The Punisher to Face off Against the Mandarin

The Mandarin is back, but this time he's not going up against his old enemy Iron Man — he's facing off with Frank Castle, the Punisher.

Marvel has announced that the Mandarin will return in tomorrow's The Punisher #1 from writer Matthew Rosenberg and artist Symon Kudranski. Mandarin is teaming up with Hydra, now led by Baron Zemo. That puts him right in Frank Castle's crosshairs as the Punisher is still pissed off about the Supreme Commander using him as a weapon against the other heroes during Secret Empire.

"The last year has changed Frank in some ways," Rosenberg tells Marvel.com. "He doesn't feel guilty for following Captain America to Hydra. I'm not sure guilt is something he really feels ever beyond not saving his family. But he does want to set things right. And that means he has big plans and big targets. And this time he's going after some of the biggest. His list has two names on it that folks might be excited about: Baron Zemo and the Mandarin. Legitimate Super Villains with whole armies behind them. And Frank isn't stopping until they are in the ground or he is.

"Frank's coming war with Zemo and Mandarin is going to be unlike anything Punisher fans have seen before. And it's going to get ugly real fast," Rosenberg adds.

Rosenberg goes onto say that this is a natural progression after the big targets Punisher took on while wearing the War Machine armor.

"When I was a kid I remember being told once that when a bear kills a human that bear develops a taste for eating people and won't stop," Rosenberg says. "As an adult I'm pretty positive that that isn't true at all, but it's a cool as hell idea. And it's true for the Punisher. Frank has his eyes on bigger prey. He took down a fascist army. He overthrew a government. And now he can't get that taste out of his mouth. He's not above killing his local crime boss or drug dealer, but he is on the hunt for the people behind the people. And that's where the Mandarin and Baron Zemo come in. They aren't just bad guys, they are the guys who control bad guys. And that is why Frank wants them."

Are you excited to see the Punisher going head-to-head with the Mandarin? Let us know in the comments!

The Punisher #1 goes on sale Aug. 22nd.

The Punisher #1
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(W) Matthew Rosenberg (A) Szymon Kudranski (CA) Greg Smallwood

YOU CAN TAKE THE PUNISHER OUT OF THE WAR MACHINE...

Punisher no longer has the War Machine armor, but he retained his newly acquired taste for big game, and he's hungry for more. However, the paths to such perilous pursuits are fraught with dangers bigger than any Frank has faced before, and this lone wolf could use otherworldly help on his way up to the world stage. MATTHEW ROSENBERG continues pushing the boundaries of the Punisher, and now joined by acclaimed artist RICCARDO BURCHIELLI (DMZ, Northlanders), this is the book Punisher fans will be talking about for years to come!

Parental Advisory
In Shops: Aug 22, 2018
SRP: $4.99