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Microchip (comics)
Encyclopedia
David Linus "Microchip" Lieberman (often known as Micro) is a fictional
comic book
character in the Marvel Universe
. Created by writer Mike Baron
and artist Klaus Janson
, he first appeared in The Punisher
#4 (Nov. 1987) as an ally of The Punisher
for many years. He assisted the Punisher by building weapons, supplying technology and providing friendship. Micro served as a cross between Q
, from the James Bond
novels and films and Alfred Pennyworth
, the loyal butler of Batman
.
of Crime. While personally investigating his nephew's murder, Lieberman met The Punisher
and the two began working together. Microchip's help proved invaluable to Castle working not just as a hacker and cyber-investigator but also helping Castle manage and launder his finances (taken from the criminals he terminated), set up and equip safehouses, train in more "specialized" skills useful for his war on crime, and obtain harder-to-get ammunition and equipment. Less obsessed with the war, Microchip also acted as a defacto counseler to Castle, encouraging him to take occasional vacations and breaks so as not to get burned out or crazed.
entitled The Punisher War Zone
was launched, written by Chuck Dixon
and penciled by John Romita, Jr.
. It later turned into an out-of-continuity anthology. The first issues included character arcs for Micro, where Linus goes so far as to see a psychiatrist
and take up acting in theatre
as part of his therapy. After Castle discovers this, the two have a disagreement and Micro goes into hiding, working as a barman.
agent "Stone Cold". Castle moved on, showing no visible remorse over the apparent demise of his former friend, noting that if Stone Cold had not finished Microchip off, he would have.
brings Microchip back from the dead and offers to bring his nephew back to life if he helps in dealing with the Punisher. Microchip later sends Megatak
to attack Punisher's hacker ally Henry. To start off Hood's revival ritual upon the Castle family after Punisher was captured, Microchip shoots G.W. Bridge
in the head to resurrect Microchip and Punisher's families. Unfortunately the Punisher refuses and threatening Firebrand
to burn them alive leaving Microship loss to his son.
. While Microchip is captive in Jigsaw's warehouse mansion, he is visited by Stuart Clarke
, who is the Punisher's old ally. Stuart explains his girlfriend was killed by the Punisher and swears to make him accountable, but his revenge failed. Stuart walks away and tells him that the Punisher is coming. When the Punisher is captured, Jigsaw allows him to kill Microchip by slashing his throat. Jigsaw's son, Henry Russo
, learned his father was manipulating the Punisher and helps him to escape.
black ops unit to participate in the hunt for terrorists (e.g. Osama bin Laden
). The Punisher declines, as he prefers his autonomy to indentured service to an institution such as the government. Microchip confesses to Castle that the source of funding for the operation came from the CIA funneling arms and heroin out of Afghanistan
. Castle gives Micro a chance he has not given his victims since before he officially assumed the role of the Punisher: the chance to run. Microchip declines, obligated to help Castle in a CIA/Mafia
firefight. Taking a possibly mortal injury in the fight, Micro attempts to humanize Castle again, only to be met with a point-blank shotgun round to the head.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
character in the Marvel Universe
Marvel Universe
The Marvel Universe is the shared fictional universe where most comic book titles and other media published by Marvel Entertainment take place, including those featuring Marvel's most familiar characters, such as Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, and the Avengers.The Marvel Universe is further...
. Created by writer Mike Baron
Mike Baron
Mike Baron is the creator of comic books Badger and Nexus. He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.-Biography:Mike Baron broke into comics with an illustrated text piece in the 1974 debut issue of Marvel Comics's Comix Book...
and artist Klaus Janson
Klaus Janson
Klaus Janson is a German-born American comic book artist, working regularly for Marvel Comics and DC Comics and sporadically for independent companies...
, he first appeared in The Punisher
The Punisher (1987 series)
The Punisher vol. 2 is the first ongoing comic book series starring the fictional Marvel Comics vigilante The Punisher, following a limited series published the previous year. The series ran 104 issues from July 1987 to July 1995...
#4 (Nov. 1987) as an ally of The Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
for many years. He assisted the Punisher by building weapons, supplying technology and providing friendship. Micro served as a cross between Q
Q (James Bond)
Q is a fictional character in the James Bond novels and films. Q , like M, is a job title rather than a name. He is the head of Q Branch , the fictional research and development division of the British Secret Service...
, from the James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
novels and films and Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure...
, the loyal butler of Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
.
Fictional character biography
David Linus "Microchip" Lieberman was a legendary computer hacker in the early days of the hacking business, performing numerous scams and hacks still held in awe today, until one scam brought him too close to real-world criminals forcing him to go into "retirement" as a quiet unassuming businessman. This ended when his nephew, attempting to follow in his favorite uncle's footsteps, was caught and killed after accidentally hacking into the private computers of Wilson Fisk, the KingpinKingpin (comics)
The Kingpin is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Kingpin is one of the most feared and powerful crime lords in the Marvel Universe. The character is a major adversary of Daredevil, the Punisher, and Spider-Man...
of Crime. While personally investigating his nephew's murder, Lieberman met The Punisher
Punisher
The Punisher is a fictional character, an anti-hero appearing in comic books based in the . Created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita, Sr., and Ross Andru, the character made its first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #129 .The Punisher is a vigilante who employs murder,...
and the two began working together. Microchip's help proved invaluable to Castle working not just as a hacker and cyber-investigator but also helping Castle manage and launder his finances (taken from the criminals he terminated), set up and equip safehouses, train in more "specialized" skills useful for his war on crime, and obtain harder-to-get ammunition and equipment. Less obsessed with the war, Microchip also acted as a defacto counseler to Castle, encouraging him to take occasional vacations and breaks so as not to get burned out or crazed.
