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Microchip
Microchip
Alter Ego: David Linus Lieberman
First Appearance: The Punisher Vol. 2, #4 (1987)
- "I hacked computers to find him targets. I customized guns and ammunition. I put him in the right place at the right time to kill the maximum number of people; without me the body count for those ten years would be a third of what it is. I turned a lone gunman into a machine that runs at optimum efficiency. Because of me, what he does can be truly defined as war."
A computer and engineering whiz, Linus "Microchip" Lieberman joined the Punisher's crusade after his nephew was murdered under orders of the Kingpin, and worked alongside the vigilante for years, becoming the closest thing Frank had to a best friend. Unfortunately, a series of tragedies and clashing ideologies led to the two butting heads, and becoming bitter enemies, which ultimately led to Micro's death at the hands of a rogue S.H.I.E.L.D. agent called Stone Cold.
- Back from the Dead: He's Resurrected for a Job by the Hood. Micro is initially peeved, claiming he was fine with being dead, but is convinced to go along with the Hood's plans after the villain promises to also bring back Micro's son, Louis.
- Face–Heel Turn: Started out as one of Frank's closest allies, but eventually turned against him.
- Fingore: One of his fingers was cut off by the Kingpin and sent to the Punisher as proof.
- Gadgeteer Genius: He helped create Punisher's Exo-Armor, a battlesuit which he used against the Reavers. Microchip created him the Battle Van along with other armored vehicles such as the The Fury, motorcycles, helicopters and other aircraft.
- Killed Off for Real: He was first killed by a rocket launched by Stone Cold, and later had his throat sliced open by the Punisher.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Even people who didn't know about his activities usually just called him "Micro" or "Chip". Frank refers to him by his first name once during their entire partnership.
- The Smart Guy: Micro was an expert in the field of computer science, demonstrating genius-level aptitude for programming, modifying, and diagnosing almost any computer system.
Mickey Fondozzi
Mickey Fondozzi
First Appearance: The Punisher War Zone Vol. 1, #1 (1992)
- Punisher: You know better than to lie to me, Mickey.Mickey: You're nuts. You can't do this to me.Punisher: That's where you're wrong. I asked you a question and you tell me you're not connected anymore.Mickey: Buh-but you kill connected guys.Punisher: Not ones I have a use for. Give me something big.
A low (almost subterranean) level criminal, Mickey was strong-armed by the Punisher into helping him infiltrate the Carbone crime family. After that misadventure, the Punisher reluctantly kept Mickey around as a source of information regarding the various goings-on in the criminal underworld.
- Accidental Misnaming: Mickey referred to Frank as "Johnny", the alias he was using when they first met. He also refers to Micro as 'Mike", despite constant corrections from both.
- Adaptation Name Change: Fondozzi became Duka in the 2004 film.
- Chronic Villainy: Despite being a main source of information for the Punisher, he tended to be embroiled in various petty crimes whenever Frank contacted him. Frank had to remind him of their arrangement. Often with extreme prejudice. Mickey at least once tried to use this to his advantage by ripping off counterfeiters with the intention of siccing the Punisher on them, but Frank was out that day, so Mickey ended up with Microchip instead.
- Fauxreigner: He managed to become a made man despite the fact that he's not Italian. He's actually Albanian.
- Heel–Face Turn: In the original Marvel Knights series, he got hit by one of Dagger's light daggers, which sometimes cure someone's criminal impulses. Seeing that he genuinely turned over a new leaf, Frank let him be.
- The Informant: Whether he liked it or not.
- Running Gag: Mickey's small-time criminal venture du jour (cigarettes, car parts, bootleg videos, counterfeit jeans, etc.) is shut down in an over-the-top violent fashion by the Punisher.
- Suspiciously Similar Substitute: The Resurrection of Ma Gnucci saw the introduction of Charles B. Schitti, a similarly downtrodden and low-level mob affiliate who the Punisher agrees to spare in exchange for his aid against a crime family.
