| Hamilton Slade | |
|---|---|
Phantom Rider - (Hamilton Slade) |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Ghost Rider #56 (May 1981) |
| Created by | Michael Fleisher and Don Perlin |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Hamilton Slade |
| Team affiliations | Rangers |
| Notable aliases | Phantom Rider, Ghost Rider, Night Rider, He Who Rides the Night Winds, the Son of the Spirits |
| Abilities | Normal human with excellent horsemanship and sharp-shooting skills, costume provides phosphorescent glowing effect. |
Hamilton Slade is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He first appeared in issue #56 of the supernatural-motorcyclist series Ghost Rider.
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Hamilton Slade was born in Reno, Nevada, and was a distant descendant of Lincoln Slade. Hamilton became an archaeologist, and found the burial site of his legendary ancestor. 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.
In his first appearance as the Phantom Rider, Slade helped the Ghost Rider defeat the sorcerer Moondark.[1]
Alongside Red Wolf, Firebird, Texas Twister, and Shooting Star, Slade battled the Hulk. The heroes then rescued Rick Jones from the Corruptor. These five heroes formed the short-lived superhero team, the Rangers.[2] Alongside the Rangers, he battled the West Coast Avengers while under the influence of the demon Riglevio who was possessing Shooting Star.[3]
Weeks after the conclusion to the Civil War event, Phantom Rider was seen as a member of Texas' new government-sponsored superhero team, the revived Rangers, as part of the Fifty State Initiative Program.[4]
During the Skrull invasion, a Skrull had posed as Lobo, and the Rangers killed him.[5]
In the series Hawkeye & Mockingbird, it is revealed that Hamilton has a daughter named Jaime Slade. Jaime mentions her family is well aware of the exploits of both Hawkeye and Mockingbird and she holds a grudge against them. After opening an urn, Jaime is transformed into the new Phantom Rider and forms an alliance with Crossfire against the heroes.[6] Hawkeye and Mockingbird recruit Hamilton to help exorcize the veangeful Lincoln Slade's spirit from his daughter.[7] In the resulting battle, Hamilton is killed by Crossfire, who shoots him with a concealed pistol.[8]
Hamilton Slade is a trained archaeologist with a Ph. D in archaeology, and an expert in the lore of the American Southwest.
Hamilton Slade gains superhuman powers and other abilities through possession by the spirit of his ancestor, the original Phantom Rider. The Phantom Rider has the ability to become invisible and intangible, and can fly via directed motion hovering. He also has the ability to mystically sense evil up to 100 miles (160 km) distant. The Phantom Rider cannot act without possessing the host-body of his descendant; he cannot possess anyone else, and cannot possess his descendant for longer than 6 hours at a time. Previously, Hamilton Slade had been unaware of events during the "blackouts" in which he became the Phantom Rider; later he possesses full knowledge of his double identity.
The Phantom Rider is an expert equestrian, and an expert marksman and expert with the lariat. He wields twin mystical revolvers which appear to be Navy Colt .44 caliber "six-shooters" and which can fire an unlimited number of silent "phantom bullets" (intangible light projectiles which affect only living beings and which cause temporary paralysis). He wields a mystical lariat, which can become intangible or unbreakable at Phantom Rider's will.
Phantom Rider also rides Banshee, a ghostly horse which mystically materializes whenever Phantom Rider's spirit possesses his descendant and which shares all of Phantom Rider's superhuman powers.