When it comes to the Marvel Universe, there is one thing both hardcore fans and amateur readers know for sure: never bet against The Punisher. First appearing in Amazing Spider-Man #129 and created by Gerry Conway, John Romita Jr., and Ross Andru, The Punisher is a character who has gone from minor Spidey antagonist to internationally popular anti-hero. Frank Castle (as he is commonly referred to outside of his white skull-emblazoned Kevlar duds), is a rarity among his comic character contemporaries because, unlike the Captain Americas, Iron Mans, or Black Widows of the world, he’s able to end lives (most times indiscriminatingly) -- and get away with it.

In fact, when it comes to both Marvel and DC characters, the Punisher is one of the baddest most violent, most collateral-inducing character on record to ever don -- and retain -- the title of hero. He’s more dangerous than Wolverine, more prone to vigilante justice than Batman, and seemingly as soulless as Ghost Rider and yet, there is zero confusion as to which category (hero or villain) he falls under. With as fallible a record as that (try holding Superman up to the same standard), he should have fallen into the pages of comic book obscurity long ago. CBR has collected a list of 25 insane facts about the Punisher’s anatomy that might just answer the question of exactly why Frank Castle is as enduring a character as the greatest of the Marvel Universe’s heroes. Is a man really the sum of his parts? Let’s find out.

25 UNPARALLELED HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT SKILLS

Unlike most mainstream superheroes in the Marvel Universe, Frank Castle possesses absolutely no superpowers at all. He can’t fly or summon thunder or see through walls, and yet he’s a character who can hang and bang with the best of them.

As Mr. Castle’s battle-scarred history -- as both a military man and a spandex-wearing crimefighter -- can illustrate, he can just as easily defeat his opponents with his own broken set of knuckles as he can with his favorite automatic weapon. Still need convincing? Take a look at the prison fight sequence in Season 2 of Netflix’s Daredevil.

24 WEAPONRY SKILLS

When The Punisher does have the luxury of his favorite play things, his fighting skills are practically unrivalled. Similar to Bullseye, anything can become a lethal weapon in Frank Castle’s hands. So in addition to the grenade launchers, machine guns, and knives, the world and all of its innocuous accoutrements are his oyster.

Usually not without his M60, Derringer D32 or Glock 17s, the dude’s serious when it comes to firepower. And if all else fails, there’s always polar bears at the zoo, or the limp bodies of concurrent attackers should he need to end someone in quick, and efficient fashion.

23 VIRTUALLY NO PAIN THRESHOLD

The numerous times The Punisher’s been on the brink of his demise and still pushed on as if his near-fatal wounds were nothing but a hangnail would scare any foe willing to go toe-to-toe with him.

A veritable walking definition of PTSD, Frank’s only source of true pain come from the emotional wounds he’s sustained both from his time in the war(s), to the obvious inciting incident that has made him who he is today -- witnessing the end of his family at the hands of the mob.

22 ITALIAN ROOTS

Frank Castle’s lineage stretches far across the shoes of America, back to the Mediterranean island of Sicily, Italy. Born and baptized as Frank Castliglione to Catholic Italian immigrant parents Mario and Louise, Frank’s last name was eventually Americanized when the family landed in New York during the '50s (see 1986’s The Punisher five-issue run, written by Steven Grant).

While the exact nature of Castle’s family tree is rarely touched upon in contemporary Punisher lore, it is still interesting to note the parallel between Frank’s immigrant background and the perception of the character as the ultimate superhero outsider.

21 NOT SQUEAMISH

The Punisher is many things, but squeamish isn’t one of them. While not the singular defining feature of a true criminal, the indifference that Castle experiences around absolute carnage do make him a front-runner in the “could be a criminal” department.

Either way, being unaffected by violent imagery allows him to be able to take out his enemies without batting an eye. While similar to Wolverine in this way, Frank’s not deathproof and because of this, his own mortality is constantly reflected in the aftermath of his battles and yet he manages to remain flinch-free.

