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The Amazing Spider-Man (1963-1998)
Amazing Spider-man #129
First Appearance of the Punisher - KEY BOOK - please see photos for condition
Comic
First published February 1, 1974
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 17, 2026
The Punisher was different...a Vietnam veteran who decided to bring his own form of justice to the Marvel Universe. Contrast him with Nick Fury - a WW II veteran who worked for the government after he left the military. During the early Bronze Age (comics from~1970 to 1985) we start to see the '60's back lash' in comics - Luke Cage is another good example - characters that question the very social institutions that were starting to lead us down the path to Watergate. This book is a Bronze 'super-key' that all Marvel fans should read.
April 12, 2025
A fun story featuring the first appearance of the Punisher, with some artwork from one of my personal favorite Spidey artists, Ross Andru. Unfortunately, the story just sort of ends abruptly (even by cliffhanger comic book ending standards).
Recommended
Recommended
December 18, 2018
The first appearance of The Punisher! I was surprised and pleased that this Punisher was very much like the Punisher I know! However, I didn't think that the partnership with the Jackal was really to the newer versions character! Overall, a pretty good story that established the Punisher for years to come!
September 26, 2016
This recounts the first appearance of the Punisher. The villain Jackal is setting up Spider-Man to be taken out by the Punisher. Jackal has convinced Punisher that Spider-Man is a criminal. This is obviously an older story. The cheese factor is high, though I am sure Mr. Conway at the time thought this was a dark and grim story. It isn't. The Punisher line of "I was in the Marine for three years" was great. Oh yeah? Three whole years huh? Apparently that was enough for him to do incredible leaps and kick Spider-Man (who is kind of fast ya know?).
The art I will not pick on, as it is not bad. It stands the test of time fairly well. I wish this was a better story, as Spider-Man is a great character and Punisher is among my favorites. But this is what it is and I didn't expect anything more. Comics from this time period just have trouble transferring to the modern era. Our standards have changed and the quality of the writers has gotten much better. A good piece of history and worth checking out if you fancy yourself a Punisher fan. But, don't go expecting something amazing.
The art I will not pick on, as it is not bad. It stands the test of time fairly well. I wish this was a better story, as Spider-Man is a great character and Punisher is among my favorites. But this is what it is and I didn't expect anything more. Comics from this time period just have trouble transferring to the modern era. Our standards have changed and the quality of the writers has gotten much better. A good piece of history and worth checking out if you fancy yourself a Punisher fan. But, don't go expecting something amazing.
August 3, 2018
Of a handful of American comics passed down in translation by my father, this is probably the main contender for "moment in Marvel history". While the story is as lame as the villain, presumably because it sits in the middle of a cycle, the Punisher gives off a different vibe from your HitmanR'Us with his zealous conviction that Spidey's a baddie. Once the error of his way sinks in, his backstory at once shows that it's not the last we'll see of him.
June 3, 2025
sorry but best birthday gift ever!
October 11, 2021
More often than not when you pick up a “first appearance” book you might find that their appearance is anti-climax, a mere cameo, a shadow of what they will come to be in the Marvel universe after being fleshed out by numerous writers. However, this is not one of those books. The Punisher is pretty much fully formed and is the anti-hero that takes no crap. Detractors might throw shade at the Jackal but I’ve always had a soft spot for this addition to Spidey’s gallery of arch-enemies, and even when all the clone stuff kicks in its hard not to like Jackal pulling all the strings as he turns out to be a real thorn in Spidey’s side (up to present day, decades later in the ASM run).
Talking about plot threads that continue into current ASM we see Harry continue into his decent into madness and paranoia making the threads that Nick Spencer’s 2021 continuation feel even more drawn out than his run was…
It’s interesting to note that the issue direction box says “in the now-classic Spidey #121” a mere 8 issues later! Roy fuelling the fire that would have been the Spidey Mailbag at that time.
