FAQ

No, the motorcycle-riding supernatural character Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze) was created by writer-editor Roy Thomas, writer Gary Friedrich and artist Michael G. Ploog. He first appeared in "Marvel Spotlight" volume 1, #5 (Aug. 1972). Stan Lee by this time was Marvel Comics' publisher, and no longer the editor-in-chief. Note: Marvel Comics in the 1960s had an non-supernatural Old West character named Ghost Rider, later renamed Phantom Rider, who had been created by Thomas, Friedrich, and artist Dick Ayers. The two characters are related in many ways. For instance, they both have been created by Roy Thomas and Gary Friedrich (even if the two men don't really agree on who played which role in the creation of the Ghost Rider) and in the video game Marvel Ultimate Alliance, the costume of the Phantom Rider is one of the alternate outfits of the Ghost Rider character. Not to mention the Ghost Rider's issue #56 where the storyline include Hamilton Slade, an archeologist who's a distant descendant of Carter and Lincoln Slade, the two most well-known incarnations of the original Ghost/Phantom Rider.

The motorcyling Ghost Rider received his own series in 1973, which lasted until issue #81 (June 1983). The character was revived with a different host body, Dan Ketch, in the 1990s. Johnny Blaze in the 2000s became the Ghost Rider once again.

Johnny Blaze and Dan Ketch are related, but the possessing spirits (Zarathos and Nobel Kale, respectively) are two separate entities.

In the movie they had it wrong. It would been a jump of 360' not 300 as was stated. It is 360 because the goalposts are at the back of the endzone and endzones are 10 yards so 100 yards plus the 20 yards for the two endzones gives you a total yardage of 120 yards. 120 yards x 3 ft in a yard equals 360 feet. So Johnny actually jumped 360'. just a small error. :)

Not by humans really. In the movie he is knifed by a thug and has to get stitches, but later in the movie the entire police squad opens fire on him and he isn't hurt at all. He shrugs it off and needs no medical attention. This is a small error.

However, when Ghost Rider is stabbed, he may not have fully developed full control or potential of his 'powers'. Initially, when he changed into Ghost Rider, it seemed to be a painful process. Towards the end of the movie, he head goes full flaming inferno instantaneously. The scar he suffered earlier also disappears. In addition to his own body, neither his leathers nor Hellcycle can be affected by physical attempts to do them harm.

Marvel's website http://www.marvel.com/universe/Ghost_Rider_(John_Blaze) lists official and fan-perceived ratings for power, durability and other stats. Although many fans believe Ghost Rider should be invincible at 7, according to that chart, Marvel rates him at around 4, which is pretty darn tough, but doesn't think he should be indestructible. As a comparison, The Daredevil http://www.marvel.com/universe/Daredevil_%28Matthew_Murdock%29, as a normal person, rates at 2 for durability.

The Penance Stare, as described by the Caretaker, is indeed one of the Ghost Rider's greatest powers. The Penance Stare makes the target experience all of the pain and hurt they have inflicted upon others, leaving them physically unharmed, but their soul forever damaged. In a sense, it hurts the target no more than they have harmed other, innocent people.

The penance stare, more or less, breaks their spirit and harms their soul. They still live, just are merely a shell of who they are, and will continue to be that way, after death.

In the comics, there is no devil, and no hell. Instead there are a number of different demons each who rule their own hell-like dimension. These demons are constantly trying to collect the souls of mortals in order to gain more power than their rivals. Each of these demons tries to pass themselves off as Satan, and each tries to call their dimension hell, since Satan and Hell are the names mortals fear. Had Mephisto gained the power of these evil souls, it can be believed that he would have been able to conquer one or more of his rivals dimensions, maybe even all of them as he would gain more power from each dimension he conquered, and he might have evetually became the one true devil. The Penance Stare punishes the evil in the souls and thus makes them unusable to Mephisto, it does not send the souls to him. It should be noted that in the comics, Johnny Blaze does not have the ability to do the Penance Stare; that ability belongs to his little brother, Danny Ketch--Blaze's successor as the Ghost Rider.

There are three possible reasons behind the jellybeans. One is that since Johnny Blaze was such a popular Daredevil, he was akin to a rock-star, and the jellybeans make fun of the 'riders' (provisional clauses in contracts for appearances) some rock stars have. The second possibility is that the director, writer and everyone else wanted to present Johnny as a nutcase celebrity.

The third reason was that in the director's commentary, Mark Steven Johnson mentions that Nicolas Cage wanted to play Johnny Blaze as a guy who would not steer away from a righteous path, to prevent Mephistopheles from collecting on Blaze's deal, and calling the Ghost Rider into service. Johnny doesn't drink and chose jelly beans as his vice. Cage was inspired by his favorite president, Ronald Reagan, who famously kept jelly beans in a jar, on his desk at the oval office and often expressed his passion for the artifically-flavored (and colored!) candies.

The song is called "Ghost Riders in the Sky." It is an old western song that has been performed by many groups, including Sons of the Pioneers and Johnny Cash. The rock cover heard in the movie and during the end credits was done by an Australian band called Spiderbait.

Blackheart, unlike his demon brethren, never "fell" from Heaven (as he mentions to Caretaker, in the deleted scenes and/or extended version), and thus doesn't have the restrictions of other demons, or even his father.

Mephisto can not enter hallowed or consecrated ground because he is one of those who fell from heaven. Blackheart being his creation after his fall from heaven, never fell and the rules don't apply to him. Same reason can be applied to why Mephisto is bothered by the light and not Blackheart.

The engraving, as seen on the tombstone, reads: "Into paradise, may the angels lead you." The quotation is from Simon Birch (1998), featured in a scene that also includes a tombstone. Simon Birch was Mark Steven Johnson's directorial debut.

The extended version runs about 14:45 minutes longer than the theatrical cut. 33 Scenes have been extended or re-added. The Extended Cut shows more details from Johnny's youth, the relationship to his father is deepened, and Sam Elliott's character is more important.