The Punisher: Born
Encyclopedia
Born is a four-issue comic book
limited series
featuring the Marvel Comics
character Frank Castle a.k.a. the Punisher
. The series was released in 2003 written by Garth Ennis
and penciled by Darick Robertson
.
during his final tour in Vietnam
in 1971. The story is told primarily through the eyes of Stevie Goodwin, a marine counting down the days of his service and Frank Castle, a tough Captain with a finely honed killer instinct
and survival skills. The story chronicles a crucial 4-day period of the platoon stationed at Firebase Valley Forge
, a remote strategic outpost on the South Vietnam
ese-Cambodia
n border.
Valley Forge is an outpost on its last legs; half of its marines are addicted to heroin and the commanding officer is an alcoholic. Goodwin simply wishes to return home safely, and realizes that sticking close to Castle is his best option. Castle, despite being home in the jungle, maintains an internal dialogue with a voice that continually goads Castle into justifying his endless thirst for combat. Castle receives news that Valley Forge will be abandoned, amidst increasing opposition to the War on the home front. Castle is displayed as exceptionally ruthless; first he tricks a visiting general into wandering into sniper fire for threatening to close down the base, then he drowns a member of his platoon who raped a female Viet Cong sniper. Castle himself killed the sniper while she was being raped. Another character grimly reflects that his action was the only way she could have been 'helped', as she would have never survived captivity.
Despite the news, Castle continues leading a squad on routine patrols, though his men are thinned by sporadic ambushes by the Vietcong. By the fourth day, the attrition has left the outpost severely undermanned and outgunned. When night falls, bringing a hellish downpour, the Viet Cong and elements of the North Vietnamese Army attack the fortification, using the rain to shield themselves from air cover.
One by one, Castle's unit drops, and he finds himself surrounded and running out of ammunition. The voice in his head becomes louder and louder until it can be heard over the scream of the storm and roar of the gunshots. It offers Castle the strength and stamina needed to survive, to maintain an eternal state of vigilance, and to wage the permanent war - at a price. Castle finally gives in.
By the next morning, the air support has returned with an EVAC helicopter to the destroyed encampment, but are horrified to find Castle standing in a field of mutilated and broken VC bodies. He suffered severe physical trauma and is bleeding from several gunshot wounds, but remains unaffected.
In the next scene, Frank Castle returns home, a decorated officer on a crutch, to his waiting wife, Maria and children. In the midst of the smiling return, the internal voice speaks again of the price of Castle's choice. We find now exactly what Castle's eternal war will cost him, as a picture details Castle's family in a targeting reticule reminiscent of the Punisher's skull icon. The voice goes on to say that it and Castle are in the same business though it has been at if for much longer and that Castle will keep it busy which implies that the voice could be the Devil or Death itself. Horrified, Castle embraces his smiling wife and eager children.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
featuring the Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
character Frank Castle a.k.a. the Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
. The series was released in 2003 written by Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis
Garth Ennis is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the Vertigo series Preacher with artist Steve Dillon and his successful nine-year run on Marvel Comics' Punisher franchise...
and penciled by Darick Robertson
Darick Robertson
Darick W. Robertson is an American artist best known for his work as a comic book illustrator. Highly prolific, Robertson has illustrated hundreds of comics in his twenty plus years in the industry. His body of work ranges from science fiction characters of his own creation to headlining on...
.
Synopsis
Born documents Frank Castle's time in Vietnam as a Captain in the U.S. Marine CorpsUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
during his final tour in Vietnam
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
in 1971. The story is told primarily through the eyes of Stevie Goodwin, a marine counting down the days of his service and Frank Castle, a tough Captain with a finely honed killer instinct
Killer instinct (human behaviour)
The killer instinct is the ability within a person to take the life of another human being without the psychological inhibition normally associated with taking life. It is debated whether or not a killer instinct is inborn or whether it can be taught...
and survival skills. The story chronicles a crucial 4-day period of the platoon stationed at Firebase Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
, a remote strategic outpost on the South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
ese-Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
n border.
Valley Forge is an outpost on its last legs; half of its marines are addicted to heroin and the commanding officer is an alcoholic. Goodwin simply wishes to return home safely, and realizes that sticking close to Castle is his best option. Castle, despite being home in the jungle, maintains an internal dialogue with a voice that continually goads Castle into justifying his endless thirst for combat. Castle receives news that Valley Forge will be abandoned, amidst increasing opposition to the War on the home front. Castle is displayed as exceptionally ruthless; first he tricks a visiting general into wandering into sniper fire for threatening to close down the base, then he drowns a member of his platoon who raped a female Viet Cong sniper. Castle himself killed the sniper while she was being raped. Another character grimly reflects that his action was the only way she could have been 'helped', as she would have never survived captivity.
Despite the news, Castle continues leading a squad on routine patrols, though his men are thinned by sporadic ambushes by the Vietcong. By the fourth day, the attrition has left the outpost severely undermanned and outgunned. When night falls, bringing a hellish downpour, the Viet Cong and elements of the North Vietnamese Army attack the fortification, using the rain to shield themselves from air cover.
One by one, Castle's unit drops, and he finds himself surrounded and running out of ammunition. The voice in his head becomes louder and louder until it can be heard over the scream of the storm and roar of the gunshots. It offers Castle the strength and stamina needed to survive, to maintain an eternal state of vigilance, and to wage the permanent war - at a price. Castle finally gives in.
By the next morning, the air support has returned with an EVAC helicopter to the destroyed encampment, but are horrified to find Castle standing in a field of mutilated and broken VC bodies. He suffered severe physical trauma and is bleeding from several gunshot wounds, but remains unaffected.
In the next scene, Frank Castle returns home, a decorated officer on a crutch, to his waiting wife, Maria and children. In the midst of the smiling return, the internal voice speaks again of the price of Castle's choice. We find now exactly what Castle's eternal war will cost him, as a picture details Castle's family in a targeting reticule reminiscent of the Punisher's skull icon. The voice goes on to say that it and Castle are in the same business though it has been at if for much longer and that Castle will keep it busy which implies that the voice could be the Devil or Death itself. Horrified, Castle embraces his smiling wife and eager children.
Issues
- Issue #1 "The First Day"
- Issue #2 "The Second Day"
- Issue #3 "The Third Day"
- Issue #4 "The Last Day"