Frank's "Starry" Nightmare and His Reunion with WarHarp.

Dec 30, 2016

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As Frank explores the outskirts of Gotham City in the DC Comics Universe, he comes upon a courtyard area of a certain large mansion turned mental hospital (The Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane) and begins to explore it. As he surveys the area, Frank looks up to the sky. There were no clouds above him. The sun came down to make way for nightfall. As Frank gaze into the evening sky, he sees something out of the ordinary. 3 stars have just appeared in the evening sky. They form a triangular arrowhead pattern with the middle size star on the right and the smallest star on the left flanking the biggest star of the 3 group. Together they were shining much brighter than any other star that appeared in the night sky. Punisher gaze at the stars with wonder. Then suddenly from out of the blue came 3 strange, yet familiar voices that spoke to Frank.
Maria: “Frank?”
Kids: “Daddy?”
Frank: “Huh?”
Maria: “Frank?”
Frank Jr: “Daddy?”
Lisa: “Daddy, where are you? Are you here?”
Frank: “Maria? Lisa? Junior? Here?”
Lisa: “Daddy.”
Frank Jr: “Daddy.”
Maria: “Frank! We’re up here. Frank. Come here. Join us among the stars.”
Kids: “Daddy, we miss you.”
Frank recognizes the voices coming from the stars.
Frank: “My 3 loves? Here? But are they really….? My family? Really….my….family calling me?”
Maria: “Frank, honey!”
Lisa: “Daddy!”
Frank Jr: “Daddy, I love you!”
Frank: “They are my family! *becomes overjoyed* Living among the stars! *yells at the stars* MARIA! LISA! JUNIOR! I’M HERE!! *waves at them frantically*”
Maria: “I love you forever, Frank.”
Frank Jr: “Come join us, Daddy.”
Lisa: “Daddy, we miss you.”
Frank: “Maria, my love! Lisa! Frankie! Daddy’s here! Here I am! *reaches out to the stars* I’m coming! I’m coming to join you! I love you! I love you all!!”
Suddenly!
BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!
Gunshots rang out! In an instant, the three stars got blown away right before Frank’s eyes
Frank: “NO!!”
The Joker: “Who knew just how fun it is to win at such gallery games. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!”
Frank turns around and sees Batman’s greatest enemy, The Joker, The Clown Prince of Crime, laughing at Frank mockingly.
Frank: *enraged* “YOU &^%$#@!(*^ SON OF A &^%$#!!!!!” *charges forward*
Frank lunges at The Joker, but ends up stepping on a hidden trap door that gives way! He falls!
Frank: “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!”
Then he wakes up in an apartment bedroom in the Suicide Slums, breathing heavily and in cold sweat. He had a nightmare.
Frank: “A dream…. It was only a dream. *rubs his face and eyes* A &^%$*& nightmare… uuhh.”
Frank slows his breathing down as he pauses for a moment. Then he turns his head and sees something he didn’t think he’ll see again.
Frank: *surprised* “What the He-?”
Right in front of his bed stood something that looks very familiar to Frank who discover it while invading a campground belonging to a dangerous cult a few years before Luthor brought him to the DC Comics world— WarHarp!
Frank: *calming down* “WarHarp. I never thought I’ll see it again.”
He takes a hold of it and finds a note woven onto the strings. He takes it out and reads it.
“Hi-ya, Frank. I thought you could have this. Captain Marvel and the Big Man Upstairs briefly appeared and wants me to give you your beloved harpies so you can play angel music again in our new home. Warharp is here. The rest is at my apartment. You can pick ’em up and take ’em home to your apartment whenever you’re wide awake. Enjoy. -Micro.”
The One Above them All knowing that Frank will never come back to the Marvel Universe, tell Carol Danvers (aka Captain Marvel) to find the WarHarp in one of Frank’s former safehouses and bring it to him. She located the safehouse where Frank’s harp children are being kept in and brought them all out. She puts them in a special case and brought them to the highest realm. Then The One Above them All recreates the wormhole portal and tells Carol to bring the harps to the DC Comics universe, put them by the door to Micro’s apartment next door to Frank’s with the note attached to one of them, and come straight back to the Marvel Universe for she cannot be in the DC Universe for long. Carol did everything The One commands her to. She set Frank’s harp children by the door and gave a knock at the door before turning away to fly back through the portal and into the Marvel Universe where she belongs. Then the wormhole disappears forever. A second later, Micro answers the door to find a very large case. He drags the case into his apartment and opens the lid to find Frank’s harp children inside it and the small note inside it that reads:
“Micro, On a mission from The One Above them All. Please give these to the man who sings to his family. All the better to harp out music than to harp out bullets, don’t you think? Farewell and thanks. Will miss you. -Capt. Marvel.”
Micro: “Say, I think I know who’s the man the note’s referring to.”
Not wanted to disturb Frank while he was sleeping, Micro takes out Warharp, jot down the note to Frank and woven it onto the strings of WarHarp. Then he crept inside Frank’s apartment and gently set it inside his bedroom. Then he tiptoed out of Frank’s apartment, leaving the harp at Frank’s bedside.
Frank looks at Warharp and gently smiled. He cuddles with it and slowly puts his hand to the strings and begins to gently strum it and listens as the harp emits a soft, beautiful pleasing sound just like the sound he hears every time he plays it that remind him of his family that he lost years ago when they were out on a picnic in Central Park.

