Michael "Mickey" Fondozzi is a fictional character appearing in
American comic book
An American comic book is a thin periodical originating in the United States, on average 32 pages, containing comics. While the form originated in 1933, American comic books first gained popularity after the 1938 publication of ''Action Comics'' ...
s published by
Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
. The character has been depicted as an ally of the
antihero
An antihero (sometimes spelled as anti-hero) or antiheroine is a main character in a story who may lack conventional heroic qualities and attributes, such as idealism, courage, and morality. Although antiheroes may sometimes perform actions ...
the
Punisher
The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
. He was created by
Chuck Dixon
Charles Dixon (born April 14, 1954) is an American comic book writer, best known for his work on the Marvel Comics character the Punisher and on the DC Comics characters Batman, Nightwing, and Robin in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Early life
D ...
and
John Romita Jr.
John Salvatore Romita (; born August 17, 1956), known professionally as John Romita Jr., is an American comics artist best known for his extensive work for Marvel Comics from the 1970s to the 2010s. He is the son of artist John Romita Sr.
Early ...
, and first appeared in ''
The Punisher War Zone
''The Punisher War Zone'' or ''Punisher War Zone'' is a comic book spin-off title featuring the Punisher, a fictional character published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
The first installment of the series ran for 41 issues and two 64-pa ...
'' #1 (March 1992).
Publication history
The character first appeared in a story-arc that spanned ''
The Punisher War Zone
''The Punisher War Zone'' or ''Punisher War Zone'' is a comic book spin-off title featuring the Punisher, a fictional character published by Marvel Comics.
Publication history
The first installment of the series ran for 41 issues and two 64-pa ...
'' #1-6, and was also present in #9-10, #23, #31, #41, and both of ''The Punisher War Zone'' Annuals. Fondozzi's appearances in other titles include ''
The Punisher War Journal
''The Punisher War Journal'' or ''Punisher War Journal'' is the title of two Marvel Comics comic book series featuring the character Frank Castle, also known as the Punisher. The first volume, published from 1988 to 1995, was spun off of a self-ti ...
'' #45-47, #60-61, #64, #68, and #78-79, ''
The Punisher
The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
'' vol. 2, #86, #97-100, and #102-104, ''The Punisher Summer Special'' #4, and ''
Marvel Knights
Marvel Knights is an imprint of Marvel Comics that contained standalone material taking place inside the Marvel Universe ( Earth-616). The imprint originated in 1998 when Marvel outsourced four titles (''Black Panther'', ''Punisher'', '' Daredevil ...
'' #5 and #10-11.
Fictional character biography
A career criminal living in
Sheepshead Bay
Sheepshead, Sheephead, or Sheep's Head, may refer to:
Fish
* ''Archosargus probatocephalus'', a medium-sized saltwater fish of the Atlantic Ocean
* Freshwater drum, ''Aplodinotus grunniens'', a medium-sized freshwater fish of North and Central Am ...
,
Mickey claims to be
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
, but is in fact
Albanian
Albanian may refer to:
*Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular:
**Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans
**Albanian language
**Albanian culture
**Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...
.
While robbing a Chinese restaurant that served as a front for the local
triad, Mickey and his crew are attacked by the Punisher, who leaves the crook alive while butchering everyone else. Via psychological torture, the Punisher coerces Mickey into sponsoring him (under the alias "Johnny Tower") for membership in the Carbones, a
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
crime family he belongs to.
When Salvatore Carbone, one of the family's top men, becomes suspicious of Mickey and "Johnny", the two frame him for disloyalty, and are given permission to kill him by Salvatore's brother and the Carbone family boss, Julius. The attempt on Salvatore's life goes awry, and ends with him falling through the ice of a frozen lake, where he is later found by the authorities and admitted to a hospital as a
John Doe
John Doe (male) and Jane Doe (female) are multiple-use placeholder names that are used when the true name of a person is unknown or is being intentionally concealed. In the context of law enforcement in the United States, such names are often ...
.
Mickey and the Punisher's efforts to sabotage the Carbone family are ultimately discovered by Julius who orders his men to kill them, though the two are saved by
Shotgun
A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge (firearms), cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small p ...
. The Punisher allows Mickey to live on the condition that he become an informant for him, after Mickey helps him and Shotgun massacre the Carbones and the European syndicate bosses who had traveled to America to form a partnership with them.
Mickey begins smuggling cigarettes in DeKalb, but his operation is shut down by the Punisher, who gives Mickey something better to do with his time by having him work with
Microchip
An integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit (also referred to as an IC, a chip, or a microchip) is a set of electronic circuits on one small flat piece (or "chip") of semiconductor material, usually silicon. Large numbers of tiny M ...
to spy on high-ranking criminals attending a summit in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
. Mickey and Microchip's investigation leads to them being captured by
Hydra
Hydra generally refers to:
* Lernaean Hydra, a many-headed serpent in Greek mythology
* ''Hydra'' (genus), a genus of simple freshwater animals belonging to the phylum Cnidaria
Hydra or The Hydra may also refer to:
Astronomy
* Hydra (constel ...
, though the two are able to stave off being executed by the organization by telling
Werner von Strucker
Werner von Strucker is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics.
The character has seen a live-action adaptation in the Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series ''Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.'' portrayed by Spencer ...
that they are members of the
Secret Empire.
The duo escape, track the Punisher down to a
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
airport, and give him,
Nomad
A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the popu ...
, and
Daredevil
Daredevil may refer to:
* A stunt performer
Arts and media Comics
* Daredevil (Lev Gleason Publications), a fictional 1940s superhero popularized by writer-artist Charles Biro
* Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), a Marvel comic book superher ...
a drive back to New York City.
