| Ghost | |
|---|---|
 Ghost |
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| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Marvel Comics |
| First appearance | Iron Man #219 (Jun 1987) |
| Created by | David Michelinie Bob Layton |
| In-story information | |
| Alter ego | Unknown |
| Team affiliations | Thunderbolts |
| Abilities | Skilled Marksman Battle suit grants: Invisibility Intangibility Stealth Technology |
Ghost is a supervillain from Marvel Comics. The first appearance of this character is in Iron Man #219.
Contents |
Virtually nothing is known as yet about the true identity of the Ghost. He claims to have been a business executive at one time, and that businessmen made him what he is. The Ghost works as a freelance industrial saboteur and seeks to destroy various corporations through sabotage, and is apparently most interested in attacking those dealing in electronics and high technology. He is willing to do this without financial re-compensation, but often hires himself out to corporations that wish to destroy rival companies, having developed a pathological hatred for high technology businesses and business executives. The Ghost is a brilliant inventor, technician, engineer, demolitions expert, and computer scientist.
The Ghost was initially hired by Carrington Pax, a leading executive of the Roxxon Oil Corporation, to destroy Accutech Research and Development. Accutech was trying to develop a beta particle generator and when they refused to sell it to Roxxon, the Ghost was hired to drive Accutech into bankruptcy. Tony Stark was interested in acquiring Accutech's technology and bought the company. Investigating a disturbance at the new facility as Iron Man, he first met the Ghost. Iron Man managed to drive the Ghost from Accutech, but the Ghost swore that he would have his revenge on Iron Man's employer, Tony Stark.
For the next few weeks, Tony Stark spent all his free time modifying his armor. Sometimes, for extra security, he would sleep in his armor, too. When Pax and the other executives at Roxxon heard that the Ghost had gone rogue, they feared his actions would make the company look bad, so they called in Spymaster to take care of him. After a fierce battle at Stark Enterprises, the Ghost killed Spymaster. Using a modified version of his intangibility circuits, the Ghost made Spymaster materialize in a wall. The shock caused Spymaster's whole body to shut down.
Tony finally took the offensive against the Ghost. He set up a trap and the Ghost walked right into it. After a short battle between Iron Man and the Ghost, Iron Man cornered the Ghost in the room with the beta particle generator. He had it turned on so he could see the cloaked Ghost better, since radiation from the generator would cause interference in the Ghost's sophisticated tech-suit. However, prolonged exposure to the generator was fatal, and Iron Man didn't want to stay in the room for too long. But the Ghost had sworn to bring down Stark Enterprises and nothing, not even the chance of dying, would stop him. As he tried to reach the generator to destroy it, the intense heat from his overloading costume caused the floor to melt and the Ghost fell through. As Iron Man searched for him, all he found of the Ghost was his burnt costume. Still, Tony didn't believe that the Ghost was dead.[1]
Indeed, fairly soon after, the Ghost reappeared - this time plaguing a company in Italy, owned by none other than Justin Hammer. The shrewd industrialist intended to sell the company, Electronica Fabbrizi, to Tony Stark, ridding him of a dangerous enemy and a useless asset, as well as sticking a business rival with a nasty problem. However, after Tony Stark discovered the true ownership of the floundering company, a compromise was reached: Hammer's forces and Iron Man would cooperate in taking out the Ghost. Hammer sent his operatives Blacklash, Blizzard, and Boomerang to help Iron Man fight the Ghost. However, Hammer's team betrayed Iron Man, planning to get rid of both their enemies.