Ross Andru is ever reliable, and he starts as he means to go on with a brilliant splash page of The Punisher shooting a statue of Spider-Man. ‘Nuff said!
“With the Green Goblin out of the picture, I needed a new, mysterious nemesis to plague Spider-Man. As a fan of the original Stan Lee/ Steve Ditko run on ASM, I loved how Stan and Steve developed the Goblin from a mystery figure on the periphery to a central enemy in Spider-Man’s gallery of rogues. I wanted to accomplish something similar, so six months after killing the Goblin, in issue #129, I introduced a character I called The Jackal.
To keep the Jackal on the periphery for this first appearance, I needed another, disposable character to be front-and-center for a one-issue confrontation with Spider-Man. The early 1970s were a dark time, with vigilantes on the street, and corruption in high places. I thought it might be fun for Spider-man to face a modern vigilante who’d been manipulated by the Jackal into believing Spidey’s negative press. John Romita designed an awesome costume based on my crude sketch, Stan Lee coined his name, and Ross Andru brought him to life. We called him The Punisher.” –Gerry Conway
Talking about plot threads that continue into current ASM we see Harry continue into his decent into madness and paranoia making the threads that Nick Spencer’s 2021 continuation feel even more drawn out than his run was…
It’s interesting to note that the issue direction box says “in the now-classic Spidey #121” a mere 8 issues later! Roy fuelling the fire that would have been the Spidey Mailbag at that time.
Ross Andru is ever reliable, and he starts as he means to go on with a brilliant splash page of The Punisher shooting a statue of Spider-Man. ‘Nuff said!
“With the Green Goblin out of the picture, I needed a new, mysterious nemesis to plague Spider-Man. As a fan of the original Stan Lee/ Steve Ditko run on ASM, I loved how Stan and Steve developed the Goblin from a mystery figure on the periphery to a central enemy in Spider-Man’s gallery of rogues. I wanted to accomplish something similar, so six months after killing the Goblin, in issue #129, I introduced a character I called The Jackal.
To keep the Jackal on the periphery for this first appearance, I needed another, disposable character to be front-and-center for a one-issue confrontation with Spider-Man. The early 1970s were a dark time, with vigilantes on the street, and corruption in high places. I thought it might be fun for Spider-man to face a modern vigilante who’d been manipulated by the Jackal into believing Spidey’s negative press. John Romita designed an awesome costume based on my crude sketch, Stan Lee coined his name, and Ross Andru brought him to life. We called him The Punisher.” –Gerry Conway
November 27, 2018
Excellent story from start to finish. And there is still the appearance of Punisher.
June 13, 2017
The Punisher's first appearance.
March 26, 2016
First appearance of The Punisher...teamed with some idiot named the Jackal. Decent enough interactions and Frank sees that Spidey isn't a murderer, so they part, with very little info on him other than he was a marine. Also feat. MJ, Harry, JJJ, Robbie, Betty.
October 10, 2018
Pretty fun issue! Got this at a gaming expo last weekend, as part of those True Believer reprint. It was fun to see Punishers first appearance and to see where he came from! Overall it's nice to have this in my collection!
November 10, 2019
The Punisher Strikes Twice!
October 8, 2017
The Punisher!
