—Ghost Rider[source]Everyone keeps telling me that I'm the worst Ghost Rider that's ever lived. Like that's supposed to be some kinda insult. But what the hell have the Ghost Riders ever done? Except bring misery to themselves and everyone they love. Except die alone or go bat-$%#@ crazy. Well, That's not me, Uncle Eli. That's not how I'm going out. To hell with being a Spirit of Vengeance. I'm an Avenger. And I'll be damned if I'm losing this race.
History
Origin[]
Robbie Reyes was a young mechanic working in East Los Angeles, California. The neighborhood he lived in, Hillrock Heights, was plagued with gangs and corruption, making life difficult for him and his brother, Gabe, who looked up to him as a hero.
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Robbie's human appearance
Eager to move to a safer neighborhood, Robbie entered a street race to earn fifty thousand dollars. Unbeknownst to him, the car he used was inhabited by a ghost. As he was taking the lead; however, he was followed by whom he assumed to be the police. Worried about what would happen to Gabe without him, Robbie tried to escape, but inadvertently drove into a dead end. He left his car and attempted to explain himself to his pursuers, only for them to violently open fire upon him, killing him. They attempted to burn the car and Robbie's body; however, as they left, the ghost possessed Robbie, transforming him into a new Ghost Rider.[6] The Ghost Rider gave chase and managed to take out a handful of Robbie's attackers, though some of them got away.
Robbie awoke the next morning, believing the events had simply been a nightmare; however, he soon found that one of his eyes was now orange. Concerned, he returned to the workshop where the car had been, Canelo's Auto and Body. While attempting to take it out for another drive, he was confronted by two thugs, who worked for the owner of the car. Robbie became the Ghost Rider again and attacked them, before driving to a junkyard and reverting. The Ghost Rider appeared as Robbie's reflection, and Robbie asked the Rider what it is, to which it responded; "The real question is... what are we?".[7] The demon revealed itself to be a spirit named Eli, and offered Robbie a chance to seek vengeance towards those who have done wrong. After some brief thought, Robbie accepted.
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Robbie's first transformation into the Ghost Rider
Robbie later returned to the garage where he worked, to find his boss murdered and the car stolen. Eli claimed to know who had done this, and Robbie transformed into the Ghost Rider. The Rider teleported to the car and merged with it, attacking the drug cartel who had stolen it. He prepared to finish them off, when their leader suddenly took some mysterious pills and mutated into a massive, hulking creature.[8] Robbie won the battle after a brutal fight,[9] though was soon confronted by Mr. Hyde. He managed to defeat Hyde as well,[10] and quickly became a protector in the eyes of local residents. Unwilling to become a vigilante, Robbie began using his powers to make money from street races, which allowed him to work less and spend more time with Gabe, much to Eli's dismay.[1]
Fighting Johnny Blaze
This new-found fame caught the attention of the original Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, who traveled to Los Angeles to confront the new Rider, intercepting Robbie just after Eli's influence caused him to accidentally kill a street racer.[11] Eli soon completely assumed control of the new Rider, escaped, and gradually took over Robbie's body in his human form to seek out revenge on a Russian mob boss named Yegor Ivanov. Eli was revealed not to be a Spirit of Vengeance, but rather Robbie's uncle and a Satanic serial killer who murdered and dismembered at least 37 people in rituals before he was fatally shot by the police in 1999, and who lived in the house that the Reyes brothers took to living in.[12] After Johnny subdued Eli with a Penance Stare, he briefly spoke with Robbie, warning him that he must take care not to let Eli reawaken; however, Robbie rushed home, discovering that Eli, in his body, had left Gabe alone and hungry on the floor, a trauma that caused Gabe to mentally regress, becoming detached and unfocused.[13] Robbie later fought off Mr. Hyde's gang. When Robbie permanently bonded with Eli's spirit, he told Eli that they would dispose of anyone with an evil soul.[14]
Joining the Avengers[]
