| Ghost Rider | |
Promotional art for Ghost Rider vol. 3, issue #1 Variant cover art by Marc Silvestri. |
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| Publication information | |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Marvel Spotlight #5 (Aug. 1972) |
| Created by | Writers Roy Thomas & Gary Friedrich and artist Mike Ploog |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Carter Slade Johnny Blaze Dan Ketch |
| Abilities | Superhuman strength and durability, Ability to project regular and ethereal flame Ability to travel between interdimensional realms and along any surface Enchanced Hellfire Chain, Flaming motorcycle, "Penance Stare" |
Ghost Rider is the name of several fictional supernatural antiheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Night Rider and subsequently to Phantom Rider.
The first supernatural Ghost Rider is stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze, who, in order to save the life of his mentor, agreed to give his soul to "Satan" (later revealed to be an arch-demon named Mephisto). Instead, his soul bonded with the entity called Zarathos. When utilizing Zarathos' powers Blaze's flesh is consumed by hellfire, causing his head to become a flaming skull. He rides a fiery motorcycle and wields trademark blasts of hellfire from his skeletal hands. He starred in the series from 1973-1983.
The subsequent Ghost Rider series (1990-98) featured Daniel Ketch as a new Ghost Rider. After his sister was injured by ninja gangsters, Ketch came in contact with a motorcycle which had somehow been mystically enchanted to contain the essence of a "Spirit of Vengeance." This spirit was once said to have originally been a Puritan man named Noble Kale, an ancestor of both Blaze and Ketch. However, this claim was later disputed.
Johnny Blaze reappeared in this 1990s series as a supporting character, and was revealed to be Ketch's brother. In mid-2000s comics, Blaze again became the Ghost Rider, succeeding Ketch.
Nicolas Cage played the role of the Johnny Blaze in the 2007 film Ghost Rider
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Following the western comics character who originally used the name, this Ghost Rider first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #5 (Aug. 1972), created by writer-editor Roy Thomas, writer Gary Friedrich, and artist Mike Ploog.
Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stunt performer in a traveling circus, sold his soul to who he believes was Satan but actually is the demon Mephisto (a retcon), in order to save his stepfather, "Crash" Simpson, from cancer. Crash later dies in a motorcycle accident and Mephisto attempts to take Blaze's soul, only to be thwarted by Crash's daughter Roxanne, who had learned of the deal and had prepared a counter-spell based on selfless love. Unable to take Blaze's soul, Mephisto has his revenge by binding Blaze with a demonic force.
Blaze then finds himself transforming into a demonic entity at nightfall, during which times he wields strange powers. He is called the Ghost Rider for his strange appearance. As time goes on, he is able to call on his demonic abilities whenever he wishes, not just at night. Eventually, he seems to have a different personality as Ghost Rider and it is finally revealed that Mephisto has forced Blaze to share his body with a demon rival named Zarathos.
Originally, Zarathos was stripped of his memories and so Blaze was in control whenever they transformed into Ghost Rider. But now, Zarathos' true personality has resurfaced and from then on it is a continuing battle for dominance between him and Blaze. Being a demon, Zarathos craves the punishment of sinners and so Blaze at times willingly releases him when criminals or other threats are nearby. However, it is always a struggle to force Zarathos back so that Blaze can resume his control and his human identity. At time, Zarathos tries to find ways to either destroy Blaze's soul so that he may be free to enjoy complete physical existence.
The character received his own series in 1973, with penciller Jim Mooney handling most of the first nine issues. Several different creative teams mixed-and-matched until penciller Don Perlin began a long stint with #26, eventually joined by writer Michael Fleisher through #58. Tony Isabella, had written a Ghost Rider story arc where Johnny Blaze became a Christian and thereby freed himself of the curse. Isabella said in May 2007, "I’d written a story wherein, couched in mildly subtle terms, Blaze accepted Jesus as his savior and freed himself from Satan's power forever." However, the story was apparently rewritten at the last moment.[1]
Towards the end of the run, a villain named Centurious was introduced. Centurious was a man without a soul, making him immune to Ghost Rider's hellfire, and he had a history with Zarathos. This Ghost Rider's career ended when Zarathos fled Blaze's body in issue #81 (June 1983), the finale, in order to pursue Centurious. Now free of his curse, Blaze went off to live with Roxanne.
In the next Ghost Rider series, it would be revealed that Roxanne and Johnny eventually got married and had two children.
