The Phantom Rider is the name of several fictional Old West heroic gunfighters in the Marvel Comics universe. The character name was originally the Ghost Rider, and was changed following the introduction of Marvel's motorcycle-riding supernatural character of the same name.

Marvel's first Ghost Rider look was based on the television series Lone Ranger and the Magazine Enterprises character Ghost Rider, created by writer Ray Krank and artist Dick Ayers for editor Vincent Sullivan in Tim Holt #11 (1949). The character appeared in horror-themed Western stories through the run of Tim Holt, Red Mask, and A-1 Comics up until the institution of the Comics Code. After the trademark to the character's name and motif lapsed, Marvel Comics debuted its own near-identical, horror-free version of the character in Ghost Rider Vol. 1, #1 (Feb. 1967), by writers Roy Thomas and Gary Friedrich and original Ghost Rider artist Ayers. After this series ended with issue #7 (Nov. 1967), the character went on to appear in new stories in the omnibus title Western Gunfighters (1970 series) and in new backup stories in the otherwise reprint title The Original Ghost Rider Rides Again.

With the introduction of Marvel's supernatural Ghost Rider in the 1970s, Marvel renamed its Western Ghost Rider — first, to the unfortunate Night Rider (a term previously used in the Southern United States to refer to members of the Ku Klux Klan) in a 1974-1975 reprint series, and then to Phantom Rider. At least five men have been the Phantom Rider, one of whom is active in the modern day.

The Magazine Enterprises library of characters, including its version of Ghost Rider, was acquired by AC Comics in the 1980s. The company renamed the Ghost Rider as the Haunted Horseman, due to Marvel having maintained the Ghost Rider trademark.

_The Riders_

Carter Slade

Carter Slade, the first to wear the mask, debuted in Ghost Rider #1 (Feb. 1967). He battled evil while dressed in a phosphorescent white costume, complete with a full-face mask, cape, and the requisite white hat. Slade received his outfit and his white horse from Flaming Star, a Native American medicine man.

He was never called the Phantom Rider in these original appearances. In Marvel continuity, it was not until after Slade's death that the name Phantom Rider was given to the character, and reprints now retroactively use that name for Slade.

Jamie Jacobs and Lincoln Slade

After Slade's death in Western Gunfighters #7 (Jan. 1972), his sidekick Jamie Jacobs became the second Phantom Rider. He was promptly killed in action, after which Slade's brother, U.S. Marshall Lincoln Slade, became the third Phantom Rider. Lincoln Slade was driven mad, to the point that he used a potion to control and rape the time traveling Avenger Mockingbird. Once the potion wore off, she fought and defeated him, but in the course of the battle he fell to his death from a cliff.[1].

Reno Jones

In the miniseries Blaze of Glory, the African American gunslinger Reno Jones used the Ghost Rider identity briefly in a battle with the Klan-affiliated mercenaries called the Nightriders. Jones had been half of the team called the Gunhawks, along with his former friend, Kid Cassidy, whom Jones had believed dead. Cassidy was revealed to be alive and the leader of the Nightriders; he was killed, and Jones retired.

Hamilton Slade

In present-day continuity, Lincoln Slade's distant descendant Hamilton Slade was an archaeologist who found the burial site of his legendary ancestor, in issue #56 of the supernatural-motorcyclist series Ghost Rider. As he explored the site, he found a large burial urn and from it appeared the ghostly garb of his ancestors Carter and Lincoln Slade. Possessed by the spirits of his ancestors, he became the new version of the Phantom Rider. Hamilton can become intagible, while in this state he can appear to fly, levitate, or walk on air. He can call upon Bashee, which was Carter Slade's horse. Hamilton is an average shot, but wears six-shooters that never run out of ammo and can become intagible to pass through objects.

In other media

• In the 2007 film Ghost Rider, actor Sam Elliott plays Carter Slade, a.k.a. Caretaker, though they are not the same characters in the comic book series. In the movie version of the story, Slade is Johnny's predecessor, who 150 years ago did not deliver a contract of hellbound souls to Mephistopheles. In the modern day, Slade awaits the arrival of the next Ghost Rider so he can be freed of his curse. Instead of the traditional Phantom Rider outfit, he looks more like the Johnny Blaze/Daniel Ketch Ghost Rider form, but in western attire and he rides a fire-breathing skeleton horse. This Ghost Rider closely resembles the spirit of vengeance from the new Garth Ennis/Clayton Crain series that was the slave Caleb whose family was slaughtered while his friend Travis Parham who tried to help may have become a part of the legend. (Ghost Rider: Trail of Tears).

• The video game Marvel: Ultimate Alliance has a Phantom Rider costume (labeled "Western") as one of the alternate outfits for the Ghost Rider character. While wearing this alternate costume, Ghost Rider retains his original move set, but when paired with other such characters in specific alternate costumes (e.g. Iron Man wearing the War Machine costume), the team is referred to as "Alternate Identities".

Bibliography

• Ghost Rider #1-7 (Feb.-Nov. 1967)

• Night Rider #1-6 (Oct. 1974 - Aug. 1975; shortened reprints of Ghost Rider #1-6)

• Western Gunfighters #1-7 (Aug. 1970 - Jan. 1972; as Phantom Rider in omnibus series)

• The Original Ghost Rider #3, 5-12, 15, 19 (Sept. 1992, Nov. 1992 - June 1993, Sept. 1993, Jan. 1994; as Phantom Rider in backup feature)