Outlaw
Outlaw
Alter Ego: Nigel Higgins
First Appearance: The Punisher Vol. 2, #64 (1992)
- "You know the story, right? Something bad sucks you down. Takes away everything you have. Mother... sister... family. It's all the same, right? Then the guilt hollows you out, and the rage fills you up. And there's always someone out there to take the blame. You know the story. You lived it."
After his family was killed by criminals, young London resident Nigel Higgins decided to take the law into his own hands by becoming the English equivalent of the Punisher (though his first choice was Night Thrasher). As the Outlaw, Nigel assisted his inspiration with preventing The Kingpin's hostile takeover of Europe's crime syndicates, and subsequently made a go at becoming America's new Punisher when it looked like Frank had perished during the events of The Punisher: Suicide Run. After helping Frank foil the Architect's attempt at reviving the Kingpin's "Eurohit" plan, a wearied Outlaw retired from vigilantism, but was eventually forced back into action when the Maestro recruited him to compete for the Collector in Contest of Champions (2015).
- The Atoner: In Contest of Champions, it's shown he genuinely regrets all the killing he perpetrated. When he gets the Iso-Sphere, one of his actions was to reshape the past so he only used rubber bullets.
- Fanboy: Of Night Trasher.
- Hot-Blooded: In his earliest appearances, Nigel was willing to charge headlong into a gunfight.
- One-Steve Limit: He shares moniker with Deadpool's associate Inez Temple. Luckily they live far away so they don't intersect.
- Retired Badass: A vigilante styled after the Punisher who hung up his guns.
Martin Soap
Martin Soap
First Appearance: The Punisher Vol. 5, #2 (200)
- "You know how they say it can't rain all the time? They're lying through their teeth. Really. I should know, I've been getting rained on my whole life."
Martin Soap was dropped on his head seconds after being born, and things just went downhill from there, from being abandoned as a child to becoming the New York Police Department's biggest joke, and usually the sole member of the pointless "Punisher Taskforce". After the Punisher dismantled the Gnucci crime family, the hapless Soap became his informant within the NYPD.
- The Alcoholic: During his time as Frank's informant, and with a life like his, it's hard to blame him.
- Bigger Is Better in Bed: Apparently. At the end of the series he's left the force and becomes a famous porn star.
- Butt-Monkey: He's the biggest joke in the NYPD.
- The Chew Toy: 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.
- Childhood Brain Damage: A variation of the trope occurs: We see the nurse dropping him on his head just after being born, but he doesn't end up with any mental handicap for it (it's just there to show the crap life shoves on him started very early and never let up).
- Distressed Dude: He's usually not involved in Frank's cases, and when he blunders into trouble on his own, he can get himself out, but in one story, he's held hostage by an unscrupulous reporter who wants to tail the Punisher for a night. He gets two mooks to guard Soap, with the instructions to kill him if they don't get a text message once an hour. Unfortunately, the reporter gets himself killed during a shootout (he fell legs-first into a woodchipper while he and Frank were taking cover in a barn), forcing Frank to race back to the city to reach Soap in time.
- The Dog Bites Back: As explained above, after one too many humiliations and putting up with being dismissed as being less than dirt from everyone in his life, Soap seemingly snaps and becomes a something of a Cowboy Cop.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: After Frank tells him that if he's really unhappy then he should, "just go," Soap quits the force and moves to LA where it turns out his Gag Penis earns him fame and fortune with a lucrative career in porn.
- Failed Attempt at Drama: During the "Brotherhood" arc, which revolved around two other police officers (one about to go corrupt due to debts, the other a wife beater), Soap uncharacteristically draws a line in the sand, stating that if Frank so much as breathes on them, Soap will take him down, consequences be damned, then steps out of the car and slams the door. Frank points out they were sitting in Soaps car, making the whole thing fall flat.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: Is generally regarded as a joke by the rest of the NYPD, leading him to be assigned to be the sole member of the Punisher Task Force, a position nobody else wants as a good portion of the NYPD are closeted supporters of Frank. Castle himself recruits him as his mole in the force simply because he finds Soap's self pitying personality so annoying that he wouldn't even care if he gets killed for being associated with him. Normally, Punisher avoids partnering with innocent people for that exact reason.
