LOL ... no. Sorry, I guess he's kind of an obscure character these days. Tommy "Hitman" Monaghan -- he had X-ray vision and telepathy (no psi blasts, though, just mind-reading), was a crack shot who was fond of using dual pistols (though he'd use other weapons in a pinch) ... eh ... basically about equal to Frank in terms of gunplay, with fewer overall explosives use ... but a definite love of grenades. I wouldn't rate him at Frank's level hand-to-hand at all.
But his telepathy gave him the ability to sense the random thoughts of approaching attackers (making him almost impossible to surprise), and of course his X-ray vision also let him see people sneaking from around corners and such. Basically, when Batman tried to sneak up on him the first time, HE instead got the drop on BATMAN ... and then spared his life.
Edit: He also had a serious mouth on him and a tendency to wisecrack. A lot. 😉
Originally posted by jgiant
That sounds like a pretty hardcore dude, Frank might have a really hard time, if he even survives, but i wouldn't count frank out, cant make a clear outcome cuz i don't know the character but from your synopsis of the character frank might lose...
Yeah, it's a tough one, actually. Frank's a better prep guy, no question. Tommy was actually kind of a "play it by ear" guy anyway (he'd prep a *little bit* sometimes, but nowhere near the level Frank takes it), and he also just wasn't as driven as Frank. With the Punisher, you've got a guy at war 24/7 whose WHOLE LIFE is that war. With Hitman, you've got a guy who basically just wants beer and pizza money, so he kills bad superguys for it. Half of the time, the comic opens up in Noonan's where -- yes, once again -- Tommy's nursing a beer. Y'know? 😉
Without the superpowers, it'd be Punisher, no question. But that telepathy and X-ray vision really makes it tricky, especially since Tommy would almost instantly know everything Frank had in mind if they ended up in a face-to-face confrontation. A while back, they asked Garth Ennis (who created Hitman and who was writing Punisher at the time) who would win, but he basically dodged the question and then added, "Who the hell cares?" 😆
Just for fun (and to irritate Bat-fans), here're a couple of scans of the first Hitman/Batman encounter:
Originally posted by MERCILOUS
Hitman all the way, It's good to see him mentioned around these parts.
Yeah, I miss him. But you know, I think Ennis did the right thing. In a way, it shows more respect for the character to wrap it up before he gets old and tired like so many others have. More comics should be done that way, imo.
I tend to think Hitman would win it too, as far as that goes. I'm not one to count Frank out, but Tommy's a really tough nut to crack. In a cat-and-mouse game, he has the advantage (seeing through walls). If he gets to read Frank's mind even once, he has the advantage. About all Frank has on him is better prep abilities, but even that can be negated totally if Tommy reads his mind.
Frank can win it, but Tommy probably does have the edge overall.
