Johnny Blaze, or John Blaze, is a fictional, supernatural superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. He is the second Marvel character to use the name Ghost Rider, following the Western hero later known as the Phantom Rider, and preceding Daniel Ketch, the second supernatural Ghost Rider. Marvel Comics is an American comic book line published by Marvel Publishing, Inc. ... In comic books, first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ... Roy Thomas (born November 22, 1940, Missouri, United States) is a comic book writer and editor, and Stan Lees first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics. ... Gary Friedrich (born 1943, Jackson, Missouri, United States) is an American comic book writer best known for his Silver Age stories for Marvel Comics Sgt. ... The Eisneresque Topaz: Splash panel, Werewolf by Night #13 (Jan. ... The Champions (of Los Angeles) are a short-lived superhero team from the mid-1970s, published by Marvel Comics. ... The Midnight Sons was a short-lived team of supernatural heroes in the Marvel Comics universe. ... The Defenders are a Marvel Comics superhero group — usually presented as a non-team of individualistic outsiders each known for following their own agendas — that usually battles mystic and supernatural threats. ... Alice, a fictional character based on a real character from the work of Lewis Carroll. ... Look up Supernatural in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... [[ For the bands, see Superheroes (band) and Super Heroines. ... Marvel Comics is an American comic book line published by Marvel Publishing, Inc. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Ghost Rider is the name of several fictional supernatural anti-heroes in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Cover of a book by Louis LAmour, one of Western fictions most prolific authors. ... The Phantom Rider is the name of several fictional Old West heroic gunfighters in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Daniel Ketch is a fictional, supernatural superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ...

Publication history

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

Following the western comics character to originally use the name, this Ghost Rider first appeared in Marvel Spotlight vol. 1, #5 (Aug. 1972), created by Gary Friedrich and artist Mike Ploog. Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... Showcase #22 (Oct. ... Joe Sinnott (born October 16, 1926, Saugerties, New York, United States) is an American comic book artist. ... The Phantom Rider is the name of several fictional Old West heroic gunfighters in the Marvel Comics universe. ... In comic books, the term first appearance refers to first comic book to feature a character. ... Marvel Spotlight is the name of several comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics. ... Gary Friedrich (born 1943, Jackson, Missouri, United States) is an American comic book writer best known for his Silver Age stories for Marvel Comics Sgt. ... The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of activities to do with creating art, practising the arts and/or demonstrating an art. ... The Eisneresque Topaz: Splash panel, Werewolf by Night #13 (Jan. ...

The character received his own series in 1973, with penciler Jim Mooney handling most of the first nine issues. Several different creative teams mixed-and-matched until penciler Don Perlin began a long stint with #26, eventually joined by writer Michael Fleisher through #58. This Ghost Rider's career ended when Zarathos fled Blaze's body in issue #81 (June 1983), the finale. In producing a comic book, the penciller (or penciler) draws the comic based on the script created by the writer. ... Jim Mooney (born 1919) is an American comic book artist best known as a Marvel Comics inker and Spider-Man artist, and as the signature artist of DC Comics Silver Age Supergirl. ... Don Perlin is a comic artist whose work has included The Defenders and G.I. Joe for Marvel. ... Michael Mike Fleisher is an American comic book writer. ...

Blaze occasionally appeared in the subsequent, 1990-1998 series Ghost Rider, which starred a related character, Daniel Ketch. Daniel Ketch is a fictional, supernatural superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ...

Fictional character biography

Johnny Blaze, a stunt daredevil, was the son of Barton Blaze and Naomi Kale. He spent his early years in the Quentin Carnival where his parents starred in a stunt show with Craig "Crash" Simpson. Blaze's family had ended when his mother abandoned Barton and Johnny and took the family's two children.

Losing his mother caused Blaze to repress many of his memories of her and his siblings. When his father died in a stunt, Blaze was adopted by Crash and Mona Simpson. The Simpsons helped Blaze 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, Blaze 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. Roxanne Simpson is a fictional character in the 2007 film Ghost Rider. ...

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, although Crash died soon after in a stunt trying to jump over 22 cars. Blaze, still at the mercy of Mephisto, believed he would lose his soul to Mephisto until he was saved by Roxanne. Roxanne proclaimed her love for Blaze, and drove Mephisto away with the purity of her emotion. Mephisto is a fictional character, a supervillain in the Marvel Universe. ...

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. Basically, he still had his soul, but he was forced to punish the wicked and evil upon Mephisto's demands whenever needed. Zarathos is a fictional character in the Marvel Comics series Ghost Rider. ...

