revel in their violence, even if the amount of blood and gore might fluctuate depending on the series. A minor henchman might get off lucky, maybe Castle keeps it simple when he's in a hurry, but anyone who really hits his radar and causes problems — save for a very few recurring villains — doesn't get to go quietly into the night.

The incident most like to point out is with Ma Gnucci from Welcome Back Frank, where one solid punch to a polar bear leads to her being mauled and made a disfigured amputee. But that isn't how she bit it; death came later, with more embarrassment. The people who really enrage the Punisher, who truly deserve it, are often brutally massacred — decapitated to make sure they're gone, or shot so many times that their bodies are turned into paint. It isn't just the bad guys though: Punisher has blown off the face and genitals of Wolverine (ideally knowing they'd grow back), before parking a steamroller on top of him, and that's someone he works with.

As a former soldier, it isn't a surprise that Frank Castle looks up to the natural embodiment of the flag, Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America. A lot of Punisher stories have him dealing with the streets and more realistic criminals, while often despising the other costumed heroes. He does work with some of them on occasion and Cap is one of the select few Castle likes and even admires, even if they often end up at odds because of their conflicting ideals. In most instances, when the two meet, there's at least a sign of respect, even if fighting is unavoidable.

In some instances, like the Civil War storyline, Punisher doesn't even put up a fight against the super soldier, letting himself be beaten bloody. When Captain America died not long after that, Castle sought to honor the man he looked up to and integrated the hero's costume into his new suit for a while. The two rarely come to lethal blows, but the Punisher did kill Cap once in an operation that turned out to be a ruse to lure out larger criminals. Castle looks up to the man, and knows that the world needs someone like him — a symbol to believe in. But that isn't the Punisher's role. His hands get dirty and he does what has to be done, so those like Captain America can stay clean and be heroes to the people.