10 Most Powerful Ghost Rider Variants In Marvel Comics
With the arrival of the All-Rider, the most powerful Ghost Rider variant into the Marvel Universe, it’s tempting to claim the being as the most powerful Avenger yet. But throughout the history of countless versions and incarnations of the Ghost Rider, he does have some competition. The Ghost Rider concept allows for different people to take on the mantle, which allowed characters like Johnny Blaze and Robbie Reyes to become the Spirit of Vengeance in the mainline Marvel continuity. Thanks to storylines that fuse characters, other icons like Black Panther also gained Ghost Rider’s powers, and The Flash did as well in a fun 1990s crossover with DC Comics. More Ghost Riders still ride in the multiverse, including cosmically powerful versions sure to appear somewhere in live-action or animation. But which ones stand out as the most powerful Ghost Riders of all time?
Johnny Blaze
Debuting in 1972’s Marvel Spotlight 5, Johnny Blaze brought the Ghost Rider concept to the Marvel Universe. All Ghost Riders share the same basic powers as the Spirit of Vengeance avatars. This includes the mystical power to transform from a human into a terrifying flaming skeleton. When Johnny Blaze first introduced the Ghost Rider concept and tradition, he instantly transformed when faced with pure evil. However, over time, he developed an ability to control these changes, which helped him grow into a more disciplined hero.
Alejandra Jones
Alejandra Jones became Ghost Rider in Ghost Rider 1 in 2011, blessed with all the same powers of her predecessors, but with one major difference. Unlike many other hosts of the Spirit of Vengeance, Alejandra was one of several children specifically raised to become the next Rider. Being chosen for the role while still a teenager, Alejandra’s time as the Rider went about as dramatically (and tragically) as most would expect. Johnny Blaze took on the responsibility of training Alejandra to master her new identity, but her training managed to show him a fair share of surprises. Thanks to her preparation, Alejandra revealed a mastery of her supernatural powers (hellfire manipulation chief among them) that not even Johnny Blaze was aware of. While Alejandra’s character may have been overshadowed by Mephisto’s conquest, her abilities and storyline expanded what was possible for Ghost Riders to follow.
Chief Hellhawk
Long before writer Jason Aaron began to reveal the origins of the ancient Avengers of 1,000,000 BC, he expanded the history of men and women chosen to embody the role of Ghost Rider. With thousands of years to fill with Spirits of Vengeance, the introduction of Hellhawk in Ghost Rider 33 (2009) was just one of several to debut in the same issue (inside of a montage tracing the Rider legacy through distinct periods of American history). Too little is known about the 17th century Ghost Rider created by Jason Aaron and Tony Moore, given how memorable his introduction proves. Wielding bow and arrow atop a flaming horse, firing vengeance upon enemies and killers of Native Americans, there is no question that more stories of Hellhawk will eventually be told in Marvel Comics.
Danny Ketch
Danny Ketch may not be as well-known among casual Marvel fans as his younger brother Johnny Blaze, but Burton Blaze’s other son has been a devilish twister since his debut in 1990. It has told its own story full of twists and turns. Danny took over the role. until Johnny called Blaze to see if the new Ghost Rider was as big a threat as he thought. Over time, this canon was rewritten to make Danny and Johnny real brothers, who were separated to prevent vengeful souls from uniting (because when they join forces no one can be controlled). In modern times, Danny has morphed from Ghost Rider to the spirit of corruption, Death Rider, and his eccentric life shows no signs of ending.
Speed Demon
The creation of the Amalgam universe gave fans of DC and Marvel a gallery of crossover and mash-up characters, but few can rival the power of the Speed Demon, Blaze Allen. The amalgamation of Johnny Blaze and Barry Allen, Speed Demon 1 by Howard Mackie, James Felder, Salvador Larroca, and Al Milgrom combined the backstories of both characters (and DC demonology) in more complicated fashion than expected. Rather than bonding his soul to the powers of Zarathos, this Spirit of Vengeance was bound to DC’s own resident demon, Etrigan. As any Flash fan could assume, the powers of both Flash and Ghost Rider meant the Speed Demon instantly defeated some of the most powerful cosmic characters of both universes.
Robbie Reyes
Robbie Reyes took over the role of Ghost Rider in Earth-616 continuity, distinguished by his flaming hot rod, the Hell Charger. He shares the same powers with other versions, and also inherited mystical powers from his uncle Eli, including the ability to teleport vast distances by generating Hellfire portals. This skill comes in handy as Robbie Reyes demonstrated the ability to ride through space in his car. He even kept pace with the Silver Surfer, formerly among Galactus’ most powerful heralds. Reyes continues to accrue power in the comics, evolving recently into arguably the Ghost Rider’s most powerful form
Ghost Hammer
The Ghost Hammer fuses multiple Marvel Super Heroes into one to create a powerful Ghost Rider variant. Ghost Hammer evolved from his 2018 crossover, Infinity Warp, in which Gamora uses the Infinity Stone to warp characters to each other. Consisting of Ghost Rider, Black Panther, Thor, and Iron Man, he used all of their powers to turn nightmares into reality. Armed with Mjolnir, the Ghost Hammer was instantly ranked among the most powerful Thor subspecies in Marvel Comics, functionally a god commanding supernatural forces beyond imagination.
Cosmic Ghost Rider
Impossible as it may sound, the Cosmic Ghost Rider from Marvel’s future wields even more power than the regular Spirit of Vengeance. This variant of Frank Castle not only acts as an incarnation of the spirit of vengeance, but also possesses cosmic powers after Galactus chooses him as his messenger (giving him power over matter, energy, and reality, It may even strengthen your ability to make amends). Castle unleashes a cosmic gaze of repentance that reduces even the most powerful beings to ash. He also travels through space and time faster than the speed of light in his infernal cycles. Ghost Rider can and does die, but this variant gained immortality thanks to its incredible powers. He also became a loving father to Thanos, becoming closest after he kidnapped Thanos as a baby (yes, really).
Spirit Rider
Spirit Rider has arguably surpassed Cosmic Ghost Rider as he has become one of the most powerful versions of the Sorcerer Supreme in Marvel Comics. An Apache woman, Kushara supported her election as the next Ghost Rider, studying the magical traditions of her own people and developing skills to rival Doctor Strange. Her powers allow her to physically move between different dimensions and realities, something Doctor Strange is only capable of through astral projection. However, since she is also a Ghost Rider, she has the ability to ride a fire horse and be a Ghost Rider at the same time.
All-Rider
Robbie Reyes evolves into the All-Rider in Avengers Forever #9, a being singular in the famous Marsvel multiverse. In issue #11, Robbie discovers that in his higher form, he he lacks any tangible limits on his power, or potential agency over reality. He transforms anything he touches into Hellfire, including cosmically powerful beings like the Celestials, who themselves wield power over time and space. By extending Hellfire to beings and objects with such inherent power, All-Rider gains control over them… and by extension, their abilities. He commands not only souls, but life and death, and space and time on a multiversal scale.