Blaze became a bounty hunter for Mephisto. 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.

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.

Before too long 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, restored his soul and ending his time as the Ghost Rider.

He later teamed up with the new Ghost Rider (Daniel Ketch) 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. Daniel Ketch is a fictional, supernatural superhero in the Marvel Comics universe. ... Caretaker is a fictional Marvel Comics character who first appeared in the Ghost Rider #28 in the Rise of the Midnight Sons storyline. ...

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 facillity and destroys all the bodies. Vengeance is the name of a former supervillain turned superhero in the Marvel Universe. ...

A later confrontation with the forces of evil would lead to Roxanne's death. Blaze would later hunt down the demons responsible for her death and kill them all.

Starting over, Blaze eventually found a new job as an accountant and a new girlfriend, Chloe. Though free from the curse and with his soul back, Johnny would eventually transform back into Ghost Rider since Zarathos never really left him and had been reconstituting himself from within Blaze.

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 was captured and taken to Hell.

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 Kazzan who has been unleashed upon the earth. Garth Ennis (born January 16, 1970 in Holywood, Northern Ireland) is a Northern Irish comics writer, best known for the DC/Vertigo series Preacher, co-created with artist Steve Dillon. ... Clayton Crain is a comic book artist, who primarily uses digital painting techniques in his art. ... For the Northern Irish singer songwriter, see Malachi Cush. ...

Malachi tells Blaze that the only way he will be freed from Hell permanently is to beat the Archangel Ruth to Kazzan, 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 Kazzan, and offers to help the Ghost Rider since they are after the same goal. Archangels are superior or higher-ranking angels. ...

Hoss and Blaze fight with Ruth and she steals his bike, they pursue her in Hoss' Cadillac. When they arrive to where Ruth is Kazzan is already free. Hoss and Ruth fight while Blaze battles Kazzan, who lets Johnny know he's been duped by Malachi. As this happens a woman named 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 priest with a holy bullet.

Vicious cycle

In July 2006, a new ongoing monthly series, titled Vicious Cycle began. Written by Daniel Way with art by Mark Texeira and Javier Saltares, the same artistic team from the 1990 series. The storyline takes place after the Ennis miniseries, and features Johnny Blaze finally escaping hell. Daniel Way (b. ... Cover to Black Panther: The Client TPB. Art by Texeira. ...

Blaze's escape is a plot engineered by Lucifer himself, as when Johnny escapes from Hell the devil comes with him. It is that when Lucifer travelled to the mortal realm his essence shattered and spread to 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 cannot die from suicide as that is a sin and would send the devil back to hell.

Believing Dr. 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. Doctor Strange is a fictional character, a comic book sorcerer and superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. ...

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 possessed. As each one would fall the remaining will become even stronger as the demon's essence is reconstituted.

Numecet attempts to dissuade Blaze but to no avail. He knows that if he had the ability to cross to the mortal realm with Lucifer, he must have the ability to return with him as well. Resolved, Johnny Blaze sets off to destroy Lucifer; as he leaves, Numecet weeps, her tears reviving the catatonic Dr. Strange. Doctor Strange is a sorcerer, featured in Marvel Comics. ...

World War Hulk

In Ghost Rider # 12 Johnny Blaze angers the Ghost Rider when he tries to save several people and allows Lucifer 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. Look up Hulk in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Hulk may refer to: Hulk (comics), a comic book superhero in the Marvel Comics universe Hulk (film), a 2003 film based on the comic book character, directed by Ang Lee Hulk (ship), a type of ships Hulk (roller coaster), a roller coaster...

In Ghost Rider # 13, after attempting to urge the Hulk to stop, Ghost Rider engaged the Hulk. Their battle is monitored by Dr. Strange and Mr. Fantastic. Dr. Strange believed that Ghost Rider's mystic power is more than capable of defeating the Hulk, even going as far as calling them "godlike". However, as it is Johnny Blaze, not Ghost Rider, who is engaging the Hulk, the battle is slightly in Hulk's favor. At the end of the comic, Ghost Rider regain control of Johnny's body and rode off because Ghost Rider protects only the innocent, which none of the Illuminati are.

Behind the scenes

Roy 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." [1]

Friedrich on the above, in 2001: Daredevil (Matt Murdock) is a superhero in the Marvel Comics Universe. ... Official language(s) English Capital Jefferson City Largest city Kansas City Largest metro area St Louis Metro[1] Area  Ranked 21st  - Total 69,709 sq mi (180,693 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 300 miles (480 km)  - % water 1. ... Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), often known simply as Elvis and also called The King of Rock n Roll or simply The King, was an American singer, musician and actor. ...

