Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider #1 (Sept., 1973). Art by Gil Kane and Joe Sinnott.
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 Danny 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 Danny 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

Johnny Blaze

Main article: Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze)

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.

Fictional character biography

Johnny Blaze, a stunt daredevil, was the son of Barton Blaze and Naomi Kale, born in Waukegan, Illinois. He spent his early years in the Quentin Carnival where his parents starred in a stunt show with Craig "Crash" Simpson. Johnny's family had ended when his mother abandoned Barton and Johnny and took the family's remaining two children, Barbara and Danny, with her. Losing his mother caused Johnny to repress many of his memories of her and his siblings. When his father died in a stunt, Johnny was adopted by Crash and Mona Simpson. The Simpsons helped Johnny by fabricating his past with the hope that it would be less painful than the truth. Now believing that his real mother was Clara Blaze, who had died, Johnny became an enthusiastic member of the Simpson clan, growing closer to their daughter, Roxanne. The two soon became inseparable and, as they grew older their fondness for one another moved beyond familiar. Blaze would eventually join the Simpsons into their own traveling stunt show — the Crash Simpson Stunt Cycle Extravaganza. Crash had become a real father figure in Blaze's eyes, and on learning of Crash's life-threatening cancer, Blaze turned to the occult. His studies led him to a spell which supposedly could summon Satan himself. Johnny was unaware that he in fact had summoned Mephisto. Desperate to save him, Blaze sold his soul to Mephisto in return for Crash's cancer to be cured. Crash Simpson's cancer was cured or at least Johnny believed it was, although Crash died soon after in a stunt trying to jump over 22 cars. Mephisto, when confronted by Blaze over Crash's death, declared that he had kept his end of the bargain. Johnny's exact words in the bargain had been for Crash to be spared the disease which was killing him, not for the cancer to be cured, though this had been Johnny's intent. True to his word, Mephisto had ensured that Crash had not died of cancer, but instead had lost his life during the failed jump, which Mephisto quickly pointed out when he came to claim his prize. Blaze, still at the mercy of Mephisto, believed he would lose his soul until he was saved by Roxanne. Roxanne proclaimed her love for Blaze, and drove Mephisto away with the purity of her emotion. Blaze was unaware that Mephisto had bonded him with the demon Zarathos as an act of revenge for not being able to obtain Johnny's soul for himself. Johnny was transformed into a Ghost Rider, a leather-clad skeleton, his head cloaked in a sheath of flame, the night after Crash's death. While Johnny still had his soul, he was forced to punish the wicked and evil upon Mephisto's demands whenever needed.[3] Whenever he was in the presence of evil he would transform into the Ghost Rider, to exact the devil's revenge, returning the evil to Hell. Blaze was not completely lost in the transformation however, and would also help the innocent when they were in danger. As the Ghost Rider, he encountered Daimon Hellstrom.[4] Johnny later came to work as a movie stuntman for Delazny studios.[5] As the Ghost Rider, he teamed with Morbius, Man-Thing, and Werewolf by Night.[6] He lost a motorcycle stunt riding championship to Flagg Fargo,[7] and later came to work as a stunt rider for the Quentin Carnival.[8] Eventually, Zarathos would gain control of Johnny Blaze, and the Ghost Rider would become the spirit of Zarathos unleashed. Johnny himself was becoming stronger as well, and the conflicting personalities led to a battle over Blaze's physical body. Centurious appeared, stealing Blaze's soul into his soul crystal. Zarathos, weakened from the ordeal used the last of his strength to shatter the crystal, freeing Blaze's soul and many others contained inside of the crystal as well. Before the crystal was reformed, Centurious was absorbed into the crystal. Zarathos followed him into the crystal, freeing Blaze from the curse, restoring his soul, and ending his time as the Ghost Rider.[9] For a while, Johnny became a drifter and then an adventurer. He eventually became the owner of the carnival. In time, he learned of the existence of Daniel Ketch as the Ghost Rider. Believing the new Ghost Rider to be Zarathos, Johnny traveled to New York City to kill him.[10] Johnny abducted Ketch and battled the Ghost Rider. Johnny became convinced that Ketch was not Zarathos, and aided him against Blackout.[11] Alongside the Ghost Rider and Spider-Man, Blaze then fought the Hobgoblin.[12] He also helped Ghost Rider and the X-Men battle the Brood Queen.[13] He later teamed up with the new Ghost Rider to form the "Spirits of Vengeance". During this time Blaze would again ride a bike with wheels on fire and would sling a hellfire spitting pump-gun. Their mentor Caretaker would later reveal that they were in fact brothers. In the team's first appearance, they battled Lilith and her Lilin.[14] Blaze went back to leading his carnival. Despite it being staffed with many powerful entities, it was nearly destroyed in a demonic attack led by the creature Vengeance. The dead, friend and foe alike, were taken by government forces to be dissected. Blaze, with the help of friends, living and dead, breaks into the facility and destroys all the bodies. A later confrontation with the forces of evil would lead to Roxanne's death. Blaze would later become a demon hunter and hunt down the demons responsible for her death and kill them all. Roxanne was later discovered to have been resurrected as or simply transformed into the being named The Black Rose. She was later returned to Johnny, but she could not stay and was released from the mortal play. In the Finale Johny was last seen telling Danny he was going to search for his kids who he last saw with Wendigo and road off [edit]The Hammer Lane Starting over, Blaze eventually found a new job as an accountant and a new girlfriend, Chloe, in the 2001 Marvel Knights series The Hammer Lane. Thought to be free from the curse and with his soul back, but johnny was not free and in fact Zarathos laid dormant in him until Johnny's own anguish about his life awakened Zarathos from his slumber turning Johnny Back in to the Ghost Rider, through means unknown. Johnny encountered an old man who seemed to know about the recent return of the Ghost Rider, and claimed that the current woes of the former stunt cyclist were due to the fact that he needed to learn to forgive himself for his past mistakes and move on with his life. Ghost Rider/Zarathos entity spoke only a singular line, and was much more savage then Johnny remembered, leaving a stream of bodies in it's wake. Johnny felt that something needed to be done and Zarathos was not talking so he hired a biker by the name of Gun Metal Grey to kill the Ghost Rider/Zarathos. After several failed attempts by Gun Metal Johnny Came to terms with the Ghost Rider and called off the hit and road off in to the sun set. [edit]Middle of the Road