20 HE MIGHT ACTUALLY BE INSANE

Say what you will about 2004’s The Punisher, but Thomas Jane’s heartbreaking performance during the sequence when his wife, son and extended family are taken out by Howard’s Saint’s goons is enough to make anyone believe the man’s a candidate for the mental ward at Ryker’s.

While creator Gerry Conway originally intended Punisher to be more hitman than a straight up life-taking criminal, modern comics (i.e. Punisher MAX) have certainly pushed the character into the realm of clinically diagnosable territory.

19 IS ONE HANDSOME DEVIL

With square-jaws and piercing eyes all but a job requirement to be a male superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe, it’s no wonder Chris Evans got the Cap role over John Krasinski (sorry, John).

The difference with The Punisher, however, is that he’s put that cowl-free mug of his through the ringer umpteen times, while still retaining the original arrangement of his features. Bottom line, he can go through hell, and still look better than a pre-surgically disfigured Wade Wilson.

18 HIS MUSCLED FRAME

It takes a lot to keep in shape, especially when your profession involves being a living weapon. Despite the numerous injuries sustained over the years, complete lack of sleep, and poor excuse for even a moderately healthy diet, The Punisher’s physique more or less resembles that of a professional bodybuilder.

Look no further than 1989’s The Punisher starring Dolph Lundgren. At 6’5, 250 pounds, the guy personified Frank Castle to a tee. Say what you will about the script, direction, and Lundgren’s acting (just not to his face), but the guy really nailed the physicality of the character.

17 HIS WORKOUT ROUTINE

Flip through any Punisher comic, and you’re likely to see the occasional panel sequence of Frank Castle hitting a punching bag, squatting with every plate in the gym, or smashing through bricks with his bare hands.

One has to imagine this is something he does at least six days a week, with one day reserved for, well, laundry? The guy leaves nothing left in the tank after a workout, even if that means having to bench-press one. Simply put, his fitness regime is enough to break any man (or mutant).

16 MORE SCAR TISSUE THAN HEALTHY SKIN

If The Punisher were a real person, one would imagine he’d look more like his nemesis Jigsaw at this point. Tally up the countless war wounds, bullet holes, bruises and broken teeth, and you’ve got one messed up guy.

Also remember that, unlike Wolverine, he’s a brawler who hasn’t got the benefit of mutant-like healing. Frank Castle, is after all, just a man, and yet the injuries he’s sustained over his 40+ year career as a superhero barely show. Good genetics maybe?

15 CAN GO CLEAN SHAVEN OR ROCK A BEARD

Like most heroes who’ve lived through the '60s, '70s, and mullet-rockin’ '90s, Frank Castle has also experimented with facial hair. Greg Rucka’s 2011 run on the titular series, The Punisher, saw a more grizzled Frank sport some serious facial hair -- and it kinda suited him.

That being said, there’s no replacing an original, and for Frank Castle, it’s clean shaven or bust. Frank does sometimes opt for the 5 o’clock shadow look, much to the dismay of an eternally baby-faced Peter Parker. Sorry Pete, peach fuzz doesn’t count.

14 FRANKEN-CASTLE

Back in 2009, things got pretty weird for Frank Castle. This particular run of monster-inspired madness saw Frank taken out by Wolverine’s evil son, Daken, only to be reconstructed and brought back to life by an underground cadre of ghouls.

Dubbed “Franken-Castle”, the Mary Shelly inspired take on The Punisher is one lurid, macabre, and delightful read. Frank takes his rightful place among other Marvel monsters like Manphibian, Man-Wolf and Marvel Zombies (see Mark Millar’s run on Ultimate Fantastic Four for that last one).

13 ADAPTIVE UNDER PRESSURE

When there’s something strange, in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? Forget Ghostbusters, try giving The Punisher a ring. The dude is the living definition of adaptable, and has more skills on his CV than Reed Richards has degrees.

