Summary
- Marvel introduces the new Ghost Rider, Parker Robbins (aka the Hood), who was a major Avengers villain in the ’00s.
- The Hood, armed with a demonic cloak and dark mystical abilities, becomes the new Ghost Rider and plans to take over the criminal underworld.
- Ghost Rider: Final Vengeance #1 is coming March 13 from Marvel Comics.
Marvel has revealed the identity of its new Ghost Rider, who will soon be taking over from the original Spirit of Vengeance, Johnny Blaze. The holder is a major Avengers villain, though someone who has been forgotten in recent years, despite being one of the only humans to ever come close to assembling the full Infinity Gauntlet.
As revealed by Marvel, the new Ghost Rider is Parker Robbins, aka the Hood. Coming this March, Ghost Rider: Final Vengeance will see the Spirit of Vengeance choose a new host, upgrading the former Avengers foe with incredibly supernatural powers. Marvel had teased that a villain would be taking over the Ghost Rider role, but no-one had guessed the Hood was the chosen host. The reveal comes as Marvel solicits the second issue of the series.
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GHOST RIDER: FINAL VENGEANCE #2 (2024) |
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Release Date: |
April 18, 2024 |
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Writer: |
Benjamin Percy |
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Artists: |
Danny Kim |
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Cover Artist: |
Juan Ferreyra |
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An evolution of Benjamin Percy’s acclaimed GHOST RIDER run, this new series will see an iconic super villain unleash hellfire as the new Ghost Rider – the criminal mastermind known as the Hood! Armed with a demonic cloak and dark mystical abilities, Parker Robbins’ undying lust for more power and fortune has made one of the Marvel Universe’s dangerous threats. Now with the Spirit of Vengeance claiming what’s left of his soul, there’s no stopping his bloody takeover of the criminal underworld. By the time Johnny Blaze is able to claw his way back from the abyss to reclaim the Spirit of Vengeance, it’ll be far too late! |
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The Hood’s darkest moment saw him resurrect the Punisher’s family to torture him emotionally.
With powers that have been estimated as enough to burn the Hulk to a crisp, the Ghost Rider numbers among Marvel’s most powerful heroes, but thankfully the power has usually been held by those who only want to use it to do good. Now, that has changed. Speaking about the choice of the Hood, Percy says:
Some villains you know all too well. Doctor Doom. Thanos. Mephisto. But I find it especially fun to bring the lesser known baddies out of the shadows and give them a shot at a starring role. That’s what I did with Omega Red during X LIVES OF WOLVERINE/X DEATHS OF WOLVERINE – and that’s what I’m doing now with Ghost Rider.
The Hood wants a taste of the big-time. And he’s made a deal with the devil to help him on his way. This is what happens when the Spirit of Vengeance is stripped from Johnny Blaze and grafted on to a character who has no moral compass. An epic crime saga – flavored with horror – awaits readers in GHOST RIDER: FINAL VENGEANCE.
The Hood Is Marvel’s New Ghost Rider
The Avengers’ Demonic Villain Returns from Obscurity
First appearing in 2002’s Hood (Brian K. Vaughan and Kyle Hotz), Parker Robbins was a small-time criminal who stumbled upon a mystical cloak which allowed him to access various magical abilities, including walking on air and turning invisible as long as he could hold his breath. The Hood experienced a meteoric rise through Marvel’s underworld, and was recruited by Norman Osborn during the ‘Dark Reign’ era to organize Marvel’s superpowered villains into a single gang, frequently attacking the Avengers.
The Hood isn’t all about villainy, and becoming Ghost Rider could offer a road to redemption.
Parker was later promoted to be part of the Cabal – a group of villains who secretly ran world events. Parker’s darkest moment saw him resurrect the Punisher’s family to torture him emotionally, at the same time as bringing several supervillains back to life with his mystic powers. The Hood was heavily involved in the Siege event, and later used his connections to gather almost all the Infinity Stones before being beaten by the Avengers and Illuminati.
The Hood’s abilities were eventually revealed to be a result of Doctor Strange’s nemesis Dormammu working through him to influence the mortal world. This occasionally allowed Parker to adopt a demonic form and shoot bullets charged with eldritch fire, fighting heroes including Wolverine and Daredevil.
The Hood Was a Major Villain in the ’00s
Many Stories Suggest That Given the Chance, The Hood Could Be Redeemed
Since then, the Hood hasn’t been able to maintain his status as a major player, and his most notable recent appearance was fighting Ghost Rider in 2023’s Ghost Rider Annual #1 (Percy and Kim.) It makes perfect sense that he’d feel the need to take revenge on those who deposed him, and – as a former thrall of Dormammu – it won’t be the first time he’s played the game of trying to use a power mystic being to satisfy his own petty grudges.
However, the Hood isn’t all about villainy. While he was later corrupted by Dormammu, Parker Robbins originally at least tried to do good where he could – as seen in the Beyond! miniseries (Dwayne McDuffie and Scott Kolins) where he showed his human side and helped Earth’s heroes escape a deadly alien world. The Spirit of Vengeance may be terrifying, but it exists to punish evil, meaning that while Hood may start out with plans to abuse his new power level, it’s possible that becoming Ghost Rider could offer this former Avengers foe a road to redemption. Fans will find out if that’s the case when Ghost Rider: Final Vengeance introduces Marvel’s new Spirit of Vengeance.
Ghost Rider: Final Vengeance #1 is coming March 13 from Marvel Comics, followed by issue 2 on April 18.
Source: Marvel
