You May Not Agree With the Punisher, But One Dark Scene Converted Most Marvel Haters

Marvel Comics' Punisher stories tend to be dark, but one famous arc took a particularly grim turn, in what amounts to Frank Castle's greatest acts of brutality. Pushing all the limits of good taste, the “Up is Down and Black is White” story featured one of the most shocking moments in Marvel Comics history, kicking off a dark ride which ended in spectacularly violent fashion.

“Up is Down and Black is White” – written by Garth Ennis with art by Leandro Fernández – originally appeared in The Punisher (Vol. 7) #19-24, the first ongoing Marvel MAX series starring Frank Castle. It told the story of mobster Nicky Cavella, who decides to get the Punisher’s attention in a very… unconventional fashion.

Cavella records himself digging up the bones of Frank Castle’s family, which he proceeds to relieve himself on at their gravesite. The footage is notorious enough to air on the local news, which Castle sees while grabbing dinner at a diner – setting off a violent chain of events.

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Punisher (Vol. 7) #19-24, “Up Is Down and Black Is White” – Written By Garth Ennis; Art By Leandro Fernández

The look on Frank Castle’s face says it all when he sees the footage of Cavella desecrating his family’s gravesite. Artist Leandro Fernández really shines, as the barely-controlled rage is etched into every line of Castle’s face. Looking at Fernández’ illustration of Castle’s expression, readers know that Nicky Cavella is going to meet a particularly violent end. The mobster wants to solidify his power by luring the Punisher out in the open and taking him out, but Cavella’s actions instead signs his own death warrant, and the in-over-his-head gangster finds out what happens when you mess with the Punisher.

Castle immediately goes gunning for Cavella, but the mobster’s ploy seems to work at first. CIA agent Kathryn O’Brien winds up patching Frank up after one violent encounter with Cavella’s goons, even though she was specifically assigned to capture the Punisher. O’Brien winds up helping Frank take on Cavella, part of her progressing toward being a recurring character throughout the Punisher MAX series, including developing an on-again/off-again relationship with Castle. After killing waves of Cavella’s hired guns, Castle eventually gets his hands on Cavella, and enacts his vengeance in the way only the Punisher can.

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Frank Castle's Point Of No Return

Castle drives Cavella deep into the wood of New Jersey, before shooting him in the gut and explaining in gruesome anatomical detail how he will eventually die of blood poisoning. Castle has certainly found more creative ways to off evil-doers, but the brutally-efficient manner of Cavella’s death shows how cold-blooded Frank Castle can be. Nicky Cavella found out the hard way what happens when you challenge Frank Castle directly, and the brutal story that followed is one of the darkest Punisher tales out there.