Ghost Rider is best known as a Marvel “gimmick” character with a remarkable amount of staying power. This is largely due to his iconic look. I mean, who can deny that a dude with a flaming skull for a head, clad in leather and sitting atop a motorcycle looks pretty freaking cool? While that may be the most recognizable design for the character, that is by no means his only look. Nor was it his first.
This profile will examine the history and characters who have taken the mantle of Ghost Rider and how each of those individuals has been adapted in popular media. To start, we’ll look at the first incarnation of the character, before any supernatural elements were folded into his backstory.
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To a lot of people, this movie is probably the definition of “superfluous sequel”. It sure seems like very few people wanted to see it, or even noticed when it was released. Hell, less than a year after it came out, I was on a radio show discussing comic book movies and the host had never even heard of it. That said, I think it’s actually a surprisingly decent film. The Neveldine/Taylor brand of kinetic action works well for a character like Ghost Rider. It features surprisingly strong performances from the principal actors and a tone that is much more in-line with how a character like this should be portrayed. In fact, it seems like the only major failing of the film is that it wasn’t pushed further into weird Neveldine/Taylor territory (which is a struggle that is well documented in the film’s “making of” feature). Regardless, it’s miles above the original film.
Comic Book Media 