Johnny Blaze soon found himself constantly pursued by demons of Hell, intent on forcing him to make good on the demonic pact he had made. It was all that the Ghost Rider could do to out-run the evil, but it wasn't enough. Eventually, Johnny came to a small town were he was conned in to shooting himself in the back of a limo. [edit]The Road to Damnation The Road to Damnation series, by Garth Ennis & Clayton Crain, finds Johnny Blaze trapped in an endless cycle of torture and escape in the pit. It is here that the angel Malachi appears to the Ghost Rider, offering to free him from Hell with his soul intact, in exchange for hunting down the demon Kazann who has been unleashed upon the earth. Malachi tells Blaze that the only way he will be freed from Hell permanently is to beat the Archangel Ruth to Kazann, in order to stave off the destruction that she will cause should she fight him. Along the way, Blaze meets a demon, Hoss, who is also in pursuit of Kazann, and offers to help the Ghost Rider since they are after the same goal. Hoss and Blaze fight with Ruth and she steals his bike, they pursue her in Hoss's Cadillac. When they arrive to where Ruth is Kazann is already free, thanks to the efforts of a corrupt paraplegic business owner named Earl Gustav. Hoss and Ruth fight while Blaze battles Kazann, who lets Johnny know he's been duped by Malachi. As this happens Gustav's secretary, Jemima Catmint, makes her boss recite an incantation that sends Kazaan back to Hell. Johnny thinks he's free, but gets shot in the head by a dying priest (whom he had blasted with hellfire earlier) with a holy bullet and is sent back to Hell. He confronts Malachi who reveals that he tricked Johnny. Johnny threatens to kill him, but is prevented from doing so by Ruth, who kills him herself. Hoss appears, and reveals that Kazann and Malachi were actually brothers, who passed information to each other about Heaven and Hell. Once Kazann escaped from Hell, Malachi needed to find someone (Ghost Rider) to get him back before Ruth, in order to prevent Kazann from spilling the beans about Malachi exchanging secrets of Heaven with him while he was being tortured by angels. [edit]Vicious Cycle In July 2006, a new ongoing monthly series began with a story titled Vicious Cycle, which was written by Daniel Way with art by Mark Texeira and Javier Saltares (the same artistic team from the 1990s series). The storyline takes place after the Ennis miniseries, and features Johnny Blaze finally escaping hell. Blaze's escape is a plot engineered by Lucifer himself, as when Johnny escapes from Hell the devil comes with him. During a battle at a gas station, Blaze defeats the corpse of a recently-deceased father that has been animated by the Devil. Detecting the magical disturbance caused by Ghost Rider's escape, Doctor Strange investigates the situation, but, believing Doctor Strange to be Lucifer in disguise, Blaze attacks him, and for the first time he uses the Penance Stare, debilitating Dr. Strange. It is then that the celestial being Numecet appears and reveals the intent of Lucifer to Blaze. She tells Johnny Blaze that he is stronger than he can comprehend and is a vital part of Lucifer's plans, as he intends for the Ghost Rider to kill each of the bodies he has possessed. It is revealed that when Lucifer traveled to the mortal realm his essence shattered and spread to 666 recently deceased people — each one of them resurrected and imbued with a portion of the devil's strength. In order to reform his body each one of the human hosts has to die, but they cannot die from suicide as that is a sin and would send the devil back to hell. As each one falls the remaining will become even stronger, and Ghost Rider must kill them because the remaining bodies will become so powerful that no other being could kill them. Numecet attempts to dissuade Blaze but to no avail. [edit]Civil War Johnny ends up in Sleepy Hollow, Illinois where a serial killer is decapitating local children and soon learns his identity: the supervillain known as Jack O'Lantern. Killed by the Punisher, Stevie Levins' body is occupied by one of the several aspects of Lucifer. The local Sherrif thinks Blaze is to blame but soon realizes the truth. Ghost Rider and The Sherrif confront Levins/Lucifer at the door of a Preacher's house, and after a short fight Ghost Rider tears out Levins/Lucifer's heart and smashes his head.[citation needed] [edit]World War Hulk Johnny Blaze angers the Ghost Rider when he tries to save several people and allows the Lucifer fragment they were currently fighting to escape. Later after watching a broadcast on T.V., Blaze decides to go to New York and fight the Hulk, against the Ghost Rider's will. The issue ends with Ghost Rider coming to a halt on his motorcycle in front of the Hulk.[15] After attempting to urge the Hulk to stop, Ghost Rider engages the Hulk. Their battle is monitored by Doctor Strange and Mister Fantastic. Dr. Strange believes that the demonic entity that supplies Ghost Rider's mystic power is possibly capable of defeating the Hulk, stating that his powers are limitless, and only inhibited by the human side of the Ghost Rider, even going as far as to call his powers "godlike". However, as it is Ghost Rider, not the fully powered Zarathos who is engaging the Hulk, the Hulk easily defeats Ghost Rider. After the battle, the true Zarathos emerges to face the Hulk, but Ghost Rider regains control of the shared body and rides off because, as Dr. Strange says in the end of the issue, Ghost Rider protects only the innocent, which none of the Illuminati are.[16] [edit]The Truth

