Deadpool and Ghost Rider are long-standing Marvel comic characters. Both have incredible healing and fighting powers that potentially make them immortal.
Deadpool and Ghost Rider captivated audiences in the movies too. Deadpool has two Marvel movies in his name (with a third coming soon) where he hilariously fights and recovers from grave injuries. Ghost Rider has two movies where he shows off his intense hellfire powers.
In a Deadpool versus Ghost Rider matchup, who would win? It seems that across the comics and movies, one winner stands out.
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Deadpool vs. Ghost Rider in the Comics
The wise-cracking mercenary Deadpool has many strengths that could defeat Ghost Rider. Since his first appearance in the New Mutants #98 in 1991, Wade Wilson/Deadpool displayed stunning agility, fighting skills, and dexterity that can take down any opponent.
Better yet, Wade served as a test subject in the U.S.-Canadian Weapon X Program that gave him a healing power that allows Deadpool to recover from any injury. With his genetically modified body, Deadpool can regenerate any body part, including his head.
He also has a high resistance to chemicals, disease, and can fend off telepathic attacks. These attributes make him potentially immortal and nearly invincible.
Ghost Rider first appeared in the comic by that name in the early 1970s. The stunt motorcyclist Johnny Blaze gave his soul to a demon to save his father, which turned him into a hell-riding, flaming skull supernatural Marvel character.
In the 1990s, Danny Ketch became the new Ghost Rider adorned with a black leather jacket, mystical chain, and blazing motorcycle wheels. Across these two characters, and a third Robbie Reyes, Ghost Rider was instilled with a Spirit of Vengeance that granted god-like, unimaginable powers.
With this spiritual force, Ghost Rider has powers like god-like speed, reflexes, and durability. He also has regenerative capabilities and immortality.
Deadpool and Ghost Rider have a similar basis then, but with Ghost Rider’s otherworldly powers, that could make the difference in the comics.
In one poll, Ghost Rider wins because of the durability and power difference between the two. Deadpool is agile, combat-ready, and regenerative, but Ghost Rider overpowers and withstands him at a higher rate.
However, this level of power depends on how much he utilizes the Spirit of Vengeance. If Ghost Rider can fully draw on this power but not be overwhelmed by it, then he has unlimited strength and the power to consume an opponent’s soul. If not, Deadpool may have a chance to win.
Yet, Ghost Rider also has the fusion of mystical power with the Hell Cycle and Charger. The first is a hellfire motorcycle that defies the laws of physics and moves at dizzying speeds, up verticals, and sometimes flies.
The Hell Charger is a 1969 Dodge Charger in the more recent comics that serves as “an unstoppable monster of a machine” that carries hell-firing weapons too. With these two vehicles, Ghost Rider’s power grows even larger.
Another commentary about this matchup in the comics confirms that Ghost Rider would win because of his hell-based range of powers, including the penance stare.
This Ghost Rider power alone inflicts its victims with negative memories and pain from the past to incapacitate them. Although Deadpool was defeated by the penance stare, he also seemed to relish it.
Can Ghost Rider Penance Stare at Deadpool?
The penance stare is a supernatural power that devastates opponents because it forces them to face their mistakes and feelings of remorse from past wrongs. Yet, it can also backfire when used on some people.
Ghost Rider once used it on Venom in a fight and it overloaded him. The Punisher was also not affected by the penance stare. This may be the case with Deadpool.
In the comic Deadpool #26, Ghost Rider applied the lock-eyed penance stare on Deadpool, but the latter passed out. So, the penance stare may not have worked.
However, Marvel fans also examined this issue and concluded that the penance stare worked on Deadpool. One post points out how the scene has been misinterpreted, and that Deadpool experiences the pain of his past victims while he relives a flashback.
Deadpool has a strong reaction when he strikes Ghost Rider at the end of the sequence. So, it seems to have worked but it does not seem to have defeated Deadpool.
Fans pointed out that the penance stare can also be used to show its victims something and not only to defeat them. So, it seems to have achieved this goal with Deadpool.
Deadpool vs. Ghost Rider in the Movies
Deadpool’s powers come through clearly in the movies. As this compilation shows, he has extreme durability, martial arts fighting skills, amazing coordination, expert use of weapons, and regenerative healing.
His mercenary/superhero power skills combine with invincibility to make Wade Wilson a most formidable opponent.
In the first Ghost Rider movie from 2007, we see Ghost Rider with intense powers that coincide with the comics.
Once Johnny Blaze transforms into the Ghost Rider, he has the Spirit of Vengeance and corresponding demonic powers. He has superhuman strength, endurance, regeneration ability, and mystical hellfire at his command.
He also has his Hellcycle, a flamed shotgun, and a mystic chain that can transform into all kinds of weapons. Ghost Rider thus is at least as strong as in the comics, as long as these powers don’t go out of control.
In the 2012 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Ghost Rider takes on a more comedic persona, but is still imbued with tremendous powers. For example, his blazing chains can take out anything they touch while he rides along in fire against his opponents.
Both have tremendous powers then, but here too it seems that Ghost Rider takes them to another level and bests Deadpool.
Deadpool versus Ghost Rider
Deadpool is an unstoppable mercenary who regenerates from any wound. Ghost Rider is a hell-fired, god-like force to be reckoned with. By that logic, Ghost Rider stands above Deadpool.
In the comics, the characters’ combat skills appear even. But the Spirit of Vengeance power that includes the penance stare tips the edge to Ghost Rider.
We can see this conclusion in the movies too. Both are formidable fighters but Ghost Rider’s demonic powers provide an angle to victory.
Todd Wahlstrom is a creative and analytical freelance writer and life-long Star Wars fan who has expanded into writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has written about recent shows such as The Mandalorian and Andor and classic topics like Darth Vader, the Jedi, and Boba Fett. His recent articles include the MCU’s Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor. Todd is the author of a non-fiction book, holds a Ph.D. in history, and enjoys hiking, running, and reading about science.