Ghost (Marvel Comics)
Ghost | |
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Notable aliases | Phantasm Casper |
Abilities |
Battle suit grants:
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Ghost is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by David Michelinie and Bob Layton, the character first appeared in Iron Man #219 (June 1987). Ghost is a genius inventor and hacker who wears a battle suit that allows him to become invisible and intangible. Although he started out as an adversary of the superhero Iron Man, Ghost has also been depicted as an antihero and member of the Thunderbolts.[1]
The character has been substantially adapted from the comics into various forms of media, including animated television series and video games.
Publication history
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Created by David Michelinie and Bob Layton, the character first appeared in Iron Man #219 (June 1987).[2] Originally a supervillain to Iron Man, Ghost has since become an anti-hero figure after becoming a member of the Thunderbolts during the events of "Dark Reign" and "Heroic Age".
Fictional character biography
Very little is known about the identity of the Ghost. He claims to have been an IT researcher at one time, and to have been made into what he is by corporate greed. The Ghost is an anti-capitalist saboteur who seeks to destroy various political and economic institutions he views as oppressive, apparently being most interested in those dealing with advanced technology and surveillance. He has, at times, hired his services out to corporations and other organizations, such as Norman Osborn's Thunderbolts, that wish to destroy rival groups, but invariably plans to turn on his own employers and topple them as well.
Origin
An unnamed man once worked as a programmer and an engineer at a rising IT company called Omnisapient. Impressing the board of directors with his technological prowess and genius intellect, he quickly rose up the ranks and assumed the company's flagship project for which he developed a revolutionary processor that could physically change in reaction to its environment, becoming intangible before it can overheat. Thanks to his Ghost Tech, the company's stock skyrocketed while the board, ever more dependent on the man who would become Ghost, collected the credit. Exhausted after months of work, the socially introverted programmer decided to leave on vacation, conflicting with the board of directors' expectations for an ahead-of-schedule launch that could increase their profit margins significantly. Approached by an attractive co-worker as he was about to leave, the young man cancelled his travel plans and began a relationship with her. Happier and more productive than ever, he now found every single aspect of his life tied to the company, all part of a well-oiled machine, until his lover died in an explosion at her apartment. Depressed over her death and unable to cope with its apparent randomness, he sought solace by immersing his consciousness into the data networks he created by wiring his own flesh with his flux-state processors. Within this network, no randomness existed and his unconscious mind, in a state of alpha, could solve any dilemma his conscious mind was unable or unwilling to. In this state, he pieced memories and hidden fragments of data together to realize his dead lover had been hired by the board to seduce him, keeping him happy and available to the company's every demand, and later murdered for blackmailing them for more money. Terrified, he attempted to flee, but his discoveries had been detected by the board of directors which dispatched a contract killer after him. The hitman detonated a bomb in his apartment before he could leave, destroying the entire building and killing dozens of tenants. However, he survived, made intangible by the flux-state processors fused with his body when a wall of fire hit him. The experience completed his psychological transformation and the once naive workaholic emerged as the Ghost, a paranoid vigilante bent on wiping out corporatocracy. He took revenge upon the board of directors, butchering them, along with their contract killer, and then erased all records of his previous life.[3]
The Accutech Merger
Sometime after this, Ghost was hired by Carrington Pax, a leading executive of the Roxxon Oil Corporation, to destroy Accutech Research and Development. Accutech was trying to develop a beta particle generator and when they refused to sell it to Roxxon, the Ghost was hired to drive Accutech into bankruptcy. Tony Stark was interested in acquiring Accutech's technology and bought the company. Investigating a disturbance at the new facility as Iron Man, he first met the Ghost. Iron Man managed to drive the Ghost from Accutech, but the Ghost swore that he would have his revenge on Iron Man's employer, Tony Stark.[volume & issue needed]
