Punisher #222: Review

Mar 2018

Matthew Rosenberg, Guiu Vilanova

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Story Name:

Punisher: War Machine part 5

Review & Comments

Rating:

Punisher #222 Review by Rob Johnson (March 24, 2018)

To be concluded next issue, but the War Machine saga will continue.

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Synopsis / Summary / Plot

Punisher #222 Synopsis by Rob Johnson

OK, Nick Fury Jr. has given the War Machine armour to Frank Castle to go to Chernaya to depose General Petrov, leader of a military coup. Fury's own agenda is that when S.H.I.E.L.D. was disbanded (after Secret Empire) the local Agents went rogue and aided Petrov in his coup. Punisher has finally flushed Petrov out of hiding but he's got his finger on a nuclear button. Fury tried to call his dog off but Punisher doesn't quit.

Petrov is holding a rally of his army to celebrate the world recognising him as the legal government. When War Machine drops a tank on some of the troops. And he starts blasting the rest of them. They start shooting back. As Frank continues his slaughter Fury calls him again to repeat his order to leave the country. Castle doesn't believe Petrov's nuclear threat because he hasn't used it, and he thinks Fury doesn't believe it either or he'd have found some way to *stop* him. He gets the suit to close the comms line.

Petrov has the (surviving) SHIELD Agents on the stand with him. He tells them to suit up in *their* versions of the WM armour and go stop Punisher. Fury didn't mention that Castle would be killing the accredited ruler of a country. Petrov does through the public address system, but Frank doesn't care. But as Punisher keeps punishing his men the General appears to do the brave thing and steps forward telling Castle to leave his men alone and kill *him*.

But as War Machine jets forward the armoured SHIELD Agents drop a truck on *him*. As he gets his breath back and his armour self-repairs Castle tries to talk his opponents down. But the Agents explain that they need the rep of killing or capturing him. They only helped Petrov for money when their jobs disappeared. Now they're mercenaries and need to attract new clients.

Frank appears to be surrendering. But the team spokesman has his faceplate open for the chat. And when Punisher gets close he sticks some plastic explosive in his face and closes the visor. Exit 1 enemy leaving 4 (incorrectly shown as 3?). Then he blows up the truck and the resulting explosive fire covers his escape.

The SHIELD Agents figure the only place he can be hiding is in the tank he dropped earlier. 1 of them looks in the open hatch and WM pulls him in. The other 3 blast the tank despite the presence of their comrade. The tank tips over but when they look inside they see no Castle but a hole in the bottom. He tunnelled his way out.

The War Machine emerges from the ground where the tank had been. He grabs the broken-off tank turret by the gun barrel and uses it as a bat to send 1 of the men out of the ground. Then as the remaining 2 shoot at him he uses the bat again to smash down on 1 of them. Who survives totally unmarked.

The fight continues but Petrov panics. He launches a nuclear missile. And even though the WM AI says his armour is failing Frank Castle launches himself after the rocket. And Nick Fury breaks into communication again to 'cheer' him on.

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