Alternate versions of The Punisher

This is a list of alternate versions of the Punisher.

Age of Apocalypse

In the Age of Apocalypse reality Frank Castle was separated from his family during one of the first American sweeps, where Apocalypse searched out humans for purposes of killing them. He fled from certain death until he came across a hidden monastery. Castle became a monk, searching for inner peace, until the monastery was finally discovered by Apocalypse's agents. All the monks were killed, as were many of the humans and mutants that they had offered refuge. Frank Castle was once again able to escape, though his location is unknown.

Amalgam Comics

His real name is "Trevor Castle" because he is an amalgamation of Marvel's Frank Castle and DC Comics' Steve Trevor. Trevor is the boyfriend of Diana Prince, the sister of Amazon (Storm + Wonder Woman).

Marvel 2099

In the Marvel 2099 universe, both a male and female Punisher exist. The first follows the story of Public Eye police officer, Jake Gallows, after the murder of his mother, brother and sister-in-law. Gallows comes across Frank Castle's war journal in the Public Eye archives, and took the mantle as the new Punisher. He is named Ministry of Punishment in the Doctor Doom´s 2099 Government. [cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Marvel Universe→Punisher 2099 (Jake Gallows) | work = | publisher = Marvel Entertainment, Inc. | date= August 3, 2007 | url = http://www.marvel.com/universe/Punisher_2099_(Jake_Gallows) | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2007-10-02 ] The second follows the story of Polly, a lab-bred humanoid. After reprogramming herself, she releases her mental inhibitors, which gives her free will, intellect, a psychotic personality, and increases her strength to superhuman levels. Calling herself Vendetta, she feels that Jake Gallows is not efficient enough, and she decides to replace him in his work, only to later become his partner. [cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Marvel Universe→Punisher 2099 (Vendetta) | work = | publisher = Marvel Entertainment, Inc. | date= August 3, 2007 | url = http://www.marvel.com/universe/Punisher_2099_(Vendetta) | format = | doi = | accessdate = ]

Ultimate Punisher

In the alternate-universe "Ultimate Marvel" imprint, the Punisher is not a Vietnam War veteran, but an ex-NYPD police officer, whose family was killed by corrupt police officers who knew Frank was going to expose them. The Punisher also appears in the "Ultimate Marvel Team-Up" #6-8, followed by "Ultimate Spider-Man" #61, and then re-appears in the "Ultimate Spider-Man" Annual #2 in which he kills a corrupt cop named Jeanne De Wolfe.

Marvel Zombies

In the alternate-universe Marvel Zombies continuity, the Punisher meets Ash Williams in the crossover arc "Marvel Zombies vs. The Army of Darkness" just before entering the Kingpin's office. Despite being offered the opportunity to team up with Kingpin, as the criminal mastermind understands that the world is changed due to the zombie outbreak, the Punisher shoots and kills him. He also kills the Kingpin's allies, Hammerhead and the Owl. The Punisher and Ash find themselves in desperate straits outside of Kingpin's building, when the villain Thunderball, a man Ash thinks is an ally, is surrounded by zombies. In the ensuing fight, Thunderball and the Punisher are slain.

He later resurfaces as a zombie in Latveria, devouring the Scarlet Witch at Doctor Doom's fortress in front of Ash. He taunts Williams by saying "Remember me, smart guy? You're next." Ash successfully escapes.

Marvel Mangaverse

In the alternate-universe Marvel Mangaverse continuity, Sosumi Brown is Tokyo's Punisher, who fights the crime family of Skang Kee Ho. That family uses an Oni (Japanese demon) named Oni Yew to try and stop her, but her sister, Hashi Brown, finds out about her secret. In the process, she obtains a cursed weapon which she uses to slay the Oni and save her sister.

Old Man Logan

In a alternate future, fifty years after the superheroes lost a great battle, Daredevil and the Punisher are found chained together on a pole by a new Kingpin, who has killed Magneto in the past, after an attempted mission to free the town from him. Daredevil asks for the whereabouts of Spider-Man's granddaughter, who is also the daughter of the Avenger Hawkeye. The new Kingpin states that he's still thinking of what to do with her and that Daredevil and the Punisher got off easy. They were then eaten by raptors.

The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe

"Main article: The Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe"

A What If... story where Frank Castle kills every superhero and supervillain in the Marvel Universe.

A man named Frank

In this reality, Frank is a cowboy during the time of the American Old West who is out for revenge to the criminals who killed his family.

Frank served alongside Augustus and others in the 10th Cavalry under Pershing in the Spanish-American War. He was active in both Santiago and Cuba, and even met Teddy Roosevelt during one of his campaigns.

