The Punisher in the MC2

With the second and very likely last season of The Punisher now out on Netflix, it's as good a time as any to take a look at the character's appearances in the MC2 Universe.

Frank Castle makes his MC2 debut in the final pages of the Spider-Girl story published within Web of Spider-Man Vol. 2 #7 (or more accurately, the story was first released on the Marvel Digital Comics Unlimited service as Spectacular Spider-Girl Vol. 1 #11).

In the Spectacular Spider-Girl Vol. 2 #1 we learn what old man Frank has been up to. This is a back-to-basics pared-down version of The Punisher, as Frank notes himself in the opening pages.

This direction is particularly interesting because it allows readers to ignore some of the more outlandish or over the top adventures published over the years. Frank narrates via his War Journal that he was never the psychopathic vigilante who sought to eradicate crime, merely a soldier who declared war on the mob. It's an important distinction. With his mission finished, Castle had retired (more or less) to South America, stationing himself near drug traffickers to keep himself sharp. When news reaches him (thanks to a tip off from a certain crime lord) that the last of the mob, Silvio Barraca aka Silverback is attempting to become the new Kingpin of crime, Frank makes his return to New York (Spectacular Spider-Girl Vol. 2 #1).

We learn more about Frank's past with the Maggia (Marvel's answer to the real world Mafia) in Spectacular Spider-Girl Vol. 2 #2. Castle finished his war with the mob by crippling Silvio Barraca as a warning to others. With the Maggia finished, The Punisher disappeared. With the news of Silvio's return to power (thanks to his new exoskeleton) Castle makes his presence known to the seedy underbelly of New York, attempting to learn of Barraca's whereabouts.

When Spider-Girl finds herself staring down the barrel of The Punisher's gun, the two do battle until the fight is interrupted by Wild Card (more on him another time) and Castle is forced to change opponents. Knocking out Wild Card, Frank tracks down Silvio's enforcer Man Mountain Marko and engages him in hand-to-hand combat (Spectacular Spider-Girl Vol. 2 #3).

Having gained the advantage, Castle is attempting to 'convince' Marko to give up Silvio's location when he is stopped by The Black Tarantula, Silvio's rival for Kingpin. The Black Tarantula offers to trade Marko's life for Silvio's by giving Frank his target's location. When Frank offers instead to kill both Marko and The Black Tarantula, the crime lord reminds the old soldier of his mission's main objective (Spectacular Spider-Girl Vol. 2 #4).

However, upon arrival at Silvio's mansion, Frank finds himself in the midst of a full blown war between Silvio 'Silverback' Barraca, his men and his puppet master The Hobgoblin and the combined forces of the NYPD, The Warriors, American Dream, The Buzz and Spider-Girl. Castle once again finds himself in conflict with Spider-Girl before she is snatched up by the Hobgoblin, leaving Frank webbed to a chimney as the villains turn the tide in their favour (Spectacular Spider-Girl Vol. 2 #4).

Assessing the situation, Frank determines that the assembled heroes are outmanned and outgunned and, using a flash-bang grenade to free himself, launches a final assault on Barraca by lunging at the mob boss with a combat knife. Easily stopped by Silvio, Castle is mocked for bringing a knife to a super-fight as the crime lord begins to choke the life out of Frank. Castle inaudibly utters his last words as Barraca leans in closer to hear his enemy's dying words. Suddenly realizing, Barraca snaps Castle's neck as The Punisher shoots the last of the old mob dead. The Punisher has completed his mission and ended his war (Spectacular Spider-Girl Vol. 2 #4).

The MC2 depiction of The Punisher is honestly one of the best, giving us a straightforward and down to earth take on Frank Castle and his mission. I love his scarred, grey and haggard appearance, his stripped down iconic uniform complete with knee brace and his single-minded focus on completing his mission. This is one of my all-time favourite story-arcs. The art is gorgeous on all counts, the writing is sharp and on-point and the whole thing just culminates so perfectly.

Until I run out of pages in my War Journal, I remain

frogoat

Venom in the MC2

With the Venom movie in cinemas, I figured it would be the perfect time to shine a little light on the symbiotic Spider-Man foe within the MC2.

The symbiotic half of the villainous Venom makes their MC2 debut in Spider-Girl #5 wherein we learn it has been held in a S.H.I.E.L.D. Maximum Security Facility in Mount Athena, New York for over a decade. We also learn that Spider-Man was involved in the symbiote being separated from it's 'true' host Eddie Brock, who later died leaving it alone and hungry for revenge.

When the symbiote learns of the existence of Spider-Girl, it breaks out the plexisteel container and seeks out another of it's former hosts to re-bond and control: Peter Parker.

After being defeated by Spider-Girl with the help of Phil Urich's sonic abilities, the symbiote is returned to it's confinement at Mount Athena. It would not be seen again in the MC2 until Spider-Girl #82 when Fury, the Goblin Queen crashes  Normie Osborn and Brenda Drago's engagement party and bonds the symbiote to Normie as a 'wedding gift'.

