APPROVED: BACKGROUND_1 Soldier
Frank Castle was born in 1957 in Queens, his Italian father and Irish mother making certain he'd grow up Catholic. He had brothers and sisters, of course, although he doesn't think about them anymore. They couldn't comfort him, couldn't help. Better for them if they forget him. He went to St. Agnes, a parochial of the old school. The nuns dished out whippings and cracked your knuckles, the priests called you a filthy little bugger, and you knew the slightest step out of line would damn your soul. Hell was a real thing, you could feel the heat in the floor, and every kid in that place came out dead certain he was gonna roast by the time he walked home. A real education.
Frankie didn't pay much attention to politics, although he saw plenty of hippies around the neighborhood (and heard his old man bitch about 'em). They seemed like they meant well, but Frank knew he'd fight. Wasn't a question of right or wrong, one you were in it. Frank signed up at sixteen, dropping out of school. His dad knew the recruiter, let him sneak by. Frank proved an able soldier, more than able, and quickly was shifted to Special Forces. By the time he hit Vietnam as a member of Force Recon, a lot of the official fighting was over. Frank stayed for three years doing a lot of unofficial fighting, going deep into jungles to pull out prisoners, sabotage enemy operations and generally make sure that, no matter who officially won the war, Charlie knew not to mess with the good ol' US of A. Frank left a lot of bodies and gained a lot of demons in 'nam. Luckily, Maria, his high school sweetheart, was still waiting for him when he got back.
APPROVED: BACKGROUND_2 Family Man
Frank and Maria were married shortly after he returned home, and the kids started coming shortly thereafter. Frank found work in a variety of places: construction, hauling, driving trucks, anyplace he could make a dime. Frank was old-fashionied enough to want this wife to stay home with the kids and, especially once the girls were born. Frank loved his wife and daughters, gave his whole self and being to them. Their love was his reward for the hell he went through in the jungle.
Then came the picnic.
Central Park. A beautiful day in the early 80's. They didn't know about the rising crack epidemic, the upsurge in violent crime. They didn't know about the two families meeting nearby, truces breaking, death in the air. They just went for a picnic, in the sunshine. The girls were flying a kite. Frank and Maria were talking about having a third baby, how it was almost time. How glad Maria was that Frank hadn't becomoe a priest, like he always said he would when they were kids.
But Frank never got the hang of forgiveness.
It happened in a matter of seconds, but it seemed to take forever to Frank. The bullets tore apart him and his family. The blood everywhere. Desperately begging God for their lives as his own punctured lungs burned, trying to make them breathe. Officially, Frank Castle survived his wife and daughters. In every way that mattered, though, Frank Castle died that day. And the Punisher was born.
APPROVED: BACKGROUND_3 Punisher
Frank recovered physically, but he couldn't go on living. He disappeared, leaving most of his family and friends to conclude he'd committed suicide. Six months later, the killings began. It started small, with muggers, pimps, dealers. And the rumors of a man wearing a skull, a man with no mercy, a man who wouldn't die. The violence escalated, taking out bossess and soldiers, dons and even entire crime families. The man got a name: The Punisher. New York divided on whether he was a hero or just another psycho, but it was hard to argue with his results.
Over the years, the war has waxed and waned. Frank has been caught on several occasions, his identity expoosed. He's spent time in prison on three occasions, once almost a full year. He tends to kill as much on the inside as he does on the outside. The war never stops. And he keeps escaping. Rumors are that there are those sympathetic to his cause in the system. Maybe they're right. Frank isn't telling. But even after thirty years of war, Frank Castle's thirst for vengeance shows no sign of letting up. An entire new generation of criminals has grown up now with the threat of the Punisher over their heads. To them, he's Death himself. Frank doesn't much care what they call him. He just wants them dead. And he usually gets his way.
APPROVED: BACKGROUND_1 Soldier
Frank Castle was born in 1957 in Queens, his Italian father and Irish mother making certain he'd grow up Catholic. He had brothers and sisters, of course, although he doesn't think about them anymore. They couldn't comfort him, couldn't help. Better for them if they forget him. He went to St. Agnes, a parochial of the old school. The nuns dished out whippings and cracked your knuckles, the priests called you a filthy little bugger, and you knew the slightest step out of line would damn your soul. Hell was a real thing, you could feel the heat in the floor, and every kid in that place came out dead certain he was gonna roast by the time he walked home. A real education.