When the Final Host of Dark Celestials invaded the Earth, Ghost Rider was among the group of heroes brought together to defend the planet,[15] having been specifically chosen as an ally for She-Hulk by the Celestial Eson the Searcher.[16] Robbie joined the final battle against the Dark Celestials by using his powers to take over the corpse of a dead Celestial.[17] The Horde that had infected the Dark Celestials and was seeping through the Earth was finally defeated when the Avengers used the Uni-Mind, channeling all of their powers into the Celestial-possessing Ghost Rider. With the Horde laid dormant, the heroes joined forces with the Celestials to defeat the Dark Celestials.[18] The heroes that were brought together by the Final Host subsequently banded together to reform the Avengers, with Ghost Rider giving it a try despite his feelings of inadequacy.[19]
With the Avengers
Before the arrival of the Final Host, Robbie experienced odd behavior in his powers, with the Hell Charger becoming silent,[16] and also taking him in his sleep to the resting place of the Dark Celestial Zgreb in South Africa before he was awakened. When this happened, Robbie was attacked by the Starbrand, whom he accidentally killed when he subjected him to the Penance Stare, despite not being a Spirit of Vengeance himself.[20] Robbie's powers were further thrown in disarray when the Avengers were confronted by the Legion of the Unliving and they used incantations to corrupt and subvert Robbie[21] until Avengers recruit Blade cleansed him.[22]
Becoming fed up with the Hell Charger's increasing misbehavior, Robbie enlisted the help of his teammates to exorcise the vehicle and free it from the mysterious new Spirit of Vengeance possessing it. When the exorcism went wrong, Robbie was sent to Hell,[23] where Johnny Blaze, the recently-crowned King of Hell, challenged Robbie for a race for his power.[24] Robbie was assisted by the Spirits of Vengeance of old and eventually by the Avengers,[25] who managed to reach Robbie in Hell. Robbie won the challenge, but instantly abdicated the throne of Hell back to Blaze. With the Hell Charger freed from the influence of Eli's spirit, Robbie embraced his powers as the Ghost Rider and his place with the Avengers.[26]
Learning of the threat posed by the Multiversal Masters of Evil and the Council of Red, Robbie and a Deathlok sent by Avenger Prime began traveling together through the multiverse to recruit potential allies.[27] The allies that they managed to gather included Ant-Man, Star Panther, several alternate versions of Captain America, the God of Fists, the Carol Corps, and other versions of Iron Man.[28] It was during this time that he discovered he was the All-Rider, a unique Ghost Rider that could "ride" anything.[29]
When the evil forces began their assault on Avenger Prime's base, the God Quarry, Robbie's powers suddenly stopped working.[30] He regained them in midst of the battle,[31] and used them to plug up a hole in the God Quarry, saving the entire Multiverse from being destroyed by the power of the First Firmament. However, in order to do this, he had to enter the First Firmament and seal it from the other side, trapping him there. Nevertheless, he began to rebuild his car and awaited the chance to go home.[32]
Coming Home[]
His chance to finally leave the God Quarry came when a young Spirit of Vengeance named Fantasma arrived to bring him back home. However, in that exact moment, Robbie was being attacked by the inhabitants of the Quarry, and was forced to fight them alongside Fantasma before they could go back to Earth.[33]
Learning from her about the Spirit of Violence threatening the loved ones of Ghost Riders, Robbie asked Fantasma to bring in Loki. She managed to pull this feat and successfully teleported Loki to them, demanding him to tell them about the Spirit of Violence and how to defeat it. Loki refused to give a straight answer and before fleeing he casted a spell on Fantasma which prevented her to teleport to any other place, stranding both her and Robbie in the God Quarry.[34]
Robbie and Fantasma were able to restart the Hell Charger and create a portal leading back to their dimension. During the journey back, Robbie deduced from Loki's clues that they needed the Blight Blade to destroy the Spirit of Violence. They arrived in Cypress Hills, interrupting a battle between Danny Ketch and his sister Barbara, the host of the Spirit of Violence. Barbara slipped away and Robbie introduced himself and Fantasma to Danny. Robbie explained they needed the Blight Blade to destroy the Spirit of Violence; Danny was familiar with the sword as he once wielded it as the Spirit of Corruption.[35]
Robbie's duplicate manifesting alongside the Spirits of Vengeance to fight Corruption
Personality
Robbie Reyes is a hardworking and caring teenage boy. Though still a teenager, he serves as a guardian and a father figure towards his younger brother, Gabe Reyes. He has no intentions, whatsoever, to become a hero or vigilante. Instead, he simply wants to provide a better and safer lifestyle for his brother.
