When one thinks of the success of Marvel comics, and, specifically, the way Marvel presented its heroes in contrast to DC comics in the 1960s, the name Stan Lee is brought up right away. Of course, Jack Kirby is mentioned, too, because the essence of Marvel as we know it can’t exist without The Fantastic Four. And yet, there are many comic book writers who have shaped the 20th-century legacy of Marvel, and perhaps one of the most consequential of those creators, Gerry Conway, has now passed away at the age of 73. As the author of the infamous Spider-Man arc, which resulted in Gwen Stacy’s demise, as well as co-creator of DC’s Jason Todd, Conway is famous for many things. But the creation that will live on the longest is easily Marvel’s most hardcore assassin, Frank Castle, aka the Punisher.
Conway debuted the Punisher 52 years ago, in the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man #129, and since then, the character has become the ultimate example of a comic book anti-hero. But did Conway intend for the Punisher to represent a form of lawless extremism? The short answer is no.
