History ComicBook / GhostRider

Marvel first used the Ghost Rider name for a Western hero named '''Carter Slade'''. This character rode around on a white horse in an all-white getup. He was retroactively dubbed the Phantom Rider.

* ''ComicBook/{{The Ghost Rider|1967}}'' (1967) - a Western with a historical setting, starting the Carter Slade character.

* ''Ghost Rider'' (1967) - a Western with a historical setting, starting the Carter Slade character.

* WeaksauceWeakness: Because the Penance Stare's ability to cause pain is so powerful, it has several of these. If the victim has more than two eyes, or are blind, Ghost Rider can't use it on them. It won't hurt people who do not have souls and if they can't actually feel pain it is worthless. It also will not work on lords of hell. And if the target has a penance stare too, he'll get it right back. It also backfires or is completely ineffective against the insane and those who are bonded with a symbiote. It's also ineffective against those who are incapable of remorse or just don't care about the suffering they've caused. Ghost Rider's strong enough to beat most targets regardless but these at least make him do more than look at an opponent disapprovingly to beat him.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/22_34.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Spirits of Vengeance, coming to you in different flavors.]]

** He ''finally'' joins the VideoGame/CapcomVs roster in the UpdatedRerelease of ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3'', ''Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3''. Similarly to Doctor Strange, some of Ghost Rider's enemies popped up in the series long before hand. Blackheart appeared in [[VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroes three]] [[VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroesVsStreetFighter tit]][[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2 les]] and an InNameOnly PaletteSwap version of Mephisto appeared in one of the games. The ''[=UMVC3=]'' version of Ghost Rider is, going by in-game quotes, Johnny Blaze. (Specifically, when he uses his motorcycle-charge super move, he shouts, "Johnny Blaze rides again!" In addition, Dormammu's intro quote against him is "Never again will you defy my influence, Blaze.")
** He's also made a few cartoon appearances -- a few in the '90s Marvel cartoons (a quick cameo in ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'' in Gambit's memories, a longer cameo in ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFourTheAnimatedSeries'' (helping the FF and Thor to stop ''ComicBook/{{Galactus}}''! Kill ''trillions'' as a PlanetEater and you ''won't'' want the Penance Stare turned on you!), and a full-fledged BackdoorPilot in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibleHulk1996''; he was also supposed to appear in ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'', but that didn't happen), and in ''WesternAnimation/HulkAndTheAgentsOfSmash.''

* ''ComicBook/{{Ghost Rider|2011}}'' (2011)
* ''ComicBook/AllNewGhostRider'' (2014)

* ''ComicBook/GhostRacers'' is a limited series spinning out of the 2015 [[/index]]''ComicBook/{{Secret Wars|2015}}'' event, which temporarily combined Marvel's alternate worlds into a single universe. If features versions of Johnny, Danny, Alejandra, Robbie and Carter Slade participating in a death race.

* ''Ghost Rider'' (2011)

->''"Hell hath no fury like a flaming skeleton on a motorcycle."''
-->-- ''[[VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3 Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3]]''

As a part of ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' Marvel announced a limited series called ''ComicBook/GhostRacers'', featuring Johnny, Danny, Alejandra, Robbie and [[RetroactiveLegacy Carter Slade]] participating in a [[WackyRacing death race]].

As well, 2018 also saw the introduction of ''ComicBook/CosmicGhostRider'', a spin-off of the 2018 ''ComicBook/{{Thanos}}'' series. The series follows a future version of '''[[ComicBook/ThePunisher Frank Castle]]''' who became the Rider, yet has also gone mad as a loon. Deciding to kill Thanos when he was a baby, when he realizes that the kid isn't evil yet, [[WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong he decides to raise the kid himself, to, you know, not be a mass-murdering tyrant.]] HilarityEnsues.

