The Punisher famously murders those whom he deems worthy of such a brutal fate in the name of vigilante justice. Most of the time, that means street-level criminals who push drugs, engage in human trafficking, and murder other people. But sometimes the Punisher’s cruel justice extends to the superhuman community.
The Punisher has attempted to assassinate well-known super-villains like Norman Osborn and the Jackal (among many others) in the past, demonstrating that he isn’t afraid to target any evildoers, regardless of their power level. That also means that the Punisher could just as easily target superheroes if they deserved it.
Interestingly, many superheroes have already crossed that proverbial line into the territory of being the Punisher’s potential target. Some of them did so in alternate realities, while others are arguably worthy of the Punisher’s wrath in the prime continuity of Earth-616. Here are seven superheroes the Punisher deserves to kill!
7
Cyclops
Cyclops is one of those heroes whom many fans liken to a Boy Scout. He’s a committed leader whose moral compass is unwavering, making him perhaps the last person one would expect to be targeted by the Punisher. However, that cannot be said for Cyclops’ Age of Apocalypse variant.
In the Age of Apocalypse timeline, Cyclops works for Apocalypse and Mr. Sinister, killing and kidnapping mutants who dare stand against the totalitarian regime established by En Sabah Nur. In other words, Cyclops becomes a mutant Nazi, making him more than worthy of the Punisher’s wrath.
6
Colossus
Colossus is another X-Men hero who has continuously proven his heroism by standing up for what’s right in the face of overwhelming adversity. However, that cannot be said for every version of Colossus in the multiverse, including and especially his variant from Earth-6160, aka the Ultimate Universe.
In the new Ultimate Universe, Colossus is a member of the Maker’s Council, which is a shadow organization that secretly rules the world, and Colossus’ territory (over which he rules) is arguably the cruelest to its people. The Punisher would certainly think this Colossus needs to go.
5
Iceman
Yet another X-Men hero, Iceman was one of the founding members of the mutant superhero team, and continued his heroic crusade throughout his extensive Marvel Comics history. However, just like the previous X-Men heroes, Iceman isn’t a superhero in every universe. Far from it, in fact.
In the Age of Apocalypse continuity, Iceman is an undercover villain who betrays his mutant resistance friends to Apocalypse in exchange for riches. This Iceman is worse than a villain; he’s a traitor. And his actions would absolutely warrant a not-so-friendly visit from the Punisher.
4
Scarlet Witch
Scarlet Witch has a bad reputation as a Marvel Comics villain, when in fact, she’s portrayed as a hero far more often. Scarlet Witch fought on the Avengers team for decades, and actively turned against Magneto when she realized his mission wasn’t righteous, but villainous.
However, there was one thing someone like the Punisher might not be able to forgive: M-Day.
Scarlet Witch used her reality-warping powers to effectively cause a mutant genocide. Not only was that act more than worthy of punishment from Frank Castle, but that display of power is so terrifying that someone like the Punisher wouldn’t be able to risk it happening again.
3
Ant-Man
Hank Pym, aka the original Ant-Man, is a founding Avenger and a committed superhero. However, there are times in his checkered past that would deem him worthy of the Punisher’s wrath.
Perhaps the worst crime Ant-Man committed was the creation of Ultron, as evidenced by comics that reveal the catastrophic impact the villain has on the world at large. The Punisher could absolutely use Ultron as an excuse to kill Pym, but that’s not the only reason.
Hank Pym infamously used to physically and verbally abuse his wife, Janet Van Dyne. There are countless examples of the Punisher killing street-level criminals for committing that exact crime, let alone someone who also created a killer AI, putting Ant-Man firmly on Frank’s hit list.
2
Hulk
Despite being an Avenger, Hulk is often considered a dangerous threat to the entire world by the superhero community. Most of the time, he’s a superhero. But in some stories, the Hulk might as well be a villain. That’s true in one story more than any other: World War Hulk.
While his reasons were justified enough to get a pass from Ghost Rider, the Hulk still waged war on the entire planet during World War Hulk. The death and destruction created by the Hulk’s collateral damage were immense, and more than someone like the Punisher should be able to forgive.
1
Wolverine
Wolverine is famously the best there is at what he does, and what he does is implied to be murder. Wolverine proved as much when he was under the control of the Weapon X Program, killing countless people all over the world, some of whom were innocent.
Brainwashed or not, Wolverine’s past crimes are gruesome enough to warrant the murderous attention of the Punisher, as they are evidence of Wolverine’s capacity to commit unspeakable atrocities, and that’s good enough for someone like the Punisher to justify killing him.
