Ghost Rider (comics)

Ghost Rider is the name of several fictional supernatural antiheroes when appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Phantom Rider.

The first supernatural Ghost Rider is stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze, who, in order to save the life of his father, agreed to give his soul to "Satan" (later revealed to be an arch-demon named Mephisto). At night and when around evil, Blaze finds his flesh 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 eventually learns he has been bonded with the demon Zarathos. Blaze starred in the series from 1972–1983. The subsequent Ghost Rider series (1990–1998) featured Danny Ketch as a new Ghost Rider. After his sister was injured by ninja gangsters, Ketch came in contact with a motorcycle that had somehow been mystically enchanted to contain the essence of a Spirit of Vengeance. Blaze reappeared in this 1990s series as a supporting character. In 2000s comics, Blaze again became the Ghost Rider, succeeding Ketch. In 2014 Robbie Reyes became Ghost Rider as part of the Marvel NOW! initiative.

Nicolas Cage starred as Johnny Blaze in the 2007 film Ghost Rider and the sequel/reboot Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance in 2012.

Johnny Blaze

Following the western comics character who originally used the name, the first superhero Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, debuted in Marvel Spotlight #5 (Aug. 1972), created by writer-editor Roy Thomas, writer Gary Friedrich, and artist Mike Ploog. He 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 considerably long stint with issue #26, eventually joined by writer Michael Fleisher through issue #58. The series ran through in issue #81 (June 1983). Blaze returned as Ghost Rider in a 2001 six-issue miniseries written by Devin Grayson; a second miniseries written by Garth Ennis in 2005; and an ongoing monthly series that began publication in July 2006. Johnny Blaze was the son of Naomi Blaze and Barton Blaze, Naomi being the previous Ghost Rider.

Daniel Ketch

The next Ghost Rider, a young man named Daniel Ketch, debuted in Ghost Rider vol. 3, #1 (May 1990). This Ghost Rider was nearly identical to the previous, although his costume was now a black leather biker jacket with spiked shoulder-pads, grey leather pants, and a mystic chain he wore across his chest, which responded to his mental commands and served as his primary melee weapon. His new motorcycle resembled a futuristic machine and the front of it could lower to serve as a battering ram. Like the original Ghost Rider's bike, the wheels were composed of mystic hellfire. Unlike the relationship between the previous Ghost Rider and the demon with which he was bonded, Ketch and his demon — who in vol. 2, #91 (December 1997) is revealed to be Marvel's incarnation of the Angel of Death/Judgment — are cooperative with each other. At the close of the series with vol. 2, #93 (Feb. 1998), Ketch apparently died. The following year, however, Peter Parker: Spider-Man #93 (July 1999) revealed Ketch was still alive. Nearly a decade later, Marvel published the long-completed final issue as Ghost Rider Finale (Jan. 2007), which reprints the last issue and the previously unpublished #94.^[1]

Alejandra

During the 2011 crossover story arc "Fear Itself" in several Marvel Comics titles, a Nicaraguan woman named Alejandra becomes Ghost Rider through a ritual performed by a man named Adam, in Ghost Rider vol. 4, #1. Though she demonstrated many previous unknown powers of the Ghost Rider entity, she was deprived of its full power when Johnny Blaze took back most of this power.

Robbie Reyes

In March 2014 a new Ghost Rider series debuted featuring a new Mexican-American^[2] character named Roberto "Robbie" Reyes, taking on the mantle. He drives a black classic muscle car reminiscent of a Dodge Charger instead of a motorcycle and lives in East Los Angeles.^[3]