- Hidden Depths: Despite being a walking joke, Soap did make it through the police academy and made detective without any trouble, he just can't seem to ever get past that point because of a ridiculous amount of bad luck.
- Hilariously Abusive Childhood: He's like an M-rated Dr Doofenshmirtz. His life has been so miserable that only it being so over the top keeps it from getting too uncomfortable to read.
- Interrupted Suicide: The first time he tried to commit suicide, in Army of One, the Punisher talks him out of it and convinces him to be a mole for him. The second time, in Confederacy of Dunces, he nearly eats his gun in the restroom of his favorite bar, but the bartender stops him, though only so he wouldn't have to clean up the blood. This leads to him briefly snapping.
- Man of the City: At the end of Welcome Back Frank, Soap revels in how New York is a place where even "a loser like me" can rise to power through blind luck and a little blackmail, reiterates his love for the town even after another Butt-Monkey humiliation, and vows that he will use his new authority as police commissioner to reform the deeply flawed NYPD into the police force "this city deserves." However, the humiliating loss of his job a short time later seems to sour Soap on this issue, and he leaves New York for Las Vegas in his final appearance.
- Shut Up, Kirk!: On the receiving end. When Castle asks him to be his mole in the NYPD, Soap tries to reason and even empathize with Frank over the loss of his family. Frank's response? "Don't even think that you know me." The implied threat is enough to make Soap wet himself out of fear.
- Took a Level in Badass: He threatens the cruel bartender, breaks the nose of a snitch, and even attempts to arrest the Punisher before shooting him when Frank refuses to surrender. Ultimately subverted as Frank's kevlar tactical suit easily tanks the bullet, at which point Soap collapses and just begs Frank to put him out of his misery.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: At the end of Welcome Back Frank, Soap has seemingly exposed the corrupt NYPD Police Commissioner with evidence provided by Frank and taken over his position. The next issue however, Soap has been outmaneuvered by better political players and finds himself demoted back to being the sole member of the Punisher Task Force.
Molly Von Richthofen
Lieutenant Molly Von Richthofen
First Appearance: The Punisher Vol. 5, #4
The only other member of Soap's Punisher Task Force, Lieutenant Molly Von Richthofen isn't cursed with bad luck and cripplingly low self-esteem like her partner. Instead, she's a talented officer who's being punished for refusing the sexual advances of her superiors, saddling her with Soap and the Task Force as a result.
- Butch Lesbian: Downplayed; her appearance is fairly feminine, but her personality is very masculine and agressive.
- Clothing Damage: Her clothes catch fire during a shootout with a large group of mobsters, forcing Punisher to rip them off mid-fight, and leaving her blasting away goombas in her underwear. Unfortunately, the media managed to get a shot of the two, and it ended up becoming headline news.
- Does Not Like Men: Having spent years being constantly sexually harassed by her superiors has made her rather cynical towards men, to say the least. It's even worse by the time she reappears in War Zone.
- Named After Somebody Famous: Shares the same name as Manfred Von Richthofen
, better known as "The Red Baron". - Put on a Bus: She doesn't return for the 2001 sequel series, leaving Soap alone for the remainder of his appearances. She does finally return 8 years later, but by then Soap had himself been Put on a Bus.
- Sleeping with the Boss: Averted; her refusing to do this is the reason she's stuck with Soap. While she's a lesbian, Richthofen makes it clear that wasn't even the main reason she refused.
- Sunglasses at Night: Is always seen wearing her trademark mirrored sunglasses. Always. Her eyes are never shown once in either series she appeared in.
