Posted in: Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: Kingpin, punisher

How The Kingpin Is Controlling The Punisher, Revealed (Spoilers)

Published Wed, 15 Oct 2025 06:19:04 -0500

Article Summary

Kingpin emerges as a puppet master, manipulating Frank Castle's actions for his own mysterious benefit.
Punisher's return to Marvel focuses on his street-level tactics, unaided by superhuman powers or alliances.
Hints suggest Kingpin is confronting his criminal past, but his true motives with Punisher remain unclear.
Microchip resurfaces as a key player, with ties to both Punisher and Kingpin raising new questions.

Punisher: Red Band #2 by Benjamin Percy and Julius Ohta is published today, following on from last month's revival of the series, with The Kingpin trying to play the good guy, and with the return of Frank Castle, seemingly under his direct and immediate control. And the Kingpin is directing The Punisher in the direction of the angels. For now.

All this onto one man? Well, Frank Castle is just one man. As the comic is clear to underline. He may livbe in a world of superheroes and supervillains, but he has no access to that power base. He doesn't need it.

Is The Kingpin going through some purging of his past sins, his murders, his extortion, his abuse? Possibly, but he seems to have another method for dealing with those issues.

Of course, how he is controlling The Punisher may reveal he has more to purge…

David Linus Lieberman, known as Microchip or Micro, was an ally of The Punisher for many years and assisted the Punisher by building weapons, supplying technology, hacking into computers, and occasionally even friendship, though he would eventually turn on Frank. Created by Mike Baron and Klaus Janson, Micro was played by Wayne Knight in Punisher: War Zone and by Ebon Moss-Bachrach in the TV series. He lost his left little finger after it was cut off by The Kingpin, but seems to have had it replaced since… mind you, Micro has been killed twice since, revived by The Hood once, and last seen being killed, with his throat slashed by The Punisher, back in 2011. So how did The Kingpin bring him back? All to be revealed…

Punisher: Red Band (2025) #2
October 15, 2025
Writer Benjamin Percy
Penciller Julius Ohta
LOCK AND LOAD! The Punisher is back and as dangerous and lethal as ever! But who or what has reignited Frank Castle's one-man, all-out war on crime?! And just how long until they come to regret their decision to pluck Frank Castle off Weirdworld for use as the perfect killing machine?!

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!