Ghost Rider's New Role Makes Him Essential to Marvel Lore
Warning: Contains spoilers for Ghost Rider #2
Marvel's new Ghost Rider series has just kicked off and it has already given the titular character a new role and purpose in the Marvel Universe ahead of its 50th anniversary: to keep demons at bay. An encounter with a foul, man-eating creature reveals that the Spirit of Vengeance is what keeps these nightmares in the dark, and its prolonged absence made them grow bolder... and more hungry.
Ghost Rider was incredibly successful in the 1980s and for part of the 1990s, but since then has struggled to find its niche in the vast Marvel library of characters. His connection to the demons Mephisto, Zarathos, and the otherworldly realm of Hell obviously make his stories steer towards the supernatural rather than the classic superhero genre, but the new Ghost Rider series seems to be diving deep into horror-inspired tones and settings. In the first two issues, Johnny Blaze found himself trapped in an eerily suburban town, with his memory wiped and a fake life as an average husband and father. After discovering that the town was actually a prison, and the citizens were all demons (including his "wife" and "children"), Johnny let the Spirit of Vengeance out for the first time in months and burned the place down. After that, he got on the road and ended up in another classic horror setting: a roadside motel in the middle of nowhere.
This is where the Ghost Rider's new purpose becomes clear. Johnny seems no longer in full control of his Spirit of Vengeance. He is unaware of what happens when he transforms during nighttime, making Ghost Rider mirror Bruce Banner and the Hulk. What has not changed, however, is the Ghost Rider's drive towards sinners and his desire to inflict vengeance. In Ghost Rider #2 (by Benjamin Percy, Cory Smith, Brent Peeples, and Bryan Valenza) Johnny finds out that the motel owner is kidnapping his clients and offering them as sacrifices for a disgusting, underground demon, the Spirit of Vengeance comes out, and the following confrontation sheds some light on why Ghost Rider was trapped in that town and what transpired during that time.
The demon hiding beneath the motel is an ancient creature. It was accidentally unearthed by miners, and since then has sated its hunger quietly, with small preys and mostly not humans. Lately, however, it has grown bolder, "because the whispers in the shadows told it 'You have nothing to fear." This was likely in relation to Ghost Rider's imprisonment in Hayden's Falls. The demon is surprised to see the Rider, telling him: "You are the flame that kept us in the shadows. You were supposed to be extinguished." This means that the Ghost Rider has an important function in the Marvel Universe. Just the fact that he is around scares other demons who want to prey on mortals and forces them to keep a low profile. While Johnny Blaze recently went hunting for loose demons on Earth, during his time as King of Hell, Ghost Rider never had this explicit purpose in Marvel lore.
This revelation also holds some clues on the mysterious antagonist who imprisoned Johnny in Hayden's Falls and tampered with his mind. "Your time is supposed to be over," says the demon under the motel, "and our time is supposed to be now". Whoever tried to get rid of the Ghost Rider, then, also alerted the demons hiding on Earth that they could have free roam and indulge in their sins. Ghost Rider has not enjoyed the spotlight among Marvel characters recently, but this might now change with the new series as his role as a force that keeps demons in check makes him an essential part of the Marvel Universe lore.