Marvelâs anti-hero, The Punisher, is once again having his skull logo appropriated to further a political agenda. The far-right conspiracy group, QAnon, passed out fliers last weekend branded with Frank Castleâs iconic logo at a rally held in Tampa.At the recent rally, the fliers bearing The Punisherâs skull call for people to actively train and join far-right militia groups.
In addition to calling for vigilantism, the flier uses phrases such as â[they]â in brackets and the accusation that there is âan evil worldwide cabal that has enslaved humanity for thousands of years," both common antisemitic codes and tropes established by online Neo-Nazis.
This is just the latest in a string of incidents where The Punisherâs logo has been used by groups attempting to co-opt the authority and intimidation conjured by the skull, without any context for who The Punisher is and what his symbol means.
QAnon is a group of âdeep stateâ conspiracy theorists who believe the federal government is actively attempting to sabotage the presidency of Donald Trump. Another theory reportedly associated with the group includes the existence of a child sex trafficking ring run by Democratic politicians and the liberal Hollywood elite. QAnon got its beginnings on the imageboard 4Chan, but has grown to the point of being identified by the FBI as a domestic terrorist group in 2019.
Frank Castleâs particular brand of violence is frequently misunderstood or intentionally subverted to justify a cause. Police and military have been spotted with the logo on their vehicles or uniforms, and unsanctioned Donald Trump merchandise has plopped the Presidentâs hair on the skull.
The Punisherâs co-creator Gerry Conway has gone on the record blasting the misuse of the skull. The issue has become so prevalent that Marvel had to put out a response in the form of Frank Castle himself berating police officers for wearing his symbol, saying, âYou boys need a role model? His name is Captain America, and heâd be happy to have you.â
Frank Castle debuted in the pages of Spider-Man as a villain. Gerry Conway has stated that The Punisher was inspired by another fictional character, a Vietnam veteran and serial killer of criminals named Mark Bolan.