Claim: The Punisher is a vigilante anti-hero.
Evidence: The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder , kidnapping , extortion , coercion , threats of violence , and torture in his war on crime.
By the late 1980s , he was part of a wave of psychologically troubled antiheroes and at the height of his popularity , was featured in four monthly publications , including The Punisher , The Punisher War Journal , The Punisher War Zone , and The Punisher Armory.