A group of hitmen hired by Rosalie Carbone hunt Mickey down in order to obtain intel on the Punisher. After being interrogated by the assassins, Mickey is locked in the trunk of their car, which he escapes from due to the vehicle being hijacked and crashed by triad members.
The Punisher goes to Mickey for information regarding visiting
yakuza
, also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media, by request of the police, call them , while the ''yakuza'' call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ...
and, after saving him from Russian gangsters whose shipment of meat Mickey had stolen, learns from him that a number of foreign crime lords are going to be attending an auction in
Atlantic City
Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...
. The Punisher subsequently has Mickey, who had taken to bootlegging cartoons, provide information about a child pornographer living in
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
, and help him rescue his stolen guard dog, Max. Salvatore Carbone, who had become a superhuman called
Thorn
Thorn(s) or The Thorn(s) may refer to:
Botany
* Thorns, spines, and prickles, sharp structures on plants
* ''Crataegus monogyna'', or common hawthorn, a plant species
Comics and literature
* Rose and Thorn, the two personalities of two DC Com ...
, tries to get revenge on Mickey, but the Punisher defeats him.
Mickey and Microchip team up again to help the Punisher infiltrate and plant explosives in Manhattan Tower, used as the headquarters of a powerful crime syndicate. When the Punisher seemingly dies blowing up Manhattan Tower, Mickey panics, and abandons Microchip. Mickey goes into hiding, but is located by Microchip, who convinces Mickey to help him rebuild his depleted crime fighting network, on the off chance that the Punisher survived the destruction of Manhattan Tower.
Mickey becomes involved with counterfeiters, betrays them, and is saved from retribution by Microchip. After the Punisher catches him trying to steal
telephone card
A telephone card, calling card or phonecard for short, is a credit card-size plastic or paper card, used to pay for telephone services (often international or long-distance calling). It is not necessary to have the physical card except with a st ...
numbers at an airport, Mickey tips the vigilante off about Russian mobsters who are arranging a deal with a Vietnamese gangster named Randy Kwoc. Later, the Punisher blows up Mickey's chop shop, and discusses his ties to an up-and-coming drug lord known as Cringe. The Punisher then moves into Mickey's trailer with the two hackers he had recruited to replace Microchip, with whom he had a falling-out, not knowing that Mickey is secretly in contact with Cringe, who is really Microchip.
A rogue
S.H.I.E.L.D.
S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often deals ...
operative called Stone Cold begins eliminating vigilantes, and attempts to find the Punisher by capturing and interrogating Mickey.
While Stone Cold is out hunting the Punisher and Microchip, Mickey breaks the chair he was left tied to, and returns to his trailer, where he is taunted by a passing
Bullseye
Bullseye or Bull's Eye may refer to:
Symbols
* ◎ (Unicode U+25CE BULLSEYE), in the Geometric Shapes Unicode block
* (Unicode U+0298 LATIN LETTER BILABIAL CLICK), the phonetic symbol for bilabial click
Animals and plants
* Bull's Eye, ''Euryo ...
. Stone Cold recaptures Mickey, but the informant is freed by agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Mickey later has information pertaining to a drug dealer known as "Daddy Wronglegs" beaten out of him by the Punisher. After
Black Widow's car is hijacked, she and
Dagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or popular-use de ...
trace its whereabouts to Mickey's Salvage, a stolen car lot that Mickey has established in
Weehawken
Weehawken is a township in the northern part of Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the Hudson River. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 17,197. . Using her powers, Dagger is able to get Mickey to divulge the whereabouts of Black Widow's car. With his soul cleansed by Dagger's abilities, Mickey gives up his criminal ways and becomes religiously devout; when the Punisher finds Mickey in a Brooklyn church and discerns that he has genuinely changed, the vigilante severs all ties with him, musing, "So Mickey Fondozzi's found religion. You can't even trust a snitch anymore".
Other versions
Crossoververse (Earth-7642)
Mickey is "a lousy little snitch" who is repeatedly accosted for information by the Punisher in ''The Punisher/Painkiller Jane''.
Painkiller Jane
Painkiller Jane is a fictional superhero created by Jimmy Palmiotti and Joe Quesada for Event Comics in 1995. Originally a five-issue mini-series, the character went on to star in numerous crossover titles with the likes of the Punisher, Vampirel ...
shoots Mickey to death after he tells her that he sold the Punisher out to a crime lord named Vinnie Veronica.
In other media
Mickey appears in the 2004 ''
Punisher
The Punisher (Francis "Frank" Castle, born Castiglione) is an antihero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Gerry Conway and artists John Romita Sr. and Ross Andru. The Punisher made ...
'' film, where the character is renamed Mickey Duka and portrayed by
Eddie Jemison
Edward Francis Jemison, Jr. (born November 25, 1963) is an American film and television actor. He is known for his roles as Livingston Dell in the '' Ocean's'' film trilogy and Mickey Duka in ''The Punisher'', as well as the television series ''Hu ...
. An affiliate of the Saint crime family, Mickey is psychologically tortured (in a shot for shot recreation of his introduction in the comics) by the Punisher into helping him wipe out the Saints as revenge for wiping out his family. Mickey, who actually despises the Saints as much as Castle does, willingly becomes his mole afterwards and helps him cause the Saints to destroy each other before Castle personally kills Howard Saint.
References
External links
Mickey Fondozziat Comicvine
Mickey Fondozziat Marvel Wikia
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fondozzi, Mickey
Characters created by Chuck Dixon
Characters created by John Romita Jr.
Comics characters introduced in 1992
Fictional career criminals
Marvel Comics film characters
Punisher characters