Most of the time, a lot of people see him as a well-polished individual. Receiving good performances in school and endlessly searching ways to earn money for a better livelihood. However, there are times where he would do risky things and decisions (mostly evident from the pieces of advice given by his Uncle Eli) endangering himself in the process such as attending illegal street races. This is more evident during his time as the Ghost Rider. Some people also secretly find some form of attractiveness to him.
Relationships[]
One of Robbie's greatest achievements is his younger brother. Though an incomplete family, they would both do what normal families do on a daily basis. Due to the medical condition Gabe is currently experiencing, he will always give him a helping hand (even at times, violently). This eventually leads him to persevere harder.
On the other hand, he made a pact with his satanic Uncle Eli to feed his evil blood lust. Their spiritual bond grows stronger every time they kill and punish criminals. He also gets furious when his uncle tells him the disgusting truth about his family and has difficulty on agreeing and disagreeing the suggestions he offers. Some of which he would actually do if the situation turns desperate. Robbie has strong willpower to resist that urge on inflicting rage only if his uncle comments of how most people are rubbish.Attributes
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Powers
In human form, Robbie does not possesses any superhuman powers, but as Ghost Rider, he possesses a variety of supernatural powers:
- Ghost Rider Transformation: Robbie currently possesses the supernatural ability to transform into Ghost Rider at will.
- Superhuman Strength: Ghost Rider possesses strength that exceeds the limits of any normal human. Being strong enough to contend with the likes of Thor & Captain Marvel in a test of physical might.[22]
- Superhuman Speed: Ghost Rider is capable of moving at speeds that exceed the limits of any normal human.
- Superhuman Durability: The Ghost Rider is highly resistant to injury and is capable of withstanding great impact forces that would greatly injure or even kill a normal human, his resilience being tough enough to withstand the full Hulk Cho for a brief time.[38]
- Self-Sustenance: While in his rider form, Robbie lacks the need of rest, food or respiratory dependence. Being at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean without worry of drowning any more than the crushing depths he was at.[39] Moreover, he is immune to the rigors of traveling through space without any protective gear in his rider state. As he found out while he, Widow and Blade were being chased by the Surfer in a Shi'ar pan-galactic prison.[40]
- Regenerative Healing Factor: Ghost Rider is capable of regenerating from injury faster than a normal human. His recovery being so powerful that he can regrow his damaged arms in seconds after Thor had battered them to pieces and mend a hole blown through his torso By Captain Danvers.[22]
- Pyrokinesis: Ghost Rider possesses the ability to generate and project flames from his body. Although never stated, it is likely that the fire Robbie generates is Hellfire.
- Chain Manifestation: While transformed, Robbie can manifest red-hot chains out of his body. These chains are shown to be strong enough to rip a Celestial's arm out of place.[26]
- Hell Charger Linkage: Robbie's supernatural augmented being, originating from his satanic Uncle Eli, is connected with his car. He can summon his car to do various fire attacks and perform ramming action.
- Intangibility: To some degree, Ghost Rider can completely phase through his car and other objects or places. He usually does this to scare and attack the enemies he's facing.
