Synopsis for "In the Beginning, Part One"

William Roth (First appearance)
Robert Bethell (First appearance)
Kathryn O'Brien (First appearance)
Massimo Giovanni (First appearance)

1976
During a picnic in Central Park, the Castle family are caught in the crossfire of a mafia "hit". Nine year old Lisa, and twenty-eight year old Maria Elizabeth are killed in the original burst of shots at a Mafia don, and five year old Frank David, Jr. is killed by his soldiers return fire. Only husband and father Frank Castle survives, turning himself in to The Punisher and beginning a quest to make the world "sane" again.

Now
Two people in a car, one male (Roth) and one female (O'Brien), are surveying The Punisher on his annual visit to his families grave site. As they watch him Roth wonders aloud how they're going to take him down, until O'Brien reminds him that "Fat Boy" gave them orders not to do anything. Having gotten a fix on his location, they leave to "watch the rest on widescreen."

That night, the local Mafia family is having a lavish party to celebrate the 100th birthday of Don Massimo Cesare. As every crime family in the nation has sent a representative the party is unguarded. The Punisher strikes the party, simply walking in and shooting the Don. When the gangsters give chase, they run headlong into Punisher's pre-prepared chain gun, and he kills everyone in his line of sight. Those that try to strafe him find themselves stepping on a land mine.

In a penthouse a group of people, including Roth and O'Brien, are watching the Cesare massacre via NASA satellite. With them is another man, Bethell, the apparent boss. Roth, shocked by what he saw, openly questions how "Fat Boy" is going to take The Punisher down. Bethell goes into the next room, where "Fat Boy" chides him for the video set up, which he deems unnecessary. He explains that he can handle Frank Castle, and will do so soon, because he is his only friend in all the world.

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