The Punisher Magazine #5
In "False Faith Part One: The Rev," Frank Castle goes deep undercover as a believer in the Church of the Saved, a cult led by the charismatic Reverend Sammy Smith, thanks to Microchip’s forged identity. When a mission goes wrong and the Punisher is shot point-blank in the chest, Smith’s unexpected healing powers raise more questions than answers—especially as Frank uncovers a videotape that suggests the reverend’s piety is a deadly lie. Written by Mike Baron and illustrated with gritty precision by Klaus Janson, with lettering by Ken Bruzenak, this issue’s cover by James Sherman captures the tension of a man caught between faith and fury.
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The Punisher has Microchip provide him with a false background so he can infiltrate the Church of the Saved, a cult headed by enigmatic and magnetic leader, Reverend Sammy Smith. When the Punisher is sent out with Smith's men to take incriminating evidence from a crazed reporter, Punisher is shot in the chest and comes close to dying. Reverend Smith uses mysterious powers to heal Frank. The Punisher obtains the videotape that Smith was after and discovers that it contains evidence that the good reverend is a cold blooded murderer.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).