* One of the more badass heroes of the [[/index]]''ComicBook/Marvel2099''[[index]] setting was a deceased hacker, who got uploaded into a skeletal cybernetic body, with optional holographic flames. ''Comicbook/GhostRider2099'' was a moderate success, with a strong anti-authority message.
* Ultimate Ghost Rider is also named Johnathon "Johnny" Blaze, but is here an ordinary guy with a love of biking who was biking across the country with his new fiancee-turned-wife, Alicia, when they ran into a group of fellow bikers in a bar. They seemed friendly enough; they were actually Satanists who murdered Johnny and his wife in a ritual HumanSacrifice to achieve great wealth, power and success in their life thereafter. (It worked; one of them is ''vice-president of America'' by the time Ultimate Ghost Rider appears). In Hell, Johnny barters his soul to Satan and is transformed into Ghost Rider, appearing on Earth and resurrecting his former wife to live a happy life without him in exchange for killing first the Satanists who killed him, then any other sufficiently evil soul he can find, all to help empower Satan's army.[[/index]]

As a part of ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015'' Marvel announced a limited series called ''Ghost Racers'', featuring Johnny, Danny, Alejandra, Robbie and [[RetroactiveLegacy Carter Slade]] participating in a [[WackyRacing death race]].

As well, 2018 also saw the introduction of ''ComicBook/CosmicGhostRider'', a spin-off of the 2018 ''ComicBook/{{Thanos}}'' series, the series follows a future version of '''[[ComicBook/ThePunisher Frank Castle]]''' who became the Rider, yet has also gone mad as a loon. Deciding to kill Thanos when he was a baby, when he realizes that the kid isn't evil yet, [[WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong he decides to raise the kid himself, to, you know, not be a mass-murdering tyrant.]] HilarityEnsues.

As well, 2018 also saw the introduction of ''ComicBook/CosmicGhostRider'', a spin-off of a ''Thanos'' storyline earlier in the year, with a future version of '''[[ComicBook/ThePunisher Frank Castle]]''' who became the Rider who has gone mad, deciding to kill Thanos when he was a baby, only to realize that the kid isn't evil yet, [[WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong so he decides to raise the kid himself, to, you know, not be a mass-murdering tyrant.]] HilarityEnsues.

* ''[[ComicBook/GhostRiderMarvelSpotlight Marvel Spotlight on... Ghost Rider]]'' (1972) - stories in the RotatingProtagonist ''Marvel Spotlight'' title, which introduced Johnny Blaze and the supernatural biker Ghost Rider.

!! Alternate universe versions of Ghost Rider:
One of the more badass heroes of the ''ComicBook/Marvel2099'' setting was a deceased hacker, who got uploaded into a skeletal cybernetic body, with optional holographic flames. ''Comicbook/GhostRider2099'' was a moderate success, with a strong anti-authority message.

Ultimate Ghost Rider is also named Johnathon "Johnny" Blaze, but is here an ordinary guy with a love of biking who was biking across the country with his new fiancee-turned-wife, Alicia, when they ran into a group of fellow bikers in a bar. They seemed friendly enough; they were actually Satanists who murdered Johnny and his wife in a ritual HumanSacrifice to achieve great wealth, power and success in their life thereafter. (It worked; one of them is ''vice-president of America'' by the time Ultimate Ghost Rider appears). In Hell, Johnny barters his soul to Satan and is transformed into Ghost Rider, appearing on Earth and resurrecting his former wife to live a happy life without him in exchange for killing first the Satanists who killed him, then any other sufficiently evil soul he can find, all to help empower Satan's army.

!! Ghost Rider in other media:
In 2007, a [[Film/GhostRider film]] featuring Johnny Blaze was released with a composite version of the character played by Creator/NicolasCage. It received a sequel called ''Film/GhostRiderSpiritOfVengeance''.

After Marvel Studios regained the rights to the character, Robbie Reyes was introduced to the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse in 2016, played by Creator/GabrielLuna in Season 4 of ''Series/AgentsOfSHIELD''. Robbie's origin flashback in the series also features an unnamed biker Ghost Rider who's implied to be Johnny Blaze.

Ghost Rider is one of the earlier thriller heroes of the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, as in, heroes that deal with underworld baddies like demons and the likes of ComicBook/{{Mephisto}}. The premise is basically: BadassBiker with a {{Flaming|Skulls}} SkullForAHead. There are two famous Ghost Riders in the universe that the audience knows.

The "first" Ghost Rider was a Western hero named '''Carter Slade'''. This character rode around on a white horse in an all-white getup. He was retroactively dubbed the Phantom Rider.