The Punisher War Zone
The Punisher's 1992 spin-offSpin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
entitled The Punisher War Zone
The Punisher War Zone
The Punisher War Zone is a comic book spin-off series featuring the Punisher, a fictional character published by Marvel Comics. The first installment of the series ran for 41 issues with two 64-page annuals. Multiple writers contributed to this series during its three-year run from 1992 to 1995...
was launched, written by Chuck Dixon
Chuck Dixon
Charles "Chuck" Dixon is an American comic book writer, best known for long runs on Batman titles in the 1990s.-Biography:Dixon grew up in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, area, reading comics of all genres...
and penciled by John Romita, Jr.
John Romita, Jr.
John Salvatore Romita, Jr. is an American comic book artist best known for his extensive work for Marvel Comics from the 1970s to the 2000s...
. It later turned into an out-of-continuity anthology. The first issues included character arcs for Micro, where Linus goes so far as to see a psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
and take up acting in theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
as part of his therapy. After Castle discovers this, the two have a disagreement and Micro goes into hiding, working as a barman.
Apparent death
Ultimately, Castle and Micro had one final fall out just before the cancellation of all three major Punisher titles in 1995. This fight came to an end in the closing issues of The Punisher War Journal (vol. 1). Micro had a falling out with Castle due to their disagreements over his methods, his feeling that Castle had lost sight of their original goals and had gone over the edge. Soon after, Micro then tried to replace Castle with a new handpicked "Punisher", former Navy Seal Carlos Cruz. Micro and Castle eventually came face to face in one of Micro's safehouses in what appeared to be a final confrontation. A gun battle ensued between the two former partners. In the midst of this battle, Micro appeared to die at the hands of rogue S.H.I.E.L.D.S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage and a secret military law-enforcement agency in the Marvel Comics Universe. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in Strange Tales #135 , it often deals with superhuman threats....
agent "Stone Cold". Castle moved on, showing no visible remorse over the apparent demise of his former friend, noting that if Stone Cold had not finished Microchip off, he would have.
Dark Reign
The HoodHood (comics)
The Hood is a fictional character, a supervillain, and a crime boss in the . Created by writer Brian K. Vaughan and artists Kyle Hotz and Eric Powell, the character first appeared in The Hood #1 .-Publication history:...
brings Microchip back from the dead and offers to bring his nephew back to life if he helps in dealing with the Punisher. Microchip later sends Megatak
Megatak
Megatak is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe.-Publication history:Megatak first appeared in Thor #328 , and was created by Doug Moench and Alan Kupperberg....
to attack Punisher's hacker ally Henry. To start off Hood's revival ritual upon the Castle family after Punisher was captured, Microchip shoots G.W. Bridge
G. W. Bridge
George Washington "G. W." Bridge is a fictional character in the , created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. He is a former mercenary and high-ranking agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Currently, he is the leader of the Six Pack. He first appeared as an antagonist in X-Force #1.-Fictional character...
in the head to resurrect Microchip and Punisher's families. Unfortunately the Punisher refuses and threatening Firebrand
Firebrand (Marvel Comics)
Firebrand is the codename of three fictional supervillains in the Marvel Comics universe. All three were normal humans inside powered armor and relied on fire-based weapons...
to burn them alive leaving Microship loss to his son.
In the Blood
In the Punisher: In the Blood mini-series, the Punisher returns to New York City and vows to find Microchip and make him pay for murdering G.W. Bridge. Microchip is knocked unconscious by JigsawJigsaw (Marvel Comics)
Jigsaw is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Throughout his many appearances, he has served as one of the Punisher's few recurring villains...
. While Microchip is captive in Jigsaw's warehouse mansion, he is visited by Stuart Clarke
Rampage (Marvel Comics)
Stuart Clarke is a comic book character in the Marvel Comics universe, an ex-supervillain who first fought as Rampage against the short-lived Champions team. He is an ally of the Punisher, replacing Microchip.-Fictional character biography:...
, who is the Punisher's old ally. Stuart explains his girlfriend was killed by the Punisher and swears to make him accountable, but his revenge failed. Stuart walks away and tells him that the Punisher is coming. When the Punisher is captured, Jigsaw allows him to kill Microchip by slashing his throat. Jigsaw's son, Henry Russo
Henry Russo
Henry Russo is a fictional character from the Marvel Comics universe.-Fictional character biography:Russo is the child of Jigsaw, and is a supporting character in the Punisher comic book series.As a child, Russo's father would neglect and abuse him...
