Warning: this article contains spoilers for Savage Avengers #26!

Robbie Reyes, the Avengers’ resident Ghost Rider, just traded in motorcycles and automobiles for… a dinosaur. Recent comics have proved that the legacy of the Ghost Rider runs back further than anyone had guessed. In fact, the first Ghost Rider was possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance some 1,000,000 years ago, becoming part of the first Avengers team alongside Odin the All-Father and Agamotto the All-Seeing, the first Sorcerer Supreme. Naturally, there were no cars in those days, so he rode a flaming woolly mammoth.

There have been countless Ghost Riders over the millennia, wielding the power of the Spirit of Vengeance on Earth and frequently opposing Mephisto and his dark schemes. Modern Ghost Riders such as Johnny Blaze have traditionally been associated with fiery motorbikes, but Robbie Reyes – the current Ghost Rider, who serves as a member of the Avengers and is among the heroes once again targeted by Mephisto’s plans – drives a vehicle he calls the Hell Charger, a modified Dodge Charger. Of course, fighting alongside Earth’s Mightiest Heroes often means trying out new solutions to major problems, and Robbie has been more experimental than past Riders in finding new ways to apply his powers.

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In Savage Avengers#26, by Gerry Duggan and Patch Zircher, Ghost Rider is part of a group of Avengers who are assembled to wage war against the near-omnipotent dark wizard Kulan Gath, an ancient being who has consumed the power of an Elder God and now threatens to consume all creation. Neither motorbike nor Hell Charger would be suitable for the jungles of the Savage Land, and so Robbie claims another ride. He spies a Tyrannosaurus rex looming nearby and turns that into his latest steed, a terrifying Hell-powered predator. Unfortunately even that isn’t enough to deal with Kulan Gath, and the ride proves short-lived.

This is undoubtedly one of the coolest ideas in the history of Ghost Rider, and it’s frankly a shame Robbie Reyes brought his Hell Rex to bear against a being who is almost omnipotent – and who destroyed it with absolute ease. The psychic shockwave experienced by Ghost Rider takes him out of the fight as well, proving even the Spirit of Vengeance isn’t a match for Kulan Gath, who possesses all the powers of Shuma-Gorath – and then some.

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Hopefully some other writer will pick up the idea and give Robbie a similar dinosaur steed in the future. That could probably only happen in a time travel adventure, or else in a return visit to the Savage Land, but these are easily possible in the Marvel Universe. The interesting question is whether the experience of riding a living steed is different for a Ghost Rider; after all, unlike the Hell Charger the Hell Rex is a conscious being even before it is influenced by the power of Hellfire. It would be great to see Ghost Rider comics explore this idea, and perhaps even the moral and practical implications of connecting a living being to a wellspring of demonic power.

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About The Author


Thomas Bacon
(4917 Articles Published)

Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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