GHOST RIDER VI: Page 2 of 4

Publication Date: 23rd Jun 2023
Written By: Monolith.
Image Work: Gremlin.
Biography

BIOGRAPHY - Page 2

Despite his power, Robbie Reyes had no strong desire for vengeance. He used the Ghost Rider to beat up Guero and reclaim Gabe's wheelchair, but otherwise did little to fight crime or punish evildoers. Instead, he made subtle use of his Dodge Charger's supernatural abilities to win loads of money street racing. Eli craved blood, and kept pushing Robbie to give him move control as Ghost Rider. He tried to manipulate Robbie into using his power "responsibly," but to Robbie there was no higher responsibility than what he owed to Gabe. More than anything he needed to make money to get out of his dangerous neighborhood and give Gabe a safe and secure life. [All-New Ghost Rider #6]

In a double-or-nothing street race, however, Robbie was cut off by some animals who had been horribly mutated after getting into Zabo's abandoned supply of pills. No one else saw the creatures, and so Robbie lost the race and had to give up all his winnings. Crushed at losing the money, Robbie listened to Eli egging him on that the money was rightfully his. He chased after the guy who beat him and, as Ghost Rider, pushed him off the side of the road. The Rider snapped back to being Robbie, horrified at what he'd done. While Eli whispered in his ear to grab the money and leave the driver behind, Robbie was confronted by John Blaze. [All-New Ghost Rider #7]

Blaze had seen the news reports about the "Roast Rider" and realized there was another Spirit of Vengeance on the prowl. Eli took over and soon Ghost Rider battled Ghost Rider. Blaze's Rider had the penance stare, and exposed the crimes of Eli Morrow's soul, accusing him of being a Satanist and a serial killer. While Robbie reeled from these revelations, Eli managed to control the Charger long enough to escape from John Blaze. Robbie was considerably weakened by exposure to the penance stare, and he collapsed at school the next day, allowing Eli to assume control of his body even when he wasn't the Ghost Rider. Eli went back to Hillrock Lane to retrieve some of his things hidden in the floorboards of the Reyes house. He was cruel and dismissive of Gabe, leaving him in the dark on the floor alone, without food or explanation for "Robbie's" behavior. [All-New Ghost Rider #8]

Eli Morrow wanted to pick up where he left off and get revenge on Yegor Ivanov for having him killed. His attack on the Russia mafia caught Johnny Blaze's attention, and once again the two Ghost Riders squared off. This time, however, Blaze was prepared for the fact that there were two souls inside this Ghost Rider, and focused his penance stare on Eli Morrow's soul alone, while leaving Robbie Reyes un-afflicted. Eli was driven back down inside of Robbie, allowing his mind to reach the surface again. Johnny explained the history of the Ghost Rider and the Spirits of Vengeance to Robbie, but even he was uncertain of how closely related their powers actually were. Most Ghost Riders made their own deal with the Devil for power, but Robbie had inherited power through Eli's separate Satanist rituals. Johnny counseled Robbie that a Spirit of Vengeance can feed off of anger and despair, and that Eli could grow stronger by harnessing Robbie's emotions for his own gain. However, it was ultimately Robbie's decision how to harness his own emotions, and he needed to wield the power of the Ghost Rider himself or else control would be surrendered to Eli Morrow. Robbie got home to find Gabe still crumbled on the dark floor, and his little brother remained withdrawn and shunned Robbie's attempts to make amends for Eli's behavior. [All-New Ghost Rider #9]

Meanwhile, Guero had hooked up with Calvin Zabo after he escaped custody. Zabo armed Guero and his posse with a new formula of blue pills to create the perfect enhanced soldiers, the Blue Krue. Guero overheard Reyes and Blaze talking about Ghost Rider, and realized Robbie was the Roast Rider who attacked him earlier. By beating on Robbie and his teacher at school, Guero enraged Robbie enough for Eli Morrow to take control again. Eli went after Ivanov, but Ivanov had made an alliance with Zabo for mutual protection. Guero tried to kill Eli in Robbie's body, but Eli became Ghost Rider and threw Guero off a bridge. Robbie reasserted control in order to save Guero's life, but the gang banger was crippled from the attack. John Blaze returned one more time to fight alongside Robbie, and the two Ghost Riders defeated Zabo's Blue Krue and sent him off to prison. [All-New Ghost Rider #10]

Eli spent months trying to break down Robbie's resistance to his control. Robbie, in turn, maintained self-discipline, harnessing his anger as Ghost Rider to fight crime and rescue innocents without giving in to Eli's bloodlust or influence. Eli tried to provoke Robbie by finally revealing he was Robbie's uncle, and Gabe's disabilities were the result of Eli pushing their mother down the stairs when she was pregnant. This infuriated Robbie, but it still didn't provoke him to kill.

So, Eli switched tactics. He used his family connection to reach out and begin speaking to Gabe. Gabe proved susceptible to Eli's lies and manipulations, especially since his relationship with Robbie had broken down ever since Eli mistreated him in Robbie's body. When Robbie was called into the auto body shop, his date Lisa offered to babysit for Gabe. Eli convinced Gabe to ditch Lisa and follow Eli's instructions. Calling himself a "Spirit of Justice," Eli told Gabe he could become a hero just like his favorite toy, Ninja Wolf. Under Eli's influence, Gabe dressed in his Ninja Wolf costume and threw himself off a building, killing himself. [All-New Ghost Rider #11]

But Gabe didn't stay dead. Through the same mechanism he used on Robbie, Eli resurrected Gabe and imbued him with the power of his Satanist uncle. Gabe now had the power Eli craved, and lacked Robbie's knowledge of the situation or how to resist Eli's control. Gabe transformed into a Ninja Wolf version of the Spirit of Vengeance as Eli guided him to try and murder Ivanov one last time. Before Gabe could "kill the bad guy," Robbie arrived as Ghost Rider to restrain him. Robbie wasn't nearly as powerful without Eli's support, however, and he crumbled under Gabe's attack. Robbie reverted to normal and pleaded with Gabe to remember their relationship and fight back against Eli. Gabe's love for Robbie overcame his resentment and he rejected Eli, sending the Satanist spirit back into Robbie.

Ivanov recovered from the attack and grabbed Gabe, putting a gun to his head in the hopes of forcing Ghost Rider to leave him alone. Enraged by this after just getting his brother back, Robbie used the power of the Ghost Rider to kill Ivanov, casting him down into the depths of Hell. By deliberately committing murder, Robbie inadvertently sealed his link with Eli and bound them together more tightly than ever before. Eli planned to use his powers to infuse Robbie with a constant lust for murder, consuming him daily until Eli took over completely again. Instead, Robbie offered him a deal: he would allow Eli's fixation with killing freely, but only if they targeted the killers, the rapists and the torturers. The Ghost Rider would harm no innocents, but it would bring the Spirit of Vengeance to those who deserved it. Eli accepted this deal. With a smile. [All-New Ghost Rider #12]

Time passed and Robbie continued to look after Gabe while juggling school, his mechanic's job and life as a Spirit of Vengeance for the damned. Robbie discovered his power as Ghost Rider became stronger the more he used it, the hellfire growing within him. The stronger he grew, however, the more of Eli's wrath he needed to expunge in order to remain in control. He fought his first personal "super-villain," the thief named Pyston Nitro. He also began getting involved in the larger world, teaming up with Amadeus Cho, Laura Kinney and Silk against a changeling monster in an odd legacy homage to the New Fantastic Four. [Ghost Rider (8th series) #1-5]