Robbie is a high-school student working at an auto body shop who lives with his developmentally disabled brother, Gabe, and seeks to get away from the dangerous, gang-riddled streets of East Los Angeles. To that end, he enters a street race, hoping to use the prize money to move themselves away. When mercenaries gun him down while trying to retrieve pills that cause the transformation of Calvin Zabo the supervillain Mr. Hyde, which had been left in the trunk unbeknownst to Robbie, the teen is revived as a demonic being with a flaming, helmet-like head. He drives off in the car, now similarly ablaze.^[4] Later, the spirit bound to the car introduces itself to Robbie as the ghost of a man named Eli Morrow, who says he had been killed by gang members. Eli offers to help Robbie clean up his neighborhood in exchange for Robbie helping him avenge his death.^[5] Robbie becomes a local hero whose fame catches the attention of Johnny Blaze, who travels to Los Angeles to confront the new Rider. Eli is later revealed as Robbie's estranged uncle, a Satanic serial killer who kidnapped and murdered at least 37 people in rituals before being fatally shot by police in 1999,^[6] and who pushed Robbie's mother down the stairs while she was pregnant with Gabe, causing Gabe's disabilities.^[7] In addition to confronting Mr. Hyde and his criminal underworld, Robbie and Eli fight for dominance over Robbie's body. Robbie eventually permanently bonds with Eli and agrees to sate Eli's thirst for murder, but only by killing people with evil souls.^[8]

Powers and abilities

The Ghost Rider is a human who can transform into a skeletal superhuman with a flaming skull and supernatural powers. The motorcycles he rides can travel faster than conventional motorcycles and can perform such seemingly impossible feats 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 virtually indestructible and notoriously hard to injure by any conventional means, as bullets and knives usually pass through them without causing pain (knives are seen to melt while in their body).^[9] It is possible that they are genuinely immortal; it is said that God created them and only God can destroy them.^[10] Despite being composed of bone and hellfire, the Ghost Riders possess formidable superhuman strength, enough to easily pick up a truck and hurl it across a road. It has been stated that Johnny Blaze as Ghost Rider can press around 25 tons (50,000 lbs) (or more as seen in World War Hulk).^[11]

Each Ghost Rider entity also had abilities specific to him or her.

Johnny Blaze

Originally when Blaze transformed into Ghost Rider, his body changed but not the clothes he was wearing. In his new incarnation, this is different and his clothes take on a different appearance with a spiked leather jacket and chains. As Ghost Rider, he can cause his motorcycle to transform and surround itself with hellfire or he can create a new cycle from pure hellfire. He is also capable of projecting hellfire as a weapon. Hellfire "burns the soul" without leaving physical injuries on the victim and its effects have been seen as similar to the "Penance Stare." In his new incarnation, Blaze is now possibly the most powerful hero on Earth. During "World War Hulk" it was stated by Doctor Strange that Ghost Rider might be equally as powerful as the "Green Scar" persona of Hulk and could possibly defeat him. However, Ghost Rider is defeated and Johnny Blaze knocked out. Zarathos himself then emerges and rides off because (as Dr. Strange stated) Ghost Rider protects only the innocent, which none of the Illuminati are. In recent comics Blaze's Ghost Rider has been given the "Penance Stare" and mystical chain, both of which were specific to the Danny Ketch Ghost Rider. Blaze also uses a shotgun and discovered that he can discharge hellfire from the weapon when he first encountered Ketch. 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.

Daniel Ketch

When Ketch transformed into Ghost Rider, his clothes changed with him, taking on the appearance of a spiked leather jacket with chains, gray leather pants and spiked gloves and boots. Likewise, his motorcycle underwent a radical transformation, changing from a conventional into a high-tech motorcycle (this transformation was not strictly limited to the motorcycle he found in the cemetery as he was once seen to be able to transform another cycle in "Ghost Rider/Wolverine/Punisher: Hearts of Darkness"). Along with flaming wheels that allow the bike to nearly fly across surfaces, the bike included a shield-like battering ram on the front. 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 make the target experience all the pain they had ever inflicted on anyone else. Some beings have shown resistance to this ability, such as Venom and Carnage as their alien symbiote "costumes" do not technically have eyes; and Madcap who is so masochistic he claims to enjoy the experience. In the 1994 Fantastic Four animated series, this ability was shown to be powerful enough to bring down the mighty Galactus, as Ghost Rider forced Galactus to feel the pain of all those who had died as a result of his feeding on their planets. As Ghost Rider put it "A billion billion souls". This display of power, though, appeared to simply be a rewrite for the animated series, as the original story line in Fantastic Four issue 243, has Doctor Strange casting a spell that causes all of the souls of those Galactus has killed by his feedings to be visited upon him, at once. 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 willpower alone.

