The Punisher #1

After committing suicide, a demonic version of Punisher is reincarnated through a satanic life force! And he’s perpetuating a war between angels and demons…

Frank Castle (the Punisher) is dead. He has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The dead end alley where he died has become a shrine where victimized denizens of the neighborhood leave their offerings. Among these lost souls is Lucy Mellace, a woman abused by husband.

However, the door of a nearby drug lab bursts open to reveal a very much alive Punisher, albeit with glowing red eyes, a mystic symbol emblazoned upon his forehead, and sporting a pair of spectral weapons. A gunfight erupts, with the Punisher mowing down the criminals. The conflict sets off a fire, while one of the men escapes to the roof. The Punisher follows him and reaching the man, throws him off the building. The fire then causes the roof to collapse, dropping Castle into the blaze, but he soon walks out of the burning structure, unscathed.

Not far away, in a desanctified church, two grigori, or guardian angels, pray, but are soon accosted by a group of creatures called stalkers, led by a demon named Olivier. One is killed by the attackers and the other is wounded, but manages to get away. Olivier absorbs the devine essence of the dead grigori as he recalls his own fall From Grace, and his subsequent expulsion from hell, which had left him to inhabit the body of a baby who would have been stillborn.

Meanwhile, Lucy has returned to her apartment where her angry husband raises his hand against her, but the lights go out, and the Punisher pummels him to unconsciousness. She recognizes him as Frank Castiglione, her brother's best friend when they were growing up. Despite this, Frank leaves, returning to the alley where his shrine sits. As he contemplates his inexplicable return, he sees his dead wife and children, seemingly whole, enter the alley. They lead him to a nearby rooftop, where he finds Tariel, the wounded angel, who created the vision of his family to lure him up to where he lies bleeding. The dying angel begs Frank to stop Olivier, by first finding a fellow grigori named Gadriel, at a low dive called Milton's. With that, the angel births into Flame.

Two hours later, Castle finds the bar, briefly crossing paths outside with Daimon Hellstrom (Hellstorm). Within, he finds Gadriel at the bar, informing him of the deaths of his fellow angels. When is Gadriel is less than forthcoming with information about Olivier, the Punisher turns violent, upon which Gadriel confesses to him that he is the guardian angel who had failed to protect Castle's family. The Punisher reacts by drawing a spectral gun upon Gadrial, telling him to pray.