History Characters / ThePunisher

* AxeCrazy: DependingOnTheWriter, he's a calculating killing machine or a nut who offs criminals for the sake of it.

* BlondGuysAreEvil: He is blonde, and completely amoral.

* BlondGuysAreEvil

* BlondesAreEvil: Though DependingOnTheArtist, he's been portrayed as an EvilRedhead.

* AesopAmnesia: In his first appearances in ''Spider-Man'' comics, he would repeatedly think that Spider-Man is a criminal, only to learn that he truly is a good guy that he says he is at the of the story. But then again, [[HeroWithBadPublicity this is Spider-Man we're talking about]].

* AxeCrazy: DependingOnTheWriter.

* NinetiesAntiHero: The UrExample

* VillainProtagonist: Sometimes, most notably in Greg Rucka's ''War Zone'' miniseries when he goes up against the Avengers.
* VillainousUnderdog: Given how underpowered he is compared to most superheroes, any story in which he's the bad guy is likely to make him this. Notable examples include his early ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' and ''Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}'' appearances, and especially ''War Zone'' miniseries where he goes up against Comicbook/TheAvengers with nothing but his guns and his tactical acumen.

A Marine who served alongside Frank, Olaf now works for the villain Condor, providing security for their drug trafficking operation.

One of Condor's senior enforcers, infamous for the CreepySouvenir he takes from each of his kills.

* AntiHero: Varies between an UnscrupulousHero and NominalHero in the MarvelUniverse.

* BadassAbnormal
** When he was recruited to be an agent for Heaven, he gained an ability to summon weapons from his jacket and make them as lethal as he wanted them to be.
** After his death at the hands of Wolverine's son Daken, he was built into a Franchise/{{Frankenstein}}ian MixAndMatchMan who was physically much stronger in undeath than in life.

* TheStoic: Frank is either calm, detached, and homicidal, or (much more rarely) [[TranquilFury pissed off and homicidal.]] That's it. To quote the videogame (written by Garth Ennis):

* ThatManIsDead: A favorite saying of his. Frank Castle died with his family. He's the Punisher.

* VigilanteMan: One of the ultimate examples in the MarvelUniverse

* VillainousUnderdog: Given how underpowered he is compared to most superheroes, any story in which he's the bad guy is likely to make him this. Notable examples include his early ''Comicbook/SpiderMan'' and ''Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}'' appearances, and especially ''War Zone'' where he goes up against Comicbook/TheAvengers with nothing but his guns and his tactical acumen.
* VillainousVidowsPeak: When Frank was still an antagonist in his early appearances, he had a pronounced widow's peak.

* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: A platonic version from Frank at the end of ''In The Blood'': [[spoiler: Frank, who has come to view Henry as a son, regrets putting him in danger. So he threatens to kill him if he ever sees him again.]]

* CelibateHero: Frank doesn't seem to have much interest in the ladies, but this is most likely justified by the fact that he still thinks about his family and/or he's too busy killing scum.

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 11 #1 (2016)

* Expy: Somewhat reminiscent of Durant from ''Film/{{Darkman}}'', with a few elements of the New52 Dollmaker thrown in.

* Anti-Villain: Is not a particularly evil man, he's working for Condor mainly [[PunchClockVillain just to pay the bills]].

* Expy: Of [[Film/Darkman Robert Durant]].

* ScaryBlackMan: Repeat: He kills people and ''cuts their faces off''.
* SlasherSmile: Cracks one after Condor orders him to go after the Punisher.
* TeethClenchedTeamwork: He and Olaf do not get along very well.

* TragicHero: Despite gunning down organized crime as fast as he can, it never ceases to exist, which condemns to do it until the day he dies.

--> ''"They laugh at the law. The rich ones who buy it and twist it to their whims. The other ones, who have nothing to lose. Who don't care about themselves, or other people. All the ones who think they're above the law, or outside it, or beyond it. They know all the law is good for is to keep good people in line. And they all laugh. They laugh at thhee law. But they don't laugh at [[{{Badass}} me.]]"''

* AntiVillain: At least when compared to most of the Punisher's other foes. Stephanie has no interest in hurting innocent people (berating the men who shot up Rachel's wedding), tries to run her organization with a minimum of casualties, and in general tries to get things accomplished with a minimum of bloodshed and fuss.

