Ghost Rider (Robbie Reyes)

Robbie Reyes first appeared in All-New Ghost Rider #1 (March 2014), created by writer Felipe Smith and artist Tradd Moore.

When Marvel Comics was getting retooled as All-New, All-Different Marvel, editor Mark Paniccia approached writer Felipe Smith on creating a newer and younger Ghost Rider. Among Paniccia's suggestions were that this new Ghost Rider drive a car instead of a motorcycle, an idea that excited Smith.^[2] Another big difference between this Ghost Rider and its predecessors is that Reyes doesn't have a floating head, or a human skull, Smith says. "He's an amalgam of a flaming car and a human being. He's not wearing a helmet, and his head isn't a skull: this Ghost Rider is designed so his look simulates the lines of the classic muscle car he was racing the night he died."^[3] Tradd Moore was brought in to sketch ideas based on Smith's concept.

He also, more recently, appears on Ghost Rider (2016), Marvel Legacy and Avengers (2018) #1.^[4]

Robbie Reyes is a high-school student working as a mechanic at an auto body shop who lives with his developmentally disabled brother Gabe Reyes and serves as their primary caretaker after their parents abandoned them two years earlier.^[5] Seeking to escape the dangerous streets of Los Angeles, he enters a street race, hoping to use the prize money to move themselves away. He is gunned down by mercenaries trying to retrieve pills that caused the transformation of Calvin Zabo into the supervillain Mr. Hyde, which had been left in the trunk of the 1969 Dodge Charger he "borrowed" from the auto body shop for the race. He is revived as a demonic being with a flaming, helmet-like head. He drives off in the car, now similarly ablaze.^[6]

Later, the spirit bound to the car introduces itself to Robbie as the ghost of a man named Eli Morrow, who says he had been killed by gang members. Eli offers to help Robbie clean up his neighborhood in exchange for Robbie helping him avenge his death.^[5][7][8] Robbie becomes a local hero whose fame catches the attention of Johnny Blaze, who travels to Los Angeles to confront the new Rider. Eli is later revealed as Robbie's estranged uncle, a Satanic serial killer who kidnapped and murdered at least thirty-seven people in rituals before being fatally shot by police in 1999. A possessed Robbie later encounters Johnny Blaze, who uses the Penance Stare on Eli's spirit.^[9]

Eli was also the one who pushed Robbie's mother down the stairs while she was pregnant with Gabe, causing Gabe's disabilities.^[10]

In addition to confronting Mr. Hyde and his criminal underworld, Robbie and Eli fight for dominance over Robbie's body. Robbie eventually permanently bonds with Eli and agrees to sate Eli's thirst for murder, but only by killing people with evil souls.^[11]

He appears in The Unbelievable Gwenpool along with Hawkeye, both working to stop a ceremony being held by dwarves using a mystical space rock. Gwenpool appeared in his trunk's portal via her friend Sarah "The Terrible Eye" and the police arrived, prompting them all to flee. He had claimed the gem with Gwen's ghost friend Cecil inside and left it in his car, where his possessing spirit was apparently attempting to turn Cecil on Gwen. When that fails he shrugs it off and decides to just go back to corrupting Robbie.^[12]

Following a vivid nightmare involving an ancient gathering of heroes that include a previous Ghost Rider, Robbie awakens in South Africa with no memory of how he got there. He is attacked by Star Brand, who seeks to keep him from finding a buried Celestial. Robbie defeats Star Brand by using the Penance Stare, an ability he previously had no idea he possessed, but accidentally kills Star Brand as well.^[13]

Robbie then joins a new team of Avengers formed by Thor, Iron Man, and Captain America to fight off the Celestial Final Host. Sometime later, word of Star Brand's death reaches Odin. The long-time ally of the original pre-historic Star Brand thought that Robbie killed the current Star Brand purposely. Robbie explains to the All-Father of Norse Gods about his accidental murder of the latter Star Brand when his Penance Stare first awakened, thus easily winning forgiveness and making friends.^[14]

