Why Does Wolverine get a pass but the Punisher Doesn't?

[kguillou]

Ok this has been kinda bugging me for a while. Why is it that most of the marvel heroes regard the punisher as some ruthless killing a-hole yet Wolverine seems exempt from this criticism? Yes, the Punisher is a killing machine but so is Wolverine. I'm pretty sure Wolverine's body count is at least as much as if not greater than the Punisher's. Wolvie killed more than 3,000 people alone in Enemy of the State (I'm not talking about when he was mind controlled, i'm talking about afterwards when he went on his revenge crusade). Wolverine can be just as ruthless as Frank Castle at times and yet Wolverine gets an Avengers membership card, not to mention his X-men teamates seem to overlook his homicidal tendencies.

I'm aware that Logan is a relatively much friendlier person than Frank but like i said Wolvie's killed A LOT of people. Shouldnt he be scrutinized just as much as Frank is? Your thoughts?

 

[Dread]

My easy answer is popularity. Seriously. In the 80's and 90's quite a few superheroes didn't like Wolverine specifically because he killed villains, especially Spider-Man and at times Captain America or Daredevil. That has waned since the Joe Q era and especially since the movie era got rolling after 2002 or so.

In terms of in continuity answers, the Punisher's body count might be more well known and documented than many of Wolverine's across the decades. Wolverine also at times has the excuse of being mind controlled or manipulated by more evil figures. Beyond that, though, it is a bit strange seeing heroes who used to frown at Logan for his murder rep all but giving him high fives on teams now.

 

[[A]]

Also, he's canadian.

 

[THANOSRULES]

He also has ample back hair.

 

[Johnny Drama]

Logan has saved the world time and time again. The Puisher just murders hoodlums.

There is your pass.

 

[Manic]

Wolverine's good with kids. It's hard to hate him for being a ruthless murderer when his paternal instincts are matched only by Reed Richards.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

I agree with JD.

Frank doesn't really save anyone on large scales or get involved in big events.

He just kills gangsters.

Edit: And Manic. Wolverine is a very protective father figure over a lot of youngsters.

 

[SuperFerret]

It mostly comes down to bullets. Someone shooting someone else, no matter how heroic the shooter may be, just doesn't come off as very superheroic. Sure, Wolverine can gut someone, the Hulk has knocked down buildings full of people, Spider-Man can break bones and dislocate limbs doing what he does, the Human Torch burns and scorches his foes, but the Punisher actually shoots and kills people. The difference? Shooting and killing someone is all too real, and that distances it with the very concept of fantasy superheroics.

 

[Kirk Langstrom]

the Hulk has knocked down buildings full of people,

No he hasnt.

 

[IFryKids]

In my mind, it's because Marvel wants to make sure they remind kids that read their comics that using guns to kill people is bad, and to keep parents happy that way. It's easier for kids to kill each other in real life with guns rather than slice people up with blades that stick out of their fists.

 

[StreetWarrior]

Let's also remember that the Punisher has never killed an innocent (I know it's as believable as the Hulk never accidently taking a life, but still) and Wolverine (and Iron Man) have killed quite a few (even if they were brainwashed/under mind control) Yet all the heroes love Wolverine.

What kills me, is Wolverine's "holier than thou" attitude every time the two meet.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Personally, I consider Wolverine and the Punisher both pretty much on par with villains. They're about the worst humanity has to offer without actively getting into the megalomaniacal, outright evil side of things.

No he hasnt.

Or if he did, he did it in such a way that they were saved by supermath.

 

[kguillou]

Maybe it also has to do with fear. I mean at the end of the day, the Punisher is only human, and if the marvel heroes really wanted to, they could take him down. Wolverine....not so much. As we learned in Enemy of the State, Wolverine is unstoppable, so maybe they give him a pass because they know that there's really nothing they can do about it even if they tried to stop him.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Yet another reason I hate Wolverine: he's so popular that he gets to beat anyone.

 

[Manic]

Wolverine is unstoppable

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Haha, I loved that issue.

 

[kguillou]

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, but Millar's a hack.

 

[Tron Bonne]

There's no way I'd buy that Wolverine could take all the X-Men by himself. Even with his super stupid regeneration they would all at least be able to subdue him

 

[TheCorpulent1]

It's an alternate future. Just say that the X-Men of that universe sucked.

Seriously, though, plenty of the X-Men could kill Wolverine if they really set their minds to it. If Wolverine just goes apes*** and starts trying to kill them, sure, he'd get a few, but I very much doubt he'd mow through many whole teams of X-Men before they figured out they needed to pull out all the stops and put him down like the rabid animal he's been turning into for decades.

 

[Tron Bonne]

It's an alternate future. Just say that the X-Men of that universe sucked.

Yeah, I missed your post about it being Millar or I probably wouldn't have said anything. Nothing we writes counts anyway

 

[Manic]

Iceman alone should be able to stop Wolverine. God knows Wolverine has no way of killing him, and I imagine getting all of the moisture sucked out of your body would hurt like hell.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Or any of the telepaths could simply shut his mind down. Or Polaris could tear the adamantium out of him again and then encase him in it. I'm sure there are other ways, but I'm going to just savor that second one for a while now...

 

[kguillou]

I agree, i posted that image to be funny but seriously i think any one of them could subdue him. But if he's in rage mode, its easier said than done.

 

[Manic]

Re-subdue him. Or chop off his head.