I Don’t Care What You Say, The Punisher’s Most Brutal Kill Belongs to Wolverine

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The Punisher
is by far Marvel’s most brutally violent “hero.” His twisted sense of lethal justice is emboldened by the deep-seated rage that Frank Castle harbors below. Yet, despite how many horrifically gruesome deaths the Punisher inflicts on the criminally corrupt, I know one gut-wrenching murder that stands out among the rest. It’s slow, it’s deliberate, it’s torturous, and only the Wolverine could have done something to warrant this punishment.

In a post on the r/marvelcomics subreddit, user Rude_Pie636 reminded their fellow Marvel fans of what could be the most gruesome “death” in Marvel Comics. After a grisly string of mutilated people is discovered in New York City, the Punisher takes to the street to find the culprits behind the gruesome crimes.

Meanwhile, Wolverine overhears a group of men at a bar boasting about a similar series of crimes. When Punisher and Wolverine finally run into one another, the pair’s blistering hatred for each other turns into one of the most violently brutal brawls in Marvel Comics.

Punisher Steamrolls Wolverine Over a Grudge

The Punisher #16-17 (2002) – Written by Garth Ennis; Art by Darick Robertson; Color by Avalon’s Matt Milla; Lettering by RS & Comicraft’s Wes

For some immediate context, Frank and Logan don’t get along. Despite their similar grumpy and violent dispositions, Wolverine can’t let go of a single glaring difference between the two men –
the Punisher wants violence.
While Wolverine comes from a fairly bloody past himself, he tries to tame his inner animal. He actively surrounds himself with people he loves and wants to protect because of what he’s lost. To Logan, the Punisher has no substance but his desire to kill. He thinks Frank is a violent extremist who refuses to walk away from killing. Meanwhile, Frank thinks Logan is a hypocrite.

When the two finally meet, their interaction turns violent fast. Wolverine assumes Frank is behind the murders and lunges at his opponent. However, Logan isn’t faster than a shotgun and gets blasted in the face. In one of my legitimately
favorite looks for the X-Man
, Wolverine takes on the rest of the fight missing his face. He screams past his metallic skull, now determined to put Frank down. Wolverine briefly manages to gain the upper hand until the Punisher deals the lowest blow possible and clocks Wolverine straight in his adamantium “maple leaves,” before dousing the mutant in gasoline.

Frank Castle Doesn’t Save His Violence For Criminals

Even Vendettas Are Worth Being Punished, It Seems

So far in this story, neither Frank nor Logan has realized that neither man is the culprit.
The Punisher has no interest
in hearing the X-Man out before trying to kill him, unable or unwilling to back down. Frank Castle isn’t a good man, but he at least tries to channel his anger toward true evil. But to a man this insane, even something as small as a vendetta can blossom into a lethal affair with the Punisher. At this point, Frank doesn’t care if Logan did it or not. To the Punisher, this is personal.

They eventually discover that a mafioso crime family of little people were the culprits behind the mutilations. The gang admits to cutting off the legs of their competitors to lower the other gangs to their level. I admit, it’s a stupid twist, but let’s move on.
Frank incites Wolverine to kill
as many gangsters as possible. As the two make for their escape, the Punisher turns on Wolverine again, shooting Logan in the “maple leaves” a second time. Frank leaves Logan behind to be torn apart by the criminals while he uses the opportunity to unleash a storm of bullets.

Wolverine’s “Death” Is Unnecessarily Cruel and Horrifically Long

The Punisher’s Calm Composure Is Sinister

The Punisher holds nothing back, slaughtering the gang one by one. Once all that was left was bullet casings and body parts,
Wolverine crawls his way back
to the Punisher for a chance at retribution. Meanwhile, as the mutilated living corpse of Wolverine struggles across the ground, Frank gently contemplates how to stop the X-Man. I know it’s cool, but I find it sickening that after murdering a warehouse full of men, all Frank does is rub his chin in thought. This is casual to him. Frank has become so alienated that he can’t see the inhumanity of his callousness.

Without saying a word, Frank turns on a steamroller and aligns it toward Wolverine’s still mangled body. Wolverine calls Frank to stop. Logan threatens that no amount of torture will stop him from hunting down the Punisher. But Frank stays silent. Slowly, the steamroller
crawls toward Wolverine
, eventually butting up against his leg. Soon, Wolverine is painstakingly crushed as the steamroller eviscerates his comparatively squishy corpse. After the brutal affair ends, Frank just looks down at Wolverine’s protruding claws with little to say.

It’s Too Easy to Forgive the Punisher’s Violent Behavior

He May Be a Bad Person, But So Are Most of His Victims

Despite Frank Castle’s abject evil nature, we still find ourselves casually praising him because “at least he targets evil people.” Even when I admit his monstrous nature, there’s still the little piece in me that always chuckles, “They had it coming.” But what Frank did to Wolverine had no merit or reason. To watch a man scream in agony as he is crushed alive, without ever flinching or saying a word, is a separate level of cruel conviction that the anti-hero rarely gives his other victims. Nobody can convince me that there is any Punisher kill more brutal than Wolverine’s.

Source: Rude_Pie636

“}]] There is no slower or more crueler way to die.  Read More