The next Ghost Rider debuted in Ghost Rider vol. 2, #1 (May 1990). Daniel Ketch and his sister Barbara are caught in a gang war involving ninja gangsters. They run and Barbara is hit. Daniel then notices a nearby motorcycle lying unattended, bearing a mystical sigil on its gas cap. Touching the symbol, he is transformed into the new Ghost Rider, who proclaims himself to be a "spirit of vengeance." Although this Ghost Rider defeats the gangsters, he is unable to save Barbara, who slips into a coma. She is eventually killed by the vampiric villain Blackout, a lieutenant of the very organization responsible for her state and whom Ketch acquires as a mortal enemy. Another major enemy was Blackout's boss Deathwatch.
This Ghost Rider was nearly identical to the previous, although his costume and bike underwent a modernized tailoring, consisting of a black leather biker jacket with spiked shoulder-pads, grey leather pants, and a mystic chain that he wore across his chest, which responded to his mental commands and served as his primary melee weapon. His new motorcycle resembled a futuristic, high tech machine and the front of it could lower to serve as a battering ram on occasions. Like the original Ghost Rider's bike, the wheels were composed of mystic hellfire. John Blaze seeks out the new Ghost Rider, believing at first that it is the same demon who had possessed him years before. Realizing this isn't the case, he becomes an ally to the new Ghost Rider and a friend/mentor to Danny Ketch, even teaching him how to fight. It is later revealed that Ketch and Blaze are long-lost brothers and that their family are the inheritors of a mystical curse related to the Spirits of Vengeance. Later still, they discover that the Ghost Rider spirit is apparently their ancestor, a man named Noble Kale who was cursed to live on through his descendants. Several of these secrets are revealed to them by a man called the Caretaker, who seems to be nearly immortal and is tasked with making sure the Ghost Rider follows his true path.
Unlike the Blaze/Zarathos relationship, Danny and the second Ghost Rider are more cooperative towards each other. This Ghost Rider has a compassionate side and refuses to take over completely, as this would condemn Danny to a lifeless existence as a mere host body. Ketch and the Ghost Rider spirit, like Blaze and Zarathos, can sometimes communicate through dreams or will leave messages for each other (such as writing a note or using lipstick to scribble messages on a mirror).
When Ghost Rider becomes a part of the Midnight Sons, he dies twice in the process. The first person to kill Ghost Rider is the vampire hunter Blade, whose mind is possessed by the Darkhold at the time. Ghost Rider is soon revived by the Darkhold Redeemers, along with everyone else killed by Blade. The second time he dies is while fighting Zarathos, but as before, he is once again reborn.
At the close of the series, Blaze seemed to lose his children to mystical forces and Roxanne was killed, only to be transformed into the demon Black Rose. Ghost Rider Issue #91 (Dec. 1997) revealed the second Ghost Rider to actually be Marvel's incarnation of the Angel of Death/Judgment. Daniel Ketch then apparently dies and Noble Kale becomes a ruler in Hell. Years later, Peter Parker: Spider-Man #93 (July 1997) revealed that Ketch was still alive. The Ghost Rider spirit reappears and seems to bond with him again, telling him that it has learned that he is not, in fact, Noble Kale at all and that this was a lie meant to confuse them. When Danny Ketch shows up again in the new Ghost Rider series, is he completely human and not bonded to any spirit. What's more, he is told by the Caretaker that his transformation into the second Ghost Rider was a mistake. What happened to Danny over the past few years is to be explained in further issues of the new Ghost Rider series and in an upcoming mini-series starring him.
The series ended with a cliffhanger in vol. 2, #93 (Feb. 1998). Marvel finally published the long-completed final issue nine years later as Ghost Rider Finale (Jan. 2007), which reprints vol. 2, #93 and the previously unpublished #94. Note: While the cover reads Ghost Rider #94, the comic's postal indicia lists the official title as Ghost Rider Finale. The finale revealed that Roxanne's true spirit was restored and that she left her existence as Black Rose behind and returned to Johnny's side, though she suffered from heavy memory loss.
A six-issue miniseries, again featuring Blaze as the Ghost Rider (though how this happened was not explained), debuted in 2001 under the Marvel Knights imprint. Subtitled "The Hammer Lane," it was written by Devin K. Grayson and penciled by Trent Kaniuga. The miniseries was ill-regarded by fans. Some elements of the series, such as Roxanne's death, have also been overturned by the later released final issue of the Dan Ketch series.
