| Danny Ketch Ghost Rider | |
|---|---|
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Ghost Rider vol. 3 #1 (May1990) |
| Created by | Howard Mackie (writer) Javier Saltares (artist) |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Daniel "Danny" Ketch |
| Species | Human/demon hybrid |
| Place of origin | Brooklyn,New York |
| Team affiliations | Midnight Sons Secret Defenders New Fantastic Four |
| Notable aliases | The Spirit of Vengeance Death Rider |
| Abilities |
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Ghost Rider (Daniel "Danny"Ketch) is a character appearing inAmerican comic books published byMarvel Comics. He is the third Marvel character to don the identity ofGhost Rider, afterJohnny Blaze (his brother, the first supernatural Ghost Rider) and theWestern hero known as thePhantom Rider, who used the name in 1967.
Danny Ketch made his cinematic debut in the 2011 filmGhost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, portrayed byFergus Riordan.
The third Ghost Rider debuted inGhost Rider vol. 3 #1 (May 1990). The series ended with acliffhanger in vol. 3 #93 (Feb. 1998). Marvel finally published the belated final issue nine years later asGhost Rider Finale (Jan. 2007), which reprints vol. 3, #93 and the previously unpublished #94. Ketch later appeared in theGhost Rider comic book alongside Johnny Blaze. He received his own miniseries titledGhost Rider: Danny Ketch, written bySimon Spurrier.[1][2][3]
Daniel Ketch was born inBrooklyn,New York. One night, Daniel and his sister Barbara were attacked bygangsters; with his sister grievously wounded byDeathwatch, Daniel fled and hid in a junkyard, where he found a motorcycle bearing a mysticalsigil. Upon touching the sigil, he was transformed into the Ghost Rider. This Ghost Rider was nearly identical to the previous, though his costume and bike had undergone a modernized tailoring. He beat the gangsters, but was unable to save Barbara, who is rendered comatose.[4] Barbara is later killed byBlackout,[5] who becomes Ketch's mortal enemy.
When Ghost Rider becomes a part of the team theMidnight Sons, he dies twice. The first person who kills him is the vampire hunterBlade, who was at the time possessed by theDarkhold.[volume & issue needed] Ghost Rider is soon revived by theDarkhold Redeemers, along with everyone else killed by Blade.[volume & issue needed] The second time Daniel Ketch was killed was byZarathos,[volume & issue needed] but, as previously, was resurrected.[volume & issue needed]
Ketch and Johnny Blaze later learn that they are long-lost brothers and that their family has a mystical curse related to theSpirits of Vengeance.[volume & issue needed] Ketch is killed by Blackout,[6] but the Spirit of Vengeance to which he had been bound through the bike's talisman lived on.[volume & issue needed] During this time, Ketch's only existence remained inside a void and he was only able to communicate with Ghost Rider via the spirit world.[volume & issue needed]
When theFantastic Four are captured bySkrull forces, Ketch joinsSpider-Man,Wolverine, and theHulk in forming the new Fantastic Four.[7]
InPeter Parker: Spider-Man #93, Ghost Rider is summoned forth on the streets of New York, his powers out of control due to lacking a host. He encountersSpider-Man and Ketch, who tells him that he isNoble Kale even though Ghost Rider denies this, and should be inMephisto's realm. The trio contend with a bomb created by a group of terrorists who intend to incinerate the city. Although Ghost Rider takes possession of the bomb, he lacks the strength to contain the impending explosion. Ketch rejoins with him to become Ghost Rider once more, and aids Spider-Man in neutralizing the threat.[8] This Ketch/Kale hybrid version of Ghost Rider eventually becomes the King of Hell after killing then-rulerBlackheart.[9]
In the 2008 miniseriesGhost Rider: Danny Ketch, Ketch is tormented that his life has fallen apart due to his family curse, and thus has the Noble Kale Ghost Rider exorcised from his body by the technomancer Mary LeBow. Ketch falls into a deep alcoholic depression. He is repeatedly approached by Mister Eleven, a talking crow who gives him "doses" of the Ghost Rider power and reveals to him the history of the Spirits of Vengeance and how some past Ghost Riders were unable to cope with the Rider's power, which drove them insane and burned out their souls.[10] Eleven also explains that Verminus Rex, from Blackheart's old Spirit of Vengeance, is hunting other Spirits of Vengeance. Ketch vanquishes Rex, and absorbs the spirits Rex had taken in the past, but this drives Ketch insane.Zadkiel intervenes and absorbs the other Spirits of Vengeance from Ketch's soul, upon which Ketch becomes a knight in Zadkiel's service.[11]
DuringAbsolute Carnage, Johnny Blaze, now the new King of Hell, convinces Ketch to go help another fellow Spirit of Vengeance, Alejandra Jones. In his Ghost Rider form, he arrived at Jones's village and witnessesCarnage kill Jones. Carnage, empowered by Jones' Spirit of Vengeance, battles Jones. Jones, possessing the body of a village girl, and the other villagers help Ketch stop Carnage. Jones thanks Ketch for protecting her village before returning to Hell.[12]
As Ghost Rider, Ketch exhibits much of the same powers as Johnny Blaze; enhanced strength, agility, the ability to generate fire, and a resistance to injuries that makes him effectively immortal to all but otherworldly weapons such as those forged in Heaven or Hell. Like Blaze, Ketch can inflict the Penance Stare through eye contact. Uniquely, Ketch has been seen to be able to control the degree of trauma his Stare inflicts; such as when he freedWolverine from mind control by making him relive the pain and sorrow he inflicted during a single day of his time as a soldier during World War I.[13]
As the Ghost Rider, Ketch uses a length of heavy chain approximately 3 feet (0.91 m) long which possesses magical properties. When thrown, the chain can separate into individual links which behave likeshuriken, later reintegrating and returning to Ketch's hand. The chain can grow in length, is supernaturally strong, and can transform into other weapons such as a spear.
When empowered, Ketch's motorcycle undergoes a more radical transformation. It changes from a conventional looking motorcycle to one that appears powerful and high-tech. Along with flaming wheels, the bike includes a shield-like battering ram on the front. The motorcycle can travel faster than a conventional motorcycle and riding straight up vertical surfaces, across water, and through the air.
An alternate universe version of Danny Ketch appears in theUltimate Marvel imprint. This version is a spy and a member of theHowling Commandos who possesses a human appearance while transformed and can breathe fire.[14] During the "Cataclysm" storyline, Ketch sacrifices himself to save those infected byMODOK and theGah Lak Tus virus and destroy the City of Tomorrow. Ketch's consciousness is transferred into a mechanical body, creatingMachine Man.[15]
A zombified alternate universe version of Danny Ketch / Ghost Rider appears in the Marvel Zombies series. InMarvel Zombies 3, Ketch is killed byMachine Man, who steals his motorcycle to evade the zombies.[volume & issue needed]
An alternate universe version of Danny Ketch appears inMarvels. This version is a youngpaperboy.
A young alternate universe version of Danny Ketch appears inSpider-Man/Human Torch.
Danny Ketch appears inGhost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, portrayed byFergus Riordan. This version is the son ofMephisto/Roarke and possesses innate superpowers.[16][17]
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