Marvel Studios’ The Punisher: One Last Kill (co-written by and starring Jon Bernthal) is one of the most highly anticipated comic book projects of 2026. In a year that will produce Supergirl and Avengers: Doomsday, and with season 2 of Daredevil: Born Again recently ending, that says a lot. However, considering how much love fans have given Jon Bernthal, it’s not surprising.

Non-comic book fans don’t know much about The Punisher other than the fact that he fights a never-ending war against the worst people in existence. But how did that war start? What makes him an unstoppable killing machine? Is there more to him than murder? Before he returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this article highlights ten comic book stories that will give novice fans a better understanding of Frank Castle. Let’s start where it all began for him in Marvel Comics.

Amazing Spider-Man No. 129

Releasing all the way back in 1974, Amazing Spider-Man No. 129 marks the first appearance of The Punisher, and he gets the mother of all introductions by fighting Spider-Man. People unfamiliar with Frank Castle would assume this would be a one-sided fight, but it isn’t. He holds his own and shows that he will be around for a long time.

Considering that Bernthal’s Punisher will cross paths with Spidey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, this feels like a pretty appropriate read.

Punisher: Born

While our previous entry looked at his first Marvel Comics appearance, this is the origin story of the Punisher. It’s a dark story narrated by two people. One was a soldier under Frank’s care in Vietnam. The other is a dark entity tempting Frank with an unending war. Fans know how that story ends, but it also connects to why his family was murdered.

Punisher Max: In the Beginning

Punisher Max: In the Beginning is the first Max series in Garth Ennis’ 60-issue run of Punisher (64-four if you count Punisher: Born). This comic book highlights a lot of characters and storylines that will remain in Frank’s life throughout. It’s a must-read if you’re a fan of Punisher.

Welcome Back, Frank

After The Punisher abandoned his work with literal angels, he goes back to what he does best. Frank returns to New York and punishes the worst of the worst. Welcome Back, Frank highlights how creative and tough he is. It also has hilarious moments that can only be concocted by writer Garth Ennis and the late, great artist Steve Dillon.

The Punisher: Up Is Down and Black Is White

• Artist: Leandro Fernandez

If I had to pick one comic book to introduce fans to Frank Castle, it would probably be this one. One of The Punisher’s enemies does something unthinkable, and this leads to Frank going on a murder spree the likes of which he’s never done. But, beyond the killing, readers will see more of one of the most important people in Frank’s life, Kathryn O’Brien.

Punisher by Greg Rucka

Punisher by Greg Rucka focused heavily on the people in and around Frank Castle’s life. Among them are Journalist Norah Winters, Detectives Walter Bolt and Oscar Clemens, and, more importantly, Rachel Cole-Alves. The latter becomes the Punisher’s protege. Her story shows readers what it means to wage an unending war.

War of the Realms

On paper, Frank Castle shouldn’t be successful in a war with the Ten Realms. The Punisher may fight god-like beings, but battling with and against them and actual deities are two different things. Fortunately for Earth, the Punisher has more wartime experience than most, and his skills are a big part of Midgard surviving the War of the Realms.

The Punisher wasn’t the star or savior during the Marvel Comics crossover War of the Realms, but he was one of the three most important characters in the series. He adapted to the situation, led and organized various beings (with different personalities and abilities), and, as always, maintained his composure. It was a perfect example of how good and possibly underrated Frank Castle is.

Punisher Kill Krew

After the War of the Realms ended, Frank learned that some children were left without parents thanks to Malekith’s army. Rather than leave them unavenged, Castle traveled the Ten Realms to punish the beings who left children without parents. It led him to unlikely team-ups and driving a van led by one of Thor’s goats. It’s easily the most entertaining story on this list.

On a side note, before setting out on this journey, one of the orphans asks for pizza. So what does Punisher do? He takes them all to get pizza. Frank may have lost his family, but the father in him seems to never die.

The Punisher by Benjamin Percy

Benjamin Percy (Wolverine, X-Force, and Wade Wilson: Deadpool) is a master at writing gruesome stories with depth. That’s why it makes sense that he would do a fantastic job writing a couple of comic books starring Frank Castle. Punisher: Red Band was just the beginning. His current series is ongoing, but you can tell it will be epic by what’s happened in the first three issues.

Punisher: The End

It seemed fitting to conclude this with the “last” Punisher story. And it’s a fitting one, too. Because even at the end of the world, where nuclear bombs destroyed Earth, some people still need to be punished. I won’t spoil Frank Castle’s last kill, but it makes a lot of sense.

The question is: Who will be Frank Castle’s “last kill” in the MCU? We’ll find out when we watch the Disney Plus Special Presentation.

The Punisher: One Last Kill debuts on Disney Plus on May 12, 2026. Stay tuned to Bam Smack Pow’s social media pages on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitter for more.

This article was originally published on www.bamsmackpow.com as 10 Marvel Comics to help you understand Frank Castle before The Punisher: One Last Kill.