The Punisher Will Join Marvel's Avengers In The Wake Of Armageddon

Posted in: Avengers, Comics, Conventions, Events, Marvel Comics, Pop Culture, san diego comic con | Tagged: Armageddon, captain america, iron man, punisher, sdcc

The Punisher Will Join Marvel's Avengers In The Wake Of Armageddon

The Punisher Will Join Marvel's Avengers In The Wake Of Armageddon, as revealed at San Diego Comic-Con

Published Thu, 23 Jul 2026 17:08:14 -0500
by Rich Johnston
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Last updated Thu, 23 Jul 2026 17:08:56 -0500
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Article Summary

• Punisher joins Marvel’s Avengers in 2027 during The Red Line, the second arc of Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s new run.
• Avengers: Armageddon leaves the Marvel Universe shattered after Red Hulk’s war and David Colton’s destructive clash.
• The Avengers #1 launches a new team with Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain Marvel, Daredevil, Luke Cage and Punisher.
• Armageddon fallout also drives Iron Man into The Vault, as dangerous future tech and public distrust reshape Marvel’s heroes.

In 2027, the Punisher makes his mark in The Red Line, the second story arc of Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto's The Avengers comic book series, spinning out of Avengers Armageddon.

"The Marvel Universe is at a turning point. After General Thunderbolt Ross, aka the Red Hulk, led an army of gamma-enhanced soldiers in a hostile effort to "spread democracy" across Europe, the Avengers dispatched their team to put an end to Ross' conquest despite protest from the United Nations. David Colton, a former Captain America who recently received a vast power upgrade from the mysterious Origin Boxes, engaged Ross in a highly destructive battle resulting in collateral damage. In the aftermath of that battle, the Red Hulk was captured and removed to Russia by the Winter Guard while Iron Man discovered a highly dangerous piece of technology left behind that can show the user visions of possible futures. The discovery of this machine and the consequences of Red Hulk and Colton's battle will be explored in upcoming issues of AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON and change how everyone in the Marvel Universe feels about super heroes… while setting the stage for November's THE AVENGERS #1 by Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto"

• AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #5
  Written by CHIP ZDARSKY
  Art by DELIO DIAZ and FRANK ALPIZAR
  Cover by DIKE RUAN
  DARKNESS BEFORE THE DAWN: THE FALL OF THE AVENGERS…
  In AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON #5, it's the point of no return! After the cataclysmic events of the previous issue, the world is torn asunder. Humanity turns against super heroes. And for David Colton, what is the price of all that great power? See where the pieces fall in preparation for Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto's AVENGERS #1! On Sale 10/21

• CAPTAIN AMERICA #16
  Written by CHIP ZDARSKY
  Art and Cover by VALERIO SCHITI
  WHO WILL RULE HELL? In CAPTAIN AMERICA #16, the battle for Hell's throne reaches its dramatic climax and Steve Rogers realizes he may have chosen the wrong side. The effects of the war spill out into the living world, bringing the Marvel Universe to the edge of ARMAGEDDON! On Sale 10/28
• THE AVENGERS #1
  Written by CHIP ZDARSKY
  Art and Cover by MARCO CHECCHETTO
  IN THE WAKE OF ARMAGEDDON, A NEW TEAM ASSEMBLES…
  With the world order completely rewritten after AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON, there comes a day, a day unlike any other, when a new group of Earth's mightiest heroes find themselves united to avenge the Marvel Universe: Spider-Man, Wolverine, Captain Marvel, Daredevil, Luke Cage and [REDACTED]! The Avengers take center stage once again in the Marvel Universe, and it all starts in THE AVENGERS #1. On Sale 11/4

• IRON MAN #12 – 'INCARCERATED IRON MAN' PART 1
  Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
  Art by CARMEN CARNERO
  Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
  Connecting Variant Cover by GLEB MELNIKOV & NOLAN WOODWARD
  Tony Stark has faced one of his greatest nightmares brought to life by a vengeful Madame Masque and a new incarnation of the terrorist group A.I.M. Stark's continued reactions to A.I.M.'s manipulations have put him under the microscope of his fellow heroes while a mysterious new figure calling themselves Citizen V implores Tony's closest companions to distance themselves from him. With dangerous technology making it out into the wild and his increasingly reckless behavior being scrutinized by the public, Stark ends up behind bars in the hi-tech prison known as The Vault ' On Sale 12/2
• IRON MAN #13 – 'WAR MACHINES' PART 1
  Written by JOSHUA WILLIAMSON
  Art by GLEB MELNIKOV
  Cover by RYAN STEGMAN
  Connecting Variant Cover by GLEB MELNIKOV & NOLAN WOODWARD
  On Sale 12/16

"In AVENGERS: ARMAGEDDON, we're about to introduce something huge, that will set the scene for the future of the Marvel Universe," explains series writer Chip Zdarsky. "I know how that sounds but trust me: it will."

"'The Incarcerated Iron Man'" is the story we've been building to since IRON MAN #1," details series writer Joshua Williamson. "Tony has accepted his role as the Marvel Universe's most dangerous hero and believes the Vault is the safest place for him to be, but that also means he's locked up with some of his greatest enemies. But it's a mystery how and why Tony finds himself behind bars. It's been fun to build on his history and then take Tony in a new and unexpected direction. This turns the series into a high-stakes thriller."

"The journey to our epic Iron Man #700 anniversary issue is so big that we had to split the book into two and double ship it," continues Williamson. "Our amazing series artist Carmen Carnero will handle the even-numbered issues where Tony Stark is in prison. While the odd numbered issues are taken over by the 'War Machines.' James "Rhodey" Rhodes puts together a new team of Armored Warriors to help take down Madame Masque, Adam Ware and the new A.I.M. while Tony is locked up. For those issues we're joined my old partner in crime, Gleb Melnikov! I feel lucky to have two amazing artists on my team during this action-packed story!"

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