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A sneak peek at the upcoming finale of Jason Aaron’s The Punisher promises Frank Castle will be “Punisher No More.” But, if Castle is no longer the Punisher, then who…or what…is he? Judging by the looks of Jesus Saiz’ cover for The Punisher #12, it may not be pretty.
Punisher No More!
Jason Aaron’s current run has not been easy for Frank Castle. The series kicked off with the titular character adopting a new skull design and taking over as the leader of The Hand. When Aaron’s series launched, Castle and his alter ego had been noticeably absent from the Marvel Universe for quite some time. According to BleedingCool, this is because of concern Marvel had around Black Lives Matter protests. Plus, the use of the Punisher’s iconic skull as a symbol for January’s Capital Insurrection and other insurrectionist groups made the publisher weary.
In the end, Marvel decided to rebrand The Punisher and create a Castle-led series that wouldn’t draw such polarizing political attention. In fact, a potential title for a planned series was “Punisher No More”. However, the series ended up being called The Punisher and put Jason Aaron in charge of Castle’s next adventure. Now, the series is set to conclude in May with issue #12 and the phrase “Punisher No More” is being used to describe Castle’s fate in the series. But, if he isn’t the Punisher, what could Frank Castle possibly be?
What’s Next for the Marvel Hero?
Currently, the series is following Castle as he murders Ares…yes, the God of War from Greek Mythology. Then, like a certain video game, Castle assumes the role of God of War. Before we get to the finale, the issues for March and April promise a battle to stop Frank Castle and his new Godly status. This sees former enemies and allies of Castle trying to stop him. So, expect some great cameos by Captain America, Wolverine, Black Widow, Moon Knight, and even Doctor Strange.
Obviously, this is going to push Frank Castle into a new role within the Marvel Universe. With issue #12, an oversized finale for the limited series, promising a transformation for the Punisher, it is hard to tell what is in store for Castle. The only thing we know for sure is he will be Punisher No More!