Punisher: Red Band #4 – From Puppet to Predator

The “Red Band” era of the Punisher has been defined by a singular, suffocating tension: Frank Castle, the world’s most dangerous vigilante, acting as a lobotomized “Black Knight” for his greatest enemy, Wilson Fisk. In Punisher: Red Band #4, written by Benjamin Percy with visceral art by Julius Ohta and colors by Yen Nitro, that tension finally snaps. This issue isn’t just a continuation of the story in “Punisher: Red Band #3“; it is a violent rebirth. Frank Castle is no longer a weapon to be pointed—he is a man who has remembered how to hunt.

The Butcher’s Table: A Tunnel to Hell

The issue opens with an atmosphere of absolute dread in the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel. While the city outside watches news reports of urban warfare and a “man with a skull”, a far more intimate and gruesome scene is unfolding inside a hijacked ambulance.

Frank, who had previously kidnapped two EMTs and threatened them with a bomb, demands the impossible: “combat surgery”. He needs the control device implanted in his brain stem—the “mind plant”—removed immediately. The “Red Band” explicit nature of the book is on full display here. Frank refuses anesthesia, demanding they “carve it the @#$% out” while he remains conscious.

The sensory details provided by Percy’s narration are harrowing. As the EMTs cut into him, Frank experiences a sensory overload—hot brass, burnt ozone, and concussive vibrations that feel like a “chain gun unloading in his brain”. It is a brutal testament to Castle’s willpower; he endures the agony of having his own skull opened just to regain his agency.

The Great Escape

As the timer on the supposed bomb ticks down, the EMTs work in a frenzy of blood and smelling salts. Against all medical odds, they successfully remove the device just as the clock hits the final seconds. In a rare moment of “mercy,” Frank stops the timer, revealing the bomb was a fake. The EMTs flee into the tunnel as if Frank himself were the explosion, leaving behind a man who is now truly “offline”.

This moment is pivotal. For the first three issues, Frank was a passenger in his own body, guided by a “compass” and the muffled voice of Wilson Fisk. By removing the chip, Frank has not only escaped the Kingpin’s control but has also effectively “died” to the system. Microchip can no longer track his thoughts or direct his hand.

Tombstone’s Brutal Philosophy

While Frank is reclaiming his soul, the underworld he is destined to destroy is showing its own teeth. The narrative shifts to Tombstone, the albino crime lord who has been on the hunt for the Punisher since his shipments were first targeted.

Tombstone’s brutality is portrayed through a disturbing interrogation scene involving a pig carcass. He forces his men to reach inside the animal to “remember where their food comes from,” a metaphor for the raw, visceral reality of their business. Tombstone is a predator who knows he is being hunted, and he is making it clear that anyone who fails him will end up like the livestock. He warns his crew that “somebody’s gonna come for this shipment too,” unaware that the man coming for it is no longer Fisk’s puppet.

The True Punisher Returns

With the mind plant gone, the “fog” lifts completely. Frank finds a dossier containing everything he needs to know—the intel Microchip had been using to feed him targets. Now, however, Frank uses that data for his own war.

He returns to the streets of New York, and the transition is immediate. He isn’t just a soldier; he is a force of nature. In the Bronx, he encounters a “corner boy” who is far too comfortable in the shadows. The Punisher treats this encounter like “trash night,” cleaning up the streets with a cold, lethal efficiency that signals his full return.

The Message: “You’re Next”

The climax of the issue occurs when Frank uses one of Tombstone’s own men to send a message. He captures a goon and forces him to call his boss. As Tombstone picks up the phone, expecting a status report, he instead hears the sounds of his own operation being dismantled.

Frank doesn’t waste words. He delivers a chilling verdict over the phone while executing the informant: “You’re next”. This isn’t just a threat to Tombstone; it is a declaration of independence. Frank is no longer striking targets to help Kingpin “sanitize” the city; he is striking them because it is what he was born to do.

The War to Come

The issue concludes with a panicked Microchip and a furious Wilson Fisk. Micro realizes the implant is gone and manages to lock onto Frank’s current location. Kingpin, realizing his “perfect instrument” has turned into his greatest liability, orders his forces to prepare for “war with the Punisher”.