Eminem Battles The Punisher And Barracuda

Eminem is going all out to push the May 19 release of his highly anticipated Relapse. He's even added a comic with his favourite Marvel Comics vigilante, The Punisher, to his promotional tools.

The comic pits Eminem against two of the most brutish characters in the comic world: The Punisher and Barracuda.

The comic was created by veteran writer Fred Van Lente and illustrator Salvador Larroca and is available to read for free on the Marvel Comics website. It will be included in the June issue of XXL magazine, which will feature Eminem on the cover dressed in The Punisher's costume.

The betrayal and gore-laden comic plot starts with Eminem leaving a concert and The Punisher killing his entourage trying to get to the rapper. Eminem is saved by Barracuda, who betrays him after Em shoots The Punisher. While both men are wearing body armour and survive multiple gun shots, they're soon chained on a ship deck while Barracuda steers the craft.

Eminem is thrown overboard, but the water's frozen and he lands with a thud. Just as Barracuda is about to finish him off, The Punisher takes him out at the knees and a fight ensues.

Marshall Mathers, meanwhile, meets an ice-fishing fan with a chainsaw and returns to the ship to cut up Barracuda. The Punisher leaves him on an ice floe with a military satellite phone to call for rescue and steers off to pay a visit to the Parents Music Council, which had hired Barracuda to kill Eminem.

Eminem has also created a website for the fictional Popsomp Hills (which sounds like "pop some pills") Rehabilitation Center to promote Relapse.

Album track "Old Time’s Sake," featuring Dr. Dre, is available now on iTunes after it leaked on the internet earlier this week.