Ghost Rider’s Most Brutal Kill Is Too R-Rated for the Movies

Warning: contains spoilers for Ghost Rider #2!

Over the years, Ghost Rider has racked up a number of brutal kills, but his most brutal is too R-rated for the movies. Ghost Rider celebrates his 50^th anniversary this year, and Marvel has given him a new title, one that is taking him on a cross-country mission of revenge, leading to one of his most brutal kills in Ghost Rider #2, on sale now in print and digital.

Since his first appearance in 1972’s Marvel Spotlight #5, Ghost Rider has been one of Marvel’s premiere supernatural characters. After being bound to the demon Zarathos, stuntman Johnny Blaze became the next in a long line of Ghost Riders, traveling the highways of America dispensing fiery justice. Recently, mysterious forces imprisoned Johnny Blaze in a false life in a small town, giving him a wife and children. One day, Blaze had a motorcycle accident, which stirred up memories of his previous life as Ghost Rider. After having everything he wanted ripped from him and learning it was all a lie, Blaze has returned as Ghost Rider, swearing revenge on whoever did this to him. Blaze embarks on a mission of vengeance, but first he must deal with a demon menacing a small town. The issue is written by Benjamin Percy, illustrated by Cory Smith and Brent Peeples, inked by Peeples, Roberto Poggi and Oren Junior, colored by Bryan Valenza and lettered by Travis Lanham.

Ghost Rider makes his way to the town of Hayden Falls in Idaho. Before he arrives, readers meet a mysterious innkeeper spying on the guests in the inn. Blaze comes to the inn, asking the innkeeper if he has any work. The innkeeper hires Blaze, and as he cleans the inn, he notices teeth and hair in the rooms, stirring up suspicion. Blaze goes to another room, and when he finds a shattered mirror, he also discovers the inn’s walls are hollow. He walks down a long corridor and discovers the horrible truth: an ancient, cannibalistic monster lives under the town, and the innkeeper has been feeding it the inn’s guests. Upon encountering the bloodshed, Blaze is automatically transformed into the Ghost Rider. He turns his Penance Stare on the innkeeper—who then breaks his own neck.

The Penance Stare is one of the most formidable weapons Ghost Rider has, able to make the recipient feel the crushing guilt of their actions, and he uses it here to brutal effect, forcing the evil innkeeper to snap his own neck. Readers have seen some truly amazing and horrifying kills on Ghost Rider’s part but ordering someone to break their neck may be the most shocking one yet. The story pulls no punches on how brutal Ghost Rider’s actions are. This would not be at home in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as its parent company Disney aims for a PG-13 rating on all Marvel movies.

Ghost Rider has miles to go before he discovers who imprisoned him, and readers can rest assured he will unleash Hell on them when he finds them, but along the way, he lets loose one of his most brutal attacks yet—one too R-rated for the MCU.

About The Author

Shaun Corley
(1377 Articles Published)

Shaun Corley is a pop culture enthusiast living in the Pacific Northwest. After stints in both customer service and academia, he’s turned his attention to writing about comic books–his lifelong passion. He is a graduate of Radford University, with a degree in English. When not reading comics, he enjoys spending time with his fiance and their dog.

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