nakamachi wrote:
Another observation I'd like to make is that they could be passing up some obviously good opportunities for in story PSA's. Why not responsibly show characters struggling with smoking addictions? Wouldn't that make them more interesting? Imagine JJJ's wife fighting with him over the cigars, or a Ben Grimm so filled with self loathing he doesn't care about the dangers of smoking. How about a Wolverine who doesn't believe it can hurt him? Marvel had the guts to show an alcoholic Tony Stark in an award winning story, why can't they win awards over the smoking issue?
Agreed. Of all of Marvel's characters, I've always felt if they would have one that could be portrayed as a chain-smoker, it would be the Punisher, basically because of his Vietnam vet background, but also because his type of lifestyle screams ''suicidal'' to me. I'm surprised he hasn't developped all sorts of addictions like heavy drinking or painkillers or chain-smoking, all to put an end to the hell he's living through.

Anyway, about smoking and the Punisher, I figure he would have chosen two different paths regarding that habit: he would have dropped it very early on when he realized it severely hampered his cardio and battle effectiveness. Or two, as I mentioned above, he would have developped a severe addiction mainly as a release from all the immense pressure his choice of lifestyle brought unto him.

Now here's where the story potential lays. Punisher does his usual schtick, mowing down gangbangers and mafiosos indiscriminately. Marlboro after Marlboro gets sucked into his lungs as wanton violence is unleashed. Then finally Frank gets into a hairier situation than usual, and he has to hightail it with a dozen goons on his ass. But his indiscriminate 4-pack-a-day habit has gotten the better of him and he wheezes out of breath. He tries to hide in a warehouse basement. Hiding behind a crate, Frank sees the goon squad milling close by. He thinks he will ambush them, but the strong cigarette smell on his clothes and hair warn the hoodlums as to Frank's presence, and THEY give Frank a hell of a beatdown...

What happens next? who knows, but here is an instance where a ''hero's'' weakness may be his undoing...