The Punisher War Journal #61 – Suicide Run: “Terminal Objectives”
Original Release Date: December 1993

Writer: Chuck Dixon
Artist: Gary Kwapisz
Colorist: Joe Andreani

In a fury of bullets, three men are cut down; just another day in the life of Frank Castle, The Punisher. As per usual, Castle is putting an end to a mob operation in the most violent way possible. Tonight he lucks out a bit and finds a man, a mob accountant, hiding in a bathroom stall; this guy’s got some valuable information.

Back at his hideout, Frank questions the poor guy who willingly gives up some details on a meeting that’s taking place in a couple of weeks. Apparently, Vito Valducci, a local mob leader, is gathering the top men in various mobs together for a summit. The only thing this accountant guy doesn’t know is where it’s going to take place.

Fortunately Frank knows all kinds of people that can answer that and one just happens to come to mind: Rosalie Carbone, mafia princess. He manages to catch her and her boy toy, Bruno, relaxing poolside at Rosalie’s place. Taking care of her security in the only way he knows how, Frank enters the scene and asks Rosalie what she knows about this meeting. She refuses, so he plants the gun on her head and asks her boyfriend. Rosalie tells Bruno not to answer, but the Punisher persuades him to do so by outlining the consequences.

Reluctantly, Bruno explains that he overhead via his relationship with Rosalie, that the big wigs of the mob world are meeting at the newly constructed Manhattan Tower two weeks before Thanksgiving. After getting his information about Vito’s meeting, Frank leaves the lovely couple.

Elsewhere a meeting is already taking place between the heads of the mob organizations. Going around the room, each of them introduces themselves and states they are very willing to go through with the plan. Once the last man is reached, he refuses to submit; this man is Jigsaw, frequent enemy of Frank’s. Jigsaw tells them they’re crazy to even try the plan, which is revealed to be the trapping and murdering of The Punisher! Jigsaw explains that they can never truly trap Frank; the Punisher will just be trapping them instead! They do not listen, figuring Jig’s words to be full of crap.

Back at Frank’s hideout, he and Microchip go over the blueprints of the Manhattan Tower, attempting to figure out the best way in. Micro tells him the whole mission is nothing but a trap and Frank explains that he knows that; Micro then tells him that it’s nothing but suicide, but Frank again seems to already know that. How can he not attempt to be in on the biggest meeting of mob heads to take place since the 60’s? He’ll be there all right… and they’ll know it, but they won’t survive the encounter.

The time has come and a truck is being parked in the basement of Manhattan Tower. It’s a truck full of champagne for Mr. Valducci. The security guards, better known as Valducci’s goons, are having none of it though; they want the truck moved; they haven’t heard anything about a delivery! The driver of the truck argues, but eventually submits, turning the truck on and attempting to move it; unfortunately the truck dies on the spot and the driver is left with the task of getting a tow. He leaves the garage and the truck behind with the men in the basement garage.

A day and a half later, at night high above the streets of Manhattan, an ultra-lite one-man flier is making its way to Manhattan Tower. Valducci has goons posted on the roof of the tower; they’re waiting for anything… but mainly just the Punisher. They spot the flier and figure it’s him coming in for a landing. The thing touches down on the roof and they run over, guns at the ready, to investigate.

They find the Punisher, or more accurately, a dummy of the Punisher with a belt of explosives! Before they can turn and get out of there, the belt explodes, sending a wall of fire in all directions, effectively taking care of any opposition on the roof as well as communication towers.

In the basement garage, Valducci’s goons are playing a game of blackjack; they’re so into the game that they don’t hear the man dressed in black with the white skull on his chest getting out of the massive faux champagne bottle on the roof of the truck that had been left a day or so ago. They don’t hear him even when he cuts them down with his silenced pistol.

The Punisher has been hiding out, nearly motionless on top of the truck for too long; he’s ready to stretch his body and get to work. Going to a nearby elevator, Frank forces the doors open and attaches a device to the cables. Instead of calling an elevator to the garage and announcing his arrival, he’s going to use this device Microchip created to get, hopefully to the top floor. Hopefully because he’s not sure whether or not the battery attached can get him the full 100 levels he needs to go.

Clicking a switch, the device begins pulling him up the cables to a destination high up. At the 91st floor, the battery gives and Frank ditches it, forcing the doors open and preparing to find stairs and run the rest of the way. Unfortunately, about half way through the main room of the 100th floor, blinding lights spotlight him, nearly blinding him thanks to the night vision goggles he opted to wear.

He finds himself surrounded by the largest group of mob leaders ever assembled; they all have their guns trained on him. The mobsters soon find Jigsaw’s words prophetic as Frank pulls out a detonator and explains that if his thumb comes off the trigger, a truck in the basement will blow up and level the entire building.

He looks around the room, “You wanted me. You got me.”

****

This is the first time for this column that I’ve covered an issue of The Punisher (War Journal or not); it’s not because I’ve been unable to find good issues, because there are plenty of those, it’s because I’ve had a difficult time narrowing it down to just one. I picked this one because it shows that a.) comics from the 90’s can be good (I think a lot of the issues I’ve covered show that) and b.) It is one of those perfect Punisher stories that showcases what the character is all about; it shows the cunning, determined man out for vengeance no matter the cost.

Chuck Dixon is a fantastic writer and he shows it here; the whole thing feels cinematic in nature. It’s like one big, fun-filled, 80’s action movie. This issue, however, doesn’t get to the point where it feels over the top and cheesy. I think that was my main complaint about where the Punisher books eventually went in the 90’s before finally getting axed in ’95. There just ended up being a lot of ridiculously unnecessary plot elements that seemed forced and, well, stupid. But that doesn’t happen in this issue, so let’s not focus on that.

The art, by Gary Kwapisz, is appropriately dark and gritty, conveying the overall feel of the story. But, as is seen in the Rosalie Carbone scene, Gary’s art can be bright and smooth. His work really is fantastic here; I have zero complaints (not that I have any ability to complain in the first place!) and nothing but praise.

The Punisher stuff from the early 90’s is hit and miss, but this issue is definitely a hit, leading into a major crossover storyline for our favorite murdering vigilante. Find it and enjoy it.