Robbie Reyes

The ghost of Eli Morrow that inhabits Robbie's body is not, according to Johnny Blaze, a true Spirit of Vengeance. Regardless, he gives Robbie several abilities similar to that of other Ghost Riders, including the power to manifest and control chains ending in thin knives or sickles.^[12] The black muscle car that Morrow's ghost initially inhabits is linked to the Ghost Rider, allowing Robbie in his Ghost Rider form to instantly teleport to and/or merge with the car. The car can also be driven remotely, and Robbie's Ghost Rider form can pass harmlessly through it, allowing it to drive into foes. The car's trunk, when opened, acts as a portal, allowing the Ghost Rider to transport anything, including people, to any location. It is unknown if Robbie's Ghost Rider form possesses the more "Biblical" abilities of other Ghost Riders such as the Penance Stare. Eli is able to take full control of Robbie's body when the teen gives into negative emotions, signified by a pallid skin tone and both of his eyes turning orange.

Other Spirits of Vengeance

Vengeance

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.

The Last Stand of the Spirits of Vengeance

Seven riders show their flaming heads for the first time in this story arc by writer Jason Aaron and artist Tan Eng Huat. Daniel Ketch returns with a new mission: to collect the powers of all the Ghost Riders for the angel Zadkiel to prevent the corruption of the powers with their human hosts. Zadkiel has other motives he keeps to himself, of which he needs the powers of the riders to tear down the walls of New Jerusalem and wage war on the heavens.

Trail of Tears

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.

Enemies

Aqueduct

A former soldier who gained the power to control water and was hired to kill Ghost Rider. He would become a frequent opponent to the hero afterwards.

Black Rose

Johnny Blaze's wife, who was revived as a servant for Blackheart and later married Ghost Rider Noble Kale.

Blackheart

Mephisto's son, Blackheart, created a group of Spirits of Vengeance to battle Ghost Rider in hopes of conquering Hell. Instead, Ghost Rider Noble Kale defeats him and takes over his portion of Hell. He is the main villain in the 2007 Ghost Rider film.

Blackout

A Lilin who worked under Deathwatch that frequently crossed swords with Ghost Rider. After the hero burned him to disfigurement, Blackout learned his secret identity and began killing his loved ones and acquaintances. Blackout appears as a henchman of Satan in the 2012 film Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.

Centurious

A servant of Mephisto who sought to battle Zarathos, Centurious was the head of the Firm and targeted Ghost Rider for his association with the demon.

Deacon

An agent of Zadkiel given power in order to destroy Ghost Rider.

Deathwatch

Daniel Ketch's mortal enemy. A Translord from an unknown demonic dimension posing as a crime boss in New York in an attempt to murder its residents. He would later die at the hands of Ghost Rider then be resurrected as a servant for Centurious.

Doghead

Francisco Fuentes was an acquaintance of Danny Ketch who was murdered while walking his dog Chupi. He was resurrected by Blackheart, merged with Chupi, and became his servant.

Death Ninja

An agent of Centurious who infiltrated Deathwatch's ranks who frequently battled Ghost Rider.

Dormammu

An Faltine from another dimension who battle Ghost Rider in videogames.

Hag and Troll

Demons under Deathwatch, they were his most loyal servants.

Hoss

A demon. Occasionally an ally of the Ghost Rider, and known for driving a red car.

Kid Blackheart

The Antichrist who hoped to enter Heaven and destroy it.

