Born Comic Set 1-2-3-4 Lot Punisher Frank Castle Viet Cong Marines Vietnam War

Description: Born Comics Lot Writer: Garth Ennis Artist: Darick Robertson Inker: Tom Palmer Letterer: VC’s Rus Wooton Colorist: Paul Mounts Editors: Nick Lowe & Joe Quesada All Covers by: Wieslaw Walkuski Frank Castle, otherwise known as the psychotic vigilante the Punisher, once appeared in Marvel Comics’ Vietnam War series The ‘Nam to boost the formerly gritty and realistic title’s sagging sales. Writer Garth Ennis’ Born takes a more in-depth look at Castle’s Vietnam days, utilizing the MAX imprint of more adult material to truthfully portray the language and graphic violence inherent to the subject matter. Capt. Frank Castle is stationed at Firebase Valley Forge in Vietnam. It’s October 1971, and although the Americans are seemingly getting ready to split, Castle still has to deal with preventing the Vietcong from resupplying and starting another attack. Story/Spoilers: In issue #1, Private Stevie Goodwin is just 39 days and a wake-up away from leaving Firebase Valley Forge, Vietnam for home. He has convinced himself that he will return home alive to live a fulfilling American life and never return to Vietnam, that he will not become a "combat junkie" like his commanding officer, Captain Frank Castle. He does, however, admit that Castle is likely the reason he will survive this last stretch of time, as he is fully dedicated to his men and has not had one killed in the six months since his arrival. Castle's background is murky, rumors surrounding him say that he was put into Special Forces training during his first tour in Vietnam, with his second being a complete mystery--though there's talk of various wetwork and unspeakable "horror stories." The Firebase Valley Forge platoon goes out, and at Castle's command takes hidden positions. A Viet Cong supply run passes their position unawares and the platoon fires on them, killing them all. Afterwards Goodwin thinks about his future and the sons he will eventually have and how he will never tell them about this time in his life. Captain Castle makes a report to his uninterested superior, Colonel Ottman, including relaying his belief that the North Vietnamese Army is gearing up for an offensive and the base needs to prepare for it. Ignoring his fears, Ottman simply assigns Castle to give the incoming General Padden a tour for his surprise inspection, as he'll be "too sick" when he arrives. Padden lays into Castle, calling the base a "disgrace" citing bunkers unmanned and in need of repair, filthy and rust covered artillery, blatant drug use, and a near total lack of respect for superior officers among soldiers. When he questions why no one has even attempted to rectify the situation, Castle informs him that the last officer who tried was "fragged," which Padden does not believe because that the fragging of officers is a myth. He demands a real answer, and Castle tells him that Firebase Valley Forge is undermanned, short of equipment, and the men know it and figure if the Generals don't care, why should they. Padden informs Castle that he's going to recommend closing the base. Castle questions who that will leave watching the enemy in Cambodia, since they are the last base in the country, and Padden tells him that it doesn't matter since the war is over for all intents and purposes. Before Padden can get on his helicopter Castle wants to show him one more thing to prove the base is necessary. He takes him to a ridge and, while covering a sniper warning sign, tells him to walk to the end where the sniper shoots and kills him. Later, while seated next to a bunker, a "voice" talks to Castle. It calls him clever for getting "his war" a stay of execution, but warns him that it's still coming to an end. It knows that he loves this, it makes him feel alive, and offers to fix it so he can do it forever if he just says the word - but there will be a price. Next in issue #2, Private "Angel" is in the bunker of local drug dealing Marine Coltrane about to shoot heroin. Private Goodwin steps in and stops him because Captain Castle is taking the platoon out and he's needed clean. Coltrane and his right hand man Garcia follow them out, planning to take a violent payment for the heroin Angel didn't pay for, but suddenly stop, when they notice Captain Castle watching in the distance. The full platoon, the only 29 Marines at Firebase Valley Forge who care enough to go out, go on patrol hoping to utilize their strength. As they walk through the jungle a sniper's bullet hits Private Tedrow in the throat. The Corpsman runs up to assist, to also be hit. When a Marine lying on the ground is shot it's realized there are at least four snipers around them, causing panic throughout the platoon with one exception. Captain Castle steps forward, calmly takes the "the 'sixty" from Private McDonald and blasts the snipers out of the trees despite taking at least one bullet to his own left arm. The platoon has lost six members in all. While confirming the kills, Private McDonald finds a surviving female soldier. The rest of the Marines crowd the area as he removes his belt and climbs on top of her to rape her. In his mind Private Goodwin compares it to a fight he witnessed as a sixth grader when a much bigger boy brutally destroyed smaller one in an almost man on child way, shattering his face. Just then, Captain Castle shoots the woman in the back of the head while McDonald is still on top of her simply saying, "No Rape. We're here to kill the enemy. That's all." Goodwin, unable to face what happened, sneaks away to catch his breath behind a tree. From there he sees McDonald dip his face into a creek, washing the woman's brains off. Still hidden, he also bears witness to Captain Castle silently and emotionlessly drown him, kicking his body into the water. After being fetched home by the helicopters, Castle confronts Goodwin, asking him why he kept quiet about the McDonald killing. Goodwin admits he was scared, but asks why he did it, to which Castle answers that he wanted to "punish him". About the girl Castle says that had he her on a medevac no one in the platoon would have trusted him in combat, and if he'd have handed her over to intel she'd never had told them anything and they'd have taken turns raping her then killed her. Castle walks away, telling Goodwin he doesn't have to be afraid of him, but Goodwin realizes he still