| Archie Meets the Punisher | |
|---|---|
 Cover to Archie Meets the Punisher (Archie Comics version). Art by Stan Goldberg and Henry Scarpelli. | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Archie Comics Marvel Comics |
| Genre | |
| Publication date | August 1994 |
| Creative team | |
| Written by | Batton Lash |
| Artist(s) | Stan Goldberg John Buscema |
| Inker(s) | Tom Palmer |
| Letterer(s) | Jack Morelli |
| Colorist(s) | Barry Grossman |
Archie Meets the Punisher or The Punisher Meets Archie is a one-shot comic book and intercompany crossover written by Batton Lash with art by Stan Goldberg, John Buscema, and Tom Palmer. It was published jointly by Archie Comics and Marvel Comics in June 1994. In the story, the murderous vigilante Punisher mistakes all-American teenager Archie Andrews for a criminal he is hunting. When he realizes his error, he works with Archie to rescue Archie's girlfriend Veronica Lodge, who has been kidnapped by the criminal. Despite being a humorous intercompany crossover, the comic was said to take place in the mainstream Marvel Universe by the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe.[1][2]
Lash developed the plot based on a suggestion from Archie editor Victor Gorelick. The script was written with the intention of remaining true to the spirit of both characters rather than focus only on Archie's humor or Punisher's action. Gorelick submitted the proposal to Marvel editors for review, and they agreed to move forward with the project. To help preserve the different tones, Archie artist Goldberg and Marvel artist Buscema worked together on the pencil artwork with each only drawing characters and settings for their respective company. Palmer provided inks for both artists to help smooth the differences between their styles. The comic book was kept secret inside both companies until it was announced at a press function shortly before its publication. Two versions were printed, one by each company. The versions had different cover art and the publishing company put the name of their character first in the title.
Although news outlets and critics initially believed the announcement was a joke, Archie Meets the Punisher received mostly positive responses. Many critics praised the odd pairing as an interesting narrative hook. Because of its success, Marvel participated in more crossovers with other publishing companies and Archie began a tradition of meeting unexpected guest stars such as Kiss, Sharknado, and the Predator.