When Marvel fans think of Ghost Rider, we may envision his flaming eyes and skull. Or, we may see him riding toward us on his Hellcycle.
Infused with the Spirit of Vengeance, Ghost Rider is not harmed by most other superheroes and can regenerate if he does suffer a wound. Ghost Rider is thus one of the most powerful Marvel characters and is considered to be immortal.
What can kill Ghost Rider in the MCU and Comics? Supernatural means could kill Ghost Rider but that takes a particular situation to happen.
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Is Ghost Rider Immortal?
Those familiar with Ghost Rider know that one of his main attributes is his immortality. Super strength, durability, stamina, and Hellfire manipulation are among his top powers, along with immortality.
His immortality, however, comes with a hitch. If the Spirit of Vengeance is inside a host like Johnny Blaze, then Ghost Rider is immortal. If that spirit leaves or is forced out, Ghost Rider is no longer immortal.
With the Spirit of Vengeance, Ghost Rider cannot die from old age and can withstand most attacks.
Yet, once that spirit is gone, a vulnerability comes through that could allow someone or something to kill Ghost Rider.
Fans also said Ghost Rider is not immortal because he is cursed. Once a particular Ghost Rider’s time is up, he is stripped of his power, aging commences, and death is possible.
What Can Kill Ghost Rider in the MCU?
The power of Mephistopheles or Mephisto can kill Ghost Rider in the MCU. Mephisto is the devil entity that served as the primary antagonist in the Ghost Rider movies and faced off with Johnny Blaze.
Mephisto’s demonic powers and immortality provide a basis for taking out Ghost Rider. Based on the comics, Mephisto attached the demon Zarathos to Johnny Blaze and created Ghost Rider and his powers. Mephisto could thus take this power away and kill Ghost Rider.
As the ruler of Marvel hell, Mephisto is a deity entity that can change reality, shapeshift, and contend with Thor and Dr. Strange. He figures above Ghost Rider in power and is a likely candidate to take out the latter.
However, Ghost Rider defeated Mephisto and sent him back to hell in the MCU. It seems that Mephisto’s power was not enough.
Like the comics (below), Zarathos could also kill Ghost Rider. His durability, energy, and fighting skills could be enough to do it.
Zarathos also has Magical Energy Manipulation that lets him harness mystical energies or take them away from an opponent. This mythical factor figures prominently in possibly killing Ghost Rider in the MCU and comics.
Yet, Zarathos falls short of “God” powers in the movies. It may take that full extent of power to kill Ghost Rider.
What Can Kill Ghost Rider in the Comics?
The character Ghost Rider is immortal and conventional weapons cannot harm him. So, physical assaults or the use of traditional power from superheroes will not kill him.
However, Daniel Ketch as Ghost Rider died at the hands of Johnny Blaze, who took the Spirit of Vengeance from him. So, this Ghost Rider probably perished, but the original one returned.
Ghost Rider lives on then and regenerates his head and other body parts when injured. His regenerative healing power is among many strengths that place him beyond regular superhero status.
In the comics, Ghost Rider’s powers are “boundless” and “godlike”, and the only thing that can kill Ghost Rider may be God. Ghost Rider’s powers come from the Spirit of Vengeance, a celestial being who cannot die.
This line of reasoning is reflected in 2010’s Ghost Riders: Heaven’s on Fire #6, where Ghost Rider’s invulnerability and seeming immortality are apparent, and Johnny Blaze makes this claim.
Supernatural means are the only way to kill Ghost Rider then. As this video explains, the demon Zarathos absorbed Ghost Rider’s “essence” and used a “mystical” attack to take him out.
Zarathos took away the Spirit of Vengeance power from Ghost Rider’s host, Johnny Blaze, and could then kill him.
Yet, this Spirit can find a new host, and Ghost Rider can live on.
Who Else Can Kill Ghost Rider?
Since other Marvel characters can defeat Ghost Rider, they could kill him through different means than how Zarathos did it.
Galactus is a case in point. This character has the Power Cosmic that he could channel into Ghost Rider to destructive ends. This cosmic energy can destroy planets, so it could kill Ghost Rider.
Since Galactus can also absorb the energy of planets, he could also kill Ghost Rider by taking away his Hellfire energy in a similar way as Zarathos did. So, Galactus provides us with two points of reference for how Ghost Rider might die.
Immortal Hulk is another character that could kill Ghost Rider. Infinite strength and intelligence provide a means for smashing down and destroying him. Although when the two battled and it ended in a draw, Immortal Hulk could inflict a blow that strips the Ghost Rider’s power away.
Yet, others contend that Ghost Rider can only be killed by another Spirit of Vengeance like Zarathos. By this logic, it takes a celestial level of power to end Ghost Rider and not just an immortal one.
This result almost happened in Ghost Rider #44, but Dr. Strange saved him. So the potential is there, but Ghost Rider survived.
Ghost Rider manages to find a way to continue.
What Can Kill Ghost Rider?
Ghost Rider is impervious to most attacks, even by superheroes or villains. In the MCU, he can die by the power of Mephisto and Zarathos but this denouement did not materialize.
In the comics, mystical or supernatural elements can kill Ghost Rider. If he is stripped or separated from his powers, then his end is at hand. Yet, Ghost Rider can be immortal through another host and preserves that status in the MCU and comics.
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.