Punisher War Journal Vol. 1 #06

Wolverine guest-stars! The Punisher and Wolverine are trailing the same poaching ring in Africa- why then are these two fighting each other? With their hair-trigger tempers, this unlikely team-up may be more cause for concern than cause for good!

Castle stumbles into their secret hideout after breaking up a street gang’s attack on a warehouse, much to Microchip’s chagrin. In an attempt to get him to relax and take a break from his non-stop war on crime, which is getting out of control (especially as Castle is no longer concerned with his own well-being, physical or otherwise), Microchip presents a vacation idea: leading a dinosaur-hunting expedition into the heart of the Congo. Meanwhile, a nameless capitalist in Texas examines his trophy collection: stuffed animal heads of rare beasts around the world. In the Congo, we see the dinosaurs are alive and well.

In Madripoor, Wolverine tends bar while the world thinks he is dead. He grows suspicious and antagonist to a newcomer with a cheetah-skin coat, something that offends even this deadly hunter, since he is opposed to big game hunting. After a brief and painful scuffle, Logan learns a major skins exportation business is going on in the Congo, a situation Wolverine finds unacceptable.

Castle agrees to assist the Congo expedition, while in another part of his building, the deli owner has visions of a big cat assaulting a gorilla, enticing him to head “down south.” Soon Castle’s expedition arrives in the Congo, and some native boys take big interest in Castle’s big guns. Miscellaneous events are recalled, such as using medicine to heal a native boy, mosquito attacks, torrential downpour, and eventually the expedition begins in earnest. The wife of the expedition leader acts rather suspiciously, and so does the Congo military liaison, but no one seems to notice. The group makes their way into the heart of the jungle, inquiring of the dinosaurs in the villages they encounter. Soon the wife and the general sneak away into the forest and find a group of gorillas, whom they murder. One of the boys who had “befriended” Castle asks them where they have been and knows they are lying about not finding any gorillas. A few hours later, the lying pair declare gorillas stole the boy. Castle finds the boy dead and vows vengeance.

Wolverine has made it into the Congo jungle as well, on the trail of the poachers. Castle discovers the corpses of the dead gorillas and is attacked by an enraged gorilla. Without wanting to, but having no other choice, Castle plunges his hunting knife into the gorilla. Wolverine arrives on the scene and assumes Castle is the poacher he is tracking. Without recognizing each other, Wolverine and Punisher battle. Wolverine gets the upper hand and sends an unconscious Castle into the river to be eaten by crocodiles.