Ghost Rider (Reyes)

Origin

Angry, impetuous, quiet, pragmatic, but above all else… an older brother. At the age of eighteen Robbie Reyes is the sole caretaker of his disabled little brother, Gabe. Balancing school, homework, a part-time job at Canelo’s Auto & Body, overall care of his little brother, and a infamous low-key street racing gig, Robbie’s day to day schedule is always hectic and unforgiving. It should come to no surprise when a street race competition promises to lighten the stress of Robbie’s responsibilities in the form of fifty thousand dollars to move Gabe to better a neighborhood that Robbie would jump on the challenge.

As skilled a driver as Robbie Reyes is, he could not have foreseen the intervention of Dr. Zabo‘s hired paramilitary cartel. Hitting a dead end, Robbie gave himself up. With his hands on his head and knees to the ground, Robbie Reyes was mercilessly shot dead nine times before he hit the cement. The group confiscated seven duffle bags from the trunk of the “borrowed” Nineteen sixty-nine Dodge Charger carrying valued cargo in the form of Pink pills; a defective DNA manipulating capsule designed to dramatically increase the users strength, size, stamina, appetite, and aggression, created by Dr. Zabo.

Unbeknownst to anyone, the car is in fact haunted. Brought back to life by the Spirit of Eli Morrow, Robbie’s face catches fire, his flesh melts and Robbie Reyes is suddenly transformed into the Hellfire blazing, chain wielding, car riding, leather wearing, supernatural being… the ALL-NEW GHOST RIDER!

Creation

Robbie Reyes was co-created by Felipe Smith and Tradd Moore. He made his first appearance in All-New Ghost Rider #1, May 26, 2014. According to quotes by Tradd Moore, Robbie’s Ghost Rider appearance was intended to evoke a “sleek, techno vibe while also being grim and intimidating” the idea apparently sparked some interesting rhetorical questions as Moore was quoted “In my head I was thinking like, ‘What if Death joined Daft Punk? What if Satan became a Power Ranger? What if Speed Racer went to hell and came back a slasher villain? What would that look like?”

Major Story Arcs

Engines of Vengeance

A talented young mechanic with a penchant for anything with an engine and electronic music, but above all else he loves his little brother Gabe. All Robbie Reyes wants in life is to protect his disabled little brother. Gabe is bullied by Robbie’s classmates, Guero and his friends. When Robbie stands up for his little brother, he is held at gunpoint and beaten up for their trouble. Guero and friends even take Robbie’s shoes and Gabe’s wheelchair.

It comes as no surprise later that night Robbie Reyes would enter an illegal street race worth fifty thousand dollars in hopes of winning so he and Gabe could move to a new neighborhood. The 1969 Dodge Charger he borrows from his place of employment, Canelo’s Auto & Body, however, has stolen contraband in its trunk; Pink pills created by the new cartel leader, Dr. Zabo. His paramilitary cartel hunt down an unassuming Robbie Reyes and shoot him dead nine times before he hits the cement in a hail of automatic gunfire and set the car on fire while collecting Zabo’s defective Pink pills.

That car however… is haunted by a spirit named Eli Morrow. Morrow brings Robbie back to life, embedding himself in Robbie’s psyche, giving Robbie the power to transform into the Hellfire blazing, chain wielding, car riding, leather wearing, supernatural being… the All-New Ghost Rider! Together they avenge his untimely death, and Robbie wakes up in his bedroom none the wiser; as if all was a nightmare. But when a local gang leader by the name of Grumpy who’s managed to steal a large quantity of Zabo’s defective pills tries to reclaim his Dodge, members of his gang attempt to shoot Robbie down again for trying to take the car out for a second joy-ride. Only this time is different, the All-New Ghost Rider emerges, gets rid of the thugs and Robbie demands answers from the Spirit.

