Summary

• The new Punisher, Joe Garrison, is quickly establishing himself as a formidable character and is already facing more intense villains than Frank Castle did.
• In Punisher #3, Joe is on the run from the police and encounters a new villain named Fearmaster, whose powers involve a hallucinogenic toxin that preys on fear.
• Although Fearmaster is a new villain in the Earth-616 continuity, there was a different version of Fearmaster in the Punisher 2099 series, showcasing an interesting legacy for alt-reality Punisher villain.

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Punisher #3 While Frank Castle is the original Joe Garrison recently took over the Punisher mantle after Castle’s apparent death. With the release of his third issue, he’s already starting to collect some serious villains the likes of which Frank didn’t really face, including one who’s immediately terrifying.

In a preview for Punisher #3 by David Pepose and Dave Wachter, Joe Garrison is on the run from the police, as the Punisher is the prime suspect for the murders of his wife and kids. Garrison has just finished interrogating a crime boss who might have known something about his family’s death, and he’s now chasing the lead he painfully pulled from that interrogation. But first, the Punisher runs into an all-new villain: Fearmaster.

The Punisher is seemingly lured into Fearmaster’s lair in this preview, as he’s trying to take shelter after suffering serious injury. This all but confirms what the issue implies, as Fearmaster’s powers seem to lie in a hallucinogenic, mind-altering toxin that preys on her victim’s greatest fears. While the preview ends before readers can see the true impact it has on the Punisher, it’s safe to say that it won’t be pleasant.

Marvel Wastes No Time Giving The New Punisher Actual Super-Villains

Frank Castle’s Punisher didn’t really have super-villains. Sure, there were a few recurring eccentric bad guys like Jigsaw and Barracuda, but any super-villain the Punisher fought belonged to other superheroes, including the likes of Kingpin, Hammerhead, and Tombstone (all of whom are Spider-Man/Daredevil rogues). Frank Castle thrived in the more gritty storylines that shied away from super-villains, showing Castle taking down mob bosses and crime syndicates as opposed to colorful bad guys like the Green Goblin or Rhino.

Marvel’s new Punisher having an original super-villain at the start of the series is a refreshing change for the legacy character, and quickly establishes Joe Garrison’s status in the Marvel Universe. Joe Garrison’s Punisher series can and will feature more fantastical villains in a manner that is more in-line with the storylines of costumed superheroes as opposed to Frank Castle’s more gritty and realistic comics - and Fearmaster’s introduction establishes that immediately.

This Isn’t the First Time ‘Fearmaster’ Tormented the Punisher

While this version of Fearmaster is an original super-villain within Marvel Comics’ Earth-616 continuity, this isn’t the first ‘Fearmaster’ the Punisher has faced in the wider Marvel multiverse. In Punisher 2099, Jake Gallow’s Punisher is tormented by a villain named Darryl King, who is a vice president of Alchemax Corporation. When the Punisher’s barbaric - yet ultimately heroic - efforts start negatively impacting the company, King goes after him as his super-villain alter ego, Fearmaster. This version of the character has almost no resemblance to the Fearmaster shown in the Punisher #3 preview, but it’s an interesting legacy for an alt-reality Punisher super-villain.

Regardless of meta connections to other Punisher super-villains from across the multiverse, the fact that Fearmaster is introduced as a super-villain this early in the new Punisher’s continuity is incredibly exciting. It immediately separates Joe Garrison from Frank Castle while showing he will be fighting more classic super-villains unique to his solo series the likes of which the original Punisher never really did, meaning Marvel’s new Punisher already has better villains than Frank Castle with the introduction of Fearmaster.

Punisher #3 by Marvel Comics is available January 24, 2024.