PAYBACK

Real Name: Edward "Eddie" Dyson

Identity/Class: Human

Occupation: currently unknown
    former vigilante;
Department

Group Membership: None;
    former member of the New York Police

Affiliations: Lynn Michaels, Mr. Michaels

Enemies: Blind Joe Death, Cullens crime family, Heathen, Punishment Squad, Trust, Vaducci crime family, Steve Venture and his construction racket, VIGIL;
    Punisher (Frank Castle) - loose antagonism

Known Relatives: unnamed wife, twin daughters (all deceased)

Aliases: none

Base of Operations: possibly Madison, Wisconsin;
    formerly New York City

First Appearance: Punisher War Journal#48 (November, 1992)

Powers/Abilities: None. Payback is a skilled in armed and unarmed combat and uses a variety of firearms. He also wears a kevlar vest, a protective face mask (on occasion), and a knee brace on his left leg.

Height: 5' 10" Weight: 170 lbs.

History:
(Punisher War Journal I#48 (fb)) - Rookie Police Officer Dyson encountered the Punisher after he had taken down a highly sought criminal. Castle convinced Dyson to let him go, in exchange for taking credit for stopping the felon.
    As a result of this bust, Dyson was soon promoted to detective, though he was assigned a desk job in the bowels of midtown south. The raise allowed him to buy his family a small house up in Riverdale.

(Punisher War Journal I#48 (fb)) - After a year, Dyson was assigned to the major crimes unit, and things went very well initially.

(Punisher War Journal I#48 (fb)) - After about six months, when he learned that his squad was taking payments to mobsters involved with the construction union. Uncertain of what to do, Dyson contacted the Punisher for advice. Castle convinced him to give him the goods on the mobsters and to inform Internal Affairs about the corruption.
    Castle took out the mobsters, and Dyson was promoted to homicide, though he was hated by every cop in the department for what they saw as a betrayal. However, Castle had underestimated the depths of the construction racket, and some of its highest members took revenge on Dyson, planting on his doorstep a pound of C-4 buried inside a keg of roofing nails. His family was killed, and Dyson was badly injured. He recovered, but was highly despondent and remained in a wheelchair and refused to participate in physical therapy. Castle called to offer his condolences, and to tell Dyson that he had taken out the scum who had killed his family. Rather than pleasing Dyson, this information infuriated him, reminding him that he would never have gotten into this mess if he'd never met or listened to Castle. Inspired by his anger at Castle and his desire for revenge, Dyson rehabilitated himself, taking on the identity of Payback.

(Punisher War Journal I#49) - Payback began targeting people working with the Punisher, as well as those in the construction racket that Castle had been investigating. While fighting the racketeer Steve Venture (the head of the operation that had Payback's family killed) and his men, Castle took a bullet in the ankle and nearly passed out from pain and blood loss. Payback arrived and took out the criminals, then aimed at the Punisher.

(Punisher War Journal I#51) - Payback debated killing the Punisher, but when Castle told him that Venture was still alive, he agreed to a truce. Dyson used Venture's credit card history to track him to Newark. Payback invaded Venture's boat and slaughtered his men, while Castle used an anti-aircraft gun to ventilate the boat from the shore. Payback killed Venture, but took Venture's daughter off the sinking ship. He then handed Castle the gun Castle had given him at his first meeting, and told him that his quest, their enmity, and his career as Payback was over.

(Punisher II#86) - With the apparent death of Frank Castle (after he blew up a building to take out a gathering of mobsters), VIGIL targeted other vigilantes. They broke into the apartment of Eddie Dyson (Payback), but he managed to escape outside, and was picked him up by another vigilante, Lynn Michaels, on her motorcycle enabling him to escape.