Dr. Zabo and his growing Urban Alliance look all over Los Angeles to find the last of his defective Pink pills. Once they make a deal with a young man, Guero and his friends, to join their ranks and earn good money in exchange for information on the whereabouts of his pills… the results are catastrophic. An all-out war breaks out over Robbie’s neighborhood between Grumpy’s local gang and Zabo’s cartel. After getting his little brother, Gabe to safety, a hesitant Robbie uses his new powers to fight off Zabo’s men and save the neighborhood.

Later that night, still disguised as the supernatural racer, Robbie beats up Guero and his crew and takes back Gabe’s wheelchair.

Legend

As it turns out, Morrow was not such a good guy when he was alive. It’s discovered he was a former hit-man for the Russian Mob, not only that, but he was a serial killing Satanist! He’s escaped eternal damnation through Satanic rituals to once again walk among the living and resume his killing spree. Robbie Reyes is his host of choice, and Robbie’s been struggling to win back his body and mind ever since while trying to balance the responsibilities of his unforgiving day to day schedule.

Meanwhile, since their last defeat, Dr. Zabo has regrouped. Armed with a new and improved Blue pill possessing all the strengths of the Pink pills with none of the aggressive side-effects, Zabo is ready to make his move over the Eastern territory gangs of Los Angeles. He assembles his Blue Hyde Brigade; a force of unified crime made up of young, impressionable teens gangsters, hulked out on his new Blue pill, but loyal and obedient to a fault; a group whom Guero and his friends eagerly become members of. With his new army, Zabo gains the full cooperation of every syndicate in L.A. aside from the Russian Mob, a fact he is not pleased with. Dr. Zabo concocts a plan, a deal, they take care of the All-New Ghost Rider and the Russian Mob joins his Urban Alliance. Frightened with his last ordeal with the All-New Ghost Rider, Russian Mob Boss Yegor Ivanov accepts, but has no idea Zabo has no intention of saving Ivanov’s life.

Unbeknownst to Robbie, original Ghost Rider Johnny Blaze has ridden into town. Unsure if Robbie is friend or foe, the two clash. Later Johnny Blaze instructs Robbie how to take control of his Ghost Rider abilities, and Robbie manages to keep Morrow’s spirit at bay, but not without a terrible cost. Robbie and Johnny fight back Zabo’s Blue Hyde Brigade and Robbie is declared a part of the Ghost Rider family but… his little brother Gabe may never trust him again.

Great Power

A year has passed and Eli Morrow is fed up with Robbie’s struggle to fight the rage and unquenchable bloodlust that plagues their bond every day. Eli needs a new partner, someone docile, someone manipulatable, someone who will help him avenge his own death, someone like the now emotionally distant Gabe.

The blooming relationship between Robbie and fellow classmate Lisa, disgusts Eli and he makes one last attempt to infuriate him with deep seeded, startling revelations. Not only is this satanic serial killer Robbie’s uncle, but he implies he may have had something to do with his parents disappearances and pushes the fact he had a hand in Gabe’s learning disabilities that plague his little brother every day. Robbie is pushed over the edge, but still he manages to fight off Eli’s need to murder. Eli however, isn’t finished with Robbie.

Through disturbing means, Eli takes Gabe and manipulates him against Robbie. The Spirit of Eli Morrow will see his death avenged, and Yegor Ivanov dead by any means possible, even if he has to use Gabe to do it. Robbie knows Eli’s plan and attempts to stop Gabe from following through, but without the Spirit of Eli Morrow, he is weak. In the end, it’s Robbie and Gabe’s unquestionable love for one another that saves the day this time. Robbie avenges Eli’s death by taking the life of Yegor Ivanov to Hell and by doing so, eternally bonds the Spirit of Eli Morrow to his soul, forever. Robbie makes a deal; “Find me the worst scum on the planet. Find me those who torture, kill and rape. Find me the foulest, darkest degenerate souls to walk the Earth… people like you, Eli Morrow… and I will gladly destroy them. But I will kill no one else.” – All-New Ghost Rider #12 – Great Power Part 2

From which Eli Morrow simply replies, you’ve got yourself a deal.

Live Fast. Die Hard. Race Forever!

