WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Savage Avengers #6 by Gerry Duggan, Kim Jacinto, Tamra Bonvillain, VC's Travis Lanham and Carlos Lao, on sale now!
It’s hard to image a pair of characters who could handle the dangerous environments of the Savage Land better than the Punisher and Conan the Barbarian. These two men are different side of the same action hero coin, but the thick jungle foliage and ravenous dinosaurs of the Savage Land should be a cakewalk for these guys. However, their most recent adventure in the Savage Land in Savage Avengers #6 doesn't exactly go to plan.
After spending an ill-defined period of time in the sub-Antarctic wilderness, Frank Castle and Conan score some fresh meat by hunting some exotic wildlife When their meal is cut short by an intrusive velociraptor, the sudden dinner guest is quickly dispatched by Conan hurling his broadsword directly into the dinosaur's gaping maw, which is a questionable tactic at the very least.
While that move is equally excessive and effective, it leaves Conan's only weapon lodged in the reptilian skull. This wouldn't be an issue if the dinosaurs weren't pack animals, which Frank quickly points out after Conan loses his sword.
With a barrage of gnashing teeth and razor sharp claws barreling down on our heroes, Conan uses the closest available tool to deal with the encroaching threat: one of the Punisher's giant machine guns. Conan uses the weapon of choice against the pack after Frank lost his grip on it. Conan's actions saved his jungle buddy's hide and dispatched all the dinosaurs with ease.
Much to Frank Castle's chagrin, Conan immediately criticizes Frank Castle's weapon, saying it is not fit for a warrior and returns it to him in pieces after using it to bash another dinosaur. Conan using the weapons of his fellow Savage Avenger's has become something of a running joke. A few issues back, the Cimmerian used a subdued Wolverine as a means of self-preservation. But unlike Frank Castle's signature M-60 machine gun, Conan found Wolverine's adamatium-laced claws rather beneficial in battle.
Marvel's fish-out-of-water Barbarian is ripe for humorous moments like this. Punisher sees his weapon as the best tool for the job, but Conan is quick to realize its flaws after using it incorrectly.
Even if Conan doesn't approve of Frank's weapon of choice, he still forges a grudging respect for the Punisher by the end of the issue. After walking through the snows of Antarctica together, the mismatched pair find a ship to take them back to the rest of the world. Although neither character is sentimental, both wave each other goodbye in a moment that brings out the human side of these combat-hardened heroes.