October 31, 2025
Ah, The Punisher. Truly the Frasier to Spider-man's Cheers. I love Frank Castle even though racists really love to put his skull on their trucks. A lot of great comics have come from this character and his unyielding quest for vengeance that will simply never satisfy him. Of course, you have to take the good with the bad. The Jackal is also here as an antagonist, the shadowy puppet master set up to have a mysterious true identity in an attempt to replicate the magic of the original Green Goblin saga, that bridge between the Ditko and Romita era of The Amazing Spider-man. Ol' Gobby finally ate it a handful of issues ago and it's kind of crazy how quickly the creatives scrambled to find another big bad, before the dude's body was even cold. But as time would show, Norman is one of a kind. Between his own son Harry taking up the mantle, multiple Hobgoblins, and The Jackal himself, they would eventually just resort to resurrecting the original Green Goblin himself. But in the meantime, we have to put up with The Jackal. Well, at least he gave us The Punisher. An iconic cover by Gil Kane here even though he's no longer on interiors. I love these facsimile editions that DC and Marvel have been putting out, reprinting old (sometimes classic) issues almost exactly as they originally would have appeared on the news stand. This isn't my first rodeo, but I was honestly somewhat shocked by how many ads were in this thing. Marvel must have been feeling a bit peckish on the financial side of things in this era. The page space taken up by randos trying to grift readers with empty promises is off the charts here. Thankfully, as credulous as I am, they can't get me in the present day as all of their business addresses and phone numbers are surely long defunct. Of course, Marvel can still pull one over on me by selling me a fifty year old comic book.
August 16, 2025
Some comics live up to their legendary status, Amazing Spider-Man #129 is absolutely one of them. This issue doesn’t just introduce a new character; it unleashes The Punisher fully formed onto the Marvel Universe. From his first panel, Frank Castle is exactly who fans know him as today: a relentless, uncompromising anti-hero with a moral code written in bullets. No half-measures, no “soft launch”; Conway, Romita, and Andru bring him in as the real deal.
But Punisher isn’t the only key debut here. Lurking behind the curtain is the Jackal, pulling strings and manipulating Castle into believing Spider-Man is guilty of murder. He’s shadowy, sinister, and clearly meant for bigger things. Love him or hate him, the Jackal makes his first appearance here as a genuine threat.
Ross Andru’s art anchors everything with cinematic energy. The opening splash page of Punisher blasting apart a Spider-Man statue is iconic and sets the tone: brutal, dramatic, and unforgettable. Andru’s storytelling is sharp, balancing urban grit with superhero action.
ASM #129 is one of those rare “first appearances” that earns every bit of its hype. Punisher bursts into Marvel history like a bullet from his rifle, and the Jackal begins a legacy of behind-the-scenes manipulation. Between Conway’s sharp writing and Andru’s dynamic art, this issue is as essential today as it was in 1974. A cornerstone of Spider-Man’s Bronze Age, and a must-read for any fan of the wall-crawler or Marvel history at large.
But Punisher isn’t the only key debut here. Lurking behind the curtain is the Jackal, pulling strings and manipulating Castle into believing Spider-Man is guilty of murder. He’s shadowy, sinister, and clearly meant for bigger things. Love him or hate him, the Jackal makes his first appearance here as a genuine threat.
Ross Andru’s art anchors everything with cinematic energy. The opening splash page of Punisher blasting apart a Spider-Man statue is iconic and sets the tone: brutal, dramatic, and unforgettable. Andru’s storytelling is sharp, balancing urban grit with superhero action.
ASM #129 is one of those rare “first appearances” that earns every bit of its hype. Punisher bursts into Marvel history like a bullet from his rifle, and the Jackal begins a legacy of behind-the-scenes manipulation. Between Conway’s sharp writing and Andru’s dynamic art, this issue is as essential today as it was in 1974. A cornerstone of Spider-Man’s Bronze Age, and a must-read for any fan of the wall-crawler or Marvel history at large.
October 26, 2023
I had not read this one before as at this point in time my reading of Marvel Comics was limited. There were only a few titles I read and Spider-Man wasn't one of them. It is actually a bit odd that I didn't give this one a try as I was an avid reader of Don Pendleton's Executioner paperback series, and that was the template that gave birth to the Punisher (as well as DC's modern day Vigilante). Besides the Punisher, who is more of an anti-hero than an out and out bad guy, we have the introduction of The Jackal, who is an out and out bad guy. Both would make further appearances. As to the story itself I rather enjoyed it. There was a lot of action in this one, which figures as The Punisher is planning on killing Spider-Man, who he believes is a murderer. All in all this is an issue I recommend. The story will carry you right along. Also it is the introduction of the Punisher, who will become a major player in the Marvel Universe eventually. Happy reading.
