Detective Martin Soap

Few supporting players in Marvel's modern era have wormed their way into readers' hearts quite like Detective Martin Soap — the gloriously hapless New York cop introduced by Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon in The Punisher #2 (2000), a cornerstone of the Marvel Knights era. Born into one of the great creative runs in Punisher history, Soap navigates a world populated by the likes of Frank Castle, Ma Gnucci, and Lt. Molly von Richthofen, which tells you something about the chaotic, darkly comic corner of Marvel he calls home. His 18-year presence across multiple Punisher collections speaks to the lasting affection fans have for Ennis and Dillon's sardonic vision of street-level Marvel. If you're diving into the definitive modern Punisher run, Detective Soap is exactly the kind of character who makes the journey unforgettable.