The first true Ghost Rider is '''Johnathon "Johnny" Blaze''', who first appeared in ''ComicBook/{{Marvel Spotlight|1971}}'' #5 (August, 1972). A stunt motorcyclist who trained under his dead father's friend Craig "Crash" Simpson. He also became the fiancee of Crash's daughter Roxanne. His mother was alive, as well, but she abandoned him, taking away his brother Daniel and sister Barbara. Due to the abandonment, Johnny tended to suppress the memory about them, so it would seem life would be good for him...

The first true Ghost Rider is '''Johnathon "Johnny" Blaze''', who first appeared in ''Marvel Spotlight'' #5 (August, 1972). A stunt motorcyclist who trained under his dead father's friend Craig "Crash" Simpson. He also became the fiancee of Crash's daughter Roxanne. His mother was alive, as well, but she abandoned him, taking away his brother Daniel and sister Barbara. Due to the abandonment, Johnny tended to suppress the memory about them, so it would seem life would be good for him...

** He's also made a few cartoon appearances -- a few in the '90s Marvel cartoons (a quick cameo in ''WesternAnimation/XMenTheAnimatedSeries'' in Gambit's memories, a longer cameo in ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' (helping the FF and Thor to stop ''ComicBook/{{Galactus}}''! Kill ''trillions'' as a PlanetEater and you ''won't'' want the Penance Stare turned on you!), and a full-fledged BackdoorPilot in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibleHulk1996''; he was also supposed to appear in ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'', but that didn't happen), and in ''WesternAnimation/HulkAndTheAgentsOfSmash.''

* DeadlyGaze: The Penance Stare (which may vary from an intense DeathGlare to physical EyeBeams, depending on how it's depicted). It is a look that inflicts its victims with all the pain that they have inflicted on the innocent. Unlike most {{Death Glare}}s, it ''can'' kill if the target has caused enough pain and suffering on others. Those who live are sometimes demoralized enough to wish they had died. In the 90's ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' cartoon, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx8ob0BAkOs Ghost Rider floored Galactus with it.]]

** He's also made a few cartoon appearances -- a few in the 90s Marvel cartoons (a quick cameo in ''WesternAnimation/XMen'' in Gambit's memories, a longer cameo in ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' (helping the FF and Thor to stop ''ComicBook/{{Galactus}}''! Kill ''trillions'' as a PlanetEater and you ''won't'' want the Penance Stare turned on you!), and a full-fledged BackdoorPilot in ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibleHulk1996''; he was also supposed to appear in ''WesternAnimation/SpiderManTheAnimatedSeries'', but that didn't happen), and in ''WesternAnimation/HulkAndTheAgentsOfSmash.''

* WeaksauceWeakness: Because the Penance Stare's ability to cause pain is so powerful, it has several of these. If the victim has more than two eyes, or are blind, Ghost Rider can't use it on them. It won't hurt people who do not have souls and if they can't actually feel pain it is worthless. It also will not work on lords of hell. And if the target has a penance stare too, he'll get it right back. It also backfires or is completely ineffective against the insane and those who are bonded with a symbiote. Ghost Rider's strong enough to beat most targets regardless but these at least make him do more than look at an opponent disapprovingly to beat him.

* {{Crossover}}: Ghost Rider usually keeps to his own corner of the Marvel Universe, but Danny has been known as a member of "the New ComicBook/FantasticFour", a brief replacement for the real FF made up of Marvel's [[WolverinePublicity most popular heroes]]: himself, Franchise/SpiderMan, ComicBook/{{Wolverine}}, and the [[ComicBook/IncredibleHulk Hulk]]. Later there was a crossover with Alejandra, Comicbook/{{Venom}} (the Flash Thompson version), ComicBook/RedHulk, and ComicBook/{{X 23}} in an obvious New FF tribute.

* AwesomeMcCoolName: Johnny Blaze. "John Blaze" is a slang term ''meaning'' "cool", but became such long after the character's creation.

* DeathGlare[=/=]EyeBeams: The Penance Stare (depending on how it's depicted), which inflicts its victims with all the pain that they have inflicted on the innocent. Unlike most {{Death Glare}}s, it ''can'' kill if the target has caused enough pain and suffering on others. Those who live are sometimes demoralized enough to wish they had died. In the 90's ''WesternAnimation/FantasticFour'' cartoon, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hx8ob0BAkOs Ghost Rider floored Galactus with it.]]

In 2022, to mark the character’s 50th anniversary, a [[ComicBook/GhostRider2022 new ongoing series]] launched, with Johnny Blaze once again the lead character.