While Johnny Blaze is the most famous Ghost Rider (if only for his portrayal by a scenery-chewing Nicholas Cage in two movies), he's not the only one who has held onto the mantle. With the possible exception of the current Ghost Rider, Robbie Reyes, the second-most popular is most likely Danny Ketch, the Ghost Rider of the '90s. After languishing in obscurity for a couple of years, Danny Ketch is back with a brand new Spirit . . . of Corruption.
Danny Ketch first appeared in Ghost Rider #1 in 1990. After finding a strange motorcycle in a junkyard, Danny Ketch became the new Ghost Rider and avenged her sister after she was badly wounded by gangsters. He would later learn he was, in fact, the long-lost brother of Johnny Blaze, and the two bore the curse of the Spirits of Vengeance. Though Danny Ketch would be a popular character, he would perish several times, though in every case his death is fairly short-lived.
In Ghost Rider #4 by Ed Brisson and Aaron Kuder, Ketch returned with the pivotal role of stopping his predecessor, Johnny Blaze, from being corrupted after Johnny took over hell itself. Unfortunately, the encounter didn't go well for Ketch, who wound up beaten and tossed off the Brooklyn Bridge, powerless. Ketch is sent to Limbo by the Caretaker, where he beseeches Belasco, ruler of Limbo, for aid. Belasco offers up Necrosis, the Spirit of Corruption - if Ketch can overpower the mighty entity.
This doesn't seem to go particularly well for Ketch either until Necrosis inexplicably falls to the ground like an empty shell of armor. Danny Ketch is then embued with the power of Necrosis. Despite these new powers, however, the devil is certainly in the details, or in this case, Limbo. Belasco's exact reasoning for helping Ketch is a mystery, but it seems likely he wants to counter Blaze, if not move into his territory entirely.
The Spirit of Corruption is an interesting turn for Danny Ketch, as the character has largely existed in the shadow of Johnny Blaze. Now, with Blaze taking the throne as the King of Hell, the rise of his own brother as his superpowered nemesis is certainly a compelling direction. That said, the look of Necrosis is slightly underwhelming. It's not a terrible design, but it recalls 90's DC characters like Prometheus and Parallax. It's not a terrible costume, but it doesn't appear as striking as the flaming skull motorcycle combo of the Ghost Rider. Then again, as that particular motif has been re-imagined several times over, it's hard to imagine what would look better.
Regardless, Danny Ketch's new upgrade as Necrosis, the Spirit of Corruption, is an interesting twist in the Ghost Rider saga. Johnny Blaze, the host of the Spirit of Vengeance, has taken over Hell in a bid against Mephisto. In doing so, he's left himself open to that old chestnut - "absolute power corrupts absolutely." Will a new Spirit of Corruption, possessed by his very brother, be able to settle the score?
