One of Punisher's Few Surviving Villains Returns

5 days ago 13

The Punisher's most infamous foe is heading back to the pages of Marvel Comics, and he has more reason for revenge than anyone.

As revealed in Marvel Comics' solicits for February 2026, a brand-new Punisher series is on the way, and it is bringing back one of Frank Castle's worst enemies. Written by Benjamin Percy and illustrated by José Louis Soares, Punisher will mark the return of Frank Castle to the world he has tried so hard to leave behind, as well as the return of Jigsaw to the land of the living. Readers can check out the main cover for the series' first issue by David Marquez as well as variant cover art by Philip Tan below.

The Punisher #1

Written by BENJAMIN PERCY
Art by JOSÉ LUIS SOARES
Main cover art by DAVID MARQUEZ
Variant covers by ARIO ANINDITO; PHILIP TAN; JOHN TYLER CHRISTOPHER; and (TBA)

The official solicit synopsis for Punisher #1 from Marvel Comics reads, "CRIME’S WORST NIGHTMARE IS BACK IN AN ALL-NEW ONGOING SERIES! As unflinching and uncompromising as ever, Frank Castle’s memory is damaged and he’s hunting for answers and criminals alike! He’ll get more than he bargained for of both when the notorious and bloodthirsty JIGSAW returns…with THE PUNISHER dead in his sights! "

Introduced back in 1976's Amazing Spider-Man #161 by Len Wein and Ross Andru, William "Billy" Russo was once the Costa mob's greatest hitman, as well as its most attractive figure. Nicknamed "the Beaut" for his overtly good looks, Billy Russo was set to become one of the Costa mob's most prominent members, or would have been if it weren't for Frank Castle, who left Russo permanently disfigured. This drove Russo to take on the moniker Jigsaw and set out on a decades-long quest for revenge against the Punisher.

Over the years, the Punisher and Jigsaw have faced off against one another dozens of times, yet rarely has the latter been able to leave any sort of permanent impact on the former. Whether on his own or as a member of groups such as the Hood's Gang or Thunderbolts, Jigsaw has simply never managed to overcome his heavily armed nemesis. In 2022's Punisher War Journal: Brother #1 by Torunn Grønbekk and Rafael T. Pimentel, the pair's ongoing battle was finally brought to a close when Frank (seemingly) ended Jigsaw's life.

Jigsaw has proven to be such an influential figure in the Punisher's journey that the character has followed Frank to both the silver and small screens. In 2008, Dominic West stepped into the role of Jigsaw for the wildly underrated Punisher: War Zone, starring the late, great Ray Stevenson. Jigsaw returned in 2017 as portrayed by Ben Barnes for both seasons of Netflix's The Punisher, starring John Bernthal as the titular antihero.

Punisher #1 goes on sale Feb. 25, 2026 from Marvel Comics.