Religion: religious/ethical 
Name: Martin
Classification:
supporting character
Publisher(s): 
First Appearance: The Punisher (vol. 2) #4 (Nov. 1987): "The Rev"
Creators: Mike Baron, Klaus Janson
Number of Appearances: 1
Ally: Punisher
Gender: male
Note: Punisher's former weapons supplier
Martin was the Punisher's weapons supplier. Martin met with the Punisher in New Jersey and told the vigilante about a potentially dangerous religious group known as the Church of the Saved. (The Church of the Saved was based on Jim Jones' Peoples Temple, which was affiliated with the mainstream Protestant denomination the Disciples of Christ.) Immediately after giving the Punisher this information, Martin was gunned down by a member of the Church of the Saved.
The Punisher followed up on what Martin had told him and took down the Church of the Saved and their leader, known as the Rev.
Exactly how did Martin find out about the Church of the Saved in the first place? Few people knew much about it except for its own members. Was Martin a member? Probably not. As an arms dealer, he didn't really fit the profile of people recruited into the Church of the Saved. Martin probably learned about the Church of the Saved because its leader ("the Rev") or one of his underlings inquired about purchasing large amounts of weapons from Martin. As Martin was the kind of person who supplied weapons to the Punisher, it is clear that Martin was sympathetic to extra-legal vigilantism and not sympathetic to criminals or purveyors of evil. Martin doubtless realized that something was suspicious about a "church" that wanted to purchase extensive weaponry, and so he tipped off the Punisher about the situation. Despite being an illegal arms dealer, Martin displayed idealism and a desire to protect the innocent and promote justice. His idealism ultimately cost him his mortal life, but exhibited an admirable decency in his soul.
The Punisher (vol. 2) #4 (Nov. 1987): "The Rev"
Suggested links for further research about this character and the character's religious affiliation:
- http://www.marvunapp.com/Appendix/revsspun.htm
- http://www.comicboards.com/marvelguide/m.htm