(NewsNation) — Marvel’s The Punisher comic character is turning 50 this month, and creator Gerry Conway is conflicted over the character’s legacy as The Punisher’s logo has been co-opted by white supremacists.
Speaking with the Chicago Tribune, Conway, who is 72 and has been struggling with health issues, said he’s aware The Punisher is likely to be his most well-known comic creation, and he’s struggled with his feelings as the logo has been adopted by extremist groups.
Created in 1974, The Punisher is an anti-hero Conway said was intended to represent gray areas. The Punisher first appeared in “The Amazing Spider-Man” comic in 1974, but has also made an appearance in other comics and, most recently, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
In the MCU, Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, is a former Marine turned vigilante. He’s motivated by the death of his family and the failure of police to provide satisfactory justice. The character first appeared on TV screens in the 2004 film “The Punisher” and then again in the Netflix series “Daredevil” before getting his own Netflix series. The Punisher is set to appear again in the streaming series “Daredevil: Born Again.”
The Punisher has attracted a lot of fans, most notably white supremacists, white nationalists and neo-Nazis who have begun using the character’s black and white skull logo. The Punisher logo was seen on those at the Jan. 6 riots and has been used by extremist groups like the Proud Boys.
The popularity of the logo with such groups began in part after the release of the novel “American Sniper,” in which Iraq veteran Chris Kyle talked about spray-painting the logo on buildings. Kyle was later found to have misrepresented his own war record.
Conway said the character’s appeal to soldiers makes sense, as The Punisher is a Vietnam veteran in the original comics and an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran in the MCU. But, Conway was shocked by police adopting the logo and unhappy that the popularity among law enforcement and military led to the logo being adopted by extremists who use militaristic elements as part of their group identity.
Actor Jon Bernthal, who played The Punisher in the MCU, has spoken out against neo-Nazis and white supremacists using the logo, and Conway has previously said the character would oppose those ideals.
But the use of the logo continues, and in some ways, there’s not much Marvel can do about it. Marvel, now owned by Disney, has cracked down on counterfeit merchandise, something Disney is notoriously strict about doing.
But the company can’t stop extremists from buying and wearing officially licensed merchandise, from hoodies to car decals. One way Conway has fought back is by launching a campaign to have artists of color design versions of the logo, with proceeds from that merchandise going to Black Lives Matter.
Conway told the Tribune that while extremists use the logo, he’s also heard from many fans of color who like The Punisher and see a reflection of their struggles to get justice in a system that doesn’t always provide it. That’s part of why he remains conflicted about the character for who he is best known.
