Archie Meets the Punisher
| Archie Meets the Punisher | |
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Cover to Archie Meets the Punisher (Archie Comics version). Art by Stan Goldberg and Henry Scarpelli. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher |
Archie Comics Marvel Comics |
| Format | One-shot |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | August 1994 |
| Number of issues | 1 (two covers) |
Archie Meets the Punisher, or The Punisher Meets Archie, (August 1994) was a one-shot comic book intercompany crossover published under two separate covers by Marvel Comics and Archie Comics, but with the same interior content.
It featured the unlikely meeting of Marvel's murderous vigilante, the Punisher, and Archie Comics' all-American teenager, Archie Andrews. The book was written by Batton Lash, with artwork by John Buscema (drawing the Punisher characters) and Stan Goldberg (drawing the Archie characters).
Plot
The Punisher has made a deal with the government to hunt down a notorious drug dealer named "Red" who is hiding in Riverdale. The deal requires him to forgo his normally lethal methods and apprehend the suspect instead of killing him, since the federals wish to interrogate Red about the drug trafficking on the East Coast. This is fortunate, because Red looks exactly like Archie (save for a prominent set of buck teeth). However, this circumstance also unintentionally causes a lot of trouble for Archie, as various drug mobsters who wish to even the scores on the market decide to do away with Red before he can endanger their business one way or another.
While the Punisher initially also falls for this similarity, he quickly realizes his mistake and henceforth teams up with Archie to save his girlfriend Veronica, who was kidnapped by Red. All parties remain completely in character throughout the issue, although Riverdale's inherent innocence compels the Punisher to allow his true quarry to live, for once. The comic ends with the joking suggestion that the next crossover will be between Wolverine and Jughead.
Cameos
The comic is full of references to various teen comics and superhero comics published by both companies. Archie's Josie and the Pussycats and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, make brief appearances, as do Marvel and Archie romance characters Millie the Model, Katy Keene, Hedy Wolfe, and Patsy Walker.
Some characters, such as That Wilkin Boy, are mentioned, but not seen. At one point, Sabrina comments, "So I asked the Doctor if the Hosts of Hoggoth were really hoary," implying that she has met Marvel's Doctor Strange. The Archie Comics superhero The Shield also has a cameo appearance as a Thanksgiving Day parade balloon.
In the fourth issue of the 2015 Archie crossover Archie vs. Predator, a partially obscured photograph of the Punisher with Veronica can be seen in the Lodge mansion.
External links
- Nystrom, Andy E. (August 19, 1998). "Archie Meets the Punisher Annotations". Andy's Comic Book Site (fan site). Archived from the original on 2010-12-24.
- MacQuarrie, Jim (August 20, 2007). "Archie Meets the Punisher". Oddball Comics. Archived from the original on 2007-10-13.
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