Ghost Rider’s new deal with the devil flips his origin story after 52 years

Warning: Contains spoilers for Ghost Rider: Final Vengeance #6To save his adoptive father’s life, Johnny Blaze made a deal with the Devil, who, in return, bound Blaze’s soul to a fallen angel, thus creating the Ghost Rider. Decades later, Johnny went through hell and watched almost everything he loved burn to ash. Now, after years of hoping to break free from his curse, Blaze has made a new contract that brings him back to the beginning.

Ghost Rider: Final Vengeance #6 – Written by Benjamin Percy, with art by Danny Kim – features the epic conclusion of Johnny Blaze’s journey to reclaim his spirit of vengeance from the murderous hands of the Hood.

After Mephisto stripped Blaze of his hellish other half, Johnny was left with a Ghost Rider-sized hole in his soul that made him realize he needed the Rider as much as the Rider needed a host. But to fix things, Johnny Blaze has to do the one thing he swore he’d never do again: Make a deal with the devil.

Zarathos needs Johnny as much as Johnny needs Zarathos

Ghost Rider: Final Vengeance #6 – Written by Benjamin Percy; Art by Danny Kim, Bryan Valenza, & Travis Lanham

Johnny Blaze isn’t the first Ghost Rider to feel the void after losing their spirit of vengeance. After enough time hunting down sinful souls and dealing out well-deserved penance, the rider’s soul warps to needing that divine fire to keep it going. Even in Blaze’s unique case, the evil angel-turned-demon Zarath is needed for both to remain whole. Johnny hates Zarathos, and he makes it known in this issue, however Ending his relationship with the demon is more than just restoring his own soul.

Over the Ghost Rider: Final Vengeance Zarathos was instead wielded by the Hood, an ambitious magically-powered professional criminal with enough rage to feed the demon without end. In the hands of a man whose appetite for revenge is stronger than the devil’s self, the spirit of revenge becomes an unseen power of divine proportion. Johnny Blaze now understands more than ever that he is the one who tamed the spirit and that he alone is the only mortal who can withstand the flames of vengeance without unleashing hell.

After a long journey, Marvel’s first Ghost Rider Johnny Blaze returns to the beginning

Johnny Blaze, Back At The Crossroads

At a crossroads with the devil, like where it all began, Mephisto recognizes that Zarathos and Johnny are the perfect couple. One is worthless without the other. Revenge requires enough good intentions to fuel the flames of punishment that follow. In an unexpected act by the Hell Lord, Mephisto relinquishes control of Zarathos, for the first time in hundreds of years, to Blaise, who notices that “You belong to each other.” However, a contract requires payment and in return for the demon he thought he never wanted, Johnny Blaze is back to square one and in service to the Devil again.

Despite his journey with Mephisto seemingly back in the beginning, Johnny has gained something he’s never had in the past 52 years of comics: control. Johnny’s made amends with Zarathos before, but words can fall flat and deals can be broken. This time, both souls know they need each other whether they like it or not. Blaze knows there will still be a fight, but this time they are on equal footing. Johnny Blaze has his fire. Zarathos has his boss. Together, indeed for the first time, they are both Ghost Rider.

Ghost Rider: Final Vengeance #6 (2024)
	Writer: Benjamin Percy Artist: Danny Kim Colorist: Brian Valenza Writer: Travis Lanham Cover artist: Juan Ferreya