Amazing Spider-Man #175
Big Apple Battleground!
Spider-Man stops the Punisher from shooting wildly at the Hitman (saving Jameson from any stray bullets that may hit him) allowing for the Hitman to escape with his intended target, but not before Spider-Man is able to tag his helicopter with a spider-tracer. When the police arrive to apprehend both Spider-Man and the Punisher, the two heroes make their escape. While, Joe Robertson and Glory Grant console Marla Madison, the Punisher tells Spider-Man his connection to the Hitman.
The Punisher explains that while he was fighting in Viet Nam, he was saved by Burt Kenyon (who would become the Hitman later) and the Punisher agreed that he owed Burt a favor for doing so. Finishing his story, the two heroes find that the spider-tracer has been removed from the helicopter and their search has reached a dead end.
Meanwhile, Harry Osborn is having a session with his psychiatrist, who pushes Harry's buttons by pressing on Liz's departure from his life. Harry loses his cool and attacks Barton. In the scuffle one man rises proclaiming that the Green Goblin will live again.
As Spider-Man and the Punisher continue to search for the Hitman and Jameson, the leader of the Peoples Liberation Front, along with the Hitman take Jameson to the Statue of Liberty where they intend on executing Jameson for his anti-PLO editorials. Spider-Man and the Punisher manage to track them down and battle the Hitman on top of the Statue of Liberty. During the fight, the Hitman, and Jameson have knocked off the statue. The Hitman manages to grab hold of the statue while Jameson is caught by Spider-Man, however, the wall-crawlers injured arm threatens to send them both to a fatal fall to the ground.
The Hitman then tries to cash in the favor the Punisher owes him: One life. The Punisher decides to save Jameson and Spider-Man, telling the Hitman he didn't specify that the life he needed to have had to be his. The Hitman, accepting that the Punisher's debt is paid let's go and falls to his death.
Recurring Characters
Spider-Man, Punisher, J. Jonah Jameson, Joe Robertson, Glory Grant, Marla Madison, Bart Hamilton, Harry Osborn, Hitman
Continuity Notes
The Punisher states that he first met Burt Kenyon during the Vietnam War. This should be considered a topical reference per the Sliding Timescale of the Earth-616. Per Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Marvel Knights 2005, any reference to Frank Castle fighting in the Vietnam War should be considered as an unrelated military action in Vietnam as opposed to the specific conflict. Per History of the Marvel Universe #2, the pair likely fought in the fictional Sin Cong Conflict.
Although the Hitman dies here, he briefly is brought back to life during the events of Clone Conspiracy #2-5.
