Punisher's War Journal

Punisher War Journal
Name	Punisher War Journal
Owners
Current Owner(s)	Frank Castle
Notable Alternate Reality Owner(s)	Jake Gallows, Trust
Previous Owner(s)	Francis Castle (Earth-928), Francis Castle (Earth-1059)
Physical Characteristics
Type	Document
Origin
Origin	Frank Castle wrote a journal recording the Punisher's missions.
Reality	Earth-616
Lead Designer	Frank Castle
Creators and Appearances
Creators	Carl Potts
First	Punisher War Journal #1 (July, 1988)
First	Punisher War Journal #1 (July, 1988)

History

Origin

Since early in his Career as the Punisher, Frank Castle kept a journal of his missions, calling it his War Journal. The first 8 entries in the journal are about Punisher's revenge against his family's killers.

Stolen journal

Later, the group called the Trust stole the War Journal. The Punisher's journal was wanted by many criminals, and the Trust sold many fake copies. The real journal was cast into the cement foundation of a new building, where it would remain for years.

New journal

Frank Castle seemingly kept writing down entries afterwards, including about Spider-Man methods change towards stopping criminals.

Discovered back in 2099

The War Journal was later rediscovered in the year 2099 by the Public Eye's cop Jake Gallows. On the last page of the journal, Gallows read: "He who find this, I charge you to carry on my work". Jake Gallows was inspired by this to become the Punisher of the year 2099, after having avenged his family in killing their murderer, Kron Stone.

Since Jake Gallows was terminated by S.H.I.E.L.D., the fate of the War Journal remains unknown.

Entries

• 10: "The Mechanic was my ordinance man in 'Nam. He had a special genius for devising weapons and explosives... a genius that was almost terminated by a claymore mine in Quảng Trị Province. 'Maybe it's just as well,' he said when I first looked him up in the Maryland Veteran's Home... 'Guys like us, captain, we were trained for one thing only... killin'. What good are we to anybody without a war?' At the time, I didn't have a good answer for the Mechanic. I suppose I don't really have one for him even now... but I do have a war."
• 381: "Update: Four people were already dead, murdered by a sniper pretending to be the Punisher--which hadn't exactly helped my reputation."
• "My present mission- hunt down Cloak and Dagger. While on the trail of a new group of drug pushers rumored to be selling to school children, one of them practically fell into my lap. Under a little applied duress, he confessed that the supply of drugs was coming from a base at the Holy Ghost Church under the protection of Cloak & Dagger! I have some vague recollection of encountering Cloak and Dagger hwhen I was myself in a involuntarily drugged state and tried to kill the Kingpin, the source of drugs in the city. I remember regaining consciousness to find all three gone. Perhaps they were the Kingpin's bodyguards'... If so, I'm glad to have this chance to deal with them once and for all-- -- to make them atome for their crimes!"
• #451: "Little Gene Durante is a middle man in the drug trade aiming to become a top player. I'm aiming for his heart. Clean sweep. Five down. Little Gene, Paulie Farr, Vinnie Conran, two others I don't recognize. Enough merchandise here to give a hundred junkies a lifetime supply. A call to New York's finest will see that it never makes it to the streets."
• Kona Coast. Uncle Jerry is the worst crooner I've heard since Frank Sinatra, but the dancers were good. Word is Uncle Jerry's planning to drive up prices on his loser Paradise Acres. No one wants to live in the clouds. All the hot real estate's downslope in Kona Estates. Have to talk to some Kona estates residents. Learn what kind of heat Uncle Jerry's got. Jerry Lewis Lee, native-born entrepreneur, opened his first restaurant in 1969. Now he owns hotels and real estate all over the big island. May be involved in running guns to the Yakuza.
• October 15, 2002. Tomas's trail has been a slippery one, but I've finally caught up with him in Detroit. The problem is, I've no desire to kill Tomas. Not yet, at any rate. It's the name of his employer I want. Unfortunately, he's being unreasonable about the situation.
• 1214: Sensed sweaty pig was telling the truth. I've got aging wiz kid Micro Chip with me on this on. I brief him and ask him and ask what information he has on Riverdale. He's totally unfamiliar with it. That makes two of us. Micro brings up a good point... we've stumbled on innocuous sounding provinces before turn out to be hotbeds of corruption. We double check armory for immediate action and head out... who know what kind of sewer Riverdale may turn out to be...?
• After brief detainment, reached destination. Micro will lie low in War Wagon. Most likely authorities have been alerted. Imperative to remove quarry from Riverdale High immediately. Expect situation to get critical if quarry's rivals arrive first. Check out school to see if any are hiding out... will deal with them if necessary. Will make sure they never set foot in Riverdale again. Or anywhere else for that matter... Can't remember last time I was in a school with no bars on the windows... dilapidated classrooms... however, did notice Riverdale was not without its share of graffiti...
• 06794: Conclusion: Let quarry slip away. First time for everything, I suppose. I did promise Uncle Sam I'd let quarry live. They can get him. I hear the choppers now. And if quarry escapes? What can he do? His empire is ruined, the other mobs are after him, and best of all-- he'll live in fear of me! Psychological warfare? For this time, why not? Everything else about this case was unprecedented in my war journal.
• 22173: "Whatever it was that changed Spider-Man's worldview on dealing with criminals... I approve. Which is something that before now, he would never want. And if he goes too far over the edge? I'll be waiting."
• 122312 (in Earth-1059): "The derelict house is empty. Must be out spending all the cash from the latest robbery. All that oney ... they be living it up. The tip was reliable so I know they'll be back. I'll be waiting. Drug addicts. Bad men. Small time. Two liquor stores, a Chinese restaurant, and a pharmacy. All in the last week. Money must go fast when it's crawling through your veins. Why'd they pick on that lady? They could have had their pick of young female flesh from one of the robberies. Why pick on that poor old lady? My skin crawls when I think about it. My knuckles tighten and crack around the grip of my weapon when I picture their diseased hand grabbing her. I envision the many ways I'll hurt them back. Why in Hell did they pick on that poor old lady? Witnesses say she'd been shopping. A pair of nylons and a can of soup. She was walking home ... the same route, the same street she'd walked every day since she was born in the neighborhood 73 years ago. Stubborn lady should have moved out of this decaying urban jungle long ago. But it was her home. And now she's a casualty. Th clank of a kicked bottle informs my ears that they're back, confirming what my nose has already told me. Guess the pair of nylons, the can of soup and the six dollars and fifty-seven cents they stole from the lady after they tortured and murdered her didn't go quite as far it used to. I pray for their mothers."
• 769446: After quarry eluded me in the city, I picked up his trail in the suburbs. Data on quarry says he once ran rackets with proprietor of comedy club. You could say I pulled name of establishment out of a hat...