, learned his father was manipulating the Punisher and helps him to escape.
MAX
In the Punisher: MAX universe Microchip has been presumed dead for some time. However he returns to attempt to pressure Castle into working for the CIA'sCentral Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
black ops unit to participate in the hunt for terrorists (e.g. Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
). The Punisher declines, as he prefers his autonomy to indentured service to an institution such as the government. Microchip confesses to Castle that the source of funding for the operation came from the CIA funneling arms and heroin out of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. Castle gives Micro a chance he has not given his victims since before he officially assumed the role of the Punisher: the chance to run. Microchip declines, obligated to help Castle in a CIA/Mafia
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
firefight. Taking a possibly mortal injury in the fight, Micro attempts to humanize Castle again, only to be met with a point-blank shotgun round to the head.
Television
- Microchip appeared with the Punisher in the 1990s Spider-ManSpider-Man (1994 TV series)Spider-Man, also known as Spider-Man: The Animated Series, is an American animated series starring the Marvel Comics superhero, Spider-Man. The show ran on Fox Kids from November 19, 1994, to January 31, 1998. The producer/story editor was John Semper, Jr. and production company was Marvel Films...
cartoon voiced by Robert AxelrodRobert Axelrod (actor)Robert Axelrod is a U.S. actor who has been in several movies and lent his voice to countless televisual shows including Digimon, having started vocal acting for the English versions of Japanese cartoons in 1980...
. His nickname was Chip rather than Micro, and he tended to act as Frank's conscience, urging him to use the non-lethal weaponry.
Films
- Microchip was included in an early draft of 2004's2004 in filmThe year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
The PunisherThe Punisher (2004 film)The Punisher is a 2004 American comic book action film, based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, starring Thomas Jane as the antihero Frank Castle / The Punisher and John Travolta as the villain Howard Saint, a money launderer who orders the death of Castle's entire family...
by Michael FranceMichael FranceMichael France is a film screenwriter. He has written screenplays for the action films Cliffhanger , the James Bond film GoldenEye , and the popular comic book films Hulk , The Punisher and Fantastic Four .-Life:He attended the University of Florida in the early 1980s, working as a projectionist...
. - Microchip appeared in 2008's2008 in filmThis is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
Punisher: War ZonePunisher: War ZonePunisher: War Zone is a 2008 comic book action film directed by Lexi Alexander; based on the fictional Marvel Comics vigilante/anti-hero the Punisher. It is the third film to depict the Marvel character Frank Castle...
film portrayed by Wayne KnightWayne KnightWayne Eliot Knight is an American actor, comedian, and voice actor perhaps best known for his role as Newman in the TV sitcom Seinfeld...
. In the film, no explanation is given as to how he came to work with the Punisher, although he appears to support his war on crime. Although Microchip does show genuine concern for the Punisher, whom he calls by his real name. He lives with his mother, who is physically disabled and can barely move and Frank even shows concern toward her well-being. When JigsawJigsaw (Marvel Comics)Jigsaw is a fictional character, a supervillain in the . Throughout his many appearances, he has served as one of the Punisher's few recurring villains...
and Loony Bin Jim hear about him, they kill his mother, kidnap him, and give the Punisher a choice to either kill Microchip or Angela Donnatali and her daughter Grace (who they also kidnapped) or they will kill all three. Microchip heroically offers his own life, but the Punisher instead uses his one bullet on Loony Bin Jim, killing him. An enraged Jigsaw then promptly shoots Microchip in the head, killing him. Before his death, Castle reassured him that he "won't feel a thing" implying that he knew that Jigsaw was going to kill him and that his fate was inescapable. The Punisher, now enraged, frees Angela and Grace before brutally dispatching Jigsaw. Microchip does supply the Punisher with weapons and is presumably a former Government agent.
Video games
- Microchip had a cameoCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the side-scrolling beat 'em upBeat 'em upBeat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
Punisher arcade gameThe Punisher (arcade game)The Punisher is a 1993 arcade game developed and released by Capcom. It stars the Marvel Comics' anti-hero vigilante Punisher, and co-stars S.H.I.E.L.D...
, in the continue screen, giving the Punisher CPR. - Although not actually seen, Microchip is featured in Spider-ManSpider-Man (2000 video game)Spider-Man is an action video game based upon the Marvel Comics character of the same name. It is loosely based on the 1990s Spider-Man: The Animated Series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision. Released originally for the PlayStation and Nintendo 64 in 2000, the game...
game voiced by Christopher Corey SmithChristopher Corey SmithChristopher Corey Smith is an American voice actor, mostly working in the anime dubbing and video game industry. Smith began his movie career as a set dresser in 1986, and has been voice acting since 1992...
. He is heard talking to the Punisher when he attempts to snipe Spider-Man. - Microchip is a playable character in The Punisher: No MercyThe Punisher: No MercyThe Punisher: No Mercy is a first person shooter video game that was released exclusive on July 2, 2009 to the PSN Store. The game was quietly pulled from PSN as of 2011.-Gameplay:...
on the PSN platform.
External links
- Mikel Midnight's Jewish Supers List ("Supers" sicSicSic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
)