Frankie didn't pay much attention to politics, although he saw plenty of hippies around the neighborhood (and heard his old man bitch about 'em). They seemed like they meant well, but Frank knew he'd fight. Wasn't a question of right or wrong, one you were in it. Frank signed up at sixteen, dropping out of school. His dad knew the recruiter, let him sneak by. Frank proved an able soldier, more than able, and quickly was shifted to Special Forces. By the time he hit Vietnam as a member of Force Recon, a lot of the official fighting was over. Frank stayed for three years doing a lot of unofficial fighting, going deep into jungles to pull out prisoners, sabotage enemy operations and generally make sure that, no matter who officially won the war, Charlie knew not to mess with the good ol' US of A. Frank left a lot of bodies and gained a lot of demons in 'nam. Luckily, Maria, his high school sweetheart, was still waiting for him when he got back.
APPROVED: BACKGROUND_2 Family Man
Frank and Maria were married shortly after he returned home, and the kids started coming shortly thereafter. Frank found work in a variety of places: construction, hauling, driving trucks, anyplace he could make a dime. Frank was old-fashionied enough to want this wife to stay home with the kids and, especially once the girls were born. Frank loved his wife and daughters, gave his whole self and being to them. Their love was his reward for the hell he went through in the jungle.
Then came the picnic.
Central Park. A beautiful day in the early 80's. They didn't know about the rising crack epidemic, the upsurge in violent crime. They didn't know about the two families meeting nearby, truces breaking, death in the air. They just went for a picnic, in the sunshine. The girls were flying a kite. Frank and Maria were talking about having a third baby, how it was almost time. How glad Maria was that Frank hadn't becomoe a priest, like he always said he would when they were kids.
But Frank never got the hang of forgiveness.
It happened in a matter of seconds, but it seemed to take forever to Frank. The bullets tore apart him and his family. The blood everywhere. Desperately begging God for their lives as his own punctured lungs burned, trying to make them breathe. Officially, Frank Castle survived his wife and daughters. In every way that mattered, though, Frank Castle died that day. And the Punisher was born.
APPROVED: BACKGROUND_3 Punisher
Frank recovered physically, but he couldn't go on living. He disappeared, leaving most of his family and friends to conclude he'd committed suicide. Six months later, the killings began. It started small, with muggers, pimps, dealers. And the rumors of a man wearing a skull, a man with no mercy, a man who wouldn't die. The violence escalated, taking out bossess and soldiers, dons and even entire crime families. The man got a name: The Punisher. New York divided on whether he was a hero or just another psycho, but it was hard to argue with his results.
Over the years, the war has waxed and waned. Frank has been caught on several occasions, his identity expoosed. He's spent time in prison on three occasions, once almost a full year. He tends to kill as much on the inside as he does on the outside. The war never stops. And he keeps escaping. Rumors are that there are those sympathetic to his cause in the system. Maybe they're right. Frank isn't telling. But even after thirty years of war, Frank Castle's thirst for vengeance shows no sign of letting up. An entire new generation of criminals has grown up now with the threat of the Punisher over their heads. To them, he's Death himself. Frank doesn't much care what they call him. He just wants them dead. And he usually gets his way.
APPROVED: ADV1 Arsenal
Frank has an assembled arsenal greater than that of some nations. Firearms of every known caliber, from the smallest pistols to military grade assault and anti-tank weapons. He has all forms of conventional explosives, detonators and bomb-making equipment, along with grenades, rocket launchers and mines for both underwater and ground usage. Laser sights, silencers, shotguns, every sort of ammo known to man (and some largely only in the testing phase). He has full arsenals at holding facilities scattered across the country and including five in the New York area alone.
APPROVED: ADV2 Bunkers
Along with his arsenals, Frank has numerous safehouses and bunkers set-up, hidey holes that he can dodge into in order to escape pursuit or hide out from the enemy. Most of these are extremely fortified, heavily armed, and provided with the latestt in security set-up. There are usually hidden doors and entrances, making things seem completely normal from the outside. He usually keeps at least a month's worth of K-rations and water in storage at all of these places for any given time. The door's are always heavily armored and bulletproofed to prevent outside intrusion.
APPROVED: ADV3 Vehicles
Frank keeps a number of vehicles on hand for his use, including speed boats, a variety of cars, motorcycles and even a stripped down Apache helicopter in a warehouse down in Jersey. His most notable vehicle is his Battle Van, a windowless black panel van customized for his use. The van has built in full surveillance systems, heavy armament, serious bulletproofing and enough computing power to hack into anyplace (if Frank has someone around to do the hacking). Even the tires are armored and puncture-proofed. The van also has some heavy artillery of its own, with chain guns, cluster bombs and a variety of other gadgetry.
