PUMPKIN MERUNKA
PUMPKIN MERUNKA
Real
Name: Apparently Pumpkin Merunka
Identity/Class: Human (see comments)
Occupation: Police detective
Group Membership: New York Police
Department
Affiliations: Detective Tomball;
Derrick Storm was a suspect and Sassy Monroe was a
witness (neither were clearly enemies nor allies, although she did punch
Storm)
Enemies: See above;
almost certainly numerous criminals she arrested
Known Relatives: None
Aliases: None
Base of Operations: New York City, New York
First Appearance: Castle: Richard Castle's Deadly Storm (September, 2011)
Powers/Abilities: As a police detective, Pumpkin Merunka was experienced in investigative reporting and trained in armed and unarmed combat (with the former primarily being firearms such as handguns).
She could punch an adult man hard enough to knock him off of his feet, although she did catch him by surprise.
She presumably is accustomed to people
mocking her name.
History:
(Castle: Richard Castle's Deadly Storm (fb) - BTS)
- Claiming to be Penelope Grout, Connie Urso hired private detective
Derrick Storm to find her "husband," Jefferson Grout (secretly a rogue
CIA agent).
(Castle: Richard Castle's Deadly Storm - BTS) - Storm located Grout in a trailer park, believing he was having an affair with another woman, but he was discovered and fled. However, the people seeking Grout then slew the woman he was with, who was actually the real Penelope Grout, whom he was trying to hide.
After having been contacted by CIA agent Clara Strike, Storm returned to what he believed to be Penelope Grout (where he had met Urso posing as Grout), but found it empty and ransacked, with the phone and keys sitting on the table.
Detective Pumpkin Merunka and Det.
Tomball were assigned to investigate the death of Penelope Grout.
(Castle: Richard Castle's Deadly Storm) - As Pumpkin Merunka prepared to knock on Storm's door, Storm opened the door unexpectedly, and the surprised Pumpkin punched Storm in the face, knocking him to the ground. After she apologized and they introduced themselves, Tomball told him he was under arrest for murder.
After they brought him into the
station, they told him that he was there regarding the murder of
Penelope Grout, but when they showed him her picture, he stated that he
had not killed anybody and that that was not Penelope Grout in the
picture.
They questioning why had been breaking and entering in her place, and Derrick explained that the door was open and that he had let himself in in case she had not heard him. Hoping to get some back up for his actions, Derrick told them that he was working for the CIA, which both Merunka and Tomball regarded incredulously.
(Castle: Richard Castle's Deadly Storm - BTS) - Derrick Storm was placed in a jail cell, while Tomball looked into his story. Tomball called the CIA, who told him that he had called the CIA and that they neither knew him nor Clara Strike.
(Castle: Richard Castle's Deadly
Storm - BTS) - Det. Merunka apparently changed her top for unrevealed
reasons.
(Castle: Richard Castle's Deadly Storm) - Merunka next met with Sassy Monroe, who lived in the mobile home/trailer next to the Grout. Knowing Storm had met with her the day after the encounter in the trailer park, they asked her for a statement regarding the whereabouts of Derrick Storm during a time period...
(Castle: Richard Castle's Deadly
Storm - BTS) - Two hours later, Tomball released Storm, telling him he
was free to go but advising him not to leave town.
Castle is an American crime mystery comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC for a total of eight seasons from March 9, 2009, to May 16, 2016. The series was created by Andrew W. Marlowe and produced by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios.
Courtesy of Loki, who suggested Pumpkin Merunka to represent Castle's stories and characters: The
premise of Castle was that Rick Castle is a successful
novelist, writing crime thrillers. When a serial killer begins copying
crimes out of one of his novels the NYC ends up consulting him (after
initially suspecting him), and he helps solve the case. He finds the lead
detective interesting, deciding to use her as the model for his new lead
character, so he uses a pre-existing friendship with the mayor to get
himself attached to her unit. And they go on to solve murders together for
several seasons.
Within
the TV show, the writer Richard Castle wrote two ongoing series of novels.
The first series, written prior to the start of the show, was the Derrick
Storm series, with every title including the word Storm. The second,
written after he met the female cop who became his inspiration and
crime-solving partner (and eventually romantic interest and by the end of
the show his wife), was the Nikki Heat series, with every title including
the word Heat.
Castle tie-in media was unusual. While most shows that have comics or
books attached adapt the show they were based on to the new
medium, Castle's tie-ins are based around the characters he wrote
about. The novels were based on Nikki Heat, the character inspired by the
cop he was working with. The comics are centered on Derrick Storm, the
character he originally wrote about. Hence the conceit of the first GN
having an introduction by Richard Castle, and the extensive (and
mostly not real) list of "other books by the author" at the end of
same; Castle is as fictional as the characters in the main
story. They also eventually released some Derrick Storm novellas.
There
were no tie in novels or comics to the actual show. In 2009 they launched
a series of Nikki Heat novels, ostensibly the ones Castle was writing in
the show. In 2011 they began the Derrick Storm comics, supposedly based on
books in the series - but Deadly Storm isn't one of the novels mentioned
in the series. So it's an original story, the graphic novel is the first
release of it, and also the first appearance of Derrick Storm in any
medium, outside of possibly being depicted on a fake book cover within the
Castle TV show. The second Storm comic, Storm Season, is likewise wholly
original. The third and fourth, Calm Before A Storm and Unholy Storm did
at least get namechecked within the TV show, although the actual contents
of the story remain original. Between Storm Season and Calm Before A Storm
they also launched a Derrick Storm novel series, again attributed to TV
character Richard Castle. One of the novels, Heat Storm, released after
the TV show had ended, is a crossover between Derrick Storm and Nikki
Heat.
Derrick Storm is former FBI man turned private detective who then gets caught up in some CIA shenanigans.
There is nothing I can see that would prevent the adventures of Derrick Storm from occurring on Earth-616.
Due to Marvel's sliding timescale, even a story published in 2011 is already at or over the edge of the 12-15 year modern/heroic age of comics that starts with the Fantastic Four's space flight. So, it would fit in easily in the time period before that when superhumans and related adventures were much more few and far-between.
I only read Deadly Storm for this
profile, but I really enjoyed it. The plot is fairly complex, and not that
critical for this profile, so I'll just recommend you check it out!
This profile was
completed 07/18/2026, but
its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 25th
anniversary 's celebratory event to represent Castle's stories and
characters.
Profile by Snood.
CLARIFICATIONS:
Pumpkin Merunka should be distinguished from:
First posted: 09/18/2026
Last updated: 07/18/2026
Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.
Non-Marvel
Copyright info
All other characters mentioned or pictured are ™ and � 1941-2099
Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. If you like this stuff, you
should check out the real thing!
Please visit The Marvel Official Site at: http://www.marvel.com
Special Thanks to www.g-mart.com for hosting the Appendix, Master List, etc.!