Slightly Misplaced Comics Hero Case Files #14: 90s Ghost Rider

Real Firestone tires!

 

Legacy heroes are nothing new.  DC has practically built their whole universe around it when they revived a few of their Golden Age heroes as new Silver Age versions with new names, looks, and in some case, powers.  Marvel hasn’t done it quite so often, but there have been a couple cases.  The big problem with a legacy hero, where the superhero name can be passed along to a successor, is that sooner or later the original–or at least best known version of that character–returns and takes the mantle back.  This can occur no matter how popular the new guy is, though the new guy may stick around for other reasons.

Dan Ketch, the Ghost Rider of the 90s, was not one of those new guys who got to stick around.

Road To Secret Wars Part 4

 

This week’s recap of Jonathan Hickman’s dual Avengers runs leading up to the new Secret Wars will cover the Infinity crossover, which brought Thanos into the story in a way that his creator Jim Starlin has probably already retconned as out-of-character behavior, possible the work of a clone.  Because that’s what he does any time anyone other than he uses Thanos in a story.

This entry will probably be one of the longest and densest since it covers the Infinity  storyline.  You’ve been warned.  As always, SPOILERS behind the cut.