The Punisherhas never been one for sidekicks, and he’s always wanted his family back. One writer decided to pair these two facts, bringing back Frank Castle’s child in the darkest way possible. While the Punisher is usually a solo act, this wild storyline saw Frank Castle slaughtering alien criminals in space alongside his robotic child.
One of the most bizarre scenarios Frank Castle has ever found himself in takes place in the pages ofSpace: Punisherby Frank Tieri and Mark Texeira. In this miniseries, Frank goes on a cosmic tirade against the criminals of space, andhe’s accompanied by his trusty sidekick Chip. Together, Chip andthe Punishermassacre their way through space, fighting the Brood and other versions of iconic villains, such as Red Skull, Green Goblin, and Doctor Octopus.
The pair get some brutal kills together, which is made all the more alarming by how Chip is very clearly based off a child - but not just any child. It’s revealed thatChip’s name is from the term “chip off the old block,” and he’s specifically made to resemble Frank Castle’s own dead son.
Space: Punisherby Frank Tieri, Mark Texeira, and Clayton Cowles
Every character has an origin story, and the moment that createdthe Punisher was the brutal death of his family.On a random day in the park, during a family picnic, a gang war broke out, and the Castle family was caught in between a hail of gunfire. WhileFrank Castle survived, the rest of his family died: his wife, daughter, and son all gone, brutally. It makes sense that Frank would want to murder all the criminals he could find after this experience, but that he’d have a robotic version of his son join him in his massacre against crime is a direction no one saw coming.
t’s a bizarre and twisted way to bring back Frank Castle’s family, and even more concerning is the fact it seemingly worked, at least for a while.
Eventually, it’s revealed that Chip looking like Frank Castle’s son is no coincidence. In an attempt to pacify and control Frank Castle, the Watchers decided to give Frank Castle a life with his family and a robotic son, resulting in a universe where Frank goes on over-the-top missions in outer space to kill evil criminals, all while accompanied by his robotic son who helps him in his mission.It’s a bizarre and twisted way to bring back Frank Castle’s family, and even more concerning is that it seemingly worked, at least for a while.
The Punisher Has Been (Almost) Pacified by the Return of His Family Before
Other Forces Have Tried the Same Idea in the Past
In Jason Aaron’s run onThe Punisher,Frank Castle became the leader of the Hand. This leadership was achieved bythe Hand reviving Frank Castle’s wife Mariaand erasing her memory of her death and the death of her children. Reunited with his wife, Frank was more than happy to use the massive resources of the Hand to slaughter every criminal he found. Even after having a falling out with the Hand, the desire to keep his wife alive still kept him working with the organization. The Hood also once resurrected Punisher’s old partner known as Microchip, all in an attempt to bring Punisher down.
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The Punisherlost everything. With his family gone, there was literally nothing left for him to live for. Instead, he devoted his entire life to hunting down criminals and eradicating them. It seems natural that the only way to evencome close to controlling the Punisher would be to give him something to lose. The Watchers tried to pacify Frank by giving him back his son and family, and the Hand did the same thing, as they successfully managed to control Frank - at least for a while - by bringing his wife back to life.
Giving the Punisher Something to Care for Is the Only Way to Control Him
It’s extremely hard to bargain or reason with the Punisher. If someone is a criminal, then the Punisher will kill them, even if it’s not in his best interests. The only way to control or pacify Frank Castle seems to be to give him his family back. By giving him something to lose, Frank will do everything he can to hold onto it again. The Hand is a brutal death cult that is responsible for the death of tens of thousands of people. Yetthe Punisherwas still willing to work with them, as they finally gave him something to actually live for.
The Punisher
Cast
The Punisher stars Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/The Punisher, who first appeared on Netflix’sDaredevil. Frank is a United States Marine Corps Scout Sniper veteran who is highly skilled in martial arts, stealth tactics, guerrilla warfare, and knows how to use a variety of weapons. The death of his wife and two children led him to take matters into his own hands, and he has been killing criminals indiscriminately ever since. Despite being beloved by fans,The Punisherwas canceled in early 2019. Thankfully for fans of Bernthal’s character, it was announced in 2023 that he would be joining the MCU by appearing inDaredevil: Born Again, starring Charlie Cox.
