Stephen Strange vs The Punisher...

[Pendaran]

Everyone always has to make things so overcomplicated. Steven Strange is a ninja turtle. Boom, done.

[Siriel]

I don't think Frank can keep up with head-vanishing shenanigans. It's just not part of his skillset.

[Muadib]

IIRC the Shadowmasters ninja showed up in 1991, and while the head of the clan wanted Frank to be the next head of the clan, he never actually studied with them, and after the ariter left, they never appeared again.

So while Frank is boss enough to impress human ninja, he doesnt rank with Daredevil/Elektra class ninja.

[Sharpandpointies]

That's the picture...man, his early costum was really froo-froo.

[The Drunkard Kid]

Everyone always has to make things so overcomplicated. Steven Strange is a ninja turtle. Boom, done.

Huh. That would explain how he managed to kill himself back at the end of his war against Shuma Gorath. I guess that its sometimes useful to be your own kryptonite.

[Sharpandpointies]

Loving the answers in this thread... :)

[Beadle]

I think the head-vanishing trick is because Strange is actually utilising the ancient mystic martial art, Judoo, linking Judo with Voodoo.

Judo in that panel is a typo, because letterers don't understand such arcane techniques.

Moves like the Tsurizombie Goshi and Kata Ju-Headoff are staples of this art.

(BTW - when looking up Judo techniques to word-garble for this, it occurred to me that "O Goshi" is such a perfect; and genuine; name for a Stephen Strange Judo move. Now I want to do a Hank McCoy Judo Technique, called "O Mye-starzen gartuz")

[Sharpandpointies]

I think the head-vanishing trick is because Strange is actually utilising the ancient mystic martial art, Judoo, linking Judo with Voodoo.

Judo in that panel is a typo, because letterers don't understand such arcane techniques.

Moves like the Tsurizombie Goshi and Kata Ju-Headoff are staples of this art.

(BTW - when looking up Judo techniques to word-garble for this, it occurred to me that "O Goshi" is such a perfect; and genuine; name for a Stephen Strange Judo move. Now I want to do a Hank McCoy Judo Technique, called "O Mye-starzen gartuz")

Ah, my old friend O-Goshi. How I used to love you. :)

[The Dog]

Frank Castle is pretty much a monster when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. Guy's managed to fight Captain America and lose on points, gone toe-to-toe with Daredevil, and in the MAX imprint swung an adult man around by the leg like he weighed nothing, slamming him into the surroundings after taking a serious beating from the guy.

Stephen's skilled, yes, but he lacks Castle's sheer unbridled viciousness when it comes to combat, which when combined with Frank's own battle-honed skill and experience, means Stephen will lose. Also, Frank's willing to rip a man's throat out with his bare teeth if necessary... And maybe if it's not, depending on how much red he's seeing at the moment.

[Pendaran]

Frank Castle is pretty much a monster when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. Guy's managed to fight Captain America and lose on points, gone toe-to-toe with Daredevil

Making people job is not especially being a monster. Frank being neither a peak human with a litany of performances well beyond him, nor a bullet timing ninja who parries gunfire back at the dude shooting at him.

means Stephen will lose.

Not based on what you're providing.

[Crawford]

Shouldn't Frank's soak and fighting ability be too much for Strange?

[Sharpandpointies]

Shouldn't Frank's soak and fighting ability be too much for Strange?

His soak, I can see.

Fighting ability? Again, Strange goes hand to hand with a berserk Wolverine and doesn't do too badly at all, keeping him at bay while landing hits (which, due to this being berserk Wolverine, does little to nothing, but he's still managing fairly well). And there are the other instances listed above. The thing about Strange is that while he rarely uses hand to hand, the times when he does he surprises everyone.

Including Mantis, but I chuck that one out as SMvsFL. :)

I think Frank can take this one, but either way it's a long, ugly fight that ends with one of them on the ground and the other standing but really hoping for serious painkillers.