Daniel Ketch

Main article: Ghost Rider (Danny Ketch)

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.

Johnny Blaze returns

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 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.

Powers and abilities

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 (or more like seen in world war hulk ).

Each Ghost Rider entity also had abilities specific to him.

• 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 darker, more sinister 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 maybe the most powerful hero on Earth. During "World War Hulk" it was stated by Dr. Stephen Strange that Ghost Rider was more powerful than the Hulk and could defeat him, but wouldn't because Ghost Rider only defended the innocent and the Illuminati wasn't innocent. Ghost Rider 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.

• 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 limited to the motorcycle he found in the cemetery and he was never seen to be able to transform other cycles or create his own out of hellfire, such as was Blaze's habit. Along with flaming wheels that allows 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 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.

Origins

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.

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.

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.

Other Spirits of Vengeance

Vengeance

Main article: Vengeance (comics)

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.

Ghost Rider 2099

Main article: 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.

Marvel Zombies

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.

He then reappers in Marvel Zombies 3 #3 attacking Machine Man. However he is quickly disposed off when he his head is cut off. Machine Man then steals his bike and rides off.

The Spirit of Vengeance

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.

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.

In other media

File:GhostRiderTeaser.jpg

A teaser poster for the Ghost Rider Movie. Posted at Comic-Con 2005.

Movies

Main article: Ghost Rider (film)

• Sony Pictures/Columbia Pictures released a movie starring Nicolas Cage as Ghost Rider on February 16, 2007. The character faces Blackheart and his father, Mephistopheles.

Animation

• Ghost Rider made a cameo appearance in Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends in "The Prison Plot" as one of the illusions shown by Mastermind.

• Ghost Rider has appeared in the Incredible Hulk animated series on the UPN Network, 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 more likely 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.[2]

• Ghost Rider was also in the 1990s X-Men animated series although only for 2 seconds in "The Final Decision" when Xavier was looking through Gambit's past.

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 up the side of a building in the "Race to the Bugle" level of the 2000 Spider-Man Activision game (in What if... mode).

• Ghost Rider (Blaze version) is featured as an unlockable character in the video game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance. The player unlocks him when Mephisto's Realm is reached, but must trade another character to free him; however, soon afterward both Ghost Rider and the traded character are freed. Vengeance, Danny Ketch, and the Phantom Rider are all unlockable as costumes for Ghost Rider in the game.

• 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.

Merchandise/toys

• 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 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.
• 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 tall. The other is a 12-inch 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.

• 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.

• Rapper/actor Method Man is a Ghost Rider fan who sometimes uses the alias "Johnny Blaze", although this may also be due to the connotative association of the word blaze with marijuana.

• In the Nickelodeon show Danny Phantom, there is a villain named Johnny, who (also is a ghost, making him a ghost rider, figuratively) rides a ghost motorcycle. Instead of a chain, he uses a violent shadow to do his bidding.

