The Punisher is widely considered to be the deadliest character in Marvel Comics. In his never-ending vengeance against the criminal underworld that murdered his family, the Punisher has slaughtered thousands of people. What makes this achievement especially impressive is that the Punisher, for the longest time, had no superpowers or high-tech gadgets to speak of. Instead, the Punisher’s only tools are his military training, vast assortment of weapons, and infinite, unrestrained willpower and rage to continue his one-man crusade against criminals. However, right before his MCU return in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Marvel revealed that the Punisher does indeed have a superpower, and it’s absolutely insane.
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The Punisher is a certified killing machine who has managed to overcome even the most impossible of odds, whether it be facing off against armies of goons or even the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. For the longest time, readers thought that the Punisher’s survivability was due to his indomitable will and ability to prepare for every eventuality. However, Black Cat #12 reveals the true nature of the Punisher’s latent superpower that makes him the greatest threat to criminals everywhere
Fate Can’t Touch the Punisher
Black Cat is an anti-hero and thief who, depending on her mood, constantly finds herself on either side of the law. Possessing the power to tilt luck and probability to her favor, Black Cat is normally able to stay out of harm’s way and succeed at impossible heists. However, Black Cat’s luck seems to have finally run out when, during a car chase, she accidentally hit a stray dog, leaving it in critical condition. That dog belonged to none other than the Punisher, and he quickly proves himself to be too much for Black Cat as she makes a horrifying realization: he’s immune to bad luck.
For Black Cat to give herself good luck, her opponents naturally find themselves with bad luck that causes them to fail. This has allowed Black Cat to perform incredible feats and defeat physically stronger characters like Spider-Man and Sabretooth. However, Black Cat is unable to give the Punisher the slip as he constantly hunts her down to get his revenge. No matter how long Black Cat waits, no bad luck appears to halt the Punisher’s pursuit. And once he manages to catch Black Cat, she realizes that her probability manipulation powers do not affect him. Essentially, the Punisher is so stubborn that he’s completely immune to bad luck, and that fate itself has given up trying to stop him.
All of this is clearly meant to be a cheeky reference to the Punisher’s overwhelming plot armor. Throughout his publication history, the Punisher has managed to walk away from battles and injuries that no ordinary human could survive. Even leaving aside all the gunshots, stabbings, and bludgeonings that the Punisher has survived, he somehow almost always comes out on top against some of Marvel’s most powerful heroes, including twelve Avengers simultaneously. Not even Ghost Rider’s Penance Stare, which can eradicate souls, could hurt the Punisher. Although the Punisher doesn’t realize it, his luck in surviving all these encounters was due not only to his determination and skills, but also because luck is always on his side to an unnatural degree.
The Punisher Has a Long History with the Supernatural
The Punisher’s original concept was that he was just a semi-ordinary, well-trained veteran with nothing to lose after losing his family. However, the revelation that the Punisher possesses his bad luck immunity power isn’t even the first time that he’s been given supernatural abilities. Indeed, despite being perceived as a more grounded Marvel character, the Punisher has had countless run-ins with magic, aliens, and monsters that have allowed him to obtain superpowers
There have been many times when the Punisher has obtained superpowers. Sometimes, the Punisher will steal the items of other heroes, like War Machine’s armor, the Venom Symbiote, and Elsa Bloodstone’s immortality-granting Bloodgem. When he joined the evil ninja clan, the Hand, the Punisher was empowered by a demon called the Beast that granted him the power of clairvoyance, flight, regeneration, super-strength, and hellfire. Easily, the Punisher’s most bizarre power-ups occurred after his two deaths. One time, after being sliced up by Daken, Punisher was brought back as a Frankenstein-like monster called Franken-Castle who had super-strength. And during his second bout with death after taking his own life, the Punisher was resurrected by an angel to be an agent of Heaven who could instantly manifest new weapons.
Marvel has essentially merged the Punisher’s unbelievable plot armor with his propensity for obtaining supernatural powers. Now, even in the Punisher’s more grounded storylines, like Punisher: Red Band, he will still have an additional edge against the mafia. An origin for this new ability will most likely never be given outright aside from possible explanations. Still, the most probable source behind the Punisher’s ability to be immune to bad luck is that he’s so blinded by his own rage and stubbornness that he can push through and overcome even the most impossible of odds. With a willpower and rage that eclipses even fate itself, all criminals in New York have even more reason to fear the wrath of the Punisher.
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