"What if Blade Became Ghost Rider?" Static Shock Writer Creates Nightmarish Fanart That Should Enter Marvel Canon
Ghost Rider and Blade make for the ultimate pairing, when fused by the creative mind behind Static Shock. Ghost Rider and Blade have a storied history dating back to their time together in the Midnight Sons. However, they've certainly never joined forces like this before, as artist Nikolas Draper-Ivey envisions Marvel's premiere vampire taking on a new role as the Spirit of Vengeance.
Nikolas Draper-Ivey posted on Instagram, sharing his "What-if?" scenario, combining Marvel's Daywalker and Ghost Rider. Draper-Ivey is the current writer/artist behind Static Shock, and his post has led to immediate calls from fans for this idea to become a reality at Marvel.
Engaging with the artist's post, readers were thrilled to speculate about everything from this hybrid character's name, to the story potential of such a combination. The immediate popularity of the concept should lead Marvel to explore it further.
The Blade/Ghost Rider "What-if?" is truly embodied by Draper-Ivey's fan art design, as he manifests Blade with the Rider's signature flaming skull, wielding an actual flaming blade in his hand.
Johnny Blaze has been separated from the Ghost Rider, and instead of trying to win it back, he proposes a drastic solution: kill it once and for all.
Nikolas Draper-Ivey's vision for a Blade that's been engulfed by a Ghost Rider presence is an enticing one...The imagery is striking enough to warrant easing it into Marvel's official canon.
Nikolas Draper-Ivey's fan art has generated a great deal of excitement, given that both Blade and Ghost Rider have returned to prominence this year, as Marvel makes a concentrated push to elevate its horror and supernatural characters. Though the publisher is known for asking "What-if?," the Static Shock author posed one question Marvel has yet to fully address: what if Blade was endowed with the powers of Ghost Rider. Though Marvel has come close to making this connection between the two powerful horror-heroes, it hasn't fully. Now, Draper-Ivey's fan art is a strong argument for why they should.
Marvel readers previously caught a glimpse of this in an arc where Blade once reluctantly absorbed powers from dark heroes to reach his strongest form. However, the Blade/Ghost Rider "What-if?" is truly embodied by Draper-Ivey's fan art design, as he manifests Blade with the Rider's signature flaming skull, wielding an actual flaming blade in his hand. Beside the sword-wielding Blade is a flaming motorcycle that makes it clear how effortlessly the vampire hero would fit into the Ghost Rider role, if he were to be given the opportunity in a future story.
Blade and Ghost Rider are two of Marvel's most notable supernatural beings. As such, they once combined their supernatural forces to become the Midnight Sons, a group of horror-themed heroes who Blade once likened to a family . Both the Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch versions of Ghost Rider were involved with Blade in the Midnight Sons, alongside Morbius in the original lineup. The team eventually broke up, though they are currently scheduled to reunite when Blade, Ghost Rider, and Victoria Montessi appear in Blood Hunt: Midnight Sons.
Nikolas Draper-Ivey's vision for a Blade that's been engulfed by a Ghost Rider presence is an enticing one, and it's far too enticing to leave restricted to an Instagram post. The imagery is striking enough to warrant easing it into Marvel's official canon. There would be few better, more exciting ways to get Blade and Ghost Rider back together than melding the two together. Blade is currently being possessed by Varnae, the first vampire, but when he recovers, finding retribution by allowing himself to be possessed by Ghost Rider may be a fitting way to redeem the Daywalker.