The Punisher Is Marvel's New God of War (And It Was a Huge Mistake)

Frank Castle's battle with Ares is over, and the Punisher takes Ares' cape as Marvel's God of War, but it hurts both characters.

Warning: SPOILERs for Punisher #9.

Marvel Comics just made The Punisher the new God of War, and it was a huge mistake. Frank Castle's battle with Ares is over, and by killing the former Avenger, the Punisher takes on his mantle as Marvel's God of War, however it ends up hurting both characters.

The currently ongoing Punisher series brought major changes to Frank Castle's life, as he got himself recruited by the assassin cult known as the Hand in exchange for the resurrection of his wife Maria. It turns out that the High Priestess of the Hand had taken a fancy to Frank from an early age, seeing in him the chosen representative of the Beast, the demonic patron of the Hand. The Punisher thus became the Hand's master assassin, commanding its forces and sending them into his crusade to kill criminals all over the world. However, this provoked the ire of Ares and his followers, sparking an all-out battle between the Punisher and Ares.

The Punisher Kills Ares To Claim The Title Of God Of War

In Jason Aaron, Jesùs Saiz, and Paul Azaceta's Punisher #9, the followers of Hand and Ares clash on the battlefield while the two commanders go it alone. this The previous confrontation between the two did not end well for Frank, who barely survived, but now the Punisher has unlocked the full set of powers bestowed by the beast. The battle was as bloody as one might expect, but in the end, the Punisher killed Ares with a special bullet forged from a mysterious dagger. Seeing this, the followers of Ares knelt in front of Frank and called him "the new God of War".

This development was rather unexpected, as noted by Dr. Strange in his commentary on the battle news at the end of this issue. Ares is a god, a powerful one even by Marvel standards. What's more, the incident didn't do any of the characters any favors. Ares has just returned from the dead and is a hugely popular character with fans who still miss his time as an Avenger. The version seen in this series is more evil and savage, but this is also very suitable for God of War. The Punisher, on the other hand, should be a down-to-earth character whose appeal lies in a world far removed from the flashy costumes and impossible superpowers of the classic Marvel formula.

Marvel Wasted Ares' Return And Made The Punisher Too Powerful For His Own Good

Now, not only The Punisher has superpowers (which he has never successfully attempted in the past), but he also becomes more mysterious with each new problem. The title "God of War" is undoubtedly cool, but it didn't suit Frank, who became too powerful, as evidenced by his subsequent confrontation with Daredevil and the Fist in Daredevil #8, where the Punisher even rode A dragon goes into battle. It'll be interesting to see if the upcoming battle against the group of superheroes assembled to take down Frank brings The Punisher back to his roots, or if Frank Castle's reign as Marvel's God of War continues .

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