APPROVED: ADV4 Terrifying Reputation
The Punisher has been murdering criminals for thirty years. You could call him a legends, but legends may or may not exist. The Punisher is damnably real. The sight of Frank or his insignia will strike fear and terror into many criminals, especially of the mundane variety. Even among the law abiding populace, Frank's reputation is well known, a mingling of fear and awe often accompanying his presence. Running doesn't help the bad guys much. Frank has no compunctions about shooting them in the back.
APPROVED: ADV5 Sympathizers
While Frank's war is illegal and, by many standards, immoral, there are plenty of people who take his side. Cops, prison guards, bartenders, hookers, average joe businessman…Punisher's approval rate usually runs at around thirty percent. Sometimes, those sympathizers are in a position to help Frank out: give him an alley to duck down, look the other way at a crime scene, leave a cell door open when he's left in their custody. You never know when someone's willing to do a vigilante a favor.
APPROVED: ADV6 Contacts
Frank has deveoloped a long list of contacts, from criminal informants to insiders in law enforcement. Even military and political connections, along with, of course, plenty of black market ties. Not all of them are willing or happy informants, of course, but most of them would rather hand Frank information in lieu of the alternative. If something's up in the criminal or violent underground, Frank can usually find a way to learn about it.
APPROVED: ADV7 Resources
Frank's built up a pretty decent nest egg of cash, all of which he's stolen from completely illegitimate sources. He feels no guilt about robbing the lawless. The war has to get funded somehow. At any given time, he has somewhere in the range of a million dollars in mixed bills and jewels, although he can't always access it all at once. Not a truly massive resource, but Frank's quite good at getting discounts.
APPROVED: ADV8 Pain Tolerance
Frank has endured more wounds, damage and generally getting the hell kicked out of him than most humans can imagine. He's been tortured, beaten, burned, blown up, shot, stabbed and had half of the bones in his body broken at some point. He's bled buckets. Along the way, he learned to shrug off pain that would make most people break down in tears, and he is essentially impossible to break by means of physical torment. While legitimate injury may slow or hinder his effectiveness, pain alone is never enough and he will push through any amount of agony to get his kill.
APPROVED: ADV9 Experience
There's almost no situation in the war on crime that Punisher hasn't been in. While many crimefighters are just emerging, Punisher's been waging his war since the mid-1980s. His experience always gives him an edge, allowing him to understand things, put them into perspective and generally read things with the eye of a veteran, a professional.
APPROVED: ADV1 Arsenal
Frank has an assembled arsenal greater than that of some nations. Firearms of every known caliber, from the smallest pistols to military grade assault and anti-tank weapons. He has all forms of conventional explosives, detonators and bomb-making equipment, along with grenades, rocket launchers and mines for both underwater and ground usage. Laser sights, silencers, shotguns, every sort of ammo known to man (and some largely only in the testing phase). He has full arsenals at holding facilities scattered across the country and including five in the New York area alone.
APPROVED: ADV2 Bunkers
Along with his arsenals, Frank has numerous safehouses and bunkers set-up, hidey holes that he can dodge into in order to escape pursuit or hide out from the enemy. Most of these are extremely fortified, heavily armed, and provided with the latestt in security set-up. There are usually hidden doors and entrances, making things seem completely normal from the outside. He usually keeps at least a month's worth of K-rations and water in storage at all of these places for any given time. The door's are always heavily armored and bulletproofed to prevent outside intrusion.
APPROVED: ADV3 Vehicles
Frank keeps a number of vehicles on hand for his use, including speed boats, a variety of cars, motorcycles and even a stripped down Apache helicopter in a warehouse down in Jersey. His most notable vehicle is his Battle Van, a windowless black panel van customized for his use. The van has built in full surveillance systems, heavy armament, serious bulletproofing and enough computing power to hack into anyplace (if Frank has someone around to do the hacking). Even the tires are armored and puncture-proofed. The van also has some heavy artillery of its own, with chain guns, cluster bombs and a variety of other gadgetry.
APPROVED: ADV4 Terrifying Reputation
The Punisher has been murdering criminals for thirty years. You could call him a legends, but legends may or may not exist. The Punisher is damnably real. The sight of Frank or his insignia will strike fear and terror into many criminals, especially of the mundane variety. Even among the law abiding populace, Frank's reputation is well known, a mingling of fear and awe often accompanying his presence. Running doesn't help the bad guys much. Frank has no compunctions about shooting them in the back.
APPROVED: ADV5 Sympathizers
While Frank's war is illegal and, by many standards, immoral, there are plenty of people who take his side. Cops, prison guards, bartenders, hookers, average joe businessman…Punisher's approval rate usually runs at around thirty percent. Sometimes, those sympathizers are in a position to help Frank out: give him an alley to duck down, look the other way at a crime scene, leave a cell door open when he's left in their custody. You never know when someone's willing to do a vigilante a favor.
