I really think someone should be able to take a long-term, very serious look at the Punisher, giving him a slow, methodical, deadly tone. The man is out of his league fighting supervillains. He knows it. He does it anyway.
In the age of the internet, there should be enough info on any villain at his fingertips to make a complete profile and come up with a plan of attack. He targets one villain, then does whatever it takes to bring him down. Even if he doesn't and moves on, that villain stays on his radar. Do all multi-part arcs, each focusing on Frank's next victim. If he targets you, you're dead. No exceptions. Well, no exceptions of the "we all survived that explosion" variety. Shit, is Micro good this week (or alive)? Have him or some surrogate hack into the Avengers network.
And use the angel/undead bullshit in his backstory and use it to keep the man the same age. Say he never showed up on anyone's radar before Spidey 129, but was around. Keep him a Vietnam vet whose family died in the mid-70s, but who doesn't appear to physically age anymore. There could be some fucking cool stories from that, too.
Trouble is, throwing him on an Avengers team is the wrong approach, but what they seem dead set on doing.
Enjoy hanging with Batman and his son in space, Frank!!
