Daredevil’s new Ghost Rider-inspired form has been revealed, and is one of his most unforgettable reimaginings ever seen in Marvel Comics. Some time has passed since Marvel debuted The “Hellverine,” a fierce Wolverine/Ghost Rider mashup who will spin off into their own title later this year. And to celebrate, Marvel is releasing a series of variant covers showcasing its heroes possessed by the same Spirit of Vengeance.
Most outstanding among them is the cover art for Daredevil #9, fusing the iconic Ghost Rider with Daredevil in a nightmare come to life. It may not be the first time that Daredevil and Ghost Rider have crossed paths, but the art by Stormbreakers artist Chris Allen is historic in its own right
True to the hero’s name, this new form of Matt Murdock is seen smashing its way through a church window, but instead of his clubs, he is using Ghost Rider’s trademark hooked, spiked chains. With his entire body engulfed in demonic fire, and screaming, the sightless superhero now grows two massive horns where his eyes once resided.
Long-time fans of the Man Without Fear may see similarities between Daredevil’s new Ghost Rider appearance and that of Hellspawn. A doppelgänger of Daredevil, Hellspawn was introduced during 1992’s Infinity War, introduced when the evil Magus created clones of the heroes. Hellspawn survived the event, and would later fight Daredevil.
Hellspawn, attempting to become human, kills several people. In the ensuing “Fall from Grace” storyline, Daredevil adopted black and silver armor to combat Hellspawn, and even used the clone’s body to fake his own death. Artist Chris Allen takes cues from one of Daredevil’s most memorable eras and creates a wild reimagining of the Man Without Fear, one that also taps into the character’s religious nature.
Daredevil is deeply religious, and bonding him with a Ghost Rider creates contrasts that creators could mine for some truly compelling stories. If Matt were to bond with a Spirit of Vengeance, it would create a fascinating duality, and one that has precedent in the comics. A Spirit of Vengeance thrown into the mix could lead Daredevil to a serious crisis of faith. Daredevil’s faith informs his actions, and his struggles to reconcile it with the horrors he sees on a regular basis have formed the basis of some of his best stories, such as Born Again, as well as the entirety of Kevin Smith’s run in the late 1990s.
Daredevil has sported a number of different outfits in his 60-year history. Initially wearing a yellow and red get-up, he would soon switch to the bright, all-red duds that became his signature look. Daredevil has kept this costume, with a few exceptions. He wore an all-black outfit in the 2010s, and earlier, during the 1990s, donned an infamous suit of black and silver armor during the Fall from Grace event. If Daredevil is consistent about one thing in his life, it is his heroic outfit, but Ghost Rider is upending that.
Daredevil #9 is on sale May 8 from Marvel Comics.