Is the Punisher REALLY insane?

Compared to the ******ifications some characters have gotten, Frank got off very easy. He underestimated the kids, especially Molly. The reason they win most of their fights is because people underestimate them, especially Molly.
 
Not so much them winning, but how punisher was portrayed. It sucessfully talked me out of ever looking at the title again...at least under Joss.
 
Not so much them winning, but how punisher was portrayed. It sucessfully talked me out of ever looking at the title again...at least under Joss.
****ck Joss and LionsGate. You tried Jane......
 
Not so much them winning, but how punisher was portrayed. It sucessfully talked me out of ever looking at the title again...at least under Joss.

I think that's pretty extreme. He seemed pretty much like Frank trying to scare a bunch of punk kids into giving him information.
 
What about obsessive compulsives? Many of them aren't insane...by the definition of the word at least...

That's a disorder though. Being obsessed with killing every bad guy on earth and having to touch a door knob 11 times, shuffle your feet 3 times and slap yourself twice before leaving a room, isn't the same thing.
 
My friend Dylan has to jiggle the car door handle at least a dozen times after locking it it.

He's also gay. If that means anything.
 
My friend Dylan has to jiggle the car door handle at least a dozen times after locking it it.

He's also gay. If that means anything.

I was going to make a joke, but I'd probably get banned for it.:huh: :csad:
 
Punisher = insane. The same goes for anyone who puts on spandex and goes out in the middle of the night to "right societies wrongs or whatever their motto is". How can you spend all day training and practicing to kill other people who don't follow your moral code and not be considered insane. When you're that far outside society and making your own moral laws and rules while disregarding everyone around you, you're pretty much insane.

But get over it. Being insane only makes him more interesting. These (Punisher, or any superhero/supervillian) characters have their own twisted view of what's right and wrong and how to solve things. Their insanity is what makes them dynamic and unique.

Insanity gets a bad rep. All the cool and interesting people are crazy.

Long live crazy ass Frank Castle, may he howl at the moon, throw his feces on unsuspecting jaywalkers, and eat his meals at the Sizzler.
 
As stated in the Runaways thread -

If there's one character who deserves to get socked in the gut, by a 12-year-old girl, so hard that he craps blood for a week... well, it'd be Wolverine, really.

But after that, Punisher all the way.
 
As stated in the Runaways thread -

If there's one character who deserves to get socked in the gut, by a 12-year-old girl, so hard that he craps blood for a week... well, it'd be Wolverine, really.

But after that, Punisher all the way.

You just got my vote for president.
 
Frank is pretty complicated.

Like I said to a friend once who I lent a bunch of Punisher comics to, and he completely agreed with me, "Frank is clearly insane". And we also agreed, and this is the interesting thing, while he is insane, he also has full use of his logic and intelligence. This may seem to suggest that he isn't insane. But ol' Frank is crazy.

It's one thing to dress up in spandex and decide you're going to look after your neighbourhood or act like a cop with superpowers. Its another thing to take it upon yourself to decide that you will kill literally thousands, no, tens of thousands of people, and more than that if possible, before you die.
 
Profile of a Sociopath

Glibness and Superficial Charm


Manipulative and Conning
They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.


Grandiose Sense of Self
Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."


Pathological Lying
Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.


Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.


Shallow Emotions
When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.


Incapacity for Love


Need for Stimulation
Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.


Callousness/Lack of Empathy
Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.


Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.


Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency
Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.


Irresponsibility/Unreliability
Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.


Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts.


Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.


Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility
Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So is the Punisher a Sociopath?=Nope
He doesnt meet the criteria overall
Now,Could Frank benefit from some therapy?;) =yeah
 
Yeah, he's insane. Especially in Civil War. Remember how he killed goldbug and Plunderer immediately? only the most kneejerk reactionary interpretations of the character would have done that, but he still did it, and that's the characterization we're sticking with, it looks like.

He also thinks he's Captain America now. He's crazy.
 
I always figured that the Punisher knew exactly what he was doing and wasn't insane but just greiving over the loss of his wife and son.

I always figured the Frank Castle's thinking was this:
His wife and son are dead, he has nothing to live for and nothing to loose.
So he will get his revenge and punish the criminals. He doesn't just see one criminal to blame but everyone associated with criminal activity as being responcible for his family's death.
So they all must be punished.
I also figured he saw himself as a necissary evil, doing what he had to do to get rid of crime and if he died along the way so be it.
 
my personal belief is that there are no insane people its just a broad stroke people paint onto people that do things out off there realm of understanding
i think frank castle falls under the category of sociopath .To be more precise i think he is a strong willed sociopath.Sociopath know the difference between right and wrong but don't care.when i say his a strong will sociopath is because even if he doesn't care he still tries to do the the right thing .Then again he justifies what he does to god why do u let people who have done wrong live is it because you put me here to do your work.See he knows its wrong but still justifies it to himself in other words he doesn't care .The joker also is a sociopath and i think he scores much higher on the scale then the punisher does because he does it for cheap trills all the joker wants is to look at the world burn.All very hard to understand .Even when i try to think of an insane person all i can come up with is someone that would eat there own excrement but even that can be classified as a form of autism .
 
Insane but just little...can't forget he's lovely wife & kids...get killed...so ironic
 
I'd probably say in the least he has a very twisted set of "morals," but thats what makes him more interesting, he isn't the good guy and he isn't the bad guy, he dances on the edge of both, and on the edge of insanity, where he feels the bodycount he is accumulating is basically "justice" to his set of principles.
 
I never seen him as insane if he's out to stop/kill violent criminals from repeating what they do to innocents......
 
There was that "Over the Edge" arc where he started executing jaywalkers and stuff. That was pretty crazy.
 
I always figured that the Punisher knew exactly what he was doing and wasn't insane but just greiving over the loss of his wife and son.

I always figured the Frank Castle's thinking was this:
His wife and son are dead, he has nothing to live for and nothing to loose.
So he will get his revenge and punish the criminals. He doesn't just see one criminal to blame but everyone associated with criminal activity as being responcible for his family's death.
So they all must be punished.
I also figured he saw himself as a necissary evil, doing what he had to do to get rid of crime and if he died along the way so be it.

I wish there were more consistent portrayals of the Punisher. I remember at one time he was heavily doped up by his enemies when he went on a killing spree.

I didn't like how he just shot those two supervillains during Civil War. But the way I see it, he's not nearly as crazy as Batman. He lost his family at an adult age, while Bruce lost his parents when he was a little kid. Frank doesn't just know understand the law better. Many insane people could accurately quote the laws. Frank maturely knows how it fails in practice. That's why he does what he does, because he can't operate within the law anymore. He just can't do it anymore.

He can't let guilty crooks get away on a technicallity, wait for them to repeat offences, and all that. He's not tolerant enough to let Batman's villains repeat their crimes again. But I don't see him promoting his beliefs with published manifestos. But he could very well have a death wish in his war against crime.
 
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I think he's insane, but he has a wavering grip on that insanity.
 

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