- Underworld Path: The trunk of the charger acts as a portable gateway to hell which Robbie can hurl his enemies through.[41] It can even unfurl a host of writhing tentacle monsters to better encoil enemies in order to drag them into the fiery abyss on his behalf.[42]
- Healing Symbiosis: When Robbie suffers critical physical or mental injury, his Hell Charger can connect its internal wiring to him in order to repair itself and him.[43]
- Teleportation: Unlike other Ghost Riders, Robbie possesses the ability to teleport various distances.[7] The Hell Charger is linked to his ability to port from one place to another, acting as a hub.
- Portal Creation: In addition to teleportation, he can also generate hellfire portals.[4]
- Nether Communication: Robbie's car has demonstrated the ability to communicate with deceased individuals or souls. It can even lead Ghost Rider to the individual's lineage and come in contact with them.[17]
- Matter Surfing: The charger can just as easily ride atop a body of water as it can an asphalt road and is just as capable a submersible as it is an automobile.[44]
- Condemnation: Fueled by the wrath of his uncle Eli, Robbie could summon a hellish spire that dragged down his enemies to Hell.[14] It is not known if he still possesses this power.
- Rage Enhancement: Robbie demonstrated the ability to enhance his form with rage. By killing and punishing the criminals he encounters, he can transform into a more powerful demonic figure.[38] This is firstly evident from the scars carved in his head. It will affect his body physically and, in human form, medically.[45]
- Vehicle Possession: While transformed, Robbie can give any vehicle he comes into contact with the properties of the Hell-Charger. Notable examples include the armor of a dead Celestial,[17] and a Quinjet.[46] As the All-Rider, Robbie is capable of using anything as a vehicle,[29] including the corpse of Doom the Living Planet.[32]
- Penance Stare: After becoming host to a Spirit of Vengeance,[22] Robbie obtained a Penance Stare. With it, he can make a person feel all the pain and suffering they have caused in innocent people.[20] Robbie has also been able to cast the Stare through vehicles he has possessed.[46]
Abilities
- Expert Driver: Robbie is a highly skilled driver and street racer.
- Expert Mechanic: Robbie is a highly skilled mechanic.
- Skilled Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Although he's had no proper training, Robbie is a formidable hand-to-hand combatant.
- Piloting: Robbie has shown to be a competent helicopter and Quinjet pilot.[47][46]
Paraphernalia
Equipment
- Hell Chain: Ghost Rider uses a chain with knives at the edges in combat. The nature of the chain is yet unexplored.
Transportation
- Hell Charger: The Hell Charger is a modified 1969 Dodge Charger. The car was able to merge with Robbie during times of action. This technique was also used to attack foes leaving him unhurt.
Notes
- Originally, Robbie was not a Spirit of Vengeance; his powers and appearance were merely similar to theirs, which led him to be mistaken for one.[13] That, however, changed in Avengers (Vol. 8), where he was turned into a more traditional Ghost Rider.
- The source of Robbie's powers was originally the evil spirit of his uncle Eli, but Avengers (Vol. 8) #16 made it clear that Eli had been replaced by a Spirit of Vengeance.
- In Avengers (Vol. 8) #24, it was revealed that Eli had been separated from Robbie at some point. The separation possibly occurred before the events of Marvel Legacy #1, as it was around this time that Eli went silent[16][23] and the Hell Charger began to act erratically[20][49] (this is further evidenced by the fact that Robbie used the Penance Stare, a power exclusive to Spirits of Vengeance, for the first time in Marvel Legacy #1).
- How Robbie became bonded to a Spirit of Vengeance is unknown, but a couple of possibilities were presented in the series:
- In a conversation with Odin, Robbie denied having struck a deal to become Ghost Rider, but the All-Father rebutted him by stating he just did not remember it happening.[50] Robbie recognizing Mephisto's name on Captain America's Super Villain Recognition Quizzes despite not knowing him[51] gives this theory some credence.