APPROVED: ADV6 Contacts
Frank has deveoloped a long list of contacts, from criminal informants to insiders in law enforcement. Even military and political connections, along with, of course, plenty of black market ties. Not all of them are willing or happy informants, of course, but most of them would rather hand Frank information in lieu of the alternative. If something's up in the criminal or violent underground, Frank can usually find a way to learn about it.
APPROVED: ADV7 Resources
Frank's built up a pretty decent nest egg of cash, all of which he's stolen from completely illegitimate sources. He feels no guilt about robbing the lawless. The war has to get funded somehow. At any given time, he has somewhere in the range of a million dollars in mixed bills and jewels, although he can't always access it all at once. Not a truly massive resource, but Frank's quite good at getting discounts.
APPROVED: ADV8 Pain Tolerance
Frank has endured more wounds, damage and generally getting the hell kicked out of him than most humans can imagine. He's been tortured, beaten, burned, blown up, shot, stabbed and had half of the bones in his body broken at some point. He's bled buckets. Along the way, he learned to shrug off pain that would make most people break down in tears, and he is essentially impossible to break by means of physical torment. While legitimate injury may slow or hinder his effectiveness, pain alone is never enough and he will push through any amount of agony to get his kill.
APPROVED: ADV9 Experience
There's almost no situation in the war on crime that Punisher hasn't been in. While many crimefighters are just emerging, Punisher's been waging his war since the mid-1980s. His experience always gives him an edge, allowing him to understand things, put them into perspective and generally read things with the eye of a veteran, a professional.
APPROVED: FLAW1 Age
Frank Castle is nearly sixty years old. While he might be young for a Vietnam veteran, he's old by the standards of crimefighters. Most men his age are looking at retirement funds, bouncing grandkids on their knees, picking up hobbies. Sitting on their butts and watching football games. Frank Castle gets up every day to wage war. But, as hard as he works and as good of shape as he stays in…he's getting older. Slower. Father Time is undefeated and Frank knows that every day bring him closer and closer to the day he's too slow, too old, to get the job done. He's accepted it. But he'll go down fighting.
APPROVED: FLAW2 Warhorse
Frank has dozens of old wounds, aches and pains, scars and suffering. For all his pain tolerance, he carries those with him and can be debilitated if struck in the right place or abused one more time where a past wound has struck. His ribs are particularly sore, having been broken scores of times over. Some days it hurts to breathe and he rarely takes pain meds, so they don't slow his reactions. Frank is almost always a wounded warrior, though. He hasn't been operating at one hundred percent in years.
APPROVED: FLAW3 Wanted
Frank Castle has been convicted of over five hundred counts of first degree murder (a small fraction of his actual killcount, but they stopped bothering to gather evidence at a certain point). He has been sentenced to over a dozen life sentences in prison and is frequently listed as one of the nation's most wanted fugitives. Police are always on high alert for his presence and will swarm his location if he's spotted. Since Frank tries not to kill cops, that can be a real pain in the ass.
APPROVED: FLAW4 Enemies
Frank has millions of dollars in contracts on his head. Every crime family, villainous organization and street gang wants him dead. Any killer could make their reputation for a lifetime by taking him down. As much as he hunts them, sometimes, some of them, the ones with the guts or lack of good sense to try, hunt him in return. Frank withstands at least one assassination attempt a month.
APPROVED: FLAW5 Grief
Frank Castle still grieves. He thinks of Maria, Theresa and Sophia every single day. He will never love again, never see a little girl without thinking of his children. While he is often dead inside, he is only that way to spare himself the constant pain their absence causes him. He is dead to the world because all the emotion he has is reserved and wrapped up in the grief within him that's never ended. It makes it impossible to form meaningful relationships (he hasn't been celibate, but love? No). He has nightmares multiple times a week of the day they died. He will never get over it. Period.
APPROVED: FLAW6 Holy Ground
Frank is a sincere and believing Catholic. He will not violate God's house and take a life inside it. Even the worst scumbag is safe from him in a confessional booth. Of course, that only counts for Catholic churches. Protestant churches, synagogues and funeral homes are fair game.
APPROVED: FLAW7 Notorious
Frank's face and symbol are well known, especially around New York City. While he's learned how to lay low and go unnoticed, he is occasionally spotted. It could result in anything from a nod of acknowledgement to an offered handshake to a scream of terror and calling the cops. Even a spontaneous attempt at arrest or capture. Not only that, but his fearful reputation sometimes does him no favors, terrorizing the innocent, often, as well as the guilty. Frank thinks that's only fair. They should shun him. He's not one of them anymore.
A place to install your character's public reputation