February 3, 2019
Today is Super Bowl Sunday. I spent a good part of the day finishing up season two of The Punisher on Netflix. Got me thinking about reading some comics. Thought I'd begin at the beginning.
This is the debut of The Punisher. This resembles nothing of what we think of as The Punisher. True, there is a skull on his front, but not the iconic skull. He is in cahoots with the Jackyl to kill Spider-Man who everyone thinks has murdered.
But the Jackyl seems to be setting up The Punisher. Spider-Man traces the Punisher's stun gun to a gun shop only to find the owner dead. The Punisher arrives and at first believes Spidey has killed his friend. After comparing notes, they see that the Jackyl has attenpted to fram The Punisher.
An inauspicious start . . .
This is the debut of The Punisher. This resembles nothing of what we think of as The Punisher. True, there is a skull on his front, but not the iconic skull. He is in cahoots with the Jackyl to kill Spider-Man who everyone thinks has murdered.
But the Jackyl seems to be setting up The Punisher. Spider-Man traces the Punisher's stun gun to a gun shop only to find the owner dead. The Punisher arrives and at first believes Spidey has killed his friend. After comparing notes, they see that the Jackyl has attenpted to fram The Punisher.
An inauspicious start . . .
July 30, 2018
Pouco é dito sobre a origem do Justiceiro, citando apenas seu passado como militar, mas já fica clara aqui a metodologia do personagem e a melancolia que carrega. Um pequeno ponto de escuridão no universo colorido do Homem-Aranha.
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September 22, 2022Amazing Spider-Man 129
1st appearance of The Punisher. Dialogue slightly hokey, Frank Castle talks too much, but still an excellent Spider-Man story. I'd say the story has aged well in 48 years.
1st appearance of The Punisher. Dialogue slightly hokey, Frank Castle talks too much, but still an excellent Spider-Man story. I'd say the story has aged well in 48 years.
March 22, 2023
I have the actual physical comic the #129 reissue 2023 one day Ill have the original even if beat-up, Love the Cover, and the art and in the 2023 edition even includes the color and the ads originally appearing were reproduced. love the art, and the story is good.
August 7, 2026
★★★☆☆ - 3 sterne
habe nach 'brand new day' die vintage-auflage von dem comic gelesen. recht kurz, manchmal verwirrend und die übersetzung ins deutsche hat mir nicht gefallen. trotzdem catchy - i like🫡
habe nach 'brand new day' die vintage-auflage von dem comic gelesen. recht kurz, manchmal verwirrend und die übersetzung ins deutsche hat mir nicht gefallen. trotzdem catchy - i like🫡
July 31, 2020
Read a number of Jackal related issues as suggested by a friend. All TASM including 129, 140, 145, 147-150. They were okay.
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July 20, 2023… But right now I’m just a warrior…
June 6, 2024
Pretty good debut for the punisher looked pretty strong for a normal human. Jackal's plots might be interesting for the next few issues
March 5, 2026
First appearance of The Punisher!
March 5, 2023
The first appearance of The Punisher and he partners with The Jackal to kill Spider-man. Spider proves his innocence to the Punisher by stories completion after their second battle.
Writer Conway packs a lot into one comic with the supporting cast alone in Betty Brant, Jonah Jameson, Robbie, Harry, MJ, and Professor Warren. Andru’s art compliments the writing making NYC into another character itself.
Writer Conway packs a lot into one comic with the supporting cast alone in Betty Brant, Jonah Jameson, Robbie, Harry, MJ, and Professor Warren. Andru’s art compliments the writing making NYC into another character itself.
March 22, 2023
I have the actual physical comic the #129 reissue 2023 one day Ill have the original even if beat-up, Love the Cover, and the art and in the 2023 edition even includes the color and the ads originally appearing were reproduced. love the art, and the story is good.
October 14, 2022
A must read for any punisher fan, see his first appearance in comics.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews