Marvel’s First Ghost Rider Ever Is Returning To Comics

Warning! Spoilers for Marvel #4 below!

The original Ghost Rider is making his return to Marvel Comics. In new previews for the upcoming Marvel series, Carter Slade, the very first Ghost Rider, will star in the main story in the anthology, which will see the Phantom Rider get himself involved in a good old-fashioned 1800s gunfight.

Marvel’s first Ghost Rider  debuted in Ghost Rider #1 and was co-created by Gary Friedrich, Roy Thomas, and Dick Ayers. The marksman was nearly killed defending a small town from bandits in disguise but rose from near death with the help of Flaming Star, a Native American healer who envisioned Slade as their champion. While Marvel’s first Ghost Rider was definitely heroic, he didn’t have any superpowers; he rode a horse, not a motorcycle; wore white and not black; and he was possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance. He would lose the title of Ghost Rider when Johnny Blaze took the mantle, followed by a number of other Riders, including Danny Ketch and Robbie Reyes. Slade’s Ghost Rider would become the Night Rider, and later Phantom Rider. The Phantom Rider has occasionally appeared in Marvel Comics but is rarely used in modern stories.

In previews for Marvel #4 by Sal Abbinanti, Daniel Acuna, Hilary Barta, Alex Ross, Doug Rice, and Steve Darnall, one of the stories will feature the original Ghost Rider in the Nightmare-starring storyline. As the most powerful heroes and villains are trapped in Nightmare’s mystic slumber, the story flashes back to “somewhere in Ohio,” back in 1879. In the scene, a group of bandits celebrates a successful heist against a posse of rangers. However, they’re interrupted by the original Ghost Rider in his all-white costume. He tells the bandits that he will show them no mercy, and when the bandits reach for their guns, Carter tells them “don’t even think about it, gentlemen.”

It appears the Phantom Rider isn’t encountering normal bandits, as their eyes flash red in response to Carter’s demands. The original Ghost Rider is an expert shooter, but against supernatural forces, he probably wishes he had some of the superpowers his successors had.

It’s great to see the original Ghost Rider back in the pages of Marvel Comics. His costume is one of Marvel’s best, as the Phantom Rider looks all kinds of cools in his all-white ensemble. Hopefully, Slade will appear in more stories going forward – as he’d fit perfectly into a modern Western comic. The original Ghost Rider will return to Marvel Comics in Marvel #4, out later this week.

Next: The X-Men’s Magic Warrior Just Stole Captain America’s Most Famous Line

About The Author

Liam McGuire
(2569 Articles Published)

Lead writer for Screen Rant’s comic team. [email protected]. Find me on Twitter @LiamRMcGuire for comic news and reporting.

More From Liam McGuire