* SpannerInTheWorks: Despite all her plans, one group of incompetent Henchmen leads to the Punisher and Cole-Alves gunning for her.

* BerserkButton: Hurting Stephanie. When the Punisher kills her, Chris goes on a rampage that results in a double-digit body count.

-->''"The fact I derive pleasure from cruelty doesn't make feel guilty, Frank... guilt is ridiculous. There is no "good" or "bad". There is only pleasure and pain... with no heaven or hell at the end of it!"''

* LegacyCharacter: Proceeded by Lynn Michaels as the "Lady Punisher".

* EvilCounterpart: Has worn a copy of the Punisher's costume during some runs (first during ''Circle of Blood'' when he was a member of the Trust's brainwashed Punishment squad). During ''Punisher War Journal'', his outfit was a color inverted version of the Punisher's (white suit with a black skull). He has also has trained himself to be Frank's physical match.

* LegacyCharacter: Proceeded Lynn Michaels as the "Lady Punisher".

* EvilCounterpart: Often wears an inverted version of the Punisher's costume (white with a black skull on the chest) and has trained himself to be Frank's physical match.

* RoguesGalleryTransplant: Like the Punisher, he was an antagonist in ''[[Franchise/SpiderMan The Amazing Spider-Man]]''. When Frank got his own book, Billy's villainy was taken there. [[http://www.sidekickcast.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/untitled.png Distance did not make the heart grow fonder]].

* InformedDeformity: He looked 99% fine in the John Ostrander series, where he was depicted as having a couple of extra lines (and this was the 1990s, when that was in vogue) on an otherwise entirely normal face.

* EvenEvilHasStandards: Reads the henchmen who shot up Rachel Cole-Alves' wedding the riot act.

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #129

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 2, #4

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher War Zone'' #1

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 5, #2

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 6, #18

-> '''Debut:''' ''Punisher'' Vol. 7, #1

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 9, #1

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #161

-> '''Debut:''' ''Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man'' #4

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 2, #4

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher War Journal'' #4

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher War Journal'' #8

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 2, #22

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher War Zone'' #1

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher War Zone'' #2

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 2, #65

->'''Debut:''' ''The Punisher War Zone'' #8

->'''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 2 #71

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 2, #85

-> '''Debut:''' ''Marvel Super-Action'' #1 (as Frank Costa); ''The Punisher'' Vol. 4, #1 (as Olivier)

-> '''Debut:''' ''Wolverine/Punisher: Revelation'' #1

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 5, #4

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 5, #8

->'''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' vol. 6 #12

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 6, #24

-> '''Debut:''' ''Punisher War Journal'' Vol. 2, #20

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 8, #12

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 9, #2

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 9, #2

-> '''Debut:''' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' #592

[[quoteright:510:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/bfe2f871e883eac9350b27a5c95ca356.JPG]]

The Prince of the Archangels, Olivier sided with Lucifer in his rebellion against God, and as such was cast down to the netherworld, where he became a Hell-lord. The other devils, disapproving of Olivier's ambitions and methods, temporarily banded together to banish him to Earth, where he was trapped in the body of the stillborn Frank Costa. After committing murder, Olivier's memories of his previous life returned, and he subsequently used his powers to become the head of the Costa branch of the Maggia, and to manipulate a young Frank Castle into becoming the Punisher as apart of a complex plan that would see Olivier very nearly conquering both Earth and Hell.

--> '''AKA:''' Isabella Carmela Magdalena Gnucci
--> '''Debut:''' ''The Punisher'' Vol. 5, #4

* NightmareFace: He likes to psyche out his opponents by displaying [[SlasherSmile a rictus grin]], which coupled with his [[GoodScarsEvilScars scarred face]] is enough to give them a pause. Except for the Punisher, who simply shoots him.

->''"You bring me people like you and I give you lots of money. And then you can buy stuff, like clothes to wear and food to eat. Then the strong ones can stay with you... and the weak ones can stay with me...."''

* CoolMask: During Edmondson's run, Punisher sported a balalclava with his skull insignia on it.

* ButtMonkey: He's the biggest joke in the [=NYPD=]. Some of his highlights include getting dropped on the head as a newborn, finding an ax murderer by getting drunk and sleeping with him, going out with an obvious crossdresser, and accidentally dating his own mother.

* TheGunslinger: As his mercenary-name suggests, he is quite handy with the sniper rifle.