Lilith

An ancient immortal sorceress from Atlantis, Lilith gave birth to the Lilin over the centuries and was imprisoned until recently. Upon her freedom, she discovered many of her kind had been murdered by the Spirits of Vengeance and sought their demise. Her four most loyal children are Pilgrim, Nakota, Meatmarket, and Blackout.

Lucifer

Lucifer, like the other Hell-lords, sought to remove the human component from the Ghost Rider in hopes it became a mindless killing machine to eliminate humanity. However, Ghost Rider proved too strong and Lucifer was exiled to Perdition. Later, Lucifer would be the demon charged with torturing Zadkiel for all of eternity.

Madcap

A lunatic cursed with immortality and enhanced healing capabilities, Madcap has fought several of New York's heroes with Ghost Rider one of his most frequent opponents.

Mephisto

Johnny Blaze's arch-enemy. A demon who posed as the Devil himself to claim Johnny Blaze's soul. Mephisto is the one responsible for bringing Ghost Rider into Johnny's life. Ghost Rider, however, is able to resist the evil that overcame him long ago, and is now able to use his powers for good no matter what. Angered, Mephisto sought revenge against Ghost Rider, and now constantly tries to win his creation back. Mephisto appears under the name Mephistopheles in the 2007 Ghost Rider film.

Orb

Crash Simpson's (mentor to Johnny Blaze) partner in his traveling motorcycle stunt show, Drake Shannon lost most of his face in a challenge against Crash for the business. Given an eyeball-like helmet by They Who Wield Power able to hypnotize others, he would return to try and reclaim the stunt show but was foiled by Ghost Rider. He would return as one of Ghost Rider's most frequent enemies.

Scarecrow

A contortionist, Ebenezer Laughton decided to use his gifts as a thief. In time, he would turn to murder and brought into conflict with Ghost Rider and nearly killed from the encounter. The Firm turned him into an undead creature, bearing superhuman abilities and able to induce fear in others (whose fear could heal his wounds), setting him upon the Spirit of Vengeance again (becoming a frequent foe).

Steel Vengeance

Steel Wind's sister, Sadae Tsumura gave her soul to Centurious to save her sister after an encounter with Ghost Rider left her comatose. Sadae was turned into Steel Vengeance, a cyborg bent on killing Ghost Rider.

Steel Wind

Following a freak explosion, Ruriko Tsumura was remade as a cyborg by Freakmaster and challenged Johnny Blaze at the Quentin Carnival in cycling, defeating him and earning a place amongst them. However, she ran the business into the ground and battled Ghost Rider, leaving her comatose. She was rehabilitated by Centurious and used as his agent. In time, she would instead become Ghost Rider's ally.

Vengeance

A Spirit of Vengeance, Lt. Michael Badilino sold his soul to Mephisto to gain the power to destroy Ghost Rider (whom he blamed for the death of his family). When he learned it was instead Zarathos, he became Ghost Rider's ally.

Zadkiel

An archangel who sought to usurp Heaven due to his hatred for God's admiration of humanity. Using Ghost Rider to kill other Spirits of Vengeance in order to empower himself, Zadkiel took the throne and cast out Ghost Rider. The hero would return with the dead Spirits of Vengeance to defeat Zadkiel and imprison him in Hell.

Zarathos

A demon bound to Johnny Blaze by Mephisto to become the Ghost Rider. He would, however, come to exert control over the entity, but ultimately would be separated from Blaze in the conflict against Centurious. He would later renew his alliance with Lilith.

Other versions

Ultimate Marvel

In the Ultimate Marvel Universe, Ghost Rider made his debut in Ultimate Comics: Avengers volume 2, #2.^[13] Ultimate Ghost Rider's origin is explained in "Ultimate Comics: Avengers" volume 2, #4. Young twenty-something couple Johnny Blaze and Roxanne Simpson decided on a cross-country trip across the United States. One day they came across a bar where they befriended a biker gang, who kept buying them beer. The friendship was a ruse as they killed an intoxicated Blaze as part of a Satanic ritual. During the ritual, they bartered their souls with Satan in exchange for wealth and power. Satan granted their request but kept the upper hand. The deceased Blaze also made a deal that Satan will get his soul in exchange for the assured safety of Roxanne. For twenty years Blaze trained to become the Ghost Rider, burning away his Christian baptism and searing away anything that was soft on the inside, and was sent into the world to get his revenge. He tracked down and killed the members of the motorcycle gang—now rich and in positions of power—individually. Due to these deaths, an executive order comes down from the White House: kill the Ghost Rider. The Avengers are recruited into the mission with no knowledge of the Ghost Rider except that he is 7 ft tall and has the strength of Thor.^[14] When the Avengers were unsuccessful in stopping the Ghost Rider from killing his next target, the truth behind the Ghost Rider is learned, and the leader of the motorcycle gang is now the Vice-President of the United States, Michael Blackthorne. The Vice-President sold his soul to become a Ghost Rider, AKA Vengeance, and the two get into a fight which the Avengers are unable to stop. Johnny drags the Vice-President into a church which turns them both back into human form, allowing the Punisher to finish off the Vice-President. Pleading his case, Johnny is allowed to leave. He is later seen in a park with Satan watching Roxanne, who was brought back to life with no memory of what was done. Satan agrees to let her live her life if Johnny continues to be his Ghost Rider, to which he agrees.^[15]

Ghost Rider 2099

Ghost Rider 2099

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.

The Spirit of Vengeance

This version of Ghost Rider, known as the Spirit of Vengeance, 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. After answering a distress call from Firelord,^[16] the Guardians of the Galaxy help a planet in peril, this Ghost Rider eventually helps to destroy the threat. The Spirit of Vengeance joins several other powerful beings including Martinex, Hollywood, Replica, Firelord, Phoenix IX and Mainframe.^[17] The heroes, rallied by Martinex, stay together as the new Galactic Guardians.^[18][19]

Marvel Zombies: Dead Days

Ghost Rider is seen in Marvel Zombies: Dead Days (Marvel One-Shot 1, May 2007) as one of the uninfected; he then appears briefly in "Marvel Zombies" at the point in which the zombie heroes of New York are making their assault on The Silver Surfer. He later appears in Marvel Zombies 3 as an infected while chasing Machine Man and is then easily decapitated.

What If

In the second volume of the series in issue number 45, Daniel Ketch's sister, Barbara, becomes the Ghost Rider after Danny is killed in the graveyard. In this version, Barbara is more vicious and ruthless as Ghost Rider. Eventually, Doctor Strange and Spider-Man team up to try to stop her with the help of Johnny Blaze.

In other media

Television

• Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze) made a cameo appearance in Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends in "The Prison Plot." He is seen as one of the illusions shown by Mastermind.
• Ghost Rider was also in the 1990s X-Men animated series although only for two seconds in "The Final Decision" when Xavier was looking through Gambit's past. The appearance of the character suggested this version was the one bonded to Danny Ketch
• Ghost Rider (Danny Ketch) has appeared in the Incredible Hulk animated series on UPN, and in the 1994 Fantastic Four episode "When Calls Galactus." Richard Grieco provided Ghost Rider's voice on both occasions. He used the penance stare both times so it is possible that it is the Daniel Ketch version.
  • It was due to his usage on the UPN cartoons that caused a planned appearance on Spider-Man to be rejected. The episode would have pitted Ghost Rider and Spider-Man against Mysterio and Dormammu.^[20]
  • Allegedly, these two appearances were also meant to serve as a backdoor pilot for a potential "Ghost Rider" animated series. ^[21][22]
• Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze) appears in the Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. episode "Spirit of Vengeance", voiced by Fred Tatasciore in a menacingly demonic voice.^[23] Rick Jones mentions that there was a legend of a Spirit of Vengeance that resides in Death Valley. Ghost Rider crashes the Agents of S.M.A.S.H.'s prison transport in Death Valley to target Abomination. Ghost Rider uses his penance stare on Abomination which burns the gamma out of him and regresses him back to Emil Blonsky. Then he targets Red Hulk for Thunderbolt Ross' role in the creation of Hulk which leads to Ghost Rider dragging Red Hulk onto a military train that he took control of with the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. in pursuit. When Red Hulk finally repents the fact that he should've had a failsafe placed on the gamma bomb that created the Hulk, Ghost Rider spares Red Hulk as they get close to a creature that would've disposed of him. The Agents of S.M.A.S.H. and Ghost Rider evaded the creature and made it back to Death Valley. When A-Bomb invites Ghost Rider back to Vista Verde with them, Ghost Rider states that there is still some evil in the world. Ghost Rider then summons his motorcycle and rides off. In the episode "Planet Monster" Pt. 2, Ghost Rider is among the superheroes that help the Agents of S.M.A.S.H. and the Avengers in their fight against the Kree.

Film

There have been two film adaptations:

• On February 16, 2007, Columbia Pictures released the movie Ghost Rider, starring Nicolas Cage as the adult Johnny Blaze and Matt Long as a teen. The character faces Blackheart and his father, Mephistopheles.
• Nicolas Cage reprised the role in a sequel/reboot, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, released February 17, 2012 in 3-D. Here the character is recruited by a sect to save a boy named Danny from being possessed by Roarke (a form of Mephistopheles who is also his father) while fighting Blackout.
• The film rights reverted to Marvel Studios from Sony Pictures, although it's been confirmed that there are no immediate plans to produce another film yet.^[24]

Video games

• Ghost Rider is a supporting character in the 1995 side-scrolling beat 'em up video game, Venom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety.
• Ghost Rider makes a cameo appearance riding down the side of a building in the "Race to the Bugle" level of the 2000 Spider-Man Activision game (in What if... mode).
• In the game Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter, he can be seen among other heroes in Apocalypse's Stage.
• Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze) is featured as an unlockable character in the video game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, voiced by Nolan North.^[25] He appears when the player is sent to Mephisto's realm, having been imprisoned prior to the player's arrival, and can only be released if one of the player's team is imprisoned in his place (although the imprisoned hero is freed with Mephisto's later defeat).
• 2K Games and Climax Group released a game based on the Ghost Rider movie on February 13, 2007. The game is a sequel to the movie, in which players can play Ghost Rider both on foot or on the Hellcycle.
• Ghost Rider is available as downloadable content for the game LittleBigPlanet, as part of "Marvel Costume Kit 2".^[26][27]
• Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze) appears as a non-playable character in Dante's ending in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds.^[28] He is not available as a playable character, however he is playable in the updated version Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.^[29] Richard Grieco reprises his role.
• Ghost Rider was featured in his own slot game created by Playtech and licensed by Marvel^[30]
• Ghost Rider is a playable character in Marvel Super Hero Squad Online.
• Ghost Rider appears as a playable character in Marvel: Avengers Alliance.
• Ghost Rider is a playable character in Lego Marvel Super Heroes voiced by Andrew Kishino.^[31]
• Ghost Rider is a playable character in Marvel Heroes.^[32]
• Ghost Rider appears as a playable character and a boss in Marvel Future Fight. He can be unlocked/recruited for 10 biometrics.

