PUNISHER, THE 489
up out” of material life. Th e snake replies, “No. It’sss there becaussse I am her ssservant.”
In other words, physical existence does not result in or engender imagination; rather, the
material world is subordinate to and dependent upon human creativity. Promethea—
who is a living story, or a story come to life—embodies this philosophy.
In Promethea , Moore demonstrates how reality is constructed through all forms of
metaphors and stories, ranging from pulp fi ction to religious myths to language itself. By
the end of the series, Promethea has fulfi lled her destiny to end the world, although not
the physical realm, but the “world as we know it” by initiating a global moment of tran-
scendence. In this new world, the division between imagination and reality is weakened,
and ideas coexist in harmony rather than confl ict. For example, a newly-enlightened
friend of Sophie’s tells her, “So, like I have this Baptist business going on, but at the
same time... well, I’m sort of worshipping this pagan hearth-goddess called Hestia,” to
which Sophie replies, “Yeah, well, that’s okay. It’s okay to worship everything.” Th e egali-
tarian pantheism that Promethea initiates illustrates Moore’s reverence for stories and
ideas as powerful, yet adaptable, entities that cooperate to create our notion of reality,
and rejects a concrete vision of reality refl ected by a universal “ Truth.”
Jackson Ayres
PUNISHER, THE. Marvel Comics’ popular ultra-violent character, the Punisher was
created in 1974 by writer Gerry Conway, and artists John Romita, Sr. and Ross Andru
as a recurring guest feature for various Spider-Man titles. Th e Punisher was a frequent
antagonist of Spider-Man, yet was portrayed as a sympathetic fi gure, neither hero nor
villain. Th e Punisher dresses in a characteristic black uniform with a stylized skull em-
blazoned across the chest. While the Punisher lacks super powers, he makes up for this
by wielding a variety of guns and other weapons. Th e character would later appear as a
feature character in his own titles, where he has been portrayed as a troubled anti-hero
engaged in a “one-man war on crime.”
Like many popular characters, the Punisher’s motivations are based in personal
tragedy. His alter ego, Frank Castle, was a Marine and Vietnam veteran. Castle returns
home to New York City and a promising future with his wife and two young children.
While the family is walking through Central Park to fi nd a place to have a picnic, they
accidentally come across a mafi a execution. Castle is then a witness to his family’s
murder, an event that motivates him to extreme ends in his drive for vengeance. Th e
Punisher is not merely satisfi ed in eliminating the particular gangsters responsible for
his loss; he extends his revenge to anyone guilty of criminal activity. What made the
Punisher an original and successful character was his individual moral stance and his
ruthless willingness to kill his foes. As a result, there are few recurring villains through
various Punisher stories, because so few of them survive their encounters with Frank
Castle.
Th e fi rst true phase of the Punisher’s popularity as a character was in the 1970s and
early 1980s, when the character was a recurring feature in various Marvel titles, including
Th e Amazing Spider-Man and Daredevil: Th e Man Without Fear. Th e character’s fi rst