"Well, there's some disagreement between Roy, Mike and I (sic) 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."¹

Christian-themed story arc

Tony Isabella, a comic book writer in the mid-1970s, had written at one time a story arc where Johnny Blaze became a Christian, and in doing so, freed himself of the curse. Isabella said in May 2007, "I’d written a story wherein, couched in mildly subtle terms, Blaze accepted Jesus as his savior and freed himself from Satan’s power forever." Tony Isabella (born December 22, 1951) is an American comic book writer and commentator, best known as the creator and writer of Black Lightning, DC Comics first major African American superhero. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian () is a...

Contemporary Christian music Sightings said on the subject, "According to Isabella’s account, the story arc took two years to unfold, and was approved by several editors. But when the story reached the big twist -- and a certain mysterious drifter was going to be revealed as Jesus Christ -- an assistant editor “took offense” and intercepted the issue right as it was about to go to the printer and completely rewrote the story." Contemporary Christian Music (or CCM; also by its religious neutral term Inspirational music) is a genre of popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith. ...

Isabella says, "To this day, I consider what he did to my story one of the three most arrogant and wrong-headed actions I’ve ever seen from an editor."[2]

Powers and abilities

The common theme of the Ghost Rider is a human host who transforms into a flaming-headed motorcyclist with supernatural powers. When riding their bikes, the vehicles can travel faster than conventional motorcycles and can maneuver impossible feats such as riding straight up a vertical surface or across water. In a one-shot comic featuring Dr. Strange and the Daniel Ketch/Noble Kale version of Ghost Rider, it was shown to be capable of riding on nothing but air. This was repeated shortly after Kale started to regain his memories, causing him to alter his suit by sheer force of will, and created an entirely new bike.

Initially when transformed, Blaze's motorcycle would simply catch fire. Later, he could create a cycle made of pure flame (hellfire). Hellfire is a supernatural flame which typically burns the soul and not the body, but also could be used as regular flame. Projecting hellfire as a weapon is his main form of attack. He also possesses supernatural strength and resilience, as well as almost total invulnerability to physical damage. Any damage he does take is quickly recovered, as Ghost Rider is made of pure hellfire, which he can use to immediately regenerate any lost limbs or holes in his body. Ghost Rider's most powerful weapons is the "Penance Stare". When he locks eyes with his victim, he can make them experience all the pain and suffering that they have inflicted on everyone in their lifetime, permanently damaging their soul in the process.

In the newest incarnation of Johnny Blaze as Ghost Rider, another main weapon in his arsenal has been his chain. The 27 ft.-long chain, much like the rest of Ghost Rider, is made of hellfire given a solid physical substance. Ghost Rider can control the exact movement of the chain with his mind, allowing it to do things normal chains cannot, such as reach vast distances and wrap around enemies without fail. The chain is seemingly unbreakable.

Appearances in other media

• The Ghost Rider is a playable character in the video game of Marvel: Ultimate Alliance voiced by Nolan North. He can be unlocked when he is rescued from Mephisto.
• The Ghost Rider has his own video game on PS2 and PSP: Ghost Rider (video game).
• Ghost Rider also has a cameo appearance in the game Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter. He is locked in a container along with several other Marvel and Street Fighter characters who are locked in containers in Apocalypse's stage.
• Ghost Rider was featured in his own film, played by star Nicolas Cage and his young form is played by actor Matt Long.
• Ghost Rider can be seen in the level "Race to the Bugle" in the video game Spider-Man.

Nolan Ramsey North (October 31, 1970 - ) is an American voice actor born in New Haven, Connecticut. ... Ghost Rider is a third person game based around the movie of the same name. ... Marvel Super Heroes vs. ... Screenshot of Street Fighter (arcade version). ... Apocalypse (En Sabah Nur) is a powerful supervillain in the Marvel Comics Universe, one of the foremost enemies of the X-Men. ... Ghost Rider is a superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Ghost Rider. ... Nicolas Cage (born January 7, 1964) is an Academy Award-winning American actor. ... Matt Long (born May 18, 1980) is an American actor. ... Spider-Man swinging around his hometown, New York City. ...

References

• Giant Sized Ghost Rider Reference
• MDP: Ghost Rider - Marvel Database Project
• Marvel Directory entry on Ghost Rider
• The Ultimate Ghost Rider Resource
• International Hero: Magazine Enterprises' Ghost Rider
• Marvel.com Ghost Rider history