OwossoHarpist

Sherry Konkus lives in Owosso, MI. She is the proud owner of the Camac Athena EX Concert Grand Harp named “Grover” and Camac Mademoiselle named “Ernie.” She’s also the proud author of The Punisher Harp Zone. Sherry is the one who came up with the idea of portraying The Punisher from Marvel Comics as the punishing harpist who plays the harp in memory of his family who was killed by the mob years ago.

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About the author

Why does The Punisher play the harp?

It’s easy to imagine The Punisher shooting up criminal hideouts and blowing off the heads of thugs and mob bosses as the ultimate punishment for their crimes. But it’s hard to imagine (and believe) that there is also very gentle side to The Punisher no one knows about except for The Defenders (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist), Microchip (aka David Linus Liberman), and Spider-man (aka Peter Parker) who actually saw and became amazed at him doing something no one has ever thought he could do with his violent hands– play the harp. A gentle stringed musical instrument no one could ever believe that The Punisher would have such talent and ability to use his otherwise destructive hands to gently and tenderly pluck and caress its strings.

Indeed, it’s very hard to imagine and believe that the Punisher’s violent hands that brake bones, strangle necks, and punch out guts are the very same hands that softly and tenderly pluck, caress, and gracefully sweep across the strings of the harp.

Why does he do it, you asked? Because Frank is doing this in memory of his family whom he communes with through songs, poems, and prayers as he gracefully wave his battle-scarred arms and hands across the strings to fill his private family shrine with harp music that moves The Punisher to joyful tears.

Where did the Idea of The Punisher and his Harp come from?

It’s a concept I, Sherry Konkus made up myself. It combines my new found obsession with The Punisher that I had since 2014 and my life long love for the harp. It is the very best concept I ever made. This is my version of The Punisher from Marvel Comics who is portrayed by me as the punishing harpist who plays the harp in memory of his late family who got killed by a criminal mob years ago and whenever he needs a break from waging a one man war against organized crime.

The Punisher was created by Gerry Conway with the help of artists John Romita, Sr. and Ross Andru. His name coined by Stan Lee. The Punisher is owned and trademarked by MARVEL.

The idea, concept, and inspiration behind The Punisher’s portrayal as The Punishing Harpist who plays the harp in memory of his family is in fact my own. Sweetest. Idea. Ever.

The Punisher Harp Zone Archive

Frank's "Starry" Nightmare and His Reunion with WarHarp.