Ghost Rider and Spider-Man are very different types of heroes, but Marvel has just shown how awesome Peter Parker would be as the Spider of Vengeance.
There are not a lot of similarities between the demonic and silent Ghost Rider and the wall-crawling, fast-talking Spider-Man, but Marvel proves that anything is possible in the Spider-Verse. In new cover art for Ghost Rider #14 fans are given a glimpse of what it would look like if Peter Parker became the Spider of Vengeance.
Over the next few months Marvel Comics will be releasing multiple variants for upcoming titles, including Ghost Rider #23, which will includes a stunning alternate cover by Rod Reis. Created to fit the theme of the ever popular Spider-Verse, this Ghost Rider variant art portrays Spider-Man as fans have never imagined him, as a web-cracking and motorcycle-driving Spirit of Vengeance. This jaw-dropping concept art takes the familiar elements of everyone’s favorite web head and combines them with the themes and powers of Johnny Blaze and his fellow Ghost Riders. Peter appears decked out in a killer red and black leather outfit — complete with flaming spider symbol — even as the front of his motorcycle bears his old familiar pattern and color scheme. His webs are now flaming whips and the eyes of his blazing skull look very much like the eye plates of his Spider-Man mask. Reis is able to bring together an awesome character design that incorporates all the familiar powers of Ghost Rider with the big and small details that make Spider-Man so recognizable, and of course there are flames everywhere.
Meet Your Friendly Neighborhood Ghost Rider
This new fiery neighborhood Spider-Man could effortlessly fit into the already expansive world of the Spider-Verse. The dimension-spanning continuum that connects countless Spider-People from across multiple realities is a well known and recognizable concept by now. It made its first appearance in 2014 with Amazing Spider-Man #9 by Dan Slott and Olivier Coipel. The fan-favorite concept gave writers and artists the freedom to come up with outrageous new versions of Spider-Man, including Spider-Man Noir, Spider-Man 2099, and even a Spider-Girl who is a musical Disney princess. Later this year the Spider-Verse will return to Marvel Comics once again with the Edge of the Spider-Verse anthology limited series that will introduce new variants of Spider-Man with all new stories. To celebrate this upcoming release, various titles across Marvel, from X-Men to Iron Man to Ghost Rider are receiving the Spider-Verse treatment in new variant covers by some of the most talented artists in comics. Unfortunately, their creations are not canonically part of the Spider-Verse, but they can really inspire fans to imagine what’s possible.
When you really think about it, Peter Parker becoming the Spider of Vengeance is not really that far-fetched. After all, it has happened before. Fans will recall that the webhead has already made a deal with Mephisto. In the infamous Spider-Man: One More Day, written by J. Michael Straczynski and Joe Quesada, he makes a deal with Marvel’s devil to save Aunt May. But what if in another universe that deal did not simply end Peter and MJ’s marriage, but enslaved the wallcrawler to become the Spider of Vengeance? Not only would that twist have saved the comic, but it would have given fans a whole new take on both Spider-Man and Ghost Rider.
Spider-Man would make an excellent — if not somewhat less silent Ghost Rider. With his existing powers enhanced by the strength and fires of Hell, he would be almost unbeatable and capable of truly making the street-level crime and villains of New York feel penance for their sins. Both Ghost Rider and Spider-Man are very different types of heroes, but as Reis’ variant cover demonstrates combining them might make for the perfect new addition to Marvel’s Spider-Verse.
