Thorn (Marvel Comics)

Thorn

Thorn on the cover of The Punisher War Zone Annual Vol. 1, #2 (September 1994)
Art by Dale Eaglesham
Publication information
Publisher Marvel Comics
First appearance The Punisher War Zone Vol. 1, #1 (March 1992)
Created by Chuck Dixon (writer)
John Romita Jr. (artist)
In-story information
Alter ego Salvatore Carbone
Species Human Mutate
Place of origin Earth-616
Team affiliations Carbone Family
Notable aliases Sal
Abilities Immunity to pain

Thorn also known as Salvatore "Sal" Carbone is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Primarily an enemy of the Punisher, the character exists within Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe. Created by writer Chuck Dixon and artist John Romita Jr., the character first appeared in The Punisher War Zone Vol. 1, #1 (March 1992).

Publication history

Thorn debuted as Salvatore "Sal" Carbone in The Punisher War Zone Vol. 1, #1. Given superhuman abilities and amnesia by a near-death experience in The Punisher War Zone Vol. 1, #3, the character rechristened himself "Thorn" in The Punisher War Zone Vol. 1, #5.

Thorn received a profile in Marvel Encyclopedia #5, and a card ("Punisher vs. Thorn") in Series IV of the Marvel Universe Cards.[1]

Fictional character biography

Wanting to eliminate the Carbones, a crime family situated in Brooklyn, the Punisher infiltrated the group with the aid of a petty criminal named Mickey Fondozzi. The Carbones were led by Julius, whose second in-command was his brother, Salvatore.[2] While Julius welcomed Mickey and the Punisher (who had adopted the alias "Johnny Tower") into the organization, Sal disliked the two, and was suspicious of their motives, correctly assuming that they were sabotaging the Carbones' operations.[3]

Needing leverage to get Sal off of their backs, Mickey and the Punisher spied on him, and discovered that he was consorting with rival Asian gangsters. Enraged by Sal's treachery, Julius ordered Mickey and the Punisher to dispose of him, so the two drugged Sal and drove him out to New Jersey. Due to his frequent narcotics usage, Sal was able to resist the drugs he was given and tried to flee, but fell through the ice of a frozen lake. Believing Sal to have perished, Mickey and the Punisher left.[4]

Sal survived, and regained consciousness in a hospital, which he escaped from.[5] Recalling nothing about his past other than vague details about the people who had tried to kill him, Sal robbed and murdered a man, and began making his way to La Isla de Tiburones Durmientes, which was where Julius's daughter was about to marry a Sicilian mobster. When a motorist he had flagged down asked him what his name was, Sal, unable to remember, replied with Thorn, a word he had glimpsed on a billboard.[6]

After swimming to La Isla de Tiburones Durmientes, Thorn ran amok, killing his niece's fiancé and Julius, among others. The Punisher put a stop to Thorn's rampage by shooting him repeatedly, and knocking him into the ocean.[7][8] Thorn recovered, and sometime later murdered a trio of drug dealers for their car, which he drove to New York. Thorn found and attacked Mickey and the Punisher, but the fight was interrupted by the boss of the dealers Thorn had killed. After massacring the head dealer and his underlings, Thorn and the Punisher continued their brawl, which ended when the Punisher threw Thorn off of a bridge, and onto a moving truck. The truck brought Thorn to New Jersey, and he was last seen wandering Newark.[9]

Powers and abilities

For unexplained reasons, nearly dying in a frigid lake has left Thorn unable to feel pain, allowing him to sustain severe injuries, such as multiple gunshots, without being deterred. Thorn's brush with death has also eliminated his need for basic human necessities such as food, water, air, and protection from the elements, and made him repellent towards animals such as sharks.

Reception

In a 2009 interview with Comic Book Resources, illustrator Dale Eaglesham expressed fondness for the character, stating "I spent some time in the Punisher department from 93 to 95 and I really enjoyed working with Frank Castle. However, there's another Punisher-related character that I feel I have unfinished business with: Sal Carbone, the man they call Thorn. He went toe-to-toe with Castle and survived because he thinks he's already dead. He's insane, and he would actually make a great Punisher! Maybe I can talk Ed Brubaker into that one; I think he would love it".[10]

Thorn ranked #4 on The Robot's Voice list "The 8 Worst Punisher Villains Ever".[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Marvel Universe: Series 4 (Base Set) 153-A". comiccollectorlive.com. Comic Collector Live. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  2. ↑ Chuck Dixon (w), John Romita, Jr. (p), Klaus Janson (i), Gregory Wright (col), Jim Novak (let), Don Daley (ed). "Only the Dead Know Brooklyn" The Punisher War Zone #1 (March 1992), United States: Marvel Comics
  3. ↑ Chuck Dixon (w), John Romita, Jr. (p), Klaus Janson (i), Gregory Wright (col), Jim Novak (let), Don Daley (ed). "Blood in the Water" The Punisher War Zone #2 (April 1992), United States: Marvel Comics
  4. ↑ Chuck Dixon (w), John Romita, Jr. (p), Klaus Janson (i), Gregory Wright (col), Jim Novak (let), Don Daley (ed). "The Frame" The Punisher War Zone #3 (May 1992), United States: Marvel Comics
  5. ↑ Chuck Dixon (w), John Romita, Jr. (p), Klaus Janson (i), Gregory Wright (col), Jim Novak (let), Don Daley (ed). "Closer to the Flame" The Punisher War Zone #4 (June 1992), United States: Marvel Comics
  6. ↑ Chuck Dixon (w), John Romita, Jr. (p), Klaus Janson (i), Gregory Wright (col), Jim Novak (let), Don Daley (ed). "Feeding Frenzy" The Punisher War Zone #5 (July 1992), United States: Marvel Comics
  7. ↑ Chuck Dixon (w), John Romita, Jr. (p), Klaus Janson (i), Gregory Wright (col), Jim Novak (let), Don Daley (ed). "The Carrion Eaters" The Punisher War Zone #6 (August 1992), United States: Marvel Comics
  8. ↑ Robert G. Weiner (2008). Marvel Graphic Novels and Related Publications: An Annotated Guide to Comics, Prose Novels, Children's Books, Articles, Criticism and Reference Works. McFarland & Company. p. 63. ISBN 9780786425006. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  9. ↑ Chuck Dixon (w), Dale Eaglesham (p), Al Williamson (i), Christie Scheele (col), Bill Oakley (let), Don Daley (ed). "Hurt So Good" The Punisher War Zone Annual #2 (September 1994), United States: Marvel Comics
  10. ↑ Richards, Dave (7 February 2009). "NYCC: Eaglesham on his Marvel Exclusive Deal". comicbookresources.com. Comic Book Resources. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  11. ↑ Rumm, Ed (30 August 2010). "The 8 Worst Punisher Villains Ever". therobotsvoice.com. The Robot's Voice. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
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