Nick Fury has a dangerous mission for the Punisher: break into a Siberian nuclear missile silo and steal a lethal retrovirus. But Castle's mission soon sets off a chain reaction that will bring him into conflict with a ruthless Russian General - and take the world to the brink of war. Then, mobster Nicky Cavella returns to plague the Punisher, but when his scheme unleashes a wave of violence that rocks New York to its core, other predators start to emerge from the darkness. COLLECTING: PUNISHER (2004) #13-30.

Crime bosses recruit a petty criminal to play the "Kingpin of Crime" and trap the Punisher, but they underestimate not only the Punisher, but their puppet "Kingpin".

His final confrontation with Bullseye left Frank Castle wounded and reeling in more ways than one. Now confined to a prison hospital bed, Frank must begin the long painful process of healing - not just his broken body, but also his horribly scarred soul. To do that, he'll have to face the darkest secret of his past - one he'd hoped would stay buried forever. COLLECTING: PUNISHERMAX 12-16

The Punisher is at his lowest point - homeless, penniless, gun-less. But none of this changes the fact that he's got his sights aimed squarely on the most powerful man in the country: Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of Crime. Fearing for his life and paranoid, the Kingpin brings in a new bodyguard, the best money can buy: a hard-as-nails woman going by the name of Elektra. But can Elektra really shield him from what the Punisher is planning, especially when Fisk seems more interested in trying to get her into his bed? The Punisher begins his final assault on the Kingpin - and only one of them will walk away alive. COLLECTING: PUNISHERMAX 17-22

"Max comics: explicit content" -- on cover.

Hard-hitting Punisher tales by one of Frank Castle's signature writers! But do the Punisher's origins trace back even farther than the fateful day in the park when he lost his family? In Vietnam, with his platoon under attack, Captain Castle must make a grim choice. And in the modern day, Punisher's old partner, Microchip, resurfaces with a startling offer! Nick Fury has a proposition, too - a dangerous mission involving a Siberian nuclear missile silo and a lethal retrovirus. But Castle's actions set off a chain reaction that will bring him into conflict with a ruthless Russian general - and take the world to the brink of war. Plus: Mobster Nicky Cavella returns to plague the Punisher, and a wave of violence rocks New York to its core! Collecting BORN #1-4 and PUNISHER (2004) #1-30.

The Mob has set a trap for Frank Castle, turning low-level enforcer Wilson Fisk into a fictional "Kingpin of Crime" for Frank to target. But Fisk decides he quite likes his new position...enough to kill his bosses to keep it. Suddenly, the Punisher finds himself in a one-on-one war with a deadly threat...and he must decide how far he is willing to go to take the Kingpin down! Contending with dirty cops, battling the Kingpin's henchmen Bullseye and Elektra, and suffering through a stint in prison, Frank Castle is brought lower than he has ever been. But as the Kingpin of Crime will soon find out - all that means is that Frank has nothing left to lose! COLLECTING: Punisher MAX 1-22, Punisher MAX X-Mas Special