The Punisher season 2: Is the villain based on a character from the comics?

Is The Punisher season 2’s John Pilgrim actually Mennonite from Punisher Max?

The Punisher tends to have some very colorful villains. The mob villains are just the start. Barracuda, Bullseye, and The Russian are just a few of Punisher’s enemies that he’s taken down or killed. In season two of The Punisher, there is a new villain along with (the antagonist we’re not allowed to call Jigsaw) Billy Russo. There’s a character named John Pilgrim in this season that has similarities to a short-lived villain from The Punisher Max comic series by Jason Aaron. The character is one called The Mennonite.

Image Source: Marvel Digital Comics

In Punisher MAX,  the Mennonite was one of Don Rigoletto’s former hit-men. He left his life as a killer to become a man of God. Rigoletto needed someone to take out Punisher, and Mennonite was the only person he could think of to get the job done. When Rigoletto called him for the job, Mennonite left his home and accepted the gig. He fared better than most when he fought Frank Castle, but he made a big mistake. He touched Frank’s guns and was electrocuted, and he was then killed when Frank dropped a safe on his head.

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Just like the Mennonite, John Pilgrim has a very shady past. In episode three of season two Pilgrim took his shirt off, and it revealed some Nazi tattoos that he tried to have removed. Pilgrim may still be a killer, but he left his old life of hatred behind him. We didn’t get much background on the Mennonite. For all we know, he could have been part of a hate group and left to try to redeem himself. Whatever the reason, he gave up that life, just like Pilgrim has done.

They also have similar family lives. In episode two, we see Pilgrim’s wife in bed. On the dresser, there were a ton of pill bottles, and she was hooked up to an IV. Mennonite also had a sick wife that was on her deathbed.  They both also have two young sons, as well. One thing that hit the nail on the head was when he made a trip back to New York, a city he never wanted to go back to due to his past sins.

John Pilgrim has been a great villain for Punisher. He’s not as eccentric as some of his other villains, but he works for that reason. In fact, we may not have needed Billy Russo in this season, at all.