is. Next in issue #3, Standing around with Private "Angel," Private Goodwin is thinking to himself that no matter how the war actually ends, no one in the world will think it smart to f*ck with the United States after the tactics utilized in Vietnam. Two American jets pass over head as he wonders aloud why the US even bothers with the rest of the world, as it should have everything it could possibly want. Elsewhere on base, Captain Frank Castle walks with his superior, Colonel Ottman. Castle notes that the jets are flying low, staying under the gathering weather. He mentions that when the coming storm hits it will leave them with no air support. Ottman counters with there still being artillery to back them up, but Castle says they're out of everyone else's range and their own being in horrible disrepair, badly manned, and in need of resupply. Ottman tells Castle he hasn't requested resupply because the war, as everyone but Castle seems to have realized, is almost over and if they'd just shut up and ride it out they can all go home. Castle presses on that this weather is perfect for the enemy, but Ottman continues to ignore him. When Ottman goes into the head, Castle considers fragging him with a grenade, but reconsiders. When he walks away a voice asks him what stopped him, telling him no one would have known or cared and it would have made it acting commander. The voice asks if he considered fragging him because he would do anything for the lives of his men or if maybe he just wanted to frag him. It asks if Frank wonders about the way he kills at the drop of a hat, if he's worried about the urge he has "to give every motherf*cker in the world exactly what they deserve." The voice says that's the gift it's offering, and if Frank just says the word it can be his. Castle comes across Private Goodwin tending to his weapon and the two of them talk. Castle confides in Goodwin that he has a family back home--a four year old daughter, and a wife who found out she was pregnant a week after he he began that third tour--and he thinks they may be his last chance. Castle advises the Private to reload his magazines, in case their lucks gone bad considering the day before and their being cut off from the rain, then tells him he sees Angel entering Coltrane's bunker. As Goodwin goes to retrieve Angel, the Voice talks to Frank again. It asks him what the point of that "happy-ever-after" conversation was and tells him that his family isn't his last chance, it is. Goodwin, meanwhile, bashes Coltrane with the but of his gun and takes Angel for a walk in the rain to sober him up. As dawn approaches Stevie and Angel have a discussion and argument about how much either of them have to live for when they get back to America and what the "real America" is anyway. In the middle of their discussion explosions begin to go off as Vietnamese soldiers charge the base. The American soldiers rally to defensive positions, but when a flare is put into the air the sheer number of enemy surrounding them puts them into shock, with the exception of Captain Castle, who calmly asks for the 'sixty. Finally in issue #4, What's left of the soldiers at Firebase Valley Forge attempt to hold off the advancing Viet Cong forces. A soldier reports to Captain Frank Castle that they've been unable to make radio contact with their superiors in Da Nang, but made temporary contact with an armored division to their east that was cut off. Unfortunately, Colonel Ottman isn't letting them use the radio anymore, instead repeatedly telling them "don't rock the boat," so Castle tells the soldier to shoot him. The VC break through the front and left flanks, so Castle gives the order to fall back to the command post and have the artillerymen shell their recent position with all their high explosive. As the soldiers are making the move, Angel - who's running along with Private Goodwin - is killed. Goodwin ducks behind a bunker, where Coltrane grabs him from behind, planning to use his razor to exact revenge for the last few days troubles over Angel. Captain Castle saves Goodwin from his marine brother by striking Coltrane with an entrenching tool. He informs Goodwin that the command post has been overrun and the gunners bayoneted while they watch Coltrane's bunker of junkies go up in flames. Together Castle and Goodwin make a run for it, with Goodwin thinking to himself how sure he was that he was going to make it out alive, when a jet flies over dropping napalm. Castle has to scream at a shocked Goodwin to "pop smoke" or the jets will never know they're down there. Goodwin imagines himself as having made it on his freedom bird, beautiful stewardesses bringing him beer and all as the voice begins talking to Castle again. The voice tells Castle it's "time to shit or get off the pot," it tells him that he's been "seeking without realizing" and that he wants and needs this, and it will give it to him--for a price--if he just says the word. Castle finally says "YES." The next day, helicopters land, bringing American soldiers in to survey the area. The soldiers find a field of dead bodies, all burned by napalm, except for Captain Frank Castle, who is standing in the middle of the field. The soldiers quickly load him onto a helicopter and get him out of the area. Back home, Frank Castle's wife and children meet him at the airport. After he tells his wife he won't be going back the voice speaks to him again, it reminds him that it said there would be a price and zeros in on his family. The voice says it's too late to go back on the deal now, but in a moment he won't even remember this conversation. While he still does, Castle hugs his family, telling his wife to "Hold on tight." Comics lot contains: Born (2003) Issues #1-4. Marvel Comics Comics are bagged & boarded and will be carefully / securely packaged then shipped via USPS Priority Mail to insure that it arrives to you perfectly and quickly. All First Printings Publisher: Marvel Comics Publication Date: 2003 Format per comic: FC, 32 pages, Comic, 10.25" x 6.75" UPC: 759606053902 Collectible Entertainment note: Comics #1,2,3,4 are in Very Fine to Very Fine + condition. Beautiful Set! Please See Scans!! A must have for any serious Punisher and/or Vietnam War collector / enthusiast. A fun & entertaining read. Highly Recommended. Please read return policy. Please check out all my other Robert E. 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