The Multiverse was destroyed! Now all that remains is Battleworld; a massive patchwork planet made up of the fragments of worlds that no longer exist, maintained by the one will of its God and Master, Victor Von Doom! Robbie Reyes and his fellow Spirits of Ignition; Carter Slade, Johnny Blaze, Danny Ketch, Vengeance, Kenshiro Cochrane, Alejandra, and many more are forced to race in the Killiseum; an arena residing in the outskirts of the capital state known as Doomstadt, built to entertain the masses of Battleworld. Here gruesome games and events are abound, from Gladiator fights, Monster slaying, Executions, but no attraction so popular nor as exciting as the Ghost Races!

The Ghost Races are hosted by Arcade and controlled by Chief Zadkiel. The winner of these damned Races earn their freedom until the next race. The losers are horrifically tortured as a means of motivation to not lose the next race.

Zadkiel voices his concerns about Robbie, that he is slowly losing control over the boy, but when Arcade refuses to listen, Robbie manages to escape their iron grips. Zadkiel sends their very best Ghost Racers after him, but that isn’t enough, the Dark Born Arch-Angel finds another way to punish Robbie Reyes for his treason. Zadkiel sends someone to race in the arena in his place; his younger brother Gabe.

Shocked and frightened for the well-being of his little brother, Robbie goes to face the combined forces of Arcade, Zadkiel, and every Ghost Rider they have at their disposal in a last ditch effort to save his brother and end the Ghost Races once and for all!

Powers

Unlike Johnny Blaze, Danny Ketch, Alejandra, and many more in world history, Robbie Reyes is not actually a Ghost Rider. Robbie Reyes is not inhabited by a Spirit of Vengeance, but rather the Satanic human Spirit of Eli Morrow. Thus he suffers from a darker need; the need to extinguish life. Robbie has still found a way to do good and fight alongside Johnny Blaze who’s dubbed him part of the Ghost Rider family, making Robbie an “honorary” Ghost Rider, or an All-New Ghost Rider. Thus, Robbie has developed some powers similar to a Ghost Rider and some very different ones as well.

Spirit of Eli Morrow

A Hit-Man for the Russian Mob, a sadistic serial killer, a devoted Satanist… and Robbie’s uncle. Eli W. Morrow escaped eternal damnation through Satanic rituals to once again walk among the living and resume his killing spree. Embedded in Robbie’s psyche, Eli feeds off his anger and despair, and in exchange gives Robbie the great power to change into the All-New Ghost Rider (All-New Ghost Rider #9 – Legend); a Hellish monster similar to a Ghost Rider with supernatural strength, speed, durability, regeneration, unlimited stamina and spewing Hellfire generation. Robbie is not actually a Ghost Rider, dubbed as an “honorary” Ghost Rider, he possesses unique powers and anomolies found in his bond unlike previous Riders. The ornate facial scarring, the discoloration in Robbie’s right eye, all of which respond directly to his emotional state. If Robbie, however, gives in to his despair, and lets his negative feelings dominate, Eli Morrow can take over completely. A change displayed in pale skin and a fiery glow in both eyes (All-New Ghost Rider #8). Because Robbie is the first Rider of his kind, it is unknown how his powers will evolve, but Eli claims they get stronger everyday (All-New Ghost Rider #4 – Engines of Vengeance). Together their powers could be limitless.

Bond

Through the process of bringing a freshly dead, compatible spirit back to life, the Spirit of Eli Morrow could inhabit and empower unassuming hosts at will. Now however, that Robbie Reyes has avenged Eli Morrow’s death, their souls are eternally bonded. Eli can no longer jump from host to host and Robbie can never be rid of Eli Morrow’s presence (All-New Ghost Rider #12).

Intermediate Transformation

Unlike a traditional Ghost Rider, Robbie Reyes doesn’t need to completely transform to use a fraction of the All-New Ghost Rider’s abilities. Eli Morrow can give Robbie access to limited strength, speed, and durability. When this transformation occurs Robbie’s ornate facial scarring will illuminate and he may or may not exhibit Hellfire breath or steam (All-New Ghost Rider #7).

