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One of the Marvel Universe’s most brutal heroes is about to take the reins of one of its most twisted organizations, and there is absolutely no telling why.
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Timeless #1, available now from Marvel.
Of all the futures that Kang the Conqueror has seen throughout infinite timelines, nothing has been so staggering as the events foreshadowed in Timeless #1 by Jed MacKay, Kev Walker, Greg Land, Jay Leisten, Mark Bagley, Andrew Hennessy, Marte Gracia, and VC’s Ariana Maher. Amongst the momentous events hinted at in Kang’s fractured peek at time, Frank Castle’s new role stood as perhaps the most shocking. The image suggests the Punisher will be waging his war from the other side of the fight.
Kang the Conqueror has journeyed across nearly all of time, yet he has never seen the likes of a pirate timeline. Unfortunately, this is precisely the threat he faces. While the master of time quickly discovers the disruptive force and eliminates it, the visions of the future don’t fade so easily. Much of what Kang saw has him reeling, unsure of what’s to come. One that may not have caught his eye as readily but will certainly grab fan attention concerns Punisher’s future.
Predictably, Castle will be involved with further violence. One expects that out of infinite timelines, only two, maybe three, don’t involve the Punisher engaging in bloody combat. The twist in this pirate timeline is that Frank has a team this time, a personal army. One glimpse tells you right away what’s happening: Frank Castle is now leading The Hand.
Considering their respective histories, it’s almost impossible to imagine how the Punisher would end up in such a position in the first place. Castle has spent years eradicating crime in the most brutal fashion imaginable. Along the way, he has faced off against plenty of superpowered or otherworldly threats but has never openly aligned himself with an organization as twisted as The Hand.
Ever since their first appearance in 1981’s Daredevil #174 by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson, The Hand has only been known as a highly organized death cult wearing the thin veil of an organized crime syndicate. On the surface, this collection of ninjas is everything that Frank Castle has stood against throughout his career.
Then again, this isn’t the only significant change coming for the Punisher, and the two do seem to go hand in hand. Fans already know that Marvel has announced a redesign of the Punisher’s iconic skull logo to something a bit more demonic. Specifically, many have compared this new emblem to a Japanese oni mask. The Hand has long worshipped The Beast. According to their lore, this mysterious and powerful demon has lent his power to the group for centuries. Frank’s new look could reflect The Hand’s allegiance to The Beast or another of the demonic forces the ninjas have dealt with in the past.
Still, that line of speculation answers the change in Castle’s attire, not how he fell in with the cult. One hopes his leadership is an act of undercover work, not unlike when he has joined the mob to take them down from within. Certainly, it seems a safe bet to assume that it is in service of a greater plan, the ending of an even more insidious enemy.
History suggests reforming The Hand is an impossible task. The likes of Daredevil, Elektra, and the Kingpin have all tried to bend the cult to their will, only to lose control or be corrupted themselves. In light of that, the chances of Frank having any lasting impact on the ninja’s methods or morality seem close to nonexistent. So whatever will drive the Punisher to join the death cult is sure to be epic, especially given how much about himself he’d have to sacrifice or ignore. Hopefully, when the time for Frank to take up a sword comes, it won’t be at the expense of a part of himself he can’t afford to lose.
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