FLAMING STAR

Real Name: Flaming Star (original name unrevealed)

Identity/Class: Normal human (Native American) (Old West era) magic user

Occupation: Medicine Man

Group Membership: Sioux nation (see comments)

Affiliations: Manitou, Phantom Rider (Carter Slade), Phantom Rider (Reno Jones), Red Wolf (Johnny Wakely), people of Wonderment, Montana

Enemies: Nightriders, Tarantula, Towering Oak

Known Relatives: Spotted Doe, Towering Oak, Ghost Wind Rider (granddaughter)

Aliases: None

Base of Operations: formerly a village outside Wonderment, Montana;
    formerly a village outside Bison Bend, Colorado;
    Old West era

First Appearance: Ghost Rider I#1 (February, 1967)

Powers/Abilities: Flaming Star could pray to his god, Manitou, for magical power. He was the custodian of such items of power as the glowing dust used by Phantom Rider and the Spirit Stone.

History:
(Ghost Rider I#1(fb)-BTS / 6(fb) / Ghost Rider II#50(fb)) - In the latter half of the nineteenth century, the Manitou appeared before a medicine man, instructing him to find the "glowing dust from the heavens" and to then use it to impregnate the costume that would be used for the one who would become He Who Rides the Night Winds--aka Ghost Rider, aka Night Rider, aka Phantom Rider, etc.
    Flaming Star followed the trail of a meteorite to collect the dust, keeping in stored until he would find the above champion. From the signal of the gods, he received the name Flaming Star. In addition to the dust, he also found a skull shaped item, which he called the Spirit Stone.

(Ghost Rider I#6 (fb) - BTS) - Flaming Star considered bequeathing the glowing dust and Spirit Stone to his son, Towering Oak, but decided against it due to his weak heart, which would be unable to tolerate the strain imparted by their power.

(Ghost Rider I#1) - "Many seasons later," Flaming Star's tribesman brought him the wounded Carter Slade, who miraculously recovered from seemingly fatal wounds. Recognizing Slade as the one foretold by Manitou, Flaming Star shared with him the glowing dust and directed him to capture the white "ghost-horse," whom he named Banshee. Slade became the Phantom Rider.

(Ghost Rider II#50) - When the Phantom Rider was injured in battle with the Tarantula, a time traveling Johnny Blaze brought him to Flaming Star for treatment. However, shortly thereafter, Flaming Star's daughter, Spotted Doe, had a vision of the Ghost Rider, which she mistook for a demon who would attack them. Flaming Star encouraged Spotted Doe to summon a manifestation of the Manitou to annihilate the evil demon. Ghost Rider later proved himself by defeating the Tarantula's men, and Flaming Star apologized and thanked him for his help.

(Ghost Rider I#6) - Flaming Star gave the Phantom Rider to the Spirit Stone to amplify his strength. However, almost immediately after the Phantom Rider left the village, he was struck down by an arrow from Towering Oak, who stole the Spirit Stone from him and donned it himself. Towering Oak then returned to the village and challenged his father's authority, intending to take over the village for himself. Flaming Star told him he must first prove himself by defeating a challenger, and Flaming Star appointed the Phantom Rider as that challenger. Fully healed at this point, the Phantom Rider could not hope to defeat Towering Oak, but the effort pushed him to exertion, which had the effect Flaming Star had intended: it drove his heart beyond its capacity to function, and he abruptly died of a heart attack.
    Flaming Star buried the Spirit Stone along with Towering Oak, so that it would never again danger the lives of peaceful men.

(Blaze of Glory#4 (fb) - BTS) - After the death of Lincoln Slade, the most recent Phantom Rider, Flaming Star reacquired the costume, the glowing dust, and the horse Banshee.

(Blaze of Glory#1 (fb) - BTS) - Along with many other Native Americans, Flaming Star migrated north to live outside of Wonderment, Montana, a town founded by exo-dusters, African Americans who had fled the South and stuck out on their own. He and his people found great kindness with the people of Wonderment. