Frank Castle has always been a fan-favorite Marvel character. Recently, he’s seen a surge in popularity as the Punisher, thanks to the live-action Daredevil and The Punisher TV series. Punisher remains a complicated character thanks to his brutal approach to protecting justice. This penchant for extreme violence makes him more of an anti-hero than an actual hero.
Due to his ruthless tactics, Punisher has been in countless altercations with several other Marvel and DC heroes. While his methods have proven effective at times, Frank hasn’t won every battle. Still, even in defeat, Punisher has proven himself a worthy foe.
Updated July 18, 2022, by Anthony Jeanetta. Frank Castle is in the spotlight once more thanks to his new Marvel comic series from Jason Aaron. This list is updated to include more heroes Punisher would struggle to contain and more he could handle.
15 Beaten: Spider-Man is One of Punisher’s First Foes
The Punisher first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #129. Initially a full-blown villain, he was sent to kill New York’s friendly neighborhood Web-Head. It wasn’t until later that Frank would transition and become an anti-hero. Although he failed to kill Spider-Man, Frank encountered the Wall Crawler several times going forward.
Spider-Man nd Punisher have found themselves allies about as often as they’ve been opponents. The two have traded rounds, with Punisher and Spider-Man each winning different skirmishes. While Frank hasn’t come out on top every time he crosses Spider-Man, he’s certainly won his fair share of conflicts.
14 Can’t Beat: Batman’s Might Proves Too Much
Even though Batman isn’t a Marvel character, he and Punisher have fought each other in the past. During the DC/Marvel crossover, Punisher/Batman: Deadly Knights storyline, the two battle it out. Bruce and Frank fight, team up, then fight again due to a conflict in their ideologies.
During their second fight, Batman decidedly handles Punisher. Frank comes to this melee already wounded, but he still puts up a fight before realizing there’s no way he can defeat the Dark Knight. In the end, Batman easily tosses the injured Frank aside with a condescending, “don’t test me, Castle.”
13 Beaten: The Merc With A Mouth Has Lost To Frank
Deadpool is an incredibly challenging character to take down. Wade Wilson is guaranteed to bounce back thanks to his remarkable healing powers. Despite this extraordinary ability, Deadpool proves no match for the Punisher, at least during their first meeting in Deadpool vs. Punisher #1.
In this issue, Deadpool and Punisher unwittingly stumble into the same location as Wade tries to save members of the party Frank’s trying to kill. Wade quickly decides the two have no choice but to battle it out. Ultimately, Punisher knocks Deadpooldown long enough for him to walk away from the talkative assassin.
12 Can’t Beat: Daken Is A Worthy Adversary
In the past, Frank managed to take down Wolverine, but Logan’s son proved a tougher challenge. Similar his father, Daken boasts two claws from his knuckles and one from his wrist. Over the years, he’s been an on-and-off-again villain, but he consistently maintains a much darker drive than even Wolverine.
During his initial altercation with the Punisher, Daken nearly kills him. Engaging Frank head-on, Daken wounds him in a way even the Wolverine can’t. In Dark Reign: The List — Punisher, at the behest of Norman Osborn, Daken kills Castle by cutting him to pieces. While the Punisher would soon be pieced back together, his defeat against Daken remains one of his most significant losses.
11 Beaten: Daredevil Has Fought Frank As Much As Anyone
Thanks to the popular Daredevil TV series, many people are familiar with Daredevil and Punisher’s relationship. The two are just as intertwined in the comics. In comics canon, they’ve met for as many team-ups as they’ve had one-on-one battles. Like Spider-Man, Daredevil comes out on top about as much as Frank beats him.
A specific example of a time Punisher prevailed came from the rooftop scene in Season 2 of Daredevil. This scene was pulled straight from the pages of Welcome Back, Frank by Garh Ennis and Steve Dillon. Even the dialogue in the TV adaptation resembled their conversation in the comics. Punisher knocked Daredevil unconscious and then taped a gun to his hands, forcing Matt Murdock to choose between shooting Frank or watching him execute a man.
10 Can’t Beat: Iron Man/War Machine’s Armor Is Too Strong For Punisher’s Guns
For a brief time, Punisher operated the War Machine armor. In The Punisher #218, Nick Fury Jr. recruited Frank for a mission and gave him the means to locate the War Machine armor, which the government had locked in a “secure” facility at the time. After finding and capturing the armor, Punisher became virtually indestructible. With this newly acquired firepower, Frank went on a devastating rampage. Eventually, he caught Tony Stark’s attention.
Soon Punisher and Iron Man met for a one-on-one showdown. Tony attempted to confiscate the War Machine armor, but Frank prevailed. It wasn’t until James Rhodes, the original War Machine, appeared that Punisher finally stopped fighting. The two men bonded over their shared time in the military, and after a heart-to-heart, Frank relinquished the armor. While he fended off Iron Man, technically, this encounter proved a loss for Punisher. Without the War Machine armor, Frank wouldn’t have stood a chance against Iron Man’s full might.
9 Beaten: Wolverine Has Been Humiliated By Frank Before
Given his willingness to dish out brutal justice, it would seem Wolverine was ideally suited to defeat Frank Castle. However, when the two came head-to-head, the Punisher overpowered Wolverine in a particularly humiliating manner. In Punisher #17, Frank and Logan worked together to take down a mob boss and his crew. During their mission, Punisher turned on his mutant ally and shot him in the crotch.
