If You Missed Captain America #25...Make Sure You Buy "Punisher War Journal #7"

Those of us who read the Civil War year-long event where not too shocked at the revelation of Captain America's assassination by Red Skull and Crossbones. We had read as Skull made his plans and as Fury and Cap seemed to "know" something was up.

We also noticed something else, and I'm not talking about how Winter Soldier (aka Bucky/Nomad/Cap's Sidekick) is once again on the side of the angels. In Civil War #6, and the corresponding Punisher title, Cap beats the bejeezus crap out of good ol' Frank Castle (that's the Punisher for you non-marvelites out there) and Frank never raises a finger. Cap's his icon and if his icon wants to beat the bejeezus out of him, Frank will let him.

After this sound thrashing a comment is made to Cap that the Punisher is "the same man" as Cap, but from a "different war." Hmm...what could be going on here? Cap has gone rogue (committing treason)in order to favor the FREEDOM of individuals to be vigilantes over the SAFETY of the communities they live in, but he thinks that Punisher's type of vigilantism goes to far. Yet the Punisher idolizes Cap. Something is being said here.

For those of you who think I am being unfair to Cap in my description that he's being some bizarre Objectivist who favors FREEDOM over SAFETY. Take a look at the following images from Civil War #7.



This first image shows Cap being tackled by FIREMEN, POLICE OFFICERS, and PARAMEDICS just as he's about to brain Iron Man. That's right, Captain America (a superhero) is being stopped from committing murder by the real heroes of 9/11, a parallel being intentionally made in the panel.



Cap then threatens to harm these real heroes, who tell him he has to be kidding if he thinks his rejection of the Superhero Registration Act is anything other than treason. His little Civil War has caused a great deal of damage.



We then see a destroyed Manhattan, who only Iron Man thought to evacuate in order to protect innocents.



Finally Cap gets it, he understands what his Civil War has done. He has become more like the Punisher than the iconic hero who has worked FOR THE GOVERNMENT (Except for the time when he quit in the Post-Watergate era, and when he was fired by George H. W. Bush. What is it with Cap quitting, getting fired, and getting murdered and Republican Presidents?). Cap realizes that he has valued FREEDOM so highly that he has nearly destroyed that which he seeks to defend.

Cap takes off his mask and discards it as he turns himself into the authorities. Who should pick up the discarded mask? You guessed it... the Punisher! So now in issue 7 of Punisher War Journal we will get to see Frank Castle as never before.

Will Frank Castle be the new Captain America?

Sounds like a What If?! doesn't it?