The Punisher #13
The Punisher #13 (Vol. 2, 1988) marks the first appearance of Conchita Ortiz, a civilian ally whose brief partnership with Frank Castle and whose eventual death in issue #17 would deepen the emotional stakes of Mike Baron's Kingpin storyline — one of the more sustained, character-driven arcs in the series' early run. The issue also serves as the concluding chapter of a two-part prison infiltration story, demonstrating how Baron structured the first ongoing Punisher title around tight, consequence-driven plots rather than episodic one-offs. As part of Whilce Portacio's extended eleven-issue penciling stint on the book, it represents a formative moment for an artist who would soon rise to prominence on the X-Men franchise and as an Image Comics co-founder. Taken together, the issue is a small but traceable node in the expansion of the Punisher from cult anti-hero into a franchise capable of supporting multiple simultaneous titles.
In "Sacrifice Play," the Punisher regroups after his injuries, forming an uneasy alliance with a husband-and-wife team of prison guards as they attempt to stop a dangerous prison transport from being hijacked by the Samson Family and their unstable leader. With tension escalating during the chaotic rescue attempt, one guard faces an impossible choice—between a deadly gunman and the approaching police—leading to a desperate, defining moment. Written by Mike Baron and illustrated by Whilce Portacio, with inks by Scott Williams, colors by Mark Chiarello, and letters by Ken Bruzenak, this 1988 issue features a cover by Portacio and Williams.
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The issue was produced during the creative partnership of writer Mike Baron and penciler Whilce Portacio, who worked together on The Punisher (Vol. 2) from issue #8 through #18, inked throughout by Scott Williams and edited by Carl Potts with Tom DeFalco serving as editor-in-chief. Baron had launched this first-ever ongoing Punisher series in July 1987, and by late 1988 the book was deep into a multi-issue Kingpin war subplot that gave the title a novelistic continuity uncommon for Marvel street-level books of the period. The issue went on sale July 19, 1988, with a cover date of November 1988, and was reprinted domestically in The Punisher Magazine #9 and later collected in the Punisher Epic Collection Vol. 3: Kingpin Rules (2019).
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Conchita Ortiz (Earth-616), a prison guard who becomes a recurring ally of Frank Castle through issue #17.
- Story title is 'Sacrifice Play,' written by Mike Baron, penciled by Whilce Portacio, inked by Scott Williams, and colored by Mark Chiarello.
- Death of Ortiz (Conchita's husband and fellow prison guard ally), who sacrifices himself during a firefight with approaching police.
- First appearances — and deaths — of villain Charlie Samson (the cult leader), his associate Lydia Spotto, and helicopter pilot Ernie.
- Concludes the two-part prison arc begun in issue #12, in which the Punisher had broken into a prison to reach Samson; this issue depicts the breakout.
- Edited by Carl Potts (editor) and Marc McLaurin (assistant editor) under editor-in-chief Tom DeFalco; published with a Comics Code Authority seal.
- On-sale date: July 19, 1988; cover date: November 1988. A Newsstand edition variant also exists.
- Reprinted in The Punisher Magazine #9, the Punisher Epic Collection Vol. 3: Kingpin Rules (Marvel, 2019), and multiple international editions including French, Norwegian, Swedish, and Brazilian printings.
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Reprinted in Superaventuras Marvel #94 (1990), The Punisher Magazine #9 (1990), Le Punisher #6 (1990), Magnum #9/1993 (1993), Essential Punisher #2 (2007), Punisher Epic Collection #3 (2019), Punisher : l'intégrale #1988-1989 (2024), Punisher #3/1990
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