After this southern strike, Frank trapped Wolverine by pinning his legs to the ground. But Punisher didn’t use this attack solely to embarrass Logan; there was a strategy behind it. Castle knew the targeted area was the one place in Wolverine’s body that wasn’t reinforced with adamantium. Having incapacitated Logan, Frank completed his mission free from his companion’s meddling.
8 Can’t Beat: Hulk’s Strength Is Too Much For Punisher
Some opponents are just too big and powerful for Frank to take down. Such is the case for the Hulk. The character’s sheer size and incredible strength make him nearly impossible to trap or even slow down.
During the World War Hulk storyline, Hulk returns to Earth with an army of his own and a brand-new level of anger. At one point, Punisher takes a shot at the green giant but deals virtually no damage. While Frank manages to survive the Hulk’s rampage, his bullets bounce off Hulk’s irradiated skin and have no tangible effects on the giant.
7 Beaten: The Sentry Is Powerful But Still Loses
In the comics, Punisher’s fight versus Sentry comes at the behest of Norman Osborn, who’s currently amassing might and leading The Dark Avengers. One of the most powerful members of this team is Sentry, a powerful villain with nearly God-like abilities.
When Frank attempts to assassinate Norman, Sentry immediately turns his sights on the gun-toting vigilante. During their battle, Frank keeps Sentry at bay long enough for the most powerful beings in the Marvel Universe to escape. In hindsight, Punisher stops Sentry from achieving his goal, making it a win for Castle.
6 Can’t Beat: Fellow Veteran Captain America Is A Deserving Rival
Even though it may seem out of character, Punisher is a huge fan of Captain America. Frank admires Steve Rogers, and it’s Cap’s example that inspires Castle to join the military himself. While Frank’s story is undoubtedly darker than Steve’s, Punisher remains a supporter of the legendary soldier.
As a long-time admirer, Punisher refused to fight Captain America. During Marvel’s original Civil War, Steve began beating Frank, believing he had nearly killed Spider-Man. Instead of fighting back, Punisher stood and let Cap deck him. When Steve asked Frank why he wasn’t defending himself, Punisher explained he would never fight against Captain America.
5 Beaten: Luke Cage’s Bulletproof Skin Isn’t Enough To Beat Punisher
Luke Cag, recently seen in his live-action Netflix series, becomes a powerful street-level hero. Cage is extraordinarily strong, has indestructible skin, and possesses street smarts gained from a life taking on crime in the inner city. In Matthew Rosenberg’s 2018 The Punisher, Luke Cage and Frank Castle come face-to-face.
He comes face-to-face with Frank Castle i.
Frank attempts to flee a crime scene in a van, but Luke stands in his way, demolishing the getaway vehicle. After Cage grabs him, Punisher unloads his pistol on Luke at point-blank range, but this does nothing more than irritate his opponent. Shifting gears, Frank drops a grenade down Cage’s shirt. The grenade doesn’t harm Luke, but it takes him out of the fight.
4 Can’t Beat: Molly Hayes Super Strength Catches Frank Off Guard
This defeat ranks among Frank Castle’s most embarrassing. In Marvel’s Runaways #26, the titular group of teenage superheroes find themselves in the Punisher’s crosshairs. With Frank holding two guns to these young heroes, they question whether he’ll actually kill children.
In typical Punisher fashion, Castle shrugs away this line of questioning, noting he’s done so in the past. Then, after a few insults, Molly Hayes steps forward and punches Frank in his gut. Powered with superhuman strength, Molly hits Punisher so hard he doubles over in pain, and the Runaways escape.
3 Beaten: Ghost Rider’s Magical Properties Can’t Top Punisher
As two of Marvel’s most popular characters in the 1990s, Ghost Rider and Punisher have met many times, beginning with Ghost Rider #5. In this first introduction, the two team up to take down a drug-dealing Flag Smasher. With supernatural powers and durability, Johnny Blaze the Ghost Rider proves an imposing force.
In 2014’s Thunderbolts #29, the two met again for a long-awaited showdown. The Punisher attacked Ghost Rider with a mystical sword, but it didn’t go as planned. Ghost Rider attempted to use his Penance Stare to break Frank’s mind. As he had no regrets, Punisher was unphased by this special attack. Frank took advantage of his adversaries surprise, grabbed hold of Ghost Rider’s chains, and used them against the demonic being.
2 Can’t Beat: Shocker Delivers An Electric Defeat
One of Punisher’s more shocking defeats came at the hands of Herman Shulz, aka Shocker. Long known as a C-list Spider-Man villain, Shocker used self-made gauntlets to deal powerful shock waves to his enemies. Comics often depicted him taking heavy losses at Spider-Man’s hands, which made his confrontation with Punisher both surprising and amusing.
In The Superior Foes of Spider-Man #17, Frank Castle is fighting a group of mobsters during a gang war. During this battle, Shocker arrives in his quilted dune buggy, the Shocker-Mobile, and manages to take down Punisher. This knockout temporarily makes Shocker the head of the Maggia crime family.
1 Beaten: The Thing Doesn’t Do A Thing Against Punisher
In Marvel Universe v. The Punisher, a plague descends upon the Earth, turning everyone it touches into a cannibalistic predator. Notable heroes infected include, Spider-Man, the Hulk, and the Thing. Despite Punisher’s talent for killing, Thing presents unique challenges due to his rock-solid skin, which makes him almost indestructible.
Because of the Thing’s tough exterior, Punisher has to get creative. Showing his Batman-like prowess for planning and preparation, Frank shoots an armor-piercing missile into the building where Thing lives, killing him. This kill is especially impressive given Thing’s nearly impenetrable skin has perplexed powerful foes like Dr. Doom.
