Cosmic Ghost Rider
The Cosmic Ghost Rider is a male comic character who features in Marvel Comics.
Contents |
Biography
Origin
Frank Castle was a version of himself native to an alternate reality that was designated as Earth-TRN666 in the Multiverse. Similar to his counterpart, he was once married having a wife and children that were killed before his eyes leading to him waging a one-man war against domestic crime as well as terror as the Punisher. This was until one day years in the future when Thanos waged his final conflict against the superheroes of the planet Earth where many of them were slain and Frank Castle was one of the few survivors. He was mortally wounded by debris from the fighting whilst Earth's heroes were all murdered by the Mad Titan. In his final moments, he vowed to give anything in order to punish Thanos whereupon he was visited by the Devil Mephisto. A demonic pact was made with Castle who was transformed into one of the Spirits of Vengeance as he became a Ghost Rider. When he returned to Earth, he went forth to find his foe only to discover that all life on the planet had been killed leaving Frank Castle with no one to avenge or fight with him roaming the surface for centuries. One day, the World Devourer Galactus had arrived where he had been wounded after being hunted by Thanos and had come to the planet seeking allies to defeat the Mad Titan but met none of the people he once knew on the world. The Rider was the only one to greet him with the two exchanging information on what they knew about the actions of their mutual enemy. Castle then offered a deal where he asked Galactus to transform him with the Power Cosmic thus making him one of the Heralds of Galactus where together they would kill the Mad Titan and in exchange Earth was to be offered as a meal to the World Devourer. For centuries, the pair roamed through the cosmos in pursuit of their quarry until they finally discovered the Mad Titan King on a remote world. Their quest to halt Thanos' systematic annihilation of every living being in existence, which led them to become legends. Their story lasted centuries, but it came to an end once they finally confronted Thanos, who beheaded Galactus as he approached to battle. Thanos offered the undying Rider the chance to see more evil than he could punish in a thousand lifetimes, and thus became his servant. (Thanos v2 #16) At the behest of King Thanos, the Rider used the Time Stone to drag a younger Thanos to the future. (Thanos v2 #13) This was so he could help his older self in winning the love of Death by killing the Fallen One, the one being who managed to elude him. (Thanos v2 #15) Unbeknownst to the Rider, King Thanos did not need his younger self to kill the Fallen One; he needed him to kill himself in order to finally be by Death's side. (Thanos v2 #18) During their battle, the Fallen One came to use Mjolnir that he used to seemingly smash the Rider into pieces. (Thanos v2 #17) The time-displaced Thanos then realized his older self's true motivations and went on to prevent this future from ever happening. (Thanos v2 #18)
Earth-616
Later on, Odin from the main reality of Earth-616 retrieved Cosmic Ghost Rider's soul from the dead reality and rewarded him with Valhalla, though Cosmic Ghost Rider was unsatisfied. Odin returned his powers and offered to revive him in any time period of his choosing. Cosmic Ghost Rider chose the day Thanos was born. Being revived in that year, Cosmic Ghost Rider confronted the baby Thanos where his Penance Stare has not detected any sins yet. Cosmic Ghost Rider then takes Baby Thanos under his wing in order to change his future so that he would not be evil. (Cosmic Ghost Rider #1) Tracking down Galactus to the planet Markus-Centauri which he plans to devour, the Cosmic Ghost Rider tried to get Galactus to help him to no avail after Galactus scanned his memories. With Uatu the Watcher bearing witness, an angry Cosmic Ghost Rider vowed to raise Thanos on his own consequently. By doing that, Cosmic Ghost Rider created a new timeline where Thanos grew up to become something worse. The Guardians of the Galaxy of that timeline tried to change their future by killing Thanos. Unfortunately, Frank and later baby Thanos killed them all. They were subsequently greeted by Thanos' future self, who sported the same clothes Cosmic Ghost Rider used as the Punisher. (Cosmic Ghost Rider v1 #3) Thanos from the future brings Rider and his infant self to his world where he stopped all of the wars in the universe and saved Frank's family. The Rider was happy at first until he found out that Thanos was dictator of the planets he invaded. Frank, horrified of what Thanos turned into, kills him and goes back in time to leave baby Thanos where he got him, accepting the monster Thanos will become. (Cosmic Ghost Rider v1 #5)
Some time afterwards, Frank sensed Thanos' death at the hands of his daughter Gamora. Soon after discovering his beheaded corpse, he was approached by Eros, who had come to collect it and his brother's will. (Thanos Legacy v1 #1) Still trapped in Earth-616, he attended the gathering of cosmic factions that went to Sanctuary to hear the last will and testament of Thanos. From there, they learnt that the Mad Titan made a contingency to upload his mind into the body of someone that would ensure he remained alive. It was then that the gathering was attacked by Outriders and the Black Order who successfully managed to escape with the remains. Castle and a band of others managed to evade being trapped within a tear in reality by being rescued by Star-Lord who recruited them to be the latest incarnation of the Guardians of the Galaxy. (Guardians of the Galaxy v5 #1) However, he was opposed to the groups desire to save Gamora when it was believed she contained the hidden thought patterns of Thanos that would allow him to be reborn in her body. Castle argued that Gamora needed to be eliminated and thus departed this iteration of the Guardians in order to rendezvous with warriors brought together by Starfox who had a similar objective in killing his adoptive niece. (Guardians of the Galaxy v5 #2) They tracked her down using her former lover Nova and clashed with the Guardians of the Galaxy to take her. (Guardians of the Galaxy v5 #4)