Merchandise and toys

• In 1995, a series of Ghost Rider action figures and toy motorcycles was released by Toy Biz. This line lasted for two series and included versions of Ghost Rider and his supporting cast, including Blaze and Vengeance.^[33]
• In addition to a standalone line of Ghost Rider toys featuring Ketch's incarnation and his allies and foes, Toy Biz produced a model kit ("Advanced Level 3", the only one in that particular series) of Kale with his motorcycle. It stands 8.75 inches (222 mm) tall, and needs glue for completion.
• Three Ghost Rider action figures appear in the Marvel Legends series, one each of Danny Ketch, Johnny Blaze, and Johnny Blaze in mid-transformation. A Vengeance figure was released in the "Legendary Riders" series.
• Hasbro released a Ghost Rider figure in wave 6 of the Marvel Comics Mighty Muggs series.
• Medicom Toy Co. produced two Ghost Rider figures in conjunction with the Ghost Rider movie. One is a super-deformed vinyl collectible doll that stands five inches (127 mm) tall. The other is a 12-inch (300 mm) action figure.

Pop culture

• The song "Ghost Rider," written by the New York City punk/electronic band Suicide (Alan Vega and Martin Rev) appears on the band's self-titled 1977 album. The song has been covered by such bands as the Rollins Band and R.E.M. The Rollins Band cover appears on the soundtrack for the 1994 movie The Crow.
• In 2005, the all-girl Filipino rock band Prettier Than Pink recorded the tribute ballad "Johnny Blaze" for the CD Chop Suey (Sutton Records).
• The Danish rock band The Raveonettes has a song entitled "Attack of the Ghost Riders." Lead singer Sune Rose Wagner is seen as Ghost Rider at the end of the accompanying video. The band also covered the song "Ghost Rider" on the Suicide tribute album.
• In the video game Persona 3: FES and Persona 4, the player can summon a creature called Hell Biker, which bears close resemblance to Ghost Rider. This character also appears as a Fiend in the Director's Cut of Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne.
• Rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man often refers to himself in his lyrics as "Johnny Blaze" (most notably in the song "How High" featuring Redman) and "Ghost Rider".
• The Colombian hard rock band,"Las pirañas Amazónicas" has a song entitled "Ghost Rider" based on the character.
• Heavy metal band Cage has a song entitled "Spirit Of Vengeance", on the 2009 album, Science of Annihilation, based on the character.
• Used in the title of Neil Peart's 2002 book "Ghost Rider - Travels on the Healing Road". Peart adopted the moniker after taking photos of his bike on empty stretches of roadway so that the bike appeared to be controlled by an invisible rider.
• Canandian Hall of Fame Rock Band Rush used "Ghost Rider" as the title of the third track on the 2002 album Vapor Trails. This was linked to Neil Peart's book that also used the name.
• Ghost Rider was featured in ScrewAttack animated series One Minute Melee where he was pitted against Scorpion from Mortal Kombat. They fought a hypotethical battle, and Ghost Rider defeated him with Penance Stare.
• The car combat video game franchise Twisted Metal has regularly had a Ghost Rider-inspired motorcyclist character called Mr. Grimm in its rosters. The characters rarely share similarities beyond being leather-clad skull-headed bikers, but in three Twisted Metal games they are described as being biker versions of the Grim Reaper.

Reception

In May 2011, Ghost Rider placed 90th on IGN's "Top 100 Comic Book Heroes" list.^[34]