For the next few weeks, Tony Stark spent all his free time modifying his armor. Sometimes, for extra security, he would sleep in his armor, too. When Pax and the other executives at Roxxon heard that the Ghost had gone rogue, they feared his actions would make the company look bad, so they called in
Tony finally took the offensive against the Ghost. He set up a trap and the Ghost walked right into it. After a short battle between Iron Man and the Ghost, Iron Man cornered the Ghost in the room with the beta particle generator. He had it turned on so he could see the cloaked Ghost better, since radiation from the generator would cause interference in the Ghost's sophisticated tech-suit. However, prolonged exposure to the generator was fatal, and Iron Man didn't want to stay in the room for too long. But the Ghost had sworn to bring down Stark Enterprises and nothing, not even the chance of dying, would stop him. As he tried to reach the generator to destroy it, the intense heat from his overloading costume caused the floor to melt and the Ghost fell through. As Iron Man searched for him, all he found of the Ghost was his burnt costume. Still, Tony didn't believe that the Ghost was dead.[6]
Unholy Ghost
Indeed, fairly soon after, the Ghost reappeared — this time plaguing a company in Italy, owned by none other than
Ghost attempted to kill Iron Man by rendering him intangible. While Iron Man managed to save the lives of everybody involved, Electronica Fabbrizi was irrevocably destroyed and the Ghost escaped. However, when the mysterious villain confronted Hammer, it was revealed the ruthless business man had defenses developed against the Ghost's intangibility powers, and made his own escape, leaving his assailant trapped. Blasting his way out, the saboteur vowed to continue his crusade against Hammer and all companies anywhere.[9]
Ghost was next hired by the
The Ghost was then defeated by Sunturion, but escaped and was then defeated by Ultron.[11]
The Big Bang Theory
Much later, several companies were suddenly and violently destroyed when bombs, apparently installed in personal computers, went off in inner-city offices. Tony Stark, who at the time was undercover as a common employee at one of the companies that went under, managed to track down the source of the attacks: the "Advanced Corp", a cover for AIM. It was then revealed that AIM, not usually operating in common business circles, on this occasion had employed a special agent to eliminate the competition: the Ghost. Nearly defeating Iron Man in their first fight and escaping without a hitch, he hit a nasty snag during their second fight when he attempted to phase his costumed hand into Iron Man's chest, and Tony Stark's then-artificial heart defended itself, knocking him unconscious. He was subsequently arrested, but his identity appears to have remained unknown.[12]
Inevitable
Later still, having apparently escaped, the Ghost (in a new, more streamlined outfit) was employed by the third
The Ghost was mentioned by
"Dark Reign"
During the "
Ghost helps Osborn take control of
"Stark Disassembled"
Because Tony Stark had purposely lobotomized himself into a vegetative state, and had his power of attorney transferred over to
Thunderbolts post-"Siege"
For his help in the downfall of Norman Osborn, Ghost was recruited into the new Thunderbolts team formed in the aftermath of the "Siege" storyline.
Ghost is later approached by
Powers and abilities
The Ghost wears a
The Ghost also invented guns that fire bursts of electricity or concussive force blasts and employs a large arsenal of high-tech weaponry, including incendiary devices, self-targeting Anson grenades and sound-activated bombs. He often avoids direct confrontations altogether, preferring subterfuge and ambush tactics.
He is a brilliant
Reception
Accolades
- In 2018, CBR.com ranked Ghost 7th in their "Iron Man: His 20 Deadliest Villains" list.[29]
- In 2022, Newsarama ranked Ghost 10th in their "Best Iron Man villains" list.[30]
Other versions
The
In other media
Television
- Ghost makes a cameo appearance in the Iron Man episode "The Armor Wars", voiced simultaneously by Jennifer Hale, Jamie Horton, and Tom Kane.[34]
- Ghost appears in Iron Man: Armored Adventures, voiced by Michael Dobson.[citation needed] This version is a charismatic and highly competent mercenary.
- Ghost appears in Inhumanwith phasing capabilities.
- Ghost appears in the Spider-Man episode "Stark Expo", voiced again by Jim Cummings.[34] This version is a former Stark Industries employee.
Film
- A female incarnation of the Ghost named Janet van Dyneand goes into hiding with Foster once more.
