August 25, 2007

Punisher trained by Indian

PunisherThe Punisher is a fictional vigilante and anti-hero in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr. and Ross Andru, he first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 (Feb. 1974).

The Punisher is a vigilante who considers killing, kidnapping, extortion, coercion, threats of violence and torture as acceptable crime-fighting tactics. Driven by the deaths of his wife and children, who were killed by the mob when they witnessed a Mafia gangland execution in New York City's Central Park, Frank Castle wages a one-man war on the mob and all criminals in general by using all manner of weaponry. A war veteran, Castle is a master of martial arts, stealth tactics, hand-to-hand combat, spatial planning and a wide variety of weapons.

Early life and military career

During his time in the USMC, Castle graduated from boot camp and then went on to U.S. Marine Corps School of Infantry. Immediately after, he went through the USMC's Reconnaissance, Force Reconnaissance, and Sniper Schools. Attaining dockets, Castle was permitted to go through U.S. Army Airborne School, and U.S. Navy Underwater Demolition Team training, becoming qualified as a Navy SEAL (Sea, Air and Land). While still in training, Castle met Phan Bighawk, a Native American scout. He was assigned to be Castle's guide, and through Phan, he learned how to survive in the wilderness.

6 comments:

writerfella said...

Writerfella here --
Oh, wow, as time passes, the coincidences between the information on this blog and writerfella's own life get closer and closer! Gerry Conway (all of 17 years old!) was a member of the second Clarion Writer's Workshop at Clarion College in Clarion, PA, that writerfella attended (1970) and then was at the third such Clarion conference writerfella attended, held at Tulane University in New Orleans (1971). At those times, Gerry Conway already was working as an enfante terrible for Marvel Comics and so it is that his concept for THE PUNISHER was submitted to the workshop for critique and evaluation. And it was so deep and detailed and logical that it blew the rest of us workshoppers (32 strong) away. Over time, Gerry Conway went on to more or less remain a mainstay at Marvel, though writerfella did complain when Gerry, because he knew writerfella, invented the "Keewazi" tribe for Marvel stories and also put them out in the Southwest desert. But that aside, what a coincidence in a world where writerfella believes there are FEW coincidences...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'

writerfella said...

Writerfella here --
POSTSCRIPTUM: Oops, almost forgot to note another part of that particular coincidence. Isn't it also notable that, writerfella, also an Indian, helped to train (at least partially) the creator of THE PUNISHER? Sometimes, it indeed is a small world, and then again, it also is a small universe...
All Best Russ Bate
'writerfella'

Rob said...

I don't think Gerry Conway was writing the Punisher when the back story about about Phan Bighawk was added. But I could be wrong about that. So there's a slight chance you influenced the Punisher's origin.

As I think I said before, Stan Lee (not Gerry Conway) invented the Keewazi Tribe as well as Wyatt Wingfoot.

Rob said...

Incidentally, one source implies the Keewazi are an offshoot of the Comanche:

http://marveldatabase.com/Wyatt_Wingfoot

Wyatt Wingfoot is a member of the Keewazi tribe of American Indians and a descendant of the Comanche Indians. He was born at the Keewazi reservation in Oklahoma.

writerfella said...

Writerfella here --
That confirms it, then. Because the reservation here once was the Wichita, Kiowa, Comanche, and Apache reservation. Though it only is a memory now, it is an OFFICIAL US GOVERNMENT RECORDED MEMORY. The maps still exist, even, and can be found on the internet. Keewazis or no, that means Stan Lee knew about the Kiowa (pronounced Kee-O-Wah in several 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s films).
The coincidence continues...
All Best
Russ Bates
'writerfella'

Rob said...

Perhaps "Keewazi" is a combination of "Kiowa" and "Anasazi."