GHOST RIDER VI: Page 3 of 4

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

BIOGRAPHY - Page 3

The Ghost Rider had a deeper legacy than Robbie was aware of, but it came to influence him all the same. Robbie fell asleep after work in the Charger, only to wake up outside of Cape Town, South Africa. The Spirit of Vengeance was drawn to a mysterious dig being conducted near town, but so was the Starbrand, Earth's planetary defense system. Starbrand's cosmic senses provided a hereditary memory to when the first Starbrand and Ghost Rider walked the Earth, and he knew that no one could be allowed to awaken the fallen. Starbrand was nearly mad from the knowledge, however, and could not coherently express himself to Robbie Reyes. He would only attack in an effort to keep Ghost Rider from the dig site. Robbie fought back against the crazed super-hero until he spontaneously manifested the penance stare used by other Ghost Riders in the past. Starbrand was overcome by the penance stare, and seemingly killed by the weight of his own sins. This left Robbie Reyes alone with no answers. [Marvel Legacy #1]

When dead Celestials fell from the heavens and infectious cosmic insects called the Horde rose up from the depths, Ghost Rider was caught in the middle. The Charger had been acting even stranger since the unscheduled trip to Cape Town, and Eli's voice had gone silent. When the Horde erupted in East L.A., Robbie Rider'd up to fight them. He ended up fighting the Hulk, who had been teleported by a dying Celestial to find him. Once she calmed down, Jen Walters led Robbie towards the center of the Earth, where they found Doctor Strange and the Black Panther fighting the Horde's hive at its source. Ghost Rider saved the heroes' lives, gathering them into the Hell Charger to race back to the surface in New York. They met up with Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and Captain Marvel, preparing to fight the Final Host of Celestials. [Avengers (7th series) #1-3]

Captain America was kidnapped by Loki, who was acting as a vassal of the Final Host. Iron Man took charge and dismissed the rookie Ghost Rider while these ragtag Avengers searched for a way to deal with the Horde and the corrupted Host. Despite Stark's attitude, Robbie could feel a greater connection between the Spirit of Vengeance and the Celestials. After retrieving a piece of a fallen Celestial from the Avengers' battle, Robbie used it with the Hell Charger to track down Loki and Captain America. Ghost Rider rescued Cap and got the Host to begin chasing them. The Avengers made their stand in Scandinavia with several members prepared for round 2 against the 2,000-foot tall Celestial Host: Thor and Hulk had drunk from the Blood of Ymir, while Iron Man piloted his Godkiller Mark II Armor. Robbie was using his powers just to save civilians, but Captain America gave him a pep talk towards harnessing the Spirit of Vengeance for even greater feats. Robbie Reyes climbed into the fallen body of an infected Celestial and possessed it with his Spirit, creating a Ghost Rider Celestial to join the Avengers side-by-side in battle with the space gods. [Avengers (7th series) #4-5]

The Avengers waged war against the Horde and the Host, but they were fighting on too many fronts. The Horde were not only infesting the Earth, they also corrupted the dead Celestials into more members of the Final Host, adding to the Celestial foes of the Avengers. Ghost Rider began to lose control, his mind drifting apart trying to inhabit and control such an ancient being. Iron Man had made contact with the Eternals and learned the secret of the Uni-Mind. The Avengers artificially recreated the collective consciousness, using Ghost Rider and his Celestial as a vessel for their combined skills and knowledge. Robbie Reyes used the Celestial to purge the corruption from the other Celestials, turning the tide as the dead Celestials were revitalized to fight alongside the Avengers against the Final Host. With these new and thankful allies, the Final Host were driven off and the Earth was saved by Ghost Rider... and his new teammates. [Avengers (7th series) #6]

Robbie fit in surprisingly well as the neophyte member of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. On several missions, Ghost Rider helped the Avengers fight threats such as the Winter Guard, Namor and the Defenders of the Deep. He did combat training and super-villain quizzes with Captain America and Captain Marvel. Black Panther got Gabe into a special school program when Robbie was working, and Iron Man made up a new repulsor-powered wheelchair for Robbie's little brother. Robbie even had a heart-to-heart with Odin, who got drunk and came after him after hearing about the death of Starbrand. They made peace and Odin told Robbie stories about Ghost, the first Spirit of Vengeance from 1,000,000 B.C. [Avengers (7th series) #8-12]

Most Ghost Riders and Spirits of Vengeance gained their powers through a deal with the Devil of some sorts. It was Eli Morrow who made the pact for Robbie's power, however, and Robbie was only the host for it. This lack of direct knowledge of the supernatural proved detrimental to Robbie when the Avengers became involved in a civil war between the vampire factions of Dracula and the Shadow Colonel. A vampire hellhound named Sarge was able to invoke the names of power of Mephisto and Zadkiel and Zarathos to gain control over Robbie's Ghost Rider spirit. Robbie did not truly claim the power as his own, so he was unprepared for this magic of names. The body of Ghost Rider was turned against the Avengers, while the spirit of Robbie Reyes found its way to the depths of Hell.

The Ghost Rider was forced to serve the Shadow Colonel and Sarge on Earth, hunting the weaker branches of the vampire nation and pruning them for the strong. Even vampires had children (in the pureblood strains), however, and Ghost Rider refused to kill the innocent, no matter whose control he was under. Meanwhile, the soul of Robbie Reyes found itself in Hell, manifested as the Los Angeles freeway. He crossed paths with Johnny Blaze again, now the Lord of Hell after facing Damnation in Las Vegas, and Blaze warned him there would be a reckoning between them soon. Luckily, back on Earth, the newest Avenger Blade was able to draw out the supernatural sickness afflicting the Spirit of Vengeance, placing Robbie back in charge of his own body. The Ghost Rider rallied in order to help the Avengers defeat their vampire adversaries. He spoke with Blade afterwards to find out more about his supernatural origins. [Avengers (7th series) #14-17]