In a recently resurfaced public service announcement published in the pages of Marvel Comics, the Punisher threatens to murder drunk drivers. This PSA, created by an unspecified artist sometime in the late 1980s/early 1990s, shows Frank Castle taking his mission to punish criminals to its extreme. The ad, while in poor taste, recalls the character at the height of his popularity, before various controversies surrounding the characters led Marvel to rethink the character.
Since his first appearance in 1974’s The Amazing Spider-Man #129 by Gerry Conway and Ross Andru, the Punisher has been one of Marvel’s most controversial characters. A former Marine who embarked on a one-man war against crime after his family was gunned down by mobsters, the Punisher went from a one-off Spider-Man villain to being one of Marvel’s most popular characters in the late 1980s. While the character no longer enjoys the sales levels of his heyday, he has still anchored a number of solo books, from creators such as Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon, Greg Rucka and Becky Cloonan. However, in recent years, the Punisher and his logo have been co-opted by far-right hate groups, which has led to frank discussions about the character and his role in the Marvel Universe. Some feel that the Punisher has no place being called a “hero” when his mission leads him to kill people on the regular, but others point out that, in the proper context, he can be a compelling character. But a resurfaced PSA shows the Punisher at what might be his most ruthless and ignores what makes him great.
The public service announcement, published by Marvel at an unspecified point in the late 1980s/early 1990s, shows the Punisher standing behind a bar, steely expression on his face, with his gun pointed at the reader. Cigarettes, empty beer bottles and spilled drinks litter the bar, and a sign proclaims specials for designated drivers. But perhaps most jarring is the text, where the Punisher proclaims: “Remember, drinking and driving is not only dangerous, it’s against the law. You know what I do to lawbreakers.” No artist is credited for the illustration.
Comic books and public service announcements have long histories together. Comics have been used to raise awareness on a variety of issues—drug and alcohol abuse among them. While Marvel meant well with the PSA, it is in poor taste. Drunk driving is a serious problem, but the Punisher’s solution is not the way forward. The Punisher has killed a lot of people during his day, including some of the most violent criminals imaginable, but putting a drunk driver in the same category as people who commit violent crimes is a stretch.
The public service announcement also recalls the controversies surrounding the character. As mentioned earlier, the Punisher’s distinctive skull logo has been co-opted by the Blue Lives Matter movement, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from many sectors. Gerry Conway, one of the character’s creators, has asked Marvel to take legal action to keep groups from using the logo. Conway and others feel that law enforcement agencies adopting the symbol of a cold-blooded killer is counterproductive, not to mention in bad taste.
And bad taste is the problem with the Punisher’s drunk-driving public service announcement. It highlights everything that is wrong with the character and ignores the elements that make him dynamic and compelling.