Collected editions

• The New Fantastic Four: Monsters Unleashed [Features a "new" Fantastic Four consisting of Ghost Rider, The Hulk, Wolverine and Spider-Man]. (trade paperback, 1992; reprints Fantastic Four #347–349)
• Essential Ghost Rider Vol. 1 (trade paperback, 2005; reprints Marvel Spotlight # 5–12, Ghost Rider Vol. 2 #1–20 and Daredevil #138)
• Essential Ghost Rider Vol. 2 (trade paperback, 2007; reprints Ghost Rider Vol. 2 #21–50.)
• Essential Ghost Rider Vol. 3 (trade paperback, 2009; reprints Ghost Rider Vol. 2#51–65, Avengers #214, Marvel Two-In-One #80)
• Essential Ghost Rider Vol. 4 (trade paperback, 2010; reprints Ghost Rider Vol. 2#66–81, Amazing Spider-Man #274 and New Defenders #145 and 146)
• Ghost Rider Team-Up (trade paperback, 2007 ; reprints Marvel Team-Up #91, Marvel Two-in-One #80, Marvel Premiere #28, Avengers #214 and Ghost Rider #27 & #50.)
• Champions Classic Vol. 1 (trade paperback; reprints Champions #1–11.)
• Champions Classic Vol. 2 (trade paperback; reprints Champions #12–17, Iron Man Annual #4, Avengers #163, Super-Villain Team-Up #14, and Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #17–18.)
• Ghost Rider: Resurrected (trade paperback, 1991; reprints Ghost Rider vol. 3, #1–7)
• Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch Classic Vol. 1 (trade paperback, 2009; reprints Ghost Rider vol. 3, #1–10)
• Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch Classic Vol. 2 (trade paperback, 2010; reprints Ghost Rider vol. 3, #11–20)
• X-Men & Ghost Rider: Brood Trouble in the Big Easy (trade paperback; 1993; Reprints Ghost Rider Vol. 3 #26–27 and X-Men #8–9)
• Rise of the Midnight Sons (trade paperback, 1992; Reprints Ghost Rider vol. 3, #28, 31; Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance #1, Morbius #1, Darkhold #1 and Nightstalkers #1)
• Spirits of Venom (trade paperback, 1993; reprints Web of Spider-Man #95–96 and Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance #5 – 6)
• Ghost Rider: The Hammer Lane (trade paperback, 2002; reprints Ghost Rider Vol. 4 #1–6)
• Ghost Rider: Road to Damnation (Hardcover, 2007; reprints Ghost Rider Vol. 5 #1–6.)
• Ghost Rider: Road to Damnation (trade paperback, 2007; reprints Ghost Rider Vol. 5 #1–6.)
• Ghost Rider Vol. 1: Vicious Cycle (trade paperback, 2007; reprints Ghost Rider Vol. 6 #1–5.)
• Ghost Rider Vol. 2: The Life & Death Of Johnny Blaze (trade paperback, 2007; reprints Ghost Rider Vol. 6 #6–11.)
• Ghost Rider Vol. 3: Apocalypse Soon (trade paperback, 2008; reprints Ghost Rider Vol. 6 #12–13, Annual #1.)
• Ghost Rider Vol. 4: Revelations (trade paperback, 2008; reprints Ghost Rider Vol. 6 #14–19.)
• Ghost Rider Vol. 5: Hell Bent and Heaven Bound (trade paperback, 2008; reprints Ghost Rider Vol. 6 #20–25.)
• Ghost Rider Vol. 6: The Last Stand (trade paperback, 2009; reprints Ghost Rider Vol. 6 #26–32.)
• Ghost Rider Vol. 7: Trials and Tribulations (trade paperback, 2009; reprints Ghost Rider Vol. 6 #33–35, Annual #2.)
• Ghost Riders: Heaven's on Fire (trade paperback, 2009-2010; reprints Ghost Riders: Heaven's on Fire #1-6 )
• Ghost Rider: Ultimate Collection by Daniel Way (trade paperback, 2012; reprints Ghost Rider Vol. 6 #1-19 )
• Ghost Rider: Omnibus by Jason Aaron (Hardcover, 2010; reprints Ghost Rider Vol. 6 #20-35 and Ghost Riders: Heaven's on Fire #1-6)
• Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch – Addict (Ghost Rider: Danny Ketch #1–5 and Ghost Rider Finale)
• Fear Itself: Ghost Rider (trade paperback, Ghost Rider Vol. 7 #0.1 & #1-5)
• Ghost Rider: The Complete Series by Rob Williams (trade paperback, Ghost Rider Vol. 7 #0.1 & #1-9)

References

External links

• Marvel Directory: Ghost Rider
• Ghost Rider at the Internet Movie Database
• Field Guide to Ghost Riders
• Ghost Rider comics sales history from Comichron
• Munn, Chris, ed. (2003–2011). "Creator Interviews". Vengeance Unbound. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2013.