Punisher (2018 series) #227

Last issue Black Widow and Winter Soldier joined Punisher in his war against Hydra. Now they are in an empty diner where Frank Castle is as usual trying to fix his battered War Machine armour. The manager sends a young 'waiter' to tell them to leave. Widow gives him $1000, $500 to rent the place and $500 for himself. Castle warns him not to call the cops.

Frank and Bucky Barnes rub each other up the wrong way while Natasha Romanoff tries to keep the peace (and get them to eat some food). Castle is suspicious of their motives. Why did they defect from the superhero gang Nick Fury Jr sent after him. Natasha says Fury thinks he can solve things by being the hidden mastermind. She and Bucky prefer to take direct action. Plus they sympathise with Castle's anger at being 'tricked' into working for Hydra in Secret Empire - they know what that's like.

Widow leads them to a maximum security prison in the desert where they see a large armoured truck break through the gates and spew Hydra troops. War Machine (with mended armour!) flies Black Widow into the scene and she shoot Hydra agents from the air. But her target is actually the control tower, already under Hydra control. WM blasts a window and throws her in, guns blazing.

But a dying agent hits a button which starts to vertically open a door into the main prison building. Natasha starts closing it again. A few Hydra men get through, some are squashed by the door, but most are trapped outside with War Machine and Winter Soldier. After disposing of them all Punisher makes his own entranceway.

Frightened prison guards shoot ineffectually at the armour. Frank just asks for directions to 'him', and the guards point the way. As he walks past occupied jail cells he's joined by Bucky and Natasha. Then Baron Zemo's voice comes over the PA system. As new 'warden' he's decided to release all the prisoners and switch off the power dampeners. But Punisher just enjoys the exercise/practice as he starts slaughtering the inmates, with Widow and Winter Soldier helping out.

But they're increasingly outnumbered and overwhelmed as more prisoners join in. War Machine flies up with his compatriots and throws them onto the now deserted upper landing. Then he drops back down to continue the fight.

But very soon the battle is halted by a blast from Captain Marvel. And BW and WM have been joined on the balcony by the rest of Fury's gang. They start to capture the escapees non-fatally. But Frank gets a comms message from Natasha to say they can't get away, so it's up to War Machine to stop Zemo. Punisher leaves, brushing off attempts to stop *him*.

Baron Zemo with a pair of picked Hydra soldiers is making his way down into the bowels of the prison. Killing any guards along the way the reach the cell of Supreme Commander Steve Rogers, the Hydra Captain America from Secret Empire.

War Machine is heading their way but he's stopped in his tracks by the sudden explosive arrival of Iron Man.