• Scorpion from Mortal Kombat was inspired by Ghost Rider because of his flaming skull head. He also made a reference in the Malibu Comics when he grabbed the original Sub-Zero and said "Look into my eyes!" Also Scorpion has a chain as a weapon in fights.

• the character Vinz from the comic book serie Mutafukaz was inspired by Ghost Rider because of his flaming skull head.

• In the video game Persona 3: FES and Persona 4, one of the creatures the player can summon to aid them is called Hell Biker and was clearly inspired by Ghost Rider.

Bibliography

Comic book series

• Marvel Spotlight #5-11 (Aug. 1972 - Aug. 1973)
• Daredevil #138 (1973)
• Ghost Rider #1-81 (June 1973 - Oct. 1983)
• Ghost Rider vol. 2, #1-93 (May 1990 - Feb. 1998)
• Ghost Rider Finale (Jan. 2007; reprints Ghost Rider vol. 2, #93 and the unpublished issue #94)
• The Original Ghost Rider Rides Again #1-7 (July 1991 - Jan. 1992; reprints Ghost Rider #68-81)
• The Original Ghost Rider #1-20 (July 1992 - Feb. 1994; reprints Marvel Spotlight #5-12, Ghost Rider #1-9, 11, 12; Marvel Two-in-One #8)
• Ghost Rider/Blaze: Spirits of Vengeance #1-23 (Aug. 1992 - June 1994)
• Ghost Rider Annual #1-2 (1993-1994)
• Blaze: Legacy of Blood #1-4 (Dec. 1993 - March 1994)
• Blaze #1-12 (Aug. 1994 - July 1995)
• Ghost Rider 2099 #1-25 (May 1994 - May, 1996)
• Ghost Rider #1-6, subtitle: "The Hammer Lane" (Aug. 2001 - Jan. 2002)
• Ghost Rider #1-6, subtitle: "The Road to Damnation" (Nov. 2005 - April 2006)
• Ghost Rider (2006 ongoing series) #1- (Sept. 2006 -  )

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).

One-shot titles

• Doctor Strange & Ghost Rider Special #1 (April 1991; same contents as that month's Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme #28)
• Ghost Rider/Wolverine/Punisher: Hearts of Darkness (Dec. 1991)
• Ghost Rider / Captain America: Fear (Oct. 1992)
• Ghost Rider/Wolverine/Punisher: Dark Design (Dec. 1994; sequel to Hearts of Darkness)
• Ghost Riders: Crossroads (Nov. 1995)
• Spiderman: Masques (2000, draw and scenario: Todd McFarlane), Ghost Rider and Spiderman teams up against Hobgoblin.

Publisher crossovers

• Cyblade/Ghost Rider with Image Comics (January, 1997)
• Ghost Rider/Ballistic with Image Comics (February, 1997)
• WHAT IF: THIS was the Fantastic Four? Showing Ghost Rider teaming up with Wolverine, Spiderman and The Hulk as a tribute to the late Mike Wieringo (August, 2008)

Reprints in comic-book form

• Ghost Rider/Cable: Servants of the Dead (1992; reprints selections from Marvel Comics Presents #90-97)
• Ghost Rider: Highway to Hell (2001; reprints Marvel Spotlight (1971 series) # 5 and Ghost Rider (1973 series) # 35, 81)

Collected editions

• Ghost Rider: Resurrected (trade paperback, 1991; reprints Ghost Rider vol. 2, #1-7)
• 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)
• X-Men & Ghost Rider: Brood Trouble in the Big Easy (trade paperback; 1993; Reprints Ghost Rider (1990 series) #26-27 and X-Men #8-9)
• Rise of the Midnight Sons (trade paperback, 1992; Reprints Ghost Rider vol. 2, #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 (2001 series) #1-6)
• Essential Ghost Rider Vol. 1 (trade paperback, 2005; reprints Marvel Spotlight (1971 series) # 5-12, Ghost Rider #1-20 and Daredevil #138)
• Essential Ghost Rider Vol. 2 (trade paperback, 2007; reprints Ghost Rider (1973 series) 21-50.)
• Ghost Rider Vol. 1: Vicious Cycle (trade paperback, 2006; reprints Ghost Rider (2006 series) #1-5.)
• 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: Road to Damnation (Hardcover; reprints Ghost Rider: Road To Damnation #1-6.)
• Ghost Rider: Road to Damnation (trade paperback; reprints Ghost Rider: Road To Damnation #1-6.)
• Ghost Rider Vol. 2: The Life & Death Of Johnny Blaze (trade paperback, 2007; reprints Ghost Rider (2006 series) #6-11.)

External links

• Ghost Rider on The Ghost Rider Wiki
• Marvel Directory: Ghost Rider
• Ghost Rider at IMDb