Warning: contains spoilers for Punisher #4!
Marvel's Punisher has finally reunited with his dead wife after many years - but the company may simply exchange one outdated trope concerning female characters with another. Frank Castle is known for his one-man crusade against criminals, the vicious and violent manner in which he dispatches said criminals, and his deep, inner sadness stemming from the tragic murder of his family. But in Punisher #4, Castle's current story will inexorably lead to Maria Castle becoming yet another example of the sexist "women in refrigerators" trope.
Frank Castle was an ordinary man until his wife and children were tragically murdered in a mob hit gone wrong. He's since reinvented himself into the Punisher, a violent vigilante who differentiates himself from other superheroes by ruthlessly killing all criminals he comes across. As such, the Punisher doesn't have the wide roster of villains possessed by other superheroes - but this changes with his newest villain: Ares, the Greek God of War.
In Punisher #4, written by Jason Aaron with art by Jesus Siaz and Paul Azaceta, the Punisher is operating as the High Slayer of the Hand, a clandestine organization often at odds with the likes of Daredevil and the Iron Fist. The High Priestess has Frank in her employ thanks to her resurrection of Maria Castle, the Punisher's wife. Unfortunately, Maria isn't thrilled with her new lease on life. "This is wrong," Maria continues to claim, wondering why she doesn't feel safe around the Hand's compound.
When the High Priestess murders the families of two ninjas to ensure their loyalty, Frank decides it's time to leave the compound along with Maria. Knowing the Punisher's luck, his wife is only being kept alive by the good graces of the Priestess; either the magic she used will wear off or she will simply flip a proverbial switch to kill her. This makes Maria less of a character and more of a plot device; she has little to no agency in the storyline and will most likely not live beyond the run.
The "woman in refrigerators" trope was codified by writer Gail Simone in response to the growing number of female characters killed solely to inspire the male protagonist. The trope was so named for the infamous event in Green Lantern #54 when Kyle Rayner found his girlfriend murdered and stuffed into his home fridge; it appears that Frank Castle will soon experience the same tragic situation. The Punisher was already shaped by one instance of the Woman in Refrigerators trope, and now he's about to experience it all over again.
The Punisher #4 is available now from Marvel Comics.