Russo endured the punishment of being beaten by his fellow marines while being thrown into the freezing mud, eventually making it all the way through and being rewarded with cheers from his fellow men. Russo and Frank Castle celebrate their victory As they completed their training together, Russo and Castle both underwent the gauntlet, in which they would walk through all their fellow marines while getting beaten down to prove their endurance as well as their physical strength, with Castle giving Russo a mocking prep talk before he went through the gauntlet first. During his training, Russo met and became close friends with Frank Castle, a fellow marine in training. Seeking new purpose in his life, Russo later joined the United States Marine Corps, becoming a fierce soldier. Go get 'em devil dog, go get 'em!" ― Frank Castle and Billy Russo "You nervous, Bill? Come on, these guys ain't shit. Russo is given a prep talk by Frank Castle When Tommy O'Neal finally spoke up about the abuse they were suffering, Walsh was sent to Sing Sing prison for his crimes. Fearing for his own safety, Russo was still able to defend himself by then striking his attacker with a stickball bat, but not without still being severely injured by the perpetrator who proceeded to break his arm and ripped his rotator cuff in three places. Got pissed off, ripped my rotator cuff in three places." ―Billy Russo to Dinah Madani ĭuring his time at the Ray of Hope home, around the age of ten or eleven, Russo was also a victim of attempted child molestation when one of the good samaritans, Arthur Walsh, had called Russo pretty and had then attempted to attack him. So I went after him with the stickball bat. Let's just say, I wasn't interested in the kind of games that he had in mind. When a grown man tells you that you're pretty, you know nothing good is coming. "I must have been ten, eleven at the time. 1.6.8 Duel at the Central Park Carousel.However, after Madani had almost killed Dumont and critically wounded him, Jigsaw met his fate as the Punisher, tipped off by Curtis Hoyle, found Jigsaw, and swiftly executed him as revenge for all Russo's past crimes. Jigsaw found himself being tracked down by many of his past friends, as he had attempted to fight back and destroy the Punisher through violence and manipulation. All of Russo's crimes and his disfigured face gained him a nickname of Jigsaw, until he was suddenly reunited with the Punisher, as Jigsaw finally remembered how the Punisher disfigured his face and destroyed his entire life. While attempting to repair his broken mind, Russo was able to escape from police custody and then began rebuilding his life, recruiting former soldiers to join him in a criminal gang, while asking for the help of Krista Dumont, his own former therapist, who he became infatuated with. Fearing he would be used as the scapegoat, Russo betrayed Rawlins, allowing Castle to kill him, before Russo had a grisly showdown with Castle, that had led to Russo's handsome face being horrifically scarred. Once Castle returned, Russo was ordered to kill his former friend, as he used Dinah Madani to learn Castle's whereabouts, which had exposed Russo's own involvement in Operation Cerberus. Russo's desire for power led him to betray Castle, allowing Rawlins to assassinate Castle's family. Upon leaving the Marine Corps, Russo was recruited by Rawlins to contribute to his illegal operations, gaining a financial reward and the ability to create his own company with Anvil. Russo and Castle were both recruited into Cerberus Squad under the leadership of William Rawlins, where they assisted in assassination missions. William "Billy" Russo was a Force Recon Marine who served alongside Frank Castle in Afghanistan, and the duo eventually became close friends. I want to see the best version of myself again." ―Billy Russo to Krista Dumont And when I look in the mirror, I want to see. has everything that I ever did wrong written all over it.