Is Marvel About To Kill The Punisher?

Contains spoilers for "Punisher" #12

The Punisher is on the brink of death and fighting for his life in a first look at the grand finale of his ongoing series. Following real-life concerns, questions, and controversy about his logo and what it has come to represent, the Punisher has recently undergone significant changes, with Marvel Comics reinventing the character in a new miniseries in which the violent antihero becomes the Fist of the Beast for the Hand.

In exchange for the organization bringing his wife, Maria, back to life and promising to resurrect his murdered children, Frank Castle has transformed into a near-unrecognizable force of death. In fact, thanks to his new role, the Punisher is now the deadliest person in the Marvel Universe, even taking down Ares, the god of war. Despite the recent power upgrades and accomplishments on the battlefield, however, the Punisher finds himself more helpless than he's ever been.

In the upcoming "Punisher" #12, Castle lies bloodied on the ground after being betrayed and shot by his wife. Instead of helping him, the Archpriestess of the Hand loses faith in the Fist of the Beast and watches him die, calling out his failure while telling his army not to save him. Marvel sure seems to be setting up the Punisher's death.

The Punisher's deal with the Hand to become its high slayer in exchange for Maria's life has come back to bite him in a major way. In "Punisher" #11, Maria is shown every kill Castle has ever done. Overwhelmed by what he has become, she shoots him while telling him he died the same day she and their children did. The issue ends with a cliff-hanger, with Maria firing another shot at Castle. Now, Marvel is revealing if the bullet struck him.

In "Punisher" #12, as seen in a ComicBook.com exclusive, Castle is near death when he is visited by the Archpriestess of the Hand, who influenced him to become the Fist of the Beast. She regains the trust of the Hand's foot soldiers, making them question whether Castle is really deserving of the powers that have been bestowed upon him and ordering them to defend the citadel from the Avengers, who will soon be at its gates.

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The Punisher tries to reach for a gun to shoot the Archpriestess, but she uses her tentacles to grab it. At the same time, she tells Castle he failed his final mission by refusing to kill, thus not adhering to his role as Fist of the Beast, and calls him out for being "shot down like a dog" by his own wife.

The Archpriestess then shows off her demon-like form while screaming at Castle for failing to live up to his end of the bargain after she's spent decades trying to transform him into the Fist of the Beast. The preview of "Punisher" #12 ends with the Archpriestess pointing a gun at the Punisher while she admits he needed to fall before he could truly rise, telling him she intends to bring him back from the dead and continue his transformation. Castle can't escape his deal with the Hand, even in potential death.

Things aren't looking good for Castle. Between his wife shooting him after discovering the truth about his role in the Hand, the Archpriestess threatening to kill him so he can be reborn, and the Avengers making their way to the citadel, it's hard to see how he'll make it out alive. There are numerous forces at play trying to defeat him, including some who want him dead. It's the unfortunate path Castle has created for himself — he succeeded in bringing his wife back from the dead, but at a tremendous cost of his own freedom and life.

It seems highly unlikely the Punisher will survive the grand finale of his 12-issue series, although if he does stick around, he might get another significant transformation. "Punisher" #12 by Jason Aaron, Jesús Saiz, Paul Azaceta, and Matt Hollingsworth from Marvel Comics is in comic book stores and online retailers on Wednesday, May 31.