Trivia

• Katie Power also wrote a War Journal (both the Punisher's and her's entries being presented in the introduction of Strange Tales (Vol. 2) #13. Katie Power's War Journal entry was: "My sister Julie and me have deadly dangerous job: Stop the Punisher, save Cloke and Dagger! And don't be late for supper!!! My dumb big brothers wanted us to go warn Cloke and Dagger but we dint want that job just cuz they thot it was an easy job for girls to do... Besides, how could they follow the Punishr? The dumb ol' boys cant even fly. My irrefruitable logik won in the end? We got the job now what? How do we stop the Punisher? Me and Julie must do what New York traffik can't?-- -stop the Punisher dead!!! I command my troops to preform a saborage mission! Success! Turns to bitter ashes in out mouths! We must stop Punisher or die? I order an airstrike on his mobile hedquarters. Objective creamed!!!! Ground assalt troops (Thats Julie) to render uselessssss... Enemy routed-- in retreet! Scouting reports in error. Enemie advancing on foots..".
• In Punisher Meets Archie #1, Archie Andrews narrated as if he had a war journal. 00001: Yeah--it's gonna be a long night... Ordered a chocklit shake from Pop Tate|Pop Tate. Had a full evening-- the shake went down good. Real good. He gave me a look that said he wasn't here for the drinks. just as well. Ran tab to the max earlier this week. After incident at the dance, was briefed on quarry. My hunch was correct-- he has my dangerous good looks. Now, that killer smile we share has put Veronica in danger. Castle wisely decides to join forces with me. Found out Castle was working with the Feds. Uncle Sam got Riverdale P.D. to play ball. Castle needed base of operations to plan strategy--away from the usual police bureaucracy. I relate. Had my own run-in with the cops earlier. I suggested Pop's. Castle confers his next move with his right-hand man. I have to wait until mine finishes eating. The criminal element has infected my town. Ronnie's been kidnapped... It's payback time. The war never ends. One on one. It's clobberin' time. It--

See Also

• 23 appearance(s) of Punisher's War Journal
• 2 mention(s) of Punisher's War Journal