The Original Ghost Rider

Before Nicholas Cage rode a motorcycle with his head on fire, another Ghost Rider, a cowboy, ruled the roads. Combining the popular 1950s genres of western and horror, the Ghost Rider comic book was creative and refreshing.

Starting out as the Calico Kid, Ghost Rider changed his name and his identity. He became lawman Rex Fury by day, restrained by laws that sometimes protected the guilty, and Ghost Rider, a vigilante bringing about justice by night. He didn’t use intimidation to stop the bad guys, he used fear.

Ghost Rider liked to scare confessions out of outlaws. He wore a phosphorus covered white outfit with a flowing cape that was phosphorescent on one side and black on the other. Wrapping the black side of the cape around his body he would frighten outlaws by creating the illusion that he was just a floating head or pair of hands at night.

His body wasn’t the only weapon Ghost Rider used. To further confuse bad guys, he had a black lariat and a black bullwhip, convincing them that he could grab objects from a long distance. Even his two six guns and his horse, aptly named Spectre, glowed in the dark. Outlaws didn’t like Rex Fury, but this man who rode by night wasn’t even human.

In this world, the villains were often as scary as Ghost Rider. In this Wild West setting, he fought actual vampires, werewolves, and other things that go bump in the night. He also regularly came up against seemingly supernatural menaces who turned out to be human, but quite malicious. They were unlike many funny book bad guys who proved inept but clever at escaping. When Ghost Rider fought someone, it was usually only once.

The character made its cover debut on Tim Holt #11, though he only appeared in an inset. It was included in the next few issues as a secondary character, then in Tim Hold #17, was given the primary spot on the cover. Its popularity grew and from then on when ME westerns needed help in circulation a Ghost Rider story was added.