Ghost attempted to kill Iron Man by rendering him intangible. While Iron Man managed to save the lives of everybody involved, Electronica Fabbrizi was irrevocably destroyed and the Ghost escaped. However, when the mysterious villain confronted Hammer, it was revealed the ruthless business man had defenses developed against the Ghost's intangibility powers, and made his own escape, leaving his assailant trapped. Blasting his way out, the saboteur vowed to continue his crusade against Hammer and all companies anywhere.[2]
Ghost was next hired by the Kingpin to steal the new Roxxon process to create synthetic vibranium, and battled Spider-Man and the Black Panther.[3]
The Ghost was then defeated by Sunturion, but escaped and was then defeated by Ultron.[4]
Much later, several companies were suddenly and violently destroyed when bombs, apparently installed in personal computers, went off in inner-city offices. Tony Stark, who at the time was undercover as a common employee at one of the companies that went under, managed to track down the source of the attacks: the "Advanced Corp", a cover for AIM. It was then revealed that AIM, not usually operating in common business circles, on this occasion had employed a special agent to eliminate the competition: the Ghost. Nearly defeating Iron Man in their first fight and escaping without a hitch, he hit a nasty snag during their second fight when he attempted to phase his costumed hand into Iron Man's chest, and Tony Stark's then-artificial heart defended itself, knocking him unconscious. He was subsequently arrested, but his identity appears to have remained unknown.
Later still, having apparently escaped, the Ghost (In a new, more streamlined outfit) was employed by the third Spymaster to help free the Living Laser, who was "held captive" by Stark Industries at the time. He attempted to kill Iron Man, and believed to have succeeded. In the end, he proved too unreliable and quirky, and was abandoned by his employer. He remains at large. The Ghost was mentioned by Gauntlet as the one who attacked him and left a NW mark on him (when it was actually seemingly light-hearted recruit Slapstick).[5]
He seems to have become more unhinged and reclusive, however, as Ms. Marvel mentions that "He smells... Badly." and The Ghost himself shows signs of increasing obsessiveness. With the Thunderbolts officially disbanded, Osborn recruits Ghost for his new Thunderbolts, now a black ops team under Osborn's direct control.[6] Ghost helps Osborn take control of Air Force One with the Goblin (actually new Thunderbolts member Headsman), Doc Samson, and the new President aboard.[7] As part of Osborn's plan, the Ghost phases Samson out of the plane, and drops him from the sky.[8] Norman Osborn calls for the Ghost to come to Stark Tower, where he unlocks a vault containing Iron Man's old armors.[9] Ghost later reveals to the Black Widow that when Osborn is king of the corporate world, he'll act as "a virus" to bring it down from the inside. He explains he wants to inform Yelena's real boss, Nick Fury.[10] Widow was eventually exposed as Natalia Romanova, who was in fact Nick Fury's undercover agent, and who was attempting to make sure Songbird stayed alive. Paladin, Ghost and Headsman purposely turned on the other Thudnerbolts in order for the two heroines to escape. However, Ghost insisted that they stay in the Thunderbolts, for they all have their own agendas. He uses electro-convulsive shock in order to make Scourge and Mr. X forget about the betrayal.[11]
Because Tony Stark had purposely lobotomized himself into a vegetative state, and had his power of attorney transferred over to Donald Blake, Madame Masque hired Ghost to kill Stark.[12]
The Ghost wears a battlesuit that he designed, and that contains various devices powered by electricity. Cybernetic circuitry in the Ghost's hood enables him to control the devices in his costume by mental command. The Ghost's costume allows him to become invisible and to turn other objects invisible as long as he is touching them. The Ghost's costume also enables him to become intangible by placing him out of phase with this dimensional plane, granting him the ability to phase through objects. The battle-suit does not allow him to be both invisible and intangible simultaneously; it also does not allow him to pass through an unknown synthetic material developed by Justin Hammer's scientists. Circuitry in the battle-suit enables him to control and reprogram computers by touching the computers or equipment containing computers. His battle-suit renders the Ghost undetectable by most scanning devices.
The Ghost also invented guns that fire bursts of electricity, and guns that fire concussive force blasts. He uses various explosive devices, including self-targeting Anson grenades and bombs activated by sound, and a large arsenal of high-tech weaponry.
The Ghost has a gifted intellect, and is a brilliant inventor, technician, engineer, demolitions expert, and computer scientist.
The Ultimate Marvel version of Ghost is introduced into the Ultimate Marvel universe in Ultimate Comics: Armor Wars #1, where he sneaks into one of Tony Stark's underground hideouts and steals an ornament from him. His armor has the traditional phasing capabilities, and he is also able to generate teleportation fields that allow him to warp objects away.
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