First appearance

Ghost Rider's first appearance: Marvel Spotlight #5

Ghost Rider first appeared in Marvel Spotlight #5, cover dated August 1972, published by Marvel and created by Gary Friedrich, Roy Thomas and Mike Ploog.

Why it matters

Johnny Blaze's first appearance and origin as the motorcycle-riding Spirit of Vengeance. It's the first appearance of the Ghost Rider most people know, and one of Marvel's best-known Bronze Age keys.

Related key issues

• Ghost Rider #1 (September 1973), the start of his own series.
• Ghost Rider #1 (May 1990), the first appearance of Danny Ketch as Ghost Rider.

Before you buy or sell, check

• An original has a 20-cent cover price. Reprints and facsimiles are marked.
• Make sure it's Marvel Spotlight #5 (1972), not a later Marvel Spotlight series with the same number.

Then look up what copies in similar condition actually sold for. Prices for keys like this move with grade and with news about the character, so a recent sale tells you far more than a printed guide. Our guides on the grading scale and spotting reprints help you compare like with like.

More first appearances

• Blade: The Tomb of Dracula #10 (July 1973)
• Moon Knight: Werewolf by Night #32 (August 1975)
• Spider-Man: Amazing Fantasy #15 (August 1962)
• Wolverine: The Incredible Hulk #181 (November 1974)
• Venom: The Amazing Spider-Man #300 (May 1988)

Questions