After the war, he and his wife Maria and their two kids settled on a ranch in the New Mexico territory. A quartet of criminals ransacked the ranch, assaulting and then killing Maria, killing the kids, and then attempting to force Frank to tell them where he kept his wealth. Frank remained tight-lipped as he stared at the men, memorizing their faces in case he lived. The leader of the group--his face shielded by a low hat brim and memorable only by his sweet tooth--thought to leave Frank with a painful death in the hot sun in the middle of nowhere, bound to a large wagon wheel. Kept alive by his desire for vengeance, Frank began the twenty mile trek to his nearest neighbor. He collapsed along the way, but was found by Father Domingo and a pair of nuns, who nursed him back to health.

Seeing a skull-headed figure painted on a cave wall, Frank took that as his symbol. After burying his family, Frank dug out his remaining gold from his military career. Frank stopped in Gallup and located his old ally Augustus, from whom he purchased an arsenal of weaponry. Frank learned the name of one of his family's killers, Billy Simms, and located him in Denver. Frank killed Billy and his nine friends, and found on him a letter requesting gunhands for a cattleman's association in Texas, signed "S." Frank followed the lead to Angus MacCauley's ranch and signed on as a gunhand.

MacCauley instructed him not to discourage cattle rustlers, but rather to punish them. Frank pursued this goal with vigor, but came no closer to locating the other three killers. Eventually, he learned that many of MacCauley’s cattle were being sent over to Mexico, and Frank investigated this.

Amongst the men selling the cattle to the Mexicans, were two more of his family's killers, along with Tuck Jurgenson, MacCauley's right hand man. Frank sabotaged the trestle on a bridge the beef was being transported across. With the transport stopped, Frank picked up his two targets and dozens of others amongst those who fired back at him, but was forced to flee the large number of Mexican revolutionaries who came after him. Frank returned to MacCauley's ranch, where MacCauley revealed that he was allowing the Mexican sales to occur for the large profit he received. Jurgenson emerged and held Frank at gunpoint.

When Tuck asked MacCauley for rock candy in his whiskey, Frank glanced over and saw his wife's crucifix around Tuck's neck, marking him as Frank's final target. The sudden, violent arrival of the Mexican revolutionaries provided a distraction that allowed Frank to slip away. After weeding his way through the revolutionaries, Frank doubled back and confronted Tuck, who had had his gun hand injured in the preceding struggle. When questioned, Tuck revealed that his signed "S" stood for "Swede" a nickname from Billy Simms.

Unarmed, Swede begged for mercy; Frank did not give it. Instead, Frank gave him a bullet. Though his initial mission was now over, Frank had found a new criminal to punish. He tracked MacCauley to New York and executed him. Knowing there was nothing else he could ever do again, Frank decided to stick to the trail of he'd cut for himself: to ride where the law doesn't reach. To punish all trespassers.

pider-Ham's Universe

In this funny animal alternate universe, the Punisher is Frank Carple, an anthropomorphic shark who is also known as the Punfisher. ["Marvel Tales" #228 (Oct. 1989)]

Death's Head

In this reality, the Punisher is an adventurer who is also a member of the Avengers. He was on a mission to retrieve a time traveling device, but was killed by Charnel.

Mutant X

In this reality, Frank Castle is leader of 'The Punishers', a group of mutant hunters.

Powerless

In this reality, Frank Castle is on trial for the murder of the killer of his family, a murder he didn't commit. His attorney is Matt Murdock who is not Daredevil in this reality and convinced that Wilson Fisk is behind the whole setup.

House of M

In the alternate-universe House of M, Castle appears as a media vigilante nicknamed the "Punisher" and is recruited after his arrest by John Proudstar to join and be the other human in the strikeforce known as the Brotherhood. ["House of M: Avengers" #2] The same incident that lead to his family being killed occurs here except this time his wife and kids survive. After watching the Brotherhood's disregard to human life; Castle, with the help from Luke Cage's Avengers, moved his family to Wakanda. ["House of M: Avengers" #3]

What If

"What If... Daredevil Had Killed The Kingpin?"

"What If... The Punisher's Family Hadn't Been Killed?"

"What If... Daredevil Had A Dishonest Tailor?!"

"What If... Wolverine Was Lord Of The Vampires?"

"What If... The Punisher Had Killed Daredevil?"

"What If... Captain America Had Formed The Avengers?"

"What If... You Wouldn't Be Dead, But You'd Wish You Were?"

"What If... The Punisher Was A Hall Monitor?"

"What If... The Punisher Was A Stern, Yet Fatherly Type?!"

"What If... Frank Castle Had Died... But His Family Had Lived?"

"What If... Venom Had Possessed The Punisher?"

"What If... The Punisher Became Captain America?" "What If... The Punisher Became An Agent Of SHIELD?"

"What If... The Punisher Had Killed Spider-Man?"

ee also

*List of The Punisher comics

References