- John-Kamen will reprise her role as Starr in the upcoming MCU film Thunderbolts.[37]
Video games
- Ghost appears as a boss in the PSP and Wii versions of Iron Man 2, voiced by Steve Blum.[citation needed]
- Ghost appears in Marvel Heroes, voiced by Phil Buckman.[34]
- Ghost appears in Marvel: Avengers Alliance 2.[38]
- An unnamed female incarnation of Ghost appears in Iron Man VR,[39] voiced by Chantelle Barry.[34] This version is a computer hacker who wears a suit that allows her to fly and phase through solid matter. After being orphaned as a child due to Stark Industries' weapons, she seeks revenge against Tony Stark. In pursuit of her goals, she comes into contact with Stark's rogue A.I. the Gunsmith who manipulates her into pushing the company to produce weapons again in response to her attacks. After several battles, Ghost is defeated at her hideout and arrested. She later escapes and reluctantly joins forces with Stark to defeat the Gunsmith before disappearing.
- The MCU incarnation of Ghost appears as a playable character in Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 via Marvel's Ant-Man and the Wasp DLC pack.[40]
Miscellaneous
Ghost appears in the Spider-Woman motion comic, voiced by Jesse Falcon.[34]
References
- ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.
- ISBN 978-1-4654-7890-0.
- ^ a b Thunderbolts #151 - A Ghost's Story, 2010
- ^ Iron Man #220
- ^ Dark Reign: Made Men #1
- ^ Iron Man #219-221
- ^ Iron Man (1968) #239
- ^ a b Iron Man (1968) #240
- ^ Iron Man #238-240
- ^ Amazing Spider-Man Annual #25
- ^ The Spectacular Spider-Man Annual #11
- ^ Iron Man (1998) #45
- ^ Iron Man: Inevitable #4
- ^ Avengers: The Initiative #6
- CBR.com.
- ^ Thunderbolts #128. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Thunderbolts #129. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Dark Avengers #1. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Thunderbolts #133. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Thunderbolts #133-136. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Invincible Iron Man #20-24. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Arrant, Chris (February 9, 2010). "Luke Cage Powers Into THUNDERBOLTS as Heroic Age Leader". Newsarama. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Thunderbolts #144. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Thunderbolts #149. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Thunderbolts #150. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Dan Slott and Christos N. Gage (w), Humberto Ramos (p), Victor Olazaba (i), Edgar Delgado (col), Chris Eliopoulos (let), Nick Lowe (ed). "The Graveyard Shift, Part One: The Late, Late Mr. Parker" The Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 3, no. 16 (11 March 2015). United States: Marvel Comics.
- ^ Dan Slott and Christos N. Gage (w), Humberto Ramos (p), Victor Olazaba (i), Edgar Delgado (col), Chris Eliopoulos (let), Nick Lowe (ed). "The Graveyard Shift, Part Two: Trust Issues" The Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 3, no. 17 (1 April 2015). United States: Marvel Comics.
- ^ Dan Slott and Christos N. Gage (w), Humberto Ramos (p), Victor Olazaba (i), Edgar Delgado (col), Chris Eliopoulos (let), Nick Lowe (ed). "The Graveyard Shift, Part Three: Trade Secrets" The Amazing Spider-Man, vol. 3, no. 18 (May 6, 2015). United States: Marvel Comics.
- ^ Ashford, Sage (2018-07-11). "Iron Man: His 20 Deadliest Villains, Officially Ranked". CBR. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- ^ Marston, George Marston (2022-03-02). "Best Iron Man villains". gamesradar. Retrieved 2022-12-29.
- ^ Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars #1. Marvel Comics.
- ^ Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars #3. Marvel Comics.
- ^ a b Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars #4. Marvel Comics.
- ^ a b c d e f "Ghost Voices (Iron Man)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved January 28, 2024. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
- ^ Breznican, Anthony (July 22, 2017). "Michelle Pfeiffer will play Janet Van Dyne in Ant-Man and The Wasp". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 24, 2017. Retrieved July 22, 2017.
- ^ @stitchkingdom (June 20, 2018). "#AntManAndTheWasp cast list" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Panaligan, EJ (September 10, 2022). "Marvel's 'Thunderbolts' Recruits Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and More". Variety. Retrieved September 10, 2022.
- ^ Marvel: Avengers Alliance 2. Archived 2016-04-20 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Peterson, Cody (July 3, 2020). "Iron Man VR: Who is Ghost?". Screen Rant.
- ^ "Ant-Man and the Wasp Join LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2". 4 July 2018.
External links
- Ghost at Marvel.com