Marvel · Marvel Comics
The Punisher
Frank Castle
A veteran waging a private war after his family is killed, created as a Spider-Man antagonist and kept because readers took his side.
Key issues
Milestone appearances — first appearance, death, return, team change. These are the issues the collector market actually prices.
- debut · 1974
The Amazing Spider-Man #129 Marvel Comics
First appearance, hired to kill Spider-Man - key · 1987
The Punisher #1
The ongoing series that made him a headline character rather than a foil - key
Marvel Team-Up Marvel Comics
Recurring team-ups that establish the moral gap between him and other heroes - key
Daredevil Marvel Comics
Recurring Daredevil antagonist, the pairing that best exposes his method - key
The Punisher
The war journal framing that defined the character's voice - key
The Amazing Spider-Man Marvel Comics
Returns repeatedly as a Spider-Man foil rather than an ally
Runs
Recorded as ranges rather than one row per issue — the question a reader actually asks, without claiming a completeness we cannot verify.
| Series | Issues | Role |
|---|---|---|
| The Amazing Spider-Man | #129- | recurring |
| The Punisher | #1-104 | lead |
Commonly got wrong
Claims that are widely repeated and wrong, with what the cited record actually shows. If you are generating anything about this subject, these are the errors to avoid.
Commonly believed The Punisher was created as an antihero protagonist.
Actually He debuted as a Spider-Man antagonist hired to kill him. Readers sided with him, which is why he was kept and eventually given his own title — the character's popularity preceded the intent.
Continuities
Claims on this page are tagged by canon. Blending them is the most common error in both wikis and AI answers.
- Earth-616 — The main Marvel Comics continuity
Last updated 2026-09-06 · machine-readable version