In light of the threat caused by the multiversal Masters of Evil, Ghost Rider travels the multiverse with a Deathlok working for Avenger Prime that became his companion as they look to find allies to fight them.^[15] They end up recruiting Ant-Man of Earth-818, Star Panther, several alternate universe versions of Captain America, the Thor of Earth-56377, who wields the power of Iron Fist; the Carol Corps; and several versions of Iron Man.^[16] On an alternate Earth, Ghost Rider, Deathlok, and Ant-Man arrive on an alternate Earth to assist Captain Fury in fighting the Goblin Corps. With time being up, Ghost Rider, Deathlok, and Ant-Man can finally head to the Avengers Tower at Infinity's End. Ghost Rider is contacted by the souls in his Hell Charger asking why he has forsaken them and that another Spirit of Vengeance has fallen. As Ant-Man and Deathlok start to voice their concern, Ghost Rider uses his chains on them and drives off.Doom Supreme, who starts to overpower him.^[17][18] Deathlok and Ant-Man arrive, with Ant-Man shrinking Doom Supreme to microscopic size. When Dark Phoenix goes on the attack, Deathlok instructs Ant-Man to get Ghost Rider away while he buys them time to escape. After Deathlok is killed, Doom Supreme states that they need to regroup before they visit where Ghost Rider and Ant-Man have fled to.^[19]

Robbie Reyes and Ant-Man arrive at the Avengers Tower in the Quarry of Creation where the Hell Charger drives into some of the attacking members of the Council of Red. Robbie states to Ant-Man that he cannot transform into Ghost Rider.^[20] Robbie Reyes was in the Avengers Tower at the time when Doom Supreme arrived at the God Quarry with Doom the Living Planet and the Doctor Doom variants that are loyal to him.^[21] As the fight between the different Avengers team against Mephisto and Doom Supreme rages on, Robbie Reyes watches the battle with an older Star Brand as they talk about how their powers have not been working right. As some Doom variants move in to attack them, Robbie holds Star Brand's hand as he regains his powers to incinerate a Doom variant.^[22] When the ancient Multiverse energies leak out, Ghost Rider takes his Hell Charger and sacrifices himself to block the leak from the other side. Ghost Rider survives in the sea of darkness and rebuilds his Hell Charger to return to Earth.^[23]

Robbie differs from previous Ghost Riders, mainly because he is not possessed by a Spirit of Vengeance or any similar demonic entity. Rather, he is possessed by the spirit of Eli Morrow, a deceased serial killing Satanist who worked for the Russian mob as a hit-man. Despite this, he has abilities similar to his predecessors; he possesses superhuman strength, speed, agility, stamina, and durability potent enough to challenge Thor or Captain Marvel,^[24] as well as the natural Rider's capability of conjuring natural and hellish flames.^[25] He wields a supernaturally strong chain weapon, and can banish people to Hell or outright consume their souls.^[25][11][26] As the All-Rider, Robbie can ride anything as a vehicle.^[18][27]

Unlike previous Ghost Riders, who use motorcycles, Robbie drives a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T called the Hell Charger. The Hell Charger is linked to the Ghost Rider, allowing Robbie in his Ghost Rider form to instantly teleport to or merge with the car. It also acts as a warp hub with which he can teleport using shadows.^[5][25] Furthermore, the Charger possesses high levels of speed that enable it to travel between universes.^[28] The Charger can also be driven remotely, and Robbie's Ghost Rider form can pass harmlessly through it, allowing it to drive into foes. The car's trunk, when opened, acts as a portal through Hell, allowing the Ghost Rider to transport anything, including people, to any location.^[5][29] Robbie, through his Hell Charger, can create portals out of hellfire to take himself anywhere he can think of while Eli can change the shape and appearance of the vehicle.^[30][31] Eli is shown to be able to take control of Robbie's body, which is signified in his human form by a pallid skin tone and his eyes turning orange.^[9] The vehicle can also contact the spirits of the deceased as it was able to enlist the aid of Tony's dead father Howard Stark to ask for information.^[32]

During his battle with Star Brand, Robbie discovers that he possesses the Penance Stare, which allows him to force anyone who makes eye contact with him to experience all of the pain and suffering they have ever inflicted on others.^[13] His Ghost Rider form can also evolve into a stronger, more demonic form when Robbie is sufficiently angered, though this transformation is harder to control and more destructive.^[33] While battling corrupted Celestials, Robbie realized he had entrenched a simple tractor with his rider properties. Similarly to Daniel Ketch, Robbie's rider transformation changes everything within reach alongside him as well.^[32]