They brought Gamora back to Starfox on Knowhere when the Dark Guardians were ambushed by Hela. She used her power over the dead to subvert control over Castle thus making him her servant as it was discovered that it was actually Eros whose mind contained the hidden consciousness of Thanos. It was then that the Mad Titan's programming activated where it overwrote his brothers mind with Hela prepared to restore Thanos to his true body that had been reassembled. (Guardians of the Galaxy v5 #5) The Guardians of the Galaxy arrived to stop them with Star-Lord attacking the Cosmic Ghost Rider whose body was destroyed as he was then freed from Hela's control where he begged to be forgiven for betraying. Castle's soul then descended into Hell where he was met by Johnny Blaze who ruled as King with him asking Frank if he wanted to race. (Guardians of the Galaxy v5 #6) Frank then attacked Blaze but Johnny as the King of Hell managed to easily subdue the Cosmic Ghost Rider and imprisoned him within the hellcharger of Robbie Reyes. Blaze then had Frank released in Avengers Mountain where he possessed the headquarters of the Avengers and attack the team of heroes whilst Robbie was dragged into Hell to take part in the Challenge of the Ghost Riders. The Avengers were unable to overpower the Cosmic Ghost Rider until Blade used a mystically enchanted gun that could penetrate Frank's skeletal form. He then revealed the nature of his captivity and was resolved in getting revenge against Blaze where he decided to help the Avengers to get into Hell. (Avengers v8 #24)
Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider
Leaving the Earth behind, Frank traveled the cosmos to punish villains for their sins. This got him in trouble with the Shi'ar Empire and he ended up subdued by the Imperial Guard. Due to his crimes, Frank was sent to an alien prison located in an asteroid which was ran by the Shi'ar. When some of the other prisoners began beating him up, he transformed into the Cosmic Ghost Rider and started to kill them. This, however, freed a mysterious creature imprisoned there that drained the Rider of his power, leaving him nothing but a skull. Due to the danger the creature posed, one of the guards activated the prison's self-destruct program, destroying the prison and seemingly the creature as well. Months later, some space pirates arrived and salvaged what remained of the prison and its prisoners, including the Rider's skull. Frank then awakened and killed every member of the crew in order to rebuild his own body, until only Camille Benally was left. After destroying the entire ship, he used his Penance Stare on the girl, but found out she was actually innocent. (Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider v1 #1) The duo fought various criminals throughout the universe, eventually coming into conflict with the Cosmic King, who threw Cammi into a wormhole. (Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider v1 #2) Enraged, the Cosmic Ghost Rider tried to destroy the Cosmic King to no avail, as he proved to be too powerful. Once the Rider was able to get the upper hand, the Cosmic King offered Frank's long lost soul, which the King had stolen from Mephisto, back to him where Frank accepted the offer. (Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider v1 #3) When Cammi arrived, having briefly traveled through time because of the wormhole, she revealed the Cosmic King was actually possessed by an "ancient space demon parasite," which originally wanted Frank as its next host, it being the same creature Frank accidentally freed from the Shi'ar prison. The Mephisto from Frank's home reality arrived soon afterward, wanting to retrieve the soul he rightfully owned. Since Frank had already reclaimed his soul, he claimed Cammi's instead. (Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider v1 #4) Fighting his way through Hell, Frank eventually returned to the Hotel Inferno and confronted the Mephisto of the Prime Marvel Universe. Mephisto refused to give Cammi's soul back, but offered a deal exchanging it for Frank's soul. He accepted, became the Cosmic Ghost Rider once more, this time in service to the Mephisto of the Prime Marvel Universe, and revived Cammi. Sadly, the 'ancient space demon parasite' that had possessed the Cosmic King immediately seized Cammi and turned her into its next host. The demon then drained Frank's powers yet again, forcing him to drain the lifeforce of various Brood to rebuild himself months later so that he could begin his quest to free Cammi once more. (Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider v1 #5)
