Halloween Heroes #2: Ghost Rider

Each day throughout the month of October, we are counting down a different Halloween Hero, the creepiest, crawliest, spookiest and most popular supernatural heroes and villains in comicdom.

Ghost Rider

Created by: Roy Thomas, Gary Friedrich and Mike Ploog. First appearance: Marvel Spotlight #5 (1972).

Ghost Rider is the name of two different characters, both of whom are motorcycle riders bonded to demonic spirits.

The first is Johnny Blaze, a circus motorcycle stunt rider. When his adoptive father, also a stunt rider, was diagnosed with cancer, Blaze made a deal with who he thought was the Devil, but was actually Mephisto. Blaze’s father was spared from the cancer but died the next night in a stunt. When Mephisto was unable to claim Blaze’s soul, he instead bonded him to the demon Zarathos, commanded to punish the wicked and either send or return those souls to Hell. This new persona was named Ghost Rider, and both Blaze and Zarathos wrestled for control for the persona. Eventually, Zarathos would release Blaze from his curse in a battle with Centurious and his soul-stealing crystal.

The second Ghost Rider was Danny Ketch. When Ketch and his sister were attacked by gang members, Ketch escaped into a graveyard where he found a motorcycle with a strange symbol on it. Upon touching the symbol, Ketch was transformed into a new Ghost Rider. He is unable to save his sister, but continues to punish the wicked and avenge the fallen. This new Ghost Rider is not Zarathos, and Ketch has less control of the entity than Blaze did, but this Ghost Rider is more compassionate than the previous one makes more of an effort to protect the innocent.

It was revealed that Blaze and Ketch were brothers, and that they were both part of a curse that destined them to be bonded with various spirits of vengeance. Ketch was ultimately released from his curse as well. But both Blaze and Ketch have since been rebonded with their demons, although Blaze is the only lead character in the current Ghost Rider series.

A Ghost Rider movie starring Nic Cage as Johnny Blaze was released in 2007. Despite the critical and commercial drubbing it received, there are rumors of a new movie being released as early as 2011.

Check back this time tomorrow for the #1 Halloween Hero! To read about the rest of the countdown, check out the Halloween Heroes sidebar to the right.

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