WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for The Punisher #1 by Matt Rosenberg, Szymon Kudranski, Antonio Fabela and Cory Petit, in stores now.


As The Punisher, Frank Castle has never been one to refrain from pulling the trigger on a bad guy. After all, it's sort of what he's known for. In the Marvel Universe, Castle is essentially a movie monster, albeit one who goes exclusively after criminals and super villains, a relentless killing machine that stalks from the shadows and won't stop until his mission is done.

More often than not, you'll see Frank Castle dispose of faceless thugs. Armies of mercenaries and hired guns are usually the ones that stand in his way, and are thus the ones who find themselves on the receiving end of his ruthless ways. However, every now and then, The Punisher will set his sights on a character that is well established in the Marvel Universe -- and that is the case for the new relaunch of The Punisher comic

RELATED: Frank Castle’s War Machine is Finally Defeated by the Right Hero, In the Perfect Way

In the first issue of Matt Rosenberg and Szymon Kudranski's new series, Castle finds a new target, and he wastes no time in putting a bullet in his head before the close of the book. And so we've apparently seen the last of none other than one of Iron Man's biggest villains: The Mandarin.

The Punisher death of the Mandarin

The Mandarin made his first appearance in 1964's Tales of Suspense #50, by Stan Lee and Don Heck. Since his debut, the character remained a major member of Iron Man's rogues gallery -- in fact, some might even call him the Armored Avenger's greatest enemy. However, after all this time, after decades of an unending rivalry, it's ultimately Frank Castle who apparently puts an end to the magic-powered super-villain. As for why Frank went after a target that is so far away from his usual wheelhouse, well, it's all part of his ongoing war against Hydra.

Page 2: [valnet-url-page page=2 paginated=0 text='Frank%20Castle%20Just%20Killed%20One%20of%20Iron%20Man%27s%20Main%20Adversaries%20-%20But%20Why%3F']



As readers might recall, writer Matt Rosenberg's previous The Punisher series, which saw Castle put on the War Machine armor, dealt head-on with the fallout from the 2017 Secret Empire event. After joining Baron Zemo and Hydra during their reign over the United States, Castle sought to make amends, to right the wrongs he committed while wearing the octopus-themed symbol of the evil organization. After commandeering the War Machine armor, Castle went after Zemo -- but the villain managed to escape.

RELATED: Punisher Wants To Atone For His Secret Empire Actions By Killing A Former Hero

Now, The Punisher #1 might be a new beginning, but it still continues the threads established in the War Machine storyline. Castle is still looking for redemption, and hes still gunning for Zemo... which may have you wondering, where does the Mandarin fit into all of this? Well, it turns out the Asian super-villain is Zemo's latest ally.

While we don't yet exactly know what he's up to, Zemo has an elaborate plan cooking, one that involves the Roxxon corporation, as well as his new partner, the Mandarin. For this plan to work, Zemo and the Mandarin need the United Nations to vote in favor of recognizing the the nation of Bagalia. But, before the vote can take place, Castle puts a bullet square in the head of the Mandarin.

RELATED: Iron Man FINALLY Sets His Sights on the Punisher’s War Machine Armor

Baron Zemo

The Punisher didn't go after the Mandarin because he was a cruel and dangerous tyrant that had been allowed to roam the world for too long. He didn't set his crosshairs on him because he wanted to do what Iron Man never could. He simply shot him to get to Baron Zemo. In this way, the killing of the Mandarin is different from most of the high-level murders Frank has committed over the years. It's a means to an end, and it only appears to be the opening salvo in Frank Castle's war on Zemo and Hydra. Putting the Mandarin down alters Zemo's plans, and now he has no choice but to respond to the Punisher in kind.

But it won't be easy. After all, Frank Castle just took out a country's leader, in front of the entire United Nations and on national television. There's footage of him on the scene, pulling the trigger, meaning that everyone knows he is the killer. The issue ends with Castle once again finding himself the subject of a nation-wide manhunt. Of course, knowing Frank Castle, the odds are pretty good that he isn't exactly hiding. There seems to be an unfaltering motive to every one of his actions, and it's highly unlikely Zemo's the only one who has a plan.

KEEP READING: The Punisher Wears Iconic Skull Vest in Season 2 Set Photos