Here's Everything We Know About That Micro Tape On 'The Punisher'

The Punisher isn't only introducing its title character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but also a brand-new sidekick with some pretty impressive (and scary) computer skills. Early on in the new Netflix series, Frank Castle takes on unlikely partner in his mission of revenge, but not without a lot of skepticism and blackmail. It's not until Micro reveals he knows what Castle did in Afghanistan that the two warily team up, but it raises the question: How did Micro get that tape of the Punisher in the first place? Let's break down everything we know about Micro at the start of The Punisher to get a better handle on what this newcomer is all about.

We get a pretty creepy introduction to Micro (whose real name is David Lieberman) at the start of The Punisher, as we see him using security cameras to spy on Frank Castle in a shady underground lair of computer screens. The techno-spy ups the ante by revealing he knows about Castle's shameful past, sending him a disc marked Micro, which contains video evidence of Castle shooting a hostage during his time in the army. Through flashbacks, we learn that the commanding officer who ordered Castle to shoot (named Rawlins) knew that the hostage was not an enemy combatant, but an innocent police officer. Soon afterwards, Lieberman makes contact with Castle via a sketchy phone call, which leads the Punisher to finally hunt him down by devising a plan to hide out in the trunk of Lieberman's car and confront him in his hideout. And finally, we get some answers as to what Micro has been up to and why he has been attempting to blackmail the Punisher.

Once captured by the Punisher, Micro reveals that he is an ally, not an enemy. He says that he was using that tape to coerce the Punisher into meeting him so that the two of them could work together to take down the suspicious military organization responsible for ruining both of their lives. Rawlins' Project Cerberus, which Lieberman reveals was actually never recognized by the U.S. government as the commander had claimed, drafted Frank Castle when he was a Marine sniper to torture and murder Afghani citizens to the point where it could be considered terrorism. As for Lieberman, he suspects Rawlins to be behind the FBI attack on him after he sent a copy of the shooting tape to Homeland Security. Thankfully, that tape is now in the hands of determined and just detective named Dinah Madani, but to avoid further murder attempts, Lieberman had to fake his own death and can no longer see his wife or two children.

As for where Micro got that tape that threw him into this whole mess in the first place, that's still something of a mystery. Before going underground, Lieberman had the perfect job for governmental snooping as an analyst with the National Security Agency. Apparently, he was sent the video of Castle shooting the hostage anonymously and had to decide what to do with it. Unfortunately for him, sending it to Homeland Security turned out to be a potentially lethal move that cost him his family life, just as Frank Castle's actions in the military may have cost him his family. The only up-side of Lieberman's actions may turn out to be getting Dinah on the case, as she seems as dead-set on taking down the men in that video as Punisher and Micro are. The catch is that means she will be gunning for Castle as well.

So at the start of The Punisher, it is still a pretty major mystery who sent Micro that tape, but it's one that I'm sure the series will solve by the end.