Hellfire

A supernatural and very versatile flame mostly associated with the Ghost Rider. This flame is known to burn the soul of its victims, but has been used to melt away the physical, and even heal the body of its host. Robbie Reyes particularly doesn’t appear to use Hellfire intentionally, but rather primally; the more Robbie gives into his rage, the more collateral damage his Hellfire seems to cause, to the point of spontaneous ignition to the motor vehicles in his nearby vicinity during an explosive transformation into the All-New Ghost Rider.

Chains

A mystical weapon, the chain follows the innate intentions of the Rider whom wields it. Virtually indestructible, infinite in length, and capable of chainsawing it’s ensnared victims to pieces, the chain of the All-New Ghost Rider is a deadly weapon not to be underestimated. The ends of the chain vary between hooked flails, knives, crowbars, or ball-ping hammers.

Shadow-Shifting/Teleportation/Hellfire Portals

Unlike previous Riders, Robbie’s Rider can manipulate his physical being from one shadow to another shadow. There doesn’t appear to be a limit to where Robbie can go other than he needs a shadow to get there. The Hell Charger is linked to his ability to port from one place to another; possibly acting as a hub (All-New Ghost Rider #3). Exhibited with a spark of unexplainable electricity, Robbie can vanish and reappear short distances, effectively teleporting. It should be noted the charge for the teleportation does take a moment and he cannot instantaneously teleport from point A to B (Ghost Racers #4). The Spirit of Eli Morrow can manifest Hellfire Portals out of thin air for long distance travels. It should be mentioned these portal due take time for Eli to create, and the transportation isn’t instantaneous. Eli also doesn’t always know where they’re going, mostly opting to use Hellfire Portals as a way of escape and a means of creating distance (Ghost Racers #2).

Eternal Damnation

Robbie’s All-New Ghost Rider can summon the chains of Hell to condemn the foulest, darkest degenerate souls to walk the Earth, body and spirit to eternal suffering in the very pits of the netherworld (All-New Ghost Rider #12).

Soul Eater

When in close, the Spirit of Eli Morrow can consume the souls of his victims entirely. Their bodies wither away to nothing as the soul is forcefully pulled from their mouths and into the All-New Ghost Rider’s agape jaws (Ghost Racers #4).

HELL-CHARGER

When imbued with the mystical powers of the All-New Ghost Rider, Robbie’s black 1969 Dodge Charger is transformed into the HELL-CHARGER! Impervious to conventional munitions, capable of instantaneous self-repair, Hellfire generation, incredible ramming power, ghosting through matter, and supernatural camouflage to appear like alternative vehicles; the Hell-Charger is an unstoppable monster of a machine on any street. If that wasn’t enough, this haunted ride acts as a storage, housing any number of Hell-blazing weapons for the Rider’s usage and a central hub for Shadow-Shifting. Aside from the Hell-Charger, the Spirit of Eli Morrow has shown to be capable of possessing other modes of transportation, though unlike a traditional Ghost Rider’s version of this ability, they don’t take on a Hellfire imbued appearance but he can command their functionality all the same (All-New Ghost Rider #12 – Great Power). It stands to reason, the Spirit of Eli Morrow may be somehow intimately linked to the 1969 Dodge Charger he transforms into the Hell-Charger, but can still “borrow” other modes of transportation.

Penance Stare Reaction

It is important to note that the All-New Ghost Rider’s reaction to a conventional Ghost Rider’s Penance Stare is dependent on who is in control between Robbie Reyes or Eli Morrow. If the Satanic, Serial killing Spirit of Eli Morrow is in control, the Penance Stare has the ability to temporarily though painfully repel him into a kind of hibernation state within a tired Robbie (All-New Ghost Rider #9). If Robbie Reyes is in control, the Penance Stare of Carter Slade has found Robbie to be pure of soul, though not without causing temporary fatigue (Ghost Racers #4).

