Frank Castle is one the deadliest persons in the Marvel Universe. His one, sometimes two, man war on crime has laid many a villain, pusher, and rapist in their shadowy graves. What most readers might not understand is that he has 'powers' like most other superheroes have. His powers are mainly due to his psychotic devotion to killing and his unquenched thirst for blood.
10. Franken-Castle
Sometimes, even Frank crosses the line. In the aftermath of the Dark Reign event in 2009, he was chopped into pieces by Wolverine's troubled son, Daken. Dismemberment would be the end for an average hero, but not our Frankie! He's pieced back together by Morbius and a few monster pals and takes up the moniker, Franken-Castle. With his new super strength, Castle continues his war on crime.
9. Penance Stare
One of Ghost Rider's most potent powers is his ability to make a villain feel all the pain they have caused each of their victims. It's a kind of super empathy, which leaves the villain catatonic or drained of life force. Frank's ability to resist this power lies in his absolute belief that his killing is the right thing. Sincere faith in yourself is a power of its own, and Frank Castle has it in spades.
8. Venom
The great thing about comics is that you get to see different universes, timelines, and alternate realities played out by some of your favorite characters. In What If vol. 2 number 44, we get to see what would have happened if the Punisher had received the Venom symbiote. His war on crime escalated to epic heights he kills Kingpin, before intervention from your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, Daredevil, and Moon Knight. The resulting mind battle between the symbiote and Frank leaves the suit under his control, and the group of heroes makes a tenuous exit.
7. Angel of Vengeance
After the decline of the trio of Punisher titles in '95, the character committed suicide and was raised from the dead to be an Angel of Vengeance. These powers allowed him to create any weapon he could imagine as an extension of himself. The series was a flop and critics and fans alike rejoiced when Garth Ennis returned the anti-hero in all of his glory in 2000.
6. Magic
In 2015 the Secret Wars storyline by Jonathan Hickman played out a fan's dream. What if all the Earth's from each reality combined and fought? As a by-product of this flipping of reality, Frank Castle acquired the ability to use magic to dispense his justice. Unlike his angelic powers, Castle accepted the mantle of Sorcerer Supreme. Allowing him to use each of the talents we associate with Dr. Stephen Strange.
5. War Machine Armor
In the currently running issues of The Punisher by Matthew Rosenberg, Frank is allowed the privilege to wear the War Machine armor. Nick Fury is stuck in a bind and goes to the one soldier he knows can complete the mission. Let off his chain with the suit; Castle makes war on criminals and terrorists alike. Rockets, missiles, chain guns, and even knives are at his disposal in the suit.
4. Supervillain tech
In 2009 Frank squared off against the mystical villain known as The Hood. The Hood is a criminal who uses a mystic cloak to project energy and teleport. When Castle realizes he can't defeat him with the weapons he has, he decides to rob the Avengers vault. Inside Frank finds not only tech unused by the primary Avengers team, but pieces confiscated from a plethora of supervillains.
3. 2099 Punisher
As a failed attempt to jumpstart lagging sales, Marvel produced the 2099 universe in the late 90's. In 2099 a man named Jake Gallows is obsessed with Frank Castle. When his own family is murdered, Gallows takes up the mantle of The Punisher and continues the work started by Castle. A bonus, Gallows works for the judicial system and has access to several of the magical and technical weapons of the 20th century.
2. Tactician
When he's in a sticky situation, Frank Castle knows how to worm his way out. It's a trope that each superhero has, but Castle has an impressive and tactical solution for every situation. His training in the Marine Corps taught him to recognize and disable traps, as well as create them. Outsized, outgunned and outnumbered Frank makes quick and deadly decisions that rival the tactical skills of Steve Rogers or Rocket Raccoon.
1. Drive
In each version of the Punisher character that we see there is always the same drive to mete out justice one .45 round at a time. While in Vietnam, Frank learned to harness this drive and use it in his war against the Vietcong. He was a respected and dedicated Captain that took the safety of his soldiers as a primary objective. After the death of his family, Castle used the hate and hurt inside himself to war against organized crime. This drive allows him to marshal his senses better, resist pain, resist to tiring, and be an effective marksman.
What speaks the most volume about The Punisher is has fan appeal. Every one of the powers that Frank has had the treat to use was something that fans could only dream of. An active fanbase like The Punishers is what keeps the title relevant today when the superhero genre is exploding. It's great to see writers like Becky Cloonan and Matthew Rosenberg show Castle face off against superpowered foes and escape by the grit of his teeth. One thing is for sure, the fans of the character will keep him going well into the next decade.