- Took a Level in Jerkass: After The Bus Came Back, Molly becomes rather mean-spirited and possessive; she harasses and assaults the man her bisexual girlfriend is seeing despite pretending to be okay with an open relationship, beats up a female bartender for flirting with said girlfriend, and shoots a mans dog just for being annoying. She at least seems to realize how crazy she's acting, as she's later shown at a bar, with the hand holding her drink shaking like a leaf.Molly: I think I'm losing it...
- Wins by Doing Absolutely Nothing: Knowing full well that the "Task Force" has zero chance of catching the Punisher, Molly suggests to Soap that they simply wait for the Punisher and the Gnucci family to kill eachother. It mostly works, but there's a lot of collateral damage.
Joan, Nathaniel Bumpo and Spacker Dave
Joan, Bumpo and Spacker Dave
First Appearance: The Punisher Vol. 5
A trio of New Yorkers Frank briefly befriended (or as close as Frank Castle gets to friendship anyway) while living in their building under the name "John Smith" during the events of Welcome Back, Frank.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: Joan wasn't ugly in the comics, but in The Punisher (2004), she was played by bombshell Rebecca Romijn.
- Big Eater: Bumpo really enjoys his food. On one page, he's shown carrying a small tower of pizza boxes into his apartment.
- The Bus Came Back: Bumpo never appears again after the series (according to Joan, he lives in a medical facility due to the issues caused by his weight), but both Joan and Dave reappears in later stories, albeit only for one story each.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: Joan is finally able to leave New York and get the little house in the countryside like she always wanted, thanks to Frank leaving his neighbors the money he took from Ma Gnucci.
- Facial Horror: When Ma Gnucci's goons are using Cold-Blooded Torture to interrogate Dave about Frank's whereabouts, they rip out all his piercings when Dave refuses to tell them anything.
- Insistent Terminology: Dave always corrects anyone who just calls him by his first name to call him "Spacker" Dave, a reference to his massive amount of facial piercings.
- Shrinking Violet: Joan is extremely shy and timid, she's almost never shown speaking louder than a whisper.
Colonel Yorkie Mitchell
Colonel Yorkie Mitchell
First Appearance: The Punisher Vol. 6, #18 (2002)
- "He's going to kill you. Not over me. You're going up against him, so he'll kill you. Because you're a joke in spite of it all, and he's the most dangerous man that ever walked this earth."
A British officer who served with Castle in Vietnam. Shows up periodically to provide intelligence or recruit Frank for a mission in Britain.
- Ascended Extra: His only appearance in the main Marvel Universe was in the story Downtown. He was promoted to a recurring character in the MAX series, showing up in Kitchen Irish, Man of Stone, Long Cold Dark and Get Castle.
- Mister Exposition: When it comes to The Troubles.
- Old Friend: Well, as much as you can be one to the Punisher.
- Old Soldier: He's in his fifties, at least.
Rampage
Rampage
Alter Ego: Stuart Clarke
First Appearance: Champions Vol. 1, #5 (1976)
- "Oh, don't worry about me, Bridge. I got big plans. Yessir. I got my whole life ahead of me."
After his company went bankrupt, Silicon Valley industrialist Stu Clarke became the costumed criminal Rampage. During the events of Civil War (2006) he joined forces with the Punisher and become the second Microchip. Like his predecessor, he and Frank eventually had a bitter falling out and became enemies.
- Always Someone Better: His Fatal Flaw is his difficulty in accepting this.
- Ascended Fanboy: Of the Punisher, and later to Jigsaw.
- Broken Pedestal: During Secret Invasion he discovered that the Punisher, while being mind-controlled by the Hate Monger, killed his girlfriend. His partnership with Frank immediately dissolved, along with most of his sanity.
- Cut Lex Luthor a Check: Inverted as he had his own company and he turned to crime when it failed. At the same time, also played somewhat straight in that he could have sold his company to Tony Stark, but refused because he didn't want to "sell his soul to big business".
- Eviler than Thou: Jigsaw. Stu learned this the hard way.
- Facial Horror: Got his face mangled to the point he greatly resembled Jigsaw.