A second six-issue miniseries, by writer Garth Ennis and artist Clayton Crain, subtitled "Road to Damnation," debuted November 2005. This series also featured Blaze, who was now dead and in Hell, trapped in the form of the Ghost Rider. The series focused on his futile attempts at escaping from Hell. His powers here now included being able to breathe hellfire like a dragon and launching chains from his throat. Blaze's new Ghost Rider appearance is similar to Daniel Ketch's, a change that assistant editor Michael O'Connor attributes to the manifestation of Ghost Rider's powers themselves.
In July 2006, a new ongoing monthly series, titled simply Ghost Rider, began. Written by Daniel Way with art by Mark Texeira, it takes place after the Ennis miniseries. It features Blaze still in Hell, desperately trying to escape. At the end of the first issue, he is manipulated into returning to Earth, bringing Lucifer with him. The series then revolves around Blaze fighting Lucifer and his forces. Flashback issues also show Johnny Blaze finally dying and being condemned to Hell due to his original deal with the Devil. Roxanne's whereabouts are unknown.
In Way's last story arc, it is revealed[2] that it was not due to Mephisto but rather because of an angel named Zadkiel that the original Ghost Rider was born, intended to be Heaven's weapon on Earth who would fight demons, and that this angelic purpose is why the Devil could not keep him in Hell. With issue #20, writer Jason Aaron and penciler Roland Boschi became the creative team, and reintroduced Danny Ketch, now a normal human who learns from the Caretaker that his initial transformation into the second Ghost Rider had been inadvertent.
The Ghost Rider is a human who can transform into a being with a flaming skull and supernatural powers. The motorcycles he rides can travel faster than conventional motorcycles and can perform such seemingly impossible feats such as riding up a vertical surface, across the surface of water and leaping across great distances that normal motorcycles could not match. The Ghost Riders are notoriously hard to injure by any conventional means, as bullets and knives usually pass through them without causing pain. The Ghost Riders possess superhuman strength, enough to easily pick up a motorcycle and hurl it across a room. It has been stated that John Blaze as Ghost Rider can press around 5 tons.[3]
Each Ghost Rider entity also had abilities specific to him.
In his new incarnation, Blaze now also has the "Penance Stare" and mystical chain, both of which were specific to the Danny Ketch Ghost Rider. He also now has new abilities including hellfire breath and the ability to produce chains from either his throat or chest. He is also now able to travel between the incorporeal realms.
As the Ghost Rider, Ketch used a mystical chain which responded to his mental commands. It could grow in length, alter direction while in the air, stiffen into a staff or spear, and separate into several links which can strike like shrapnel and then return to their original form. Daniel's most famous power was the Penance Stare. By locking eyes with a target and mentally focusing, the Danny Ketch Ghost Rider was able to makes the target experience all the pain they had ever inflicted on anyone else. This ability was seen to have little effect on some people who were mentally unstable (such as the being known as Madcap. Ghost Rider was also knocked out when attempting to use the Penance Stare on Carnage).
Originally, this incarnation of the Ghost Rider could only be summoned if Danny was present when "innocent blood was spilled" (an innocent simply being threatened was not enough), at which time Danny had to touch the gas cap of his motorcycle for the transformation process to occur. Later, he was able to summon the Ghost Rider without touching the gas cap, but still needed to wait for innocent blood to be spilled. Later still, he was able to summon the Ghost Rider by will.
