Untreated, they fester and grow into the diseases of fear, uncertainty and hopelessness. Unaided, the law is blinded by bureaucracy and bound to a justice bent toward the protection even of the criminal. The face of a kinder and gentler nation is destroyed, carved into a harlequin's mask; a grim skull. And the wielders of the scythe laugh, secure in the knowledge that their crimes will go without punishment.They are wrong. In the urban jungle, there is one who stands alone and apart; one who lives not for the law, but only to see justice done. The Punisher reaps a different harvest.Once, he was Frank Castle, loving husband and father. A tour in Vietnam had shown him what war was. Part of him died there, but a precious part stayed alive, determined to return to the family he loved, and the peace and freedom that was his America. Part of him held on to live, until his family died in a hail of mob gunfire, victims of the wrong place and wrong time.Daily, criminals greedily cut their portions from the souls of the weak and weary, the foolish and the frightened. One man senses how the guilty feed like parasites on the heart of the American Dream. One man hears when evil laughs at the law. One man sees clearly that the most powerful criminals have placed themselves above the law. One man has become their judge, their jury.One man has become their Punisher.

    High-stakes missions. High-octane adventure! For the men and women of S.H.I.E.L.D., it's just another day in the field! Special Agent Phil Coulson brings together the best and the brightest, the gifted and the elite, normal people and superhumans from across the Marvel Universe on an as-needed basis to confront, combat and curtail dangers beyond the scope of any conventional peace-keeping force!Collecting: S.H.I.E.L.D. 1-6

    When Captain America puts out his call - who will answer? Big threats, big ideas, big idealism - these are the Avengers NOW!Collecting: Avengers 1-6

    Who will respond to Captain America's call? The Avengers' first missions take them to Mars, and then far across the galaxy as Captain Universe races to decipher the secret origin of the universe itself! Then, the Avengers must deal with the White Event as strangely familiar new heroes are born!Collecting: Avengers 1-13

    Get caught up on all things Steve Rogers with these Marvel Primer Pages and then check out the start of Captain America in Marvel Legacy in Captain America #695.

    Will his violent actions mean Spider-Man is an Avenger no more? With classic foes including the Vulture and the Green Goblin, and new friends like Anna Maria Marconi, this is Spider-Man like never before - but whatever happened to the real Peter? COLLECTING: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1999) 698-700, SUPERIOR SPIDER-MAN 1-16

    Collecting: Captain America #332-350, Iron Man #228

    Ben Grimm returns to the pages of the FF as Ronan the Accuser and the armies of the Kree empire invade the earth! A Galactic empire is born as the war of Four Cities comes to a close. What does it mean for Marvel's First Family?Collecting: FF 6-11

    The members are the best trackers and killers the X-Men have to offer: Wolverine, X-23, Warpath and Wolfsbane. They are X-Force.Collecting: X-Force 1-6

    Dracula has haunted the Marvel Age of Comics for years - now, see his modern misdeeds from Night One! When the Prince of Darkness rises, longtime enemies are ready for a fight - and so is one of his own descendants! Undead armies, time travel, deathbed voodoo, and more! Featuring the first appearance of multi-media marvel Blade: Vampire Hunter! Collects Tomb of Dracula #1-12.