- Gadgeteer Genius: His high tech weapons kept Frank alive against super-powered foes.
- Genius Cripple: Lost three fingers on his right hand to a gunshot wound. He compensated by wearing a Power Glove.
- Good Scars, Evil Scars: Was eventually disfigured in a manner similar to Jigsaw, where they could almost pass as twins.
- Powered Armor: Used one during his criminal career.
- Rogues' Gallery Transplant: Initially a foe of The Champions and Iron Man before becoming an ally (and later enemy) of the Punisher.
- Unknown Rival: Obsessed with Iron Man, but barely registered on Tony's radar.
- Villain Team-Up: Led his own team during his early career. Teamed up with The Hood during Secret Invasion and became one half of The Jigsaw Brothers in In The Blood.
Henry Russo
Henry Russo
First Appearance: Punisher Vol. 8, #1 (2009)
- "Knowing how much he hated you made you my favorite person in the world."
The bastard son of Frank's archnemesis Jigsaw, Henry becomes the third Microchip and the youngest of Frank's allies.
- Abusive Parents: Jigsaw, unsurprisingly.
- Friend to All Living Things: Rescued a pair of kittens but was forced to kill them when his father threatened to kill his mother. He's also a vegetarian. This doesn't extend to the criminals he aids Frank in killing, though.
- Hero Worship: Towards the Punisher, his father's worst enemy.
- Kindhearted Cat Lover
- Shoo the Dog: Receives it from Frank at the end of In The Blood: 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.
Rachel Cole-Alves
Rachel Cole-Alves
First Appearance: The Punisher Vol. 9, #1 (2011)
- "But I feel. I can't stop. God, I've tried, and I can't stop... and you do, too, I know you do... the gnawing that isn't anger and isn't rage and isn't guilt but it's all of it, a thousand times over. Feeding on you, devouring you, stealing your breath and you never stop seeing it... seeing them..."
A Marine sergeant and decorated Afghan War veteran, Rachel saw her husband and entire wedding party die when they got in the way of a gangland hit ordered by Stephanie Gerard and Chris Poulsen. She worked alongside the Punisher for a time, eventually donning the same skull insignia worn by him.
- '90s Anti-Hero: Evokes this in her mimicry of Castle.
- Anti-Hero: Unscrupulous Heroine. Possibly a Nominal Heroine by the end.
- Broken Bird: Though she notes that's she still far from being on Castle's level ("No one can be like you").
- The Bus Came Back: After last appearing in a quick scene in Edmonson's run, Rachel finally reappears in The Punisher 2019 helping Frank alongside other vigilantes against Baron Zemo and his Thunderbolts.
- Captain Ersatz: Her backstory is lifted from the Bride from Kill Bill.
- Chest Insignia: Castle allows her to wear a copy of his chestplate and its skull insignia.
- Dark Action Girl: Given her general instability she fits this better than Action Girl.
- Distaff Counterpart: To Frank Castle.
- Evil Wears Black: Mimics Frank in this regard.
- Fiery Redhead: Rachel's even less stable than Frank, and has flaming red hair.
- Foil: To Castle, with her fiery temper and immediate need for revenge, contrasting his cold-blooded pragmatism. She's him as he was at the start of his career.
- Guns Akimbo: As prone to Frank at charging in with a weapon in each hand.
- Hot-Blooded: Contrasting the far icier Castle.
- Insistent Terminology: She prefers to be called by the last name of Alves instead of Cole, as she took her husband's name upon being married.
- Legacy Character: Preceded by Lynn Michaels as the "Lady Punisher".
- More Dakka: Shares Castle's conviction that bullets solve all problems, and that more bullets solve more problems.
- Murder by Mistake: Kills Detective Walter Bolt when she panics and mistakes him for Poulsen.
- Put on a Bus: Rucka's run ended with Frank taking on the Avengers to distract them and allow her to escape, with her ending up continuing her vigilantism in Los Angeles. Edmonson's run features the Punisher in LA, however, she only appears once during the storyline, giving Frank a car ride. She later appeared back in New York, helping Frank against Baron Zemo in the last few issues of Matthew Rosenberg's run.
