The Punisher is what many people would call an anti-hero. He appeared for the first time in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 in February of 1974. He was portrayed as a bloodthirsty vigilante who didn’t have any problems killing gangsters. Most superheroes at the time refrained from killing those types of villains. However, after learning of his backstory, we empathize with his plight and often view him as exacting the revenge that’s due to the people who wronged him. In the movie, the audience comes to like the Punisher, and while it’s a darker film than many other superhero movies, he’s a likable character who we tend to sympathize with more than we condemn.