Other Media

Television

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

The MCU version of Robbie Reyes appears in Season 4 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., portrayed by Gabriel Luna.

In a departure from the comics, this version of Robbie is slightly older, and dropped out of high school. His skull also appears less mechanical, making him resemble the past Ghost Riders like Johnny Blaze. The creators of the show have said this was intentional, as they wanted to combine different aspects of the various Ghost Riders from the comics. Like the comics, Robbie is still a mechanic and still works to support his brother Gabe.

In the Season 4 premier, Ghost Rider is introduced as a brutal and famous killer who stalks the streets of Los Angeles. Unbeknownst to Quake, who has resolved to track the Ghost Rider down, all of his victims are sinners (such as a corrupt detective and a teacher who was molesting his students) who the demon inside him felt deserved to die. Quake eventually tracks Robbie to the junkyard where he works, and he quickly grows suspicious, thinking that she is a villain who is there to kill him. A fight ensues, and he manages to overpower her after transforming into Ghost Rider. However, he lets her go after realizing she is not a sinner, apparently using his powers to sense her innate goodness.

Daisy later confronts Robbie at work, leading to him tying up and gagging her. He learns that she is investigating a power company that has ties to the Darkhold, and heads off in his car. He arrives at the company in time to rescue Leo Fitz from a supernatural entity, destroying the creature in the process. He later offers Daisy a ride and tells her that he may be connected to the entities that were unleashed by the Darkhold.

Robbie’s origin is given later in the series, where it is revealed that one night, Robbie and Gabe were attacked by a group of local gang bangers. Robbie was fatally wounded, and with his last thoughts, he begged someone, anyone, to save Gabe. After dying, Robbie was visited by a mysterious voice, who asked him if he wanted to avenge his death and kill the men who’d hurt his brother. Robbie agreed, and was resurrected as the newest Ghost Rider.

He agrees to work with S.H.I.E.L.D. to find the Darkhold, which leads to the revelation that Robbie’s beloved uncle Eli is the true mastermind behind everything that happened, and that the gang who killed Robbie were actually trying to kill him. During the final battle, Robbie stays behind to kill Eli, causing him to become trapped in another dimension.

Robbie manages to escape the dimension he was trapped in due to Aida’s work with the Darkhold building herself a real body. He returns and the Ghost Rider is on a mission to destroy Aida and take the Darkhold back to where it came from. As soon as he escapes through the portal he gets his old car back and finds Aida, her robot bodyguards try to stop him but he destroys them with ease and proceeds towards Aida who uses her new powers to attack Robbie. Aida uses her electricity powers the same as Lincoln Campbell’s on Robbie, it pushes him back before he transforms into the Ghost Rider and her powers have no effect on him, he jumps at her with a swing of his blazed chain but she teleports away before he can hit her making the rider angry.

He reunites with his friends at shield, Daisy and Coulson and tells them how he got out of where he was sent and that the demon in him hates Aida and that he can track her as the rider is drawn to dark matter. They realise that Aida is afraid of Robbie and he can hurt her so that she can’t heal when they see her again after the attack on Talbot, where she teleports away at the sight of him.

The team lure Aida to the base where she thinks that she is safe due to Robbie’s absence, she confronts Coulson, who then reveals himself to be the Ghost Rider as Robbie passed the spirit to him. She fights the Ghost Rider who ends up winning fairly easily and disintegrates her. After this the deal the rider made was that he would go back to Robbie once Aida was dead. With Robbie know in possession of the Darkhold he used his new abilities he learnt whilst away to create a portal using his chain and takes the Darkhold back to where it came from.

Video Games

• The Robbie Reyes version of Ghost Rider is a Team-Up character in Marvel Heroes 2016. He is capable of summoning his car, the Hell Charger, to assist the player’s character.
• The Robbie Reyes version of Ghost Rider is a playable character in Marvel Avengers Academy.

Merchandise

• Hot Toys produced a Robbie Reyes figure based on his appearance in the live-action show.
• Reyes was also featured in Hot Toys’ Cosbaby line.