| Punisher | |
|---|---|
The Punisher robot attacks the Silver Surfer, with Galactus in background. Fantastic Four #74 (May 1968). Cover art by Jack Kirby & Joe Sinnott. |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Fantastic Four #49 (April 1966) |
| Created by | Stan Lee & Jack Kirby |
| In-story information | |
| Team affiliations | Heralds of Galactus Frightful Four |
| Abilities | Superhuman Strength, Speed and Durability Self-Repair Force Field Generation |
The Punisher is a fictional character that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Fantastic Four #49 (April 1966), and was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist and co-plotter Jack Kirby.
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A robot created by the cosmic entity Galactus, the Punisher is used against a number of opponents, including the superhero team the Fantastic Four[1] and Galactus' former herald, the Silver Surfer.[2] At one stage, the extraterrestrial Colonizers of Rigel find the Punisher and reprogram it, using the robot against the heroes Iron Man and Jack of Hearts.[3] Galactus later retrieves the Punisher and uses it to defend his vessel from an attack by the Elders of the Universe and the cosmic entity the In-Betweener. The In-Betweener, however, apparently destroys the Punisher with a lethal blast.[4]
The Punisher later battles the Silver Surfer, who defeats the robot by altering its programming.[5] The villain the Wizard later finds the Punisher adrift in space and reprograms it to serve as part of the supervillain team the Frightful Four.[6] The Punisher fights the Fantastic Four but is eventually defeated.
Galactus uses several dozen Punishers against the Titan Thanos. While several Punishers distracted Thanos, the remaining robots steal the Soul Gem and destroy Thanos' vessel, Sanctuary.[7]