Frank eventually found himself chasing some thieves into a black hole. As he fought them, they all ended up inside the black hole, causing him to be fractured into two Cosmic Ghost Riders. The newly created Cosmic Ghost Rider went on his separate way, while Frank had no recollection of what had happened. (Cosmic Ghost Rider v2 #4) In the ensuing month, Frank decided to leave the life of Cosmic Ghost Rider behind and opted to work in tavern on an alien planet owned by Marlow and his daughter Axelle. Unfortunately, he was attacked by bounty hunter Kral Dravitt who was after him. During the fight, Marlow was killed. (Cosmic Ghost Rider v2 #1) This caused Frank to take out the bounty hunter and rescue Axelle. While they were preparing to get away, Monark Starstalker, another bounty hunter hired by the Shi'ar to hunt Frank, ambushed them which forced Frank to resume his identity of Cosmic Ghost Rider. (Cosmic Ghost Rider v2 #2) He and Axelle were able to escape but felt that he needed to go to Fueling Station X987. There he met with Valkyrie who revealed to him the existence of a second Cosmic Ghost Rider, someone Frank had seen in his dreams and was probably the cause of his powers draining. (Cosmic Ghost Rider v2 #3) Realizing that the second Rider was a part of him and if separated for too long it would lead to their inevitable death, Frank confronted him. As the second Rider embodied his malevolence, the two halves fought each in space but were both knocked out. Monark decided to grab the second one, while Frank was sucked by another black hole where other Cosmic Ghost Riders were formed. (Cosmic Ghost Rider v2 #4)
Overview
Personality and attributes
The countless years the Rider had spent on Earth alone had caused him serious mental issues. The long years of being alone on Earth led to his sanity being suffered with him stating that he got easily confused at times. (Thanos v2 #16)
Powers and abilities
Originally, Frank Castle was a highly skilled soldier but had no unique powers of his own. (Thanos v2 #16) Castle still had the capacity to recreate weaponry out of any mundane bits of technology, such as fabricating a gun made from pieces of Tony's armor. (Avengers v8 #24)
After he was killed, he offered his soul to the Demon Mephisto in exchange for the power of a Ghost Rider. His abilities were even further enhanced following him being imparted with the Power Cosmic that made him a Herald of Galactus. (Thanos v2 #16) As a Spirit of Vengeance, the Rider was immortal with him being able to live for millions of years and not aging in the slightest. (Thanos v2 #13) The only way for him to die is to inflict a sufficiently powerful injury. (Thanos v2 #17) As the Rider was technically dead, any entity with command over the dead, such as a deity of death, could take control him as well. (Guardians of the Galaxy v5 #6)
Like all Ghost Riders, Castle was able to manipulate and project hellfire as well as to infuse objects and vehicles with it. (Thanos v2 #13) He had demonstrated the ability to unleash omnidirectional hellfire blasts that incinerate almost everything around him. (Thanos v2 #16) As the Cosmic Ghost Rider, he had the ability to stretch the natural capacity of the ethereal entities to unprecedented limits. In one case, he possessed the whole of Avengers Mountain and assumed control over it's numerous facilities. (Avengers v8 #23)
He was armed with red chains that were forged from the bones of Cyttorak and were unbreakable. (Thanos v2 #13) Castle was able to manifest these mystical chain that were capable of growing in length, cutting through almost anything, and engulfing enemies in flames through contact. (Cosmic Ghost Rider v1 #1) The chains can also be used a whip. When combined with the Rider's super strength, they are capable of ripping through opponents. (Cosmic Ghost Rider v1 #3)
As a Ghost Rider, Castle possessed the supernatural Penance Stare that was able to cause any individual who stares into his eyes to see and feel every bit of pain they have ever inflicted on anyone in their entire lifetime for all eternity. (Thanos v2 #15) It was noted that his Penance Stare did not work on the likes of Thanos who instead revelled in its use on him. (Cosmic Ghost Rider v1 #5)
Castle demonstrated potent telekinesis by near-instantaneously dismantling an entire space-ship. (Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider v1 #1) The Rider can fire devastating blasts of cosmic energy from his hands. By infusing his Penance Stare with the Power Cosmic, the Rider can incinerate any sinner he uses it against, regardless of whether or not said sinner feels any remorse. This power was simply known as Penance. (Cosmic Ghost Rider v1 #5)
According to Frank, he held back most of the time due to his power capable of destroying everything around him. Thus, typically, he did not unleash his full might against his enemies unless they were very powerful. (Cosmic Ghost Rider v1 #5)
The Rider has ability to travel interstellar distances via his Hell Cycle. (Thanos v2 #13)
At one point, the Rider had use of his reality's Time Stone that was once in his possession and enabled him to travel millions of years into the past and the future when charged by the Power Cosmic. (Thanos v2 #13)
Notes
- The Cosmic Ghost Rider was created by Donny Cates and Geoff Shaw where he made his first appearance in Thanos v2 #13 (January, 2018).
- On Twitter, Cates noted that Lobo was his inspiration in creating the Cosmic Ghost Rider.
In other media
Video games
- In Marvel Contest of Champions, the Cosmic Ghost Rider appeared as a playable champion in the setting of the mobile video game.
- In Marvel Future Fight, the Cosmic Ghost Rider appeared as an alternate skin for the Punisher in the setting of the mobile video game.
Appearances
- Thanos v2: (2018)
- Cosmic Ghost Rider v1:
- Guardians of the Galaxy v5:
- Avengers v8:
- Revenge of the Cosmic Ghost Rider v1:
External Links
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