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Among the many unexpected surprises that Hasbro unveiled at SDCC 2024 last month was an exclusive Marvel Legends two-pack of one character we’ve seen in 6” form many times paired with someone we’ve never seen as a toy before! The Marvel Legends Punisher & Bushwacker two-pack is now up for order—will this War Journal set be joining your action figure armory?
The Punisher has gone through a tumultuous period of repackaging in the Marvel comics universe over the last few years, but classic Punisher fans are getting some love from Hasbro with their newest pre-order.
Based on the late 80s Punisher War Journal comics, it’s an unlikely pairing of Frank Castle and… Bushwacker! (And if you’re asking “Who?” right now about that latter name, read on).
Basically, Bushwacker is a former priest turned sociopathic assassin/mercenary/killer. He loathes drugs and mutants (though he himself may or may not be a mutant, depending on what comic you’re reading), and has had (semi-) memorable battles with Daredevil, Wolverine and (obviously) The Punisher. He’s not a household name villain, but Punisher’s rogues gallery isn’t exactly made of headliners.
I never in my life expected (or asked for, honestly) an action figure of this guy, but I think it’s an adequate representation of the character. Bushwacker’s transformed arms look appropriately gross, and I appreciate the psychotic teeth-bared portrait Hasbro gave him. Those ugly pinned knees certainly grate on me, though. Props to Hasbro for finding a way to get out a villain that would rot off the pegs as a single-packed mass release.
Meanwhile, we’re getting a never-before-done iteration of Punisher in this pack as well, featuring an awesome all-new body mold. The new mold is fully pin-free (the way to be) and nicely proportioned. Seeing this figure definitely makes me pine for a Legends-scale Punisher Van, though I know we’d never get a vehicle of that sort in the modern mass retail landscape.
Some fans are likely to balk at this colorway for Frank, but it is accurate to how Punisher was colored during a portion of the Jim Lee Punisher War Journal era. Have no fear, purists—I think there’s zero chance we won’t see a more iconic repaint with white on Frank’s costume soon enough.