- When the Avengers tried to help him exorcize his car, Robbie denied having struck a deal to become Ghost Rider again, but Blade stated Eli could have done it instead.[23]
- The source of Robbie's powers was originally the evil spirit of his uncle Eli, but Avengers (Vol. 8) #16 made it clear that Eli had been replaced by a Spirit of Vengeance.
- In his first appearance, Robbie had two grayish green eyes. His right eye turned orange after becoming a Ghost Rider.[7] However, for unexplained reasons, his more recent appearances depicted him with two brown eyes instead.[17][52][53]
- According to Nadia Van Dyne, Robbie started going out with Taina Miranda due to their shared interest in car mechanics. However, since this was relayed to her through Taina's sister Alexis, it could be playful teasing of her sister.[54]
- In Avengers Forever (Vol. 2) #2, the Black Skull claims that this Robbie is the only Robbie Reyes in the entire Multiverse to become a Ghost Rider. This statement, however, contradicts the existence of multiple Robbie Reyes Ghost Riders who had already appeared by the time of its publication. As such, it is presumed that the Black Skull was lying to Robbie.
Trivia
See Also
- 157 appearance(s) of Roberto Reyes (Earth-616)
- 4 appearance(s) in handbook(s) of Roberto Reyes (Earth-616)
- 13 minor appearance(s) of Roberto Reyes (Earth-616)
- 21 mention(s) of Roberto Reyes (Earth-616)
- 1 mention(s) in handbook(s) of Roberto Reyes (Earth-616)
- 279 image(s) of Roberto Reyes (Earth-616)
- 17 quotation(s) by or about Roberto Reyes (Earth-616)
- 3 victim(s) killed by Roberto Reyes (Earth-616)
- 2 item(s) used/owned by Roberto Reyes (Earth-616)
Links and References
- Roberto Reyes on Marvel.com
- Roberto Reyes on Wikipedia.org
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 All-New Ghost Rider #6
- ↑ All-New Ghost Rider #10
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Avengers Forever (Vol. 2) #2
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Ghost Rider (Vol. 8) #1
- ↑ Marc Spector: Moon Knight (Vol. 2) #6
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 All-New Ghost Rider #1
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 All-New Ghost Rider #2
- ↑ All-New Ghost Rider #3
- ↑ All-New Ghost Rider #4
- ↑ All-New Ghost Rider #5
- ↑ All-New Ghost Rider #7
- ↑ All-New Ghost Rider #8
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 All-New Ghost Rider #9
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 All-New Ghost Rider #12
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #3
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Avengers (Vol. 8) #2
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Avengers (Vol. 8) #5
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #6
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #8
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Marvel Legacy #1
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #15
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 Avengers (Vol. 8) #16
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 Avengers (Vol. 8) #22
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #23
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #24
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Avengers (Vol. 8) #25
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #50
- ↑ Avengers Forever (Vol. 2) #1–10
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Avengers Forever (Vol. 2) #3
- ↑ Avengers Assemble Alpha #1
- ↑ Avengers Forever (Vol. 2) #15
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 Avengers Assemble Omega #1
- ↑ Spirits of Vengeance (Vol. 2) #5
- ↑ Spirits of Vengeance (Vol. 2) #6
- ↑ Spirits of Violence #2
- ↑ Spirits of Violence #3
- ↑ Spirits of Violence #5
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 Ghost Rider (Vol. 8) #3
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #4–5
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 Avengers (Vol. 8) #27–28
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #14
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #35
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #29
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #4
- ↑ Ghost Rider (Vol. 8) #4
- ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 Empyre #1
- ↑ Strikeforce #1
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #28
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #1
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #10
- ↑ Avengers (Vol. 8) #11
- ↑ Marvel's Voices: Community #1
- ↑ Mighty Marvel Holiday Special: Ghost Rider Infinity Comic #1
- ↑ Unstoppable Wasp (Vol. 2) #10
- ↑ Marvel Meow and Pizza Dog Infinity Comic #3
- ↑ All-New, All-Different Marvel Universe Vol 1 1