Of all the consequences to spin out of Civil War, one of the most surprising was the Punisher's decision to take Captain America's old cowl for himself and modify it into a hybridized costume. Though only ever temporary, Frank Castle's use of the Sentinel of Liberty's iconic look was a memorable one -- that is, until the Punisher abdicated the role of Captain America to Steve Rogers' best friend and longtime sidekick, Bucky Barnes.

As the superhero community of the Marvel Universe came to blows over the enforcement of the Superhero Registration Act, the Punisher revealed he had secretly idolized Captain America and his selfless service to the country since his own time as a U.S. Marine. After rescuing Spider-Man, an increasingly desperate Captain America reluctantly recruited the Punisher into his resistance against the new federal law before violently severing ties with him after Castle openly employed lethal force against surrendering supervillains.

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The Punisher takes up Captain America's cowl

At the end of the crossover event, Captain America realized his resistance was putting too many innocent lives at risk and opted to surrender himself to the authorities while many of his supporters, including the Punisher, went into hiding. As he watched Steve Rogers being led away by the authorities, Castle grabbed the Captain America cowl Rogers had dropped on the streets of Manhattan upon his surrender. Repurposing it into his own superhero costume, Castle decided to continue on the Captain America legacy in his own lethal way.

Castle's adventures in his modified costume took him to the America-Mexico border, where he encountered a hate group that had perverted Captain America's mission to their own ends by murderously targeting illegal immigrants looking to enter the United States. The Punisher discovered this extremist group was led by a new Hate-Monger in his own version of the Captain America costume. His group was a new incarnation of National Force, an extremist group founded by longtime Captain America villain Doctor Faustus years ago. Ultimately, the Punisher killed Hate-Monger and his forces before returning north.

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Back in Washington, D.C., Bucky Barnes learned that the Punisher had re-appropriated his old friend's cowl and wore a version of his costume while publicly murdering criminals. In a tense meeting between the two, the Punisher relinquished the cowl to Bucky and returned to using his classic costume. Bucky eventually agreed to become the new Captain America before Steve Rogers' resurrection and return, following the repeal of the Superhero Registration Act after the events of Siege.

Frank Castle's admiration for Captain America is surprising, though certainly not out of character. Prior to his family's murder, Castle was a decorated combat veteran in the U.S. Marines and his military background has always been a strong part of his character. With Steve Rogers murdered shortly after his arrest, it makes sense Castle would seek to honor his legacy in his own way before relinquishing the role to the original Captain America's best friend. The Punisher has always been driven by personal loss in his never-ending crusade. Of course he processed his grief over Captain America's death the way he knows best: Lots of letha, vigilante justice.

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