‘Agents Of SHIELD’ Season 4: It’s Johnny Blaze The Original Ghost Rider, Clark Gregg Confirms

Agents of SHIELD Season 4 episode 6 was the most intense yet. “The Good Samaritan” told Ghost Rider’s origin story, but with a second blazing twist, especially to those who aren’t familiar with how Robbie Reyes became Ghost Rider in the comics. Lots of spoilers ahead.

As Ghost Rider, Quake and Gabe hide from Director Mace in the containment module underneath the Zephyr, Robbie must reveal his secret to his brother. One night ‘back in the day,’ Robbie invited Gabe to go with him to a race to earn some extra cash. Gabe says he needs to finish studying for a test, but Robbie convinces him to come and have some fun. The two take off in their uncle Eli Morrow’s Dodge Charger. A black van with members of the Fifth Street Locos drives by and shoots a round of bullets at them. The car flips over and Gabe wakes up to see Robbie dead in the middle of the street. Robbie explains that he prayed to anyone who would listen to save his brother as he flew through the air and hit the pavement.

“Because of me you were going to die. We both were. When I was thrown from the car, I begged god, I begged the universe, I begged anyone who would listen that you be spared. I swore I'd give anything to save you,” Robbie told Gabe.

Gabe describes who he saw next as a ‘Good Samaritan’ on a motorcycle walk up to Robbie and help him. However, that’s not what happened through Robbie's eyes. He makes a deal with the man who he describes as the devil with a flaming skull and a leather jacket, who revives him with the spirit of vengeance.

“It was just darkness. Then I heard a voice asking me if I wanted a second chance. Did I want to punish those who hurt my brother? Did I want to avenge my own death? I answered yes, more than anything. Then I was alive again,” Robbie explains. “It wasn’t a good samaritan. It was the devil. Whatever was inside him, he passed it into me. That’s the deal I made,” Robbie said.

However, comic book fans already know this man is no good samaritan. He’s Johnny Blaze, the original Ghost Rider, who was mystically enchanted with the spirit of vengeance. Agents of SHIELD is putting its own spin on Robbie’s origins. In the comics, it’s the ghost of Eli Morrow bound to the black Dodge Charger that inhabits Robbie and makes him Ghost Rider. Morrow tells Robbie he was killed by gang members and wants Ghost Rider to avenge his death.

However, like in Agents of SHIELD, Eli Morrow is later revealed to be a villain in the comics. He was not an innocent soul, but a serial killer who murdered dozens. In episode 6, we learn Eli Morrow was behind using the Darkhold for crazy experiments at Momentum Labs. After Robbie gets him out of jail, Morrow recreates the experiment with the ghost of his engineering partner Dr. Lucy Bauer. He’s able to successfully break the laws of thermodynamics and harness the ability to create matter out of nothing.

According to Johnny Blaze, the version of Ghost Rider in the comics didn’t have the true spirit of vengeance. However, in Agents of SHIELD he must have the true spirit of vengeance since Johnny Blaze passed it on to him.

There was the possibility that this second Ghost Rider was Daniel Ketch, Johnny Blaze’s long-lost brother. Ketch had a better working relationship with the spirit who possessed him, which turned out to be the Angel of Vengeance. However, Clark Gregg took to Twitter Wednesday morning to clarify the second version of Ghost Rider we saw is indeed the ‘original Ghost Rider,’ which is definitely Johnny Blaze, who has also been known to pass on the spirit in a similar way as he does to Robbie in the episode.

Whether or not we’ll see this second Ghost Rider again (and if they’ll name drop Johnny Blaze) remains to be seen. Considering Eli Morrow isn’t part of Ghost Rider’s origin in the TV series, except for the fact the drive-by shooting that nearly killed Gabe and Robbie was actually meant for him, it will be interesting to see how the story progresses now that we know he’s a villain.

Agents of SHIELD Season 4 doesn’t resume until the end of November. Did you like the Johnny Blaze reveal? Let us know in the comments below.