- Revenge: Wants revenge on Gerard and Poulsen.
- Revenge Before Reason: Repeatedly jeopardizes her own safety and Frank's in order to get at Gerard and Poulsen.
- Semper Fi: Like Castle she's a former Marine.
- That Man Is Dead: Forced to cut all ties to her past by Castle.
Vernon Brooks
Vernon Brooks
First Appearance: The Punisher Vol. 2 #14
A teacher at a school where Frank briefly goes undercover who is later recruited by him for one of his campaigns against the Kingpin.
- Badass Teacher: A gun wielding veteran willing to fight those who threaten his students, and eventually take a more active (albeit short-lived) role in crime fighting.
- Friendly Sniper: He's a good marksman, and can't bring himself to shoot a teenage boy (even a murderous one).
Melinda Brewer
Melinda Brewer
First Appearance: The Punisher Vol. 2 #58
A doctor who operates on the Punisher at times.
- Back-Alley Doctor: She had to leave her medical practice in disgrace and is reduced to doing illicit operations for people like Frank.
- Descent into Addiction: She started using drugs due to the stress of medical school and ended up getting hooked.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: She eventually she leaves the country and manages to start over at a legitimate clinic.
- Hospital Hottie: She's a doctor who wears somewhat revealing minidresses.
Ponygirl and Mouse
Ponygirl and Mouse
Alter Egos: Wendy Christiansen (Ponygirl) and Hal Flynt (Mouse)
First Appearance: The Punisher Vol. 2 #98
A pair of hackers who serve Frank for a while in the nineties.
- Black and Nerdy: Although a little more fashionable than most examples, Wendy/Ponygirl is a bespectacled African-American computer expert.
- Boxed Crook: Their introduced working for a mob money-laundering operation Frank shoots up. He spares their lives on the condition that they become his prisoners/assistants due to their young ages, lack of direct involvement in violence and his need for some techies at the moment.
- Playful Hacker: Both are somewhat easy going, make pop culture references and are hackers not far below Microchip’s level.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After a relatively short run with Frank, while he's off on a major fight that seriously threatens everyone involved, they pack up their things, and all the money they can carry and flee the country to get away from Frank and his enemies.
- Those Two Guys: A rare male, female example of bantering characters who are always seen together.
Hitman
Hitman
Alter Ego: James "Jimmy" Pierce
Notable Aliases: Punisher
First Appearance: The Punisher Vol. 2 #86
A blackmailed mob enforcer who proves to be willing to work with Punisher in the end.
- Guns Akimbo: He goes into battle this way sometimes.
- Left for Dead: He gets shot and left for dead in The Punisher: Suicide Run but turns up later.
- Skull for a Head: He wears a Punisher costume with a skull mask.
- White Sheep: The only member of his family who doesn't want to be a mobster, although he ends up working for his uncle due to threats to his mothers life.
Payback
Payback
Alter Ego: Eddie Dyson
First Appearance: Punisher War Journal #148
A cop who lost his wife and daughters to a mob bomb for helping Punisher and went on a brief vendetta against both the mobsters and Frank. He later put his grudge against Frank to rest, only to end up targeted due to his past association with him.
- Battle Couple: He spends a lot of his screen time fighting alongside Lynn Michaels, and eventually romantically attached to her.
- The Call Knows Where You Live: Once his families killers are dead, he stops being a vigilante only to still be targeted by anti-Vigilante forces.
- Cool Mask: His vigilante costume has a hockey mask (in addition to a Punisher full crossed out on his shirt).
- Friend on the Force: Before the death of his family, had a six month long association as a police source of Frank after Frank gave him the credit for taking down a criminal Frank killed.
- One-Steve Limit: There's the symbiote Payback and Kasey Nash from 2099.
- The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: Played for Drama. Eddie is very upset Frank killed his family's murderers rather than letting him do it.
