The Marvel Comics rogue known as Ghost is quite unique when compared to other Marvel villains of similar stature. While other villains simply care about money, power, or revenge, Ghost’s motivations are much more purely ideological. All the paranoid member of the Thunderbolts wants is to see the end of major corrupt corporations, seeing them as the true enemy and scourge of the world. This isn’t surprising, given his origins, though what is surprising is how faithful he is to those ideals, having no true personal agenda against the heroes he faces, so long as they don’t get in his way while he’s trying to dismantle every greedy company he can.

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The Ghost first appears as an Iron Man villain in Iron Man #219, though his origins would later be revealed in Thunderbolts #151 from writer Jeff Parker with art by Kev Walker. In the issue, Ghost shares with Moonstone that he used to be a simple IT programmer and engineer, though he never gives out his true name (that would be too risky for the paranoid hacker). His origin began with his creation of Ghost-Tech: flux-state processors that can become intangible, and his company loved him for it. However, when he tried to take time off due to exhaustion from being overworked, they grew angry with him. They wanted greater profits than they were already getting, all the while taking credit for his inventions. As a result, his company secretly hired a woman to distract him and keep him working, and the two formed a relationship that was only real to him.

However, when the woman tried to extort more money, the corporate heads had her killed. Overcome with grief, the IT programmer threw himself into his work. He also soon learned the true nature of his relationship to the woman, which plunged him even further into darkness. He chose to fuse the flux-state processors to his body and neurons, making him intangible. With this action, the Ghost was born, and he determined to use his new powers for revenge.

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Ghost’s first mission was to topple the company that took everything from him, killing them all. The Ghost then dedicates his life to overthrowing corporate greed, in all of its forms. He takes out corrupt institutions one by one, including the ones that might hire him to take out their rivals. He has no loyalty to any employer or rival, having one singular goal: the eradication of corrupt companies. However, it’s rarely personal for Ghost when it comes to the individuals. For example, in Thunderbolts #150, Ghost goes after Tony Stark, trapping him in another dimension and relentlessly attacking him until Iron Man explains that he recently dismantled his company, converting it into (technically speaking) a small business. Upon hearing this, Ghost immediately halts his onslaught and even helps the hero return home – the company was his enemy, and now it’s gone he holds no grudge against Tony as an individual.

It’s truly quite interesting how dedicated Ghost is to his mission, refusing to adopt personal grudges towards Iron Man or any other individual, hero or otherwise, so long as they’re not part of the system he loathes so much. He only cares about the destruction of corporate greed, which is quite unique. Most villains hold grudges and hatred towards one or more heroes in the Marvel Universe, especially those who most often thwart them and their plans, but not Ghost. His mission is apparently far too important for distractions such as vendettas of the personal variety.

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Kevin Erdmann
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Kevin Erdmann is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers. With a major in Cinema Studies and a minor in Comics and Cartoon Studies from the UofO, Kevin is pretty sure he’s writing for the right site. While Kevin is a huge Marvel fan, he also loves Batman because he’s Batman and is a firm believer that Han shot first. Disney also shares a big part of his fan patronage. Kevin lives in Oregon with his wonderful wife and sinister cat who is no doubt currently plotting his demise.

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