The Punisher Finally Gets His Own Joker in Marvel Comics

2 days ago 7

Published Jun 16, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT

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It is not particularly fair to hold every supervillain to the same standard as The Joker, but determining who deserves to be Marvel's equivalent of Batman's archenemy can even be fun. A recent preview of an upcoming Marvel release may have revealed who The Punisher's Joker is.

Punisher #5 sees the return of Billy Russo, otherwise known as Jigsaw. The next issue of the iconic anti-hero's current Marvel Comics run sees Frank Castle reeling from his hypnosis-induced stint as a hired gun under the control of Wilson "Kingpin" Fisk and Lonnie "Tombstone" Lincoln. The effects of the psychological manipulation deeply impact his ability to hold his own against a familiar face.

Billy Russo, otherwise known as Jigsaw for his facial disfigurements, attacks his longtime nemesis, intending to take the place of the crime lords that Castle recently took out of commission. It is also revealed that he is equipped with special and highly realistic masks that allow him to impersonate anyone he wants, eerily similar to the abilities of the Spider-Man villain, Chameleon.

However, Jigsaw's plans for The Punisher are far more gruesome and call to mind the plot of the 1997 sci-fi action flick, Face/Off. He intends to assume the vigilante's identity to commit crimes by literally cutting off the vigilante's face and wearing it on his own.

Said concept also serves as a subtle reminder of the time The Joker had his face surgically removed as part of Scott Snyder's The New 52 era Detective Comics run in 2011. However, that is not even the most potent way Russo's actions against Castle reflect that of Batman's turbulent relationship with the Clown Prince of Crime.

Jigsaw's Ruthlessness Proves That The Punisher Killing Him Would Be Meaningless

Punisher #5 marks a stark turning point in the villainy of Billy Russo. Rarely in his extensive rivalry with Punisher has the disfigured foe been quite so brutal in his vengeful acts and, especially, been so hungry for power.

Jigsaw openly admits to noticing a "power vacuum" left open in the criminal underworld after Frank Castle did away with Kingpin and Tombstone. He wants to be the one to fill that void, but knows that he would not be able to succeed with The Punisher in his way.

The one thing always standing in the way of The Joker's plans to send Gotham City into a state of unbridled chaos is Batman. Yet, the comparisons certainly do not stop there.

While Batman's rule against murder has been criticized as an ineffective form of abolishing crime, if The Dark Knight were to permanently end The Joker's reign, that would only leave the slot open for another psychopath to take the place of his greatest threat. Jigsaw's return with intentions of assuming the top of the criminal food chain effectively proves that there will always be somebody to test Castle's limits, no matter how many villains he lethally puts a stop to.

The current Punisher series is written by Benjamin Percy, who got his start at DC Comics, where he is best known for his work on Green Arrow. With Marvel, he has previously contributed to series like X-Force, Wolverine, and Ghost Rider, and has also penned several stories that pit classic characters against the eponymous extraterrestrial warrior from the Predator franchise.

Artwork for The Punisher comes from pencillers Jose Luis Soares, who also has plenty of Daredevil comics under his belt, and Sergio Davila, whose work with Marvel ranges from Werewolf By Night to X-Vengers. Oren Junior, who also worked with Soares on Conquest 2099, and Jonas Trindade, who has worked with both Soares and Percy on several titles, serve as inkers.

Punisher #5 hits the shelves on June 17.