Thomas, Marvel's editor-in-chief at the time, described the character's genesis:
| “ | I had made up a character as a villain in Daredevil — a very lackluster character — called Stunt-Master... a motorcyclist. Anyway, when Gary Friedrich started writing Daredevil, he said, "Instead of Stunt-Master, I'd like to make the villain a really weird motorcycle-riding character called Ghost Rider." He didn't describe him. I said, "Yeah, Gary, there's only one thing wrong with it," and he kind of looked at me weird, because we were old friends from Missouri, and I said, "That's too good an idea to be just a villain in Daredevil. He should start out right away in his own book." When Gary wasn't there the day we were going to design it, Mike Ploog, who was going to be the artist, and I designed the character. I had this idea for the skull-head, something like Elvis' 1968 Special jumpsuit, and so forth, and Ploog put the fire on the head, just because he thought it looked nice. Gary liked it, so they went off and did it.[4] | ” |
Friedrich on the above, in 2001:
| “ | Well, there's some disagreement between Roy, Mike, and I over that. I threatened on more than one occasion that if Marvel gets in a position where they are gonna make a movie or make a lot of money off of it, I'm gonna sue them, and I probably will. ...It was my idea. It was always my idea from the first time we talked about it, it turned out to be a guy with a flaming skull and rode a motorcycle. Ploog seems to think the flaming skull was his idea. But, to tell you the truth, it was my idea.[5] | ” |
On April 4, 2007, Friedrich sued Marvel Enterprises, Sony Pictures, Columbia TriStar Motion Pictures, Relativity Media, Crystal Sky Pictures, Michael DeLuca Productions, Hasbro, and Take-Two Interactive, alleging his copyrights to the Ghost Rider character have been exploited and used in a "joint venture and conspiracy". The lawsuit states that the film rights and merchandising reverted from Marvel to him in 2001.[6]
Michael Badilino, an ex-member of the New York City Police Department, is one third of an "Organic Medallion of Power"; the other two are Ketch and Blaze (the Medallion itself was never explained in any true detail). He possesses powers more in line with those of the Zarathos version of Ghost Rider, although he also possesses the Penance Stare and his motorcycle seemed to share characteristics with the Noble Kale version. His appearance is distinguished by a deep purple skull, large fangs protruding from his upper jaw, and backswept curved horns on the top of his skull.
In his superhuman form, Badilino was called Vengeance, and originally attempted to kill the Ghost Rider, believing him to be Zarathos. Vengeance later became the ally of Ghost Rider and Johnny Blaze. Vengeance would also take on the role of the Ghost Rider and even semi-seriously referred to himself by that name when confronted by Spider-Man shortly after the apparent death of Ghost Rider in battle with Zarathos and acolytes The Fallen. Vengeance killed himself, along with the villain Hellgate, by triggering a massive explosion through his Hellfire, the source of the mystical flames that encompass the bones of both Vengeance and Ghost Rider.
Vengeance reappears in the last four issues of Ghost Rider vol. 2, involved in Blackheart's plans to kill Noble Kale. Vengeance aids the Ghost Rider in the ensuing battle, destroying Blackheart and ruling Hell during Ketch's absences.
Zero Cochrane, who in the Marvel 2099 alternate timeline is a cybernetic take on the Spirit of Vengeance, is not a supernatural being, but a cybernetic being with a digitized copy of Cochrane's mind. He encounters a futuristic counterpoint to Michael Badilino's Vengeance. The Ghost Rider of 2099 appears to drop out of existence during the consolidation of the 2099 books into a single title called 2099 World of Tomorrow. He subsequently appears in the 2099 "epilogue" book Manifest Destiny, arguing with the AI that empowers him.
You see Ghost Rider briefly twice in Dead Days.
In the Ultimate Fantastic Four story-arc "Crossover" depicts an alternate Earth inhabited by zombiefied superheroes and villains, with a Ghost Rider among them. He is also seen in Marvel Zombies in one panel joining the infected heroes attacking the Silver Surfer.
This version debuted in Guardians of the Galaxy, set in an alternate future of the Marvel Universe. He has the ability to traverse space and fire spike projectiles from his forearms. This Ghost Rider is a religious zealot, embittered toward a church (a version of the Universal Church of Truth) proclaiming it would produce its god in the flesh. That being, the Protege, is destroyed by the Celestial Scathan the Approver. This Ghost Rider refers to himself simply as the Spirit of Vengeance, although his real name is given as Autocylus, from the planet Sarka. Summoned by Martinex to help a planet in peril, this Ghost Rider eventually helps to destroy the threat. They are assisted by several other powerful beings, including Hollywood, Replica, and Firelord. The heroes, rallied by Martinex, stay together as the new Galactic Guardians.
A version of Ghost Rider appeared in the miniseries Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears #1-6 (April-Sept. 2007) by writer Garth Ennis and artist Clayton Crain. Set during the American Civil War, it finds Confederate officer Travis Parham avenging the murders of his friend, an ex-slave named Caleb and Caleb's family. Parham meets a horse-riding Ghost Rider who seeks the same men. Eventually, Parham learns about the deaths instrumental in helping set forth the Spirit of Vengeance.
Ghost Rider was also a member of the short-lived superhero team the Champions, which included himself, the Angel, Iceman, the Black Widow, and Hercules: The Champions #1-17 (Oct. 1975 - Jan. 1981).
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