Overview

“I want Frank Castle -- the scourge of the underworld -- to die in the Sonoma desert playing dress-up.” With that line, the all-new Hate Monger begins the execution ceremony of the Punisher -- and nothing will ever be the same. Massacre after brutal massacre along the border brought Frank to the desert, but what horrible things does he find hiding behind the killings? What atrocities could possibly drive Frank to don a new costume? And how could it all go so terribly wrong? The American dream continues to become an unholy nightmare for Frank and everybody else in his orbit.

(Spoilers)

Now

Frank is tied to a post in the desert by the new Hate-Monger. He tells him he's going to shoot him and let him bleed. He wants Frank to put his costume back on first.

Then

Frank and Stuart continue on their roadtrip to find the man disgracing the memory of Captain America and killing innocents. Frank finally tells Stuart that when they get to the town, they will split up. He wants Stuart to find the person that took the picture while he finds the militias that are killing the people trying to cross the border.

Tatiana Arocha is talking with a U.S. Custom officer. They seem to be on friendly terms. She is trying to get information about the killings. When she mentions that they were dressed similar to Captain America, he cuts her off. He tells her about the phone call they received about a terrorist threat. While they were searching for the bomb, the lay up colony was massacred. He will not give her any more information. She asks who took the 911 call and tricks him into admiting it was a female operator. That narrows it down to two people.

Frank finds a little shack of a bar. He's dressed the part of a local boy and asks for a "western beer." Stuart had given him some fake tattoos to further look the part of a roughneck. He mentions looking for work and "the chance to protect our borders wherever I can." Another dude at the bar with a swasticka tattoo on his hand, named Tank, says he can hook him up.

Tatiana visits the trailer of one of the operators. Walking in, she finds Carla dead on the floor in a pool of blood. Frightened, she runs out of there and takes off in her car. Back at her appartment, she runs inside and locks the door. She figures she should phone the police, perhaps anonymously when there's a knock at her door. She grabs her phone as the door opens and smashes Stuart in the head. She gets ready to start hitting him when she recognizes him. She says she thought he was dead and begins to kiss him.

Frank finds himself blindfolded with his hands tied in front of him. He's about to go through an initiation. He is in a pen and a bull is released headed straight for him. He manages to dodge it and uses the bull to cut his ropes. He tears off the blindfold and runs towards the fence. He grabs a board from the fence and slams the bull with it. The bull is knocked out (or perhaps dead). The Hate-Monger is there and admires Frank's work.

Now

Dressed in his own version of Cap's suit, Frank is slapped around by the Hate-Monger. Frank swears that he's going to kill him. The Hate-Monger kicks him in the face and laughs at him. He says he is the future. He orders his men to tie him up standing. His men aim their guns at Frank. Frank asks him if that's all he's got. He says it'll take more than to kill Captain America.