The Punisher was basically designed to be the unforgiving version of Captain America; able to survive just about anything, against anyone. After all, he is a former Marine, Air Force Officer and Navy Seal. Who says you need a shield made of vibranium or utility belt when you’ve got mad skills like these?

12 A STRANGE MIX OF EMPATHETIC AND SOCIOPATHIC

For all of the Punisher’s sociopathy, there’s still a glint of humanity left in the man. Remember The Punisher #54, when he cracked a smile after being licked profusely by that dog?

Thanks to writer Mike Baron and Hugh Haynes, we saw the spirits of a man battle-hardened by war and personal tragedy lift ever so slightly. Or what about the scene in 2008’s Punisher: War Zone when Ray Stevenson goes to visit the grave of his deceased wife and children? The guy clearly HAS emotions, right... right?

11 THE HOLY BODY

When confronted with the notion of Catholicism in the comics, rarely does Frank Castle’s name come up -- even though he once considered becoming a priest. Yes, shortly before enlisting to fight alongside Uncle Sam, The Punisher nearly traded in his skull-adorned Kevlar vest for holy garments.

Kudos for the matching colors (he must truly be a white on black fan). After his infamous personal tragedy, Frank all but discarded his faith in a higher power in favor of taking justice into his own two hands.

10 OFF THE CHARTS INTELLIGENCE

As is often the case with most high-functioning psychopaths, Frank Castle is one smart dude. Listed alongside abilities such as “explosives and demolition expertise” and “close quarters combat proficiency” is his insane IQ. While no science geek, The Punisher’s aptitude for carrying out complex missions requiring an advanced skill-set is almost second to none.

He’s even gone toe-to-toe with some of Marvel’s most sophisticated baddies and lived to tell the tale. We're talking foes like Bullseye, Kingpin, Howard Saint, Jigsaw and Co., and even Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (when the two of them were on opposing sides).

9 DOESN'T TAKE PAIN MEDS

For a guy whose best friend should be a bottle of painkillers, he’s got one hell of a history of abstinence in the chemical department. Not known to have a history of consuming anything but endless rounds of ammunition, the dude is as straight edge as it gets.

You’d almost be forgiven for thinking he’d be the perfect role model for kids… that is until you remember everyone he leaves in his wake at the end of every issue. Well, you know that they say, no one’s perfect.

8 CAN SCARE THE JOKER AND BEAT BATMAN

Before the days when rival comics companies would sue each other simply for mentioning the name of a copyrighted hero in a competitor’s issue, we had the bizarre and beautiful '90s trend of Marvel/DC crossovers. One that stands out in particular is 1994’s Punisher/Batman: Deadly Knights by Chuck Dixon and John Romita Jr.

Why, you ask? Because it featured a showdown between not only Frank and Batman, but also between Frank and The Joker. The take home? The Punisher actually scares the smile off the Joker, and could teach Bruce a thing or two in the hand-to-hand department.

7 A MAN OF MANY GUISES

Most fans would agree The Punisher’s costume is one of the most iconic and most practical outfits ever to fill the funny pages. Though there have been times when Frank has ditched function for fashion and donned the duds of Dr. Strange, War Machine, Ghost Rider and Captain America -- all while retaining his own sense of aesthetic originality.

While some were more fitting than others, The Punisher has always operated as a man who isn’t defined by the clothes he wears -- something even the kids today can aspire towards emulating (which again begins and ends there).

6 CAN FUNCTION JUST AS WELL WITH ONLY ONE EYE

In what should have been a mainstay look, the Punisher upped his rep by wearing an eye-patch. Yes, that’s right, what only pirates and Nick Fury could pull off before, Frank Castle opted to cover his most recent battle scar with a homemade variation of the classic leather ocular bandage.

Though not worn for fashion, the thing looked real good on him. It’s a look that should have stuck around, but unfortunately (as is the way of most comic book “changes”) things almost always revert to their original incarnation. You know what they say, if it ain’t broke…