Despite the Fantastic Five's efforts, Spider-Girl is the last one standing against Venom and Fury until the vigilante Darkdevil intervenes, only to end up with a hole through the chest for his troubles.

 
The story continues in Spider-Girl #83 where Spider-Girl seeks the aid of the Avengers to track down Venom. When Mayday becomes frustrated with the Avengers approach, she dons her old black suit and recruits her 'Uncle' Phil Urich aka the heroic Green Goblin to pursue Fury while she confronts Venom.

The story concludes in Spider-Girl #84 where May leads Venom to a large bakery. Wise to Spider-Girl's plan, the symbiote is only stopped when Normie resists the alien's influence. Just as May is seemingly absorbed by the symbiote, Normie and May's combined willpower overpower the creature.

Despite May's assertions they should hand the symbiote over to the Avengers or Fantastic Five, Normie convinces her to let him keep the creature in the belief he can now control it.

Over the next several issues, Normie and the symbiote are seen working on something in secret, suggesting Normie may be slipping back into his former villainous ways. I think the page convey the story far better than I could.

Eventually things become clear in Spider-Girl #93 when a crime is interrupted by a figure riding a Goblin Glider...

However, Normie's choices aren't without a downside, as now Normie and his fiancé Brenda (who was working off her debt to society by working for the FBI's Agent Weadon) will now be in legal trouble again.

Obviously, creating several new super-weapons for the Green Goblin and harbouring a fugitive alien symbiote leads to Normie being confronted by the Avengers in Spider-Girl #94 on Tony Stark's orders. Things go awry when Tony's 'bodyguard' (actually a cyborg James Rhodes, see here) goes haywire after being hit by a hex from the Scarlet Witch.

 Proving to be instrumental in ending Rhodes rampage, Normie declares he is turning himself over to his fiancé Brenda, who is herself a government agent (Spider-Girl #95).

In Spider-Girl #96 Normie meets with Agent Weadon and his team to offer his services and negation terms. We learn that Normie plans to trade his services in exchange for a full pardon for Brenda (Spider-Girl #97). Despite projecting confidence and demonstrating control over the symbiote to Weadon and his fiancé, Normie privately confides in his personal assistant (Kristy Watson) that he is relying on her to keep him in check and-should he lose control- contact Spider-Girl to destroy him.

Later while sparring with Kaine, Normie and the symbiote are alerted to the threat posed to Spider-Girl by the Brotherhood of Scriers and their agent, the original Hobgoblin. Soon after, Spider-Girl and Normie discover several allies brutally beaten; including fiancé Brenda Drago (Spider-Girl #98).

After frantically rushing Brenda and the others to the hospital, Normie heads out to help bring down the Hobgoblin (Spider-Girl #99).

The various threads of the ongoing plots in the series come together when Mayday is stabbed by a Scrier's poisoned blade and on the verge of death. Normie aids Kaine in driving off (and apparently killing some of) the Scriers before using the symbiote to heal May's wounds and absorb all the venom (Spider-Girl #100).

Still too weak to carry on alone and losing an internal struggle against her own demons, May is given new hope by Normie who offers the symbiote to her. Normie tells May he has banished the  'Venom' persona that corrupted the symbiote, returning it to it's original state. The symbiotic other will only feed off the emotions of it's host, whether for good or evil (Spider-Girl #100).

Strengthened by bonding with the symbiote, May heads off the find the Hobgoblin. As a parting gift, the symbiote 'cleansed' Normie, removing his scars and hateful tattoos (Spider-Girl #100).

 

May finds the Hobgoblin battling her father and intervenes to save him, only for the symbiote to be driven off by the Hobgoblin's sonic device. Instead of fleeing, the symbiote continues attacking the Hobgoblin in an attempt to save May and Peter. The symbiote dies in an act of self-sacrificial redemption, with May revealing the symbiote learned these values from Normie. We learn soon after that Normie felt his symbiotic 'other' die (Spider-Girl #100).

The symbiotes death spurs Mayday on to defeat the Hobgoblin in a one on one fight. Despite the symbiotes death, she would appear one last time in Amazing Spider-Girl #29. We learn that before his death Eddie Brock was hired by Norman Osborn. Osborn used cell samples from the symbiote to transform a cloned infant May into a hybrid which possessing both the alien's abilities and spider-powers. Norman planned to use the hybrid clone in an elaborate plan against Spider-Man. After Norman's unexpected death, this hybrid would lay dormant for years until awakened and eventually taking the name April Parker aka Mayhem. But that's a story for another time...

The Venom symbiote made a large impact on the MC2 Universe and had, in my opinion one of the best character arcs in the Spider-Girl series coupled and interwoven with Normie's own arc of redemption. Who'd have thought a black blobby creature from outer space could move you to tears?

Until I stop delving deep into gooey MC2 lore, I remain

frogoat