No Ghost Rider is complete without their Spirit of Vengeance. Yet, Marvel has failed for years to define what exactly these spirits are or how they work. At any writer’s convenience, the Spirits of Vengeance are subject to extreme change, disturbing the Ghost Rider’s most important piece of lore. However, the emissary of Hell’s newest series is finally filling some of the franchise’s biggest plot holes. Suddenly, everything makes sense.

Ever since Marvel’s very first Ghost Rider, Carter Slade, first debuted in Ghost Rider #1 (1966), every character who has shared the title has been engulfed in one single mystery: “How do their powers work?” Until Johnny Blaze’s debut, flaming skulls and demonic possessions had nothing to do with the name “Ghost Rider.”

Even after the franchise’s rebrand in 1972, it has continued to struggle to define what exactly a Spirit of Vengeance is. Considering the Spirits are just as crucial to Ghost Riders as Tony Stark’s armor is to Iron Man , it’s absurd that Marvel hasn’t figured this out.

The Complicated and Plot-Hole-Filled History of the Spirits of Vengeance

Spirits of Vengeance #3 - Written by Sabir Pirzada; Art by Devmalya Pramanik; Color by Andrew Dalhouse; Lettering by VC’s Travis Lanham; Cover Art by Josemaria Casanovas

When the concept of the Spirits of Vengeance was first introduced, it used to be that Zarathos was the only one. Until Danny Ketch’s debut, Johnny Blaze was the only Ghost Rider. After Danny was introduced in 1990 everything changed, except Marvel writers had no interest in cleaning up the new plot holes. Throughout the following decade other Ghost Riders, like Michael Badilino, were introduced, each possessing their own Spirit of Vengeance. Still, readers were never given a clear definition to explain the constant flow of contradictions to previous lore.

It wasn’t until Jason Aaron’s Ghost Rider series from 2006-2009 that the first straightforward backstory of the Spirits of Vengeance was given. The Spirits of Vengeance are vestiges of God’s will, brought about after the biblical Great Flood, and who have persisted on Earth ever since. Portions of God’s wrath, meant to cleanse the world of sin. Yet, this still failed to explain how Spirits like Zarathos or Vengeance worked or why there were so many Ghost Riders suddenly possessing different colors. Fortunately, after 54 years, we finally have all the answers.

What Exactly is a Spirit of Vengeance?

The Answer Is Less Complicated Than Marvel Makes it Seem

Spirits of Vengeance are souls that have been transformed to harness the powers of Hellfire, twisting the soul over time to crave sinners’ suffering.

Yes, the original Spirits of Vengeance were vestiges of God’s will sent to Earth to punish the sinful. However, think of the term as more of a state of being rather than an explicit object or person. Spirits of Vengeance are souls that have been transformed to harness the powers of Hellfire, twisting the soul over time to crave sinners’ suffering. Zarathos was originally a power-hungry demon who was metamorphosed into a Spirit of Vengeance after Mephisto had forcibly bonded the demon to mortals as a mockery of the original Spirits.

Likewise, demons like Vengeance and Hellverine’s Bagra-ghul were others who were once under Mephisto’s control, also transforming into Spirits via a similar and intentional process. Other demonic entities, like the god Leviathan who serves as Kushala’s Spirit of Vengeance, can be converted into Spirits through magical domination. Some were once mortals, like Robbie Reyes’s deceased satanic uncle, who, while not acknowledged as a legitimate Spirit, became one through his pact with Robbie. A Spirit of Vengeance isn’t a singular thing. Instead, it’s a state of being that occurs when a Hellfire-touched soul is bound to a mortal.

What Do the Different Spirit of Vengeance Colors Mean?

One Line Explains Nearly 20 Years of Confusion

One major plot hole that has appeared in more recent Marvel comics concerns the growing presence of different types of Ghost Riders. Traditionally, when a Spirit of Vengeance is called upon, the Ghost Rider is engulfed in glowing red and orange flames. This, for the most part, is a staple of the characters’ aesthetic. However, come the early 2000s, this would change again. Throughout Jason Aaron’s series, two new predominant colors were introduced, blue and green. The blue color was quickly attributed to Spirits of Vengeance who are more strongly tied to Heaven, depending on Zadkiel's powers instead.

In Spirits of Vengeance #3 (2024), Kowalski alludes that Spirits of Corruption were once Spirits of Vengeance that have been dominated and corrupted by their wielders.

The green-colored Ghost Riders had significantly less of an explanation. Deputy Kowalski, the second Vengeance, ignited green upon being given a Spirit of Vengeance from the angel Zadkiel. This was never explained, and the color wouldn’t appear again until Danny Ketch was given Balasco’s Spirit of Corruption, a new type of Spirit that was also never explained. That is, until now. Spirits of Vengeance #3 (2024), Kowalski alludes that Spirits of Corruption were once Spirits of Vengeance that have been dominated and corrupted by their wielders. In one fell swoop, Sabir Pirzada explained two plot holes in one line.

Spirits of Vengeance Is Cleaning Up Decades of Ghost Rider Lore

This Will Be Important Once the Spirit of Violence Debuts

“You’d be surprised by all the things a Spirit of Vengeance can do simply by exerting a little of their own free will.” - Kowalski

When Kowalski comes skull-to-skull with Vengeance, whose true name is revealed to be Zala, he casually drops a line that boasts about his “Corruption Stare.” This is the first time since Danny Ketch turned into the Death Rider that that phrase has been brought up. In fact, as soon as that series was finished, Danny hasn’t shown off that power since. This could mean that at some point in time, Ketch was able to purge Balasco’s corruption from the Spirit, transforming it to its original form.

While it may have been a one-off line, this brief interaction between Kowalski and Vengeance finally answers decades' worth of confusion. As Spirits of Vengeance pushes forward, it continues to clear up Ghost Rider’s muddied and unrefined lore while introducing new concepts that adhere to the newly written rules. These new tidbits of information are going to be crucial to piece together future lore, as Blaze and his fellow Ghost Riders prepare for the debut of the Spirit of Violence. Hopefully, moving forward, Ghost Rider fans won’t have to struggle to keep up with the growingly complicated Spirits of Vengeance.

Spirits of Vengeance #3 is available now from Marvel Comics.