Phantom Rider
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The Phantom Rider is the name of several fictional, Old West heroic gunfighters in the Marvel Comics universe. The character name was originally the Ghost Rider, and was changed following the introduction of Marvel's motorcycle-riding supernatural character of the same name.
Marvel's first Ghost Rider was patterned after the Magazine Enterprises character Ghost Rider, created by writer Ray Krank and artist Dick Ayers for editor Vincent Sullivan in Tim Holt #11 (1949). The character appeared in horror-themed Western stories through the run of Tim Holt, Red Mask and A-1 Comics up until the institution of the Comics Code. After the trademark to the character's name and motif lapsed, Marvel Comics debuted its own near-identical, horror-free version of the character in Ghost Rider Vol. 1, #1 (Feb. 1967), by writers Roy Thomas and Gary Friedrich and original Ghost Rider artist Ayers. After this series ended with issue #7 (Nov. 1967), the character went on to appear in new stories in the omnibus title Western Gunfighters (1970 series) and in new backup stories in the otherwise reprint title The Original Ghost Rider Rides Again.
With the introduction of Marvel's supernatural Ghost Rider in the 1970s, Marvel renamed its Western Ghost Rider — first, to the unfortunate Night Rider (a term previously used in the Southern United States to refer to members of the Ku Klux Klan) in a 1974-1975 reprint series, and then to Phantom Rider. At least five men have been the Phantom Rider, one of whom is active in the modern day.
The Magazine Enterprises library of characters, including its version of Ghost Rider, was acquired by AC Comics in the 1980s. The company renamed the Ghost Rider as the Haunted Horseman, due to Marvel having maintained the Ghost Rider trademark.
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[edit] The Riders
[edit] Carter Slade
Carter Slade, the first to wear the mask, debuted in Ghost Rider #1 (Feb. 1967). He battled evil while dressed in a luminescent white costume, complete with a mask and the requisite white hat. Slade received his outfit and his white horse from a Native American medicine man.
He was never called the Phantom Rider in these original appearances. In Marvel continuity, it was not until after Slade's death that the name Phantom Rider was given to the character, and reprints now retroactively use that name for Slade.
[edit] Jamie Jacobs and Lincoln Slade
After Slade's death in Western Gunfighters #7 (Jan. 1972), his sidekick Jamie Jacobs became the second Phantom Rider. He was promptly killed in action, after which Slade's brother, U.S. Marshall Lincoln Slade, became the third Phantom Rider. Lincoln Slade was driven mad, to the point that he used a potion to control and rape the time traveling Avenger Mockingbird. Once the potion wore off, she fought and defeated him, but in the course of the battle he fell to his death from a cliff.
[edit] Reno Jones
In the miniseries Blaze of Glory, the African American gunslinger Reno Jones used the Ghost Rider identity briefly in a battle with the Klan-affiliated mercenaries called the Nightriders. Jones had been half of the team called the Gunhawks, along with his former friend, Kid Cassidy, whom Jones had believed dead. Cassidy was revealed to be alive and the leader of the Nightriders; he was killed, and Jones retired.
[edit] Hamilton Slade
In present-day continuity, Lincoln Slade's distant descendant Hamilton Slade was an archaeologist who found the burial site of his legendary ancestor, in issue #56 of the supernatural-motorcyclist series Ghost Rider. As he explored the site he found a large burial urn and from it appeared the ghostly garb of his ancestors Carter and Lincoln Slade. Possessed by the spirits of his ancestors, he became the new version of the Phantom Rider.
[edit] Other media
The video game Marvel Ultimate Alliance has a Phantom Rider costume as one of the alternate "skins" for the character Ghost Rider.
A version of Phantom Rider is visible in the first trailer for the 2007 film Ghost Rider.[citation needed]
[edit] Bibliography
- Ghost Rider #1-7 (Feb.-Nov. 1967)
- Night Rider #1-6 (Oct. 1974 - Aug. 1975; shortened reprints of Ghost Rider #1-6)
- Western Gunfighters #1-7 (Aug. 1970 - Jan. 1972; as Phantom Rider in omnibus series)
- The Original Ghost Rider #3, 5-12, 15, 19 (Sept. 1992, Nov. 1992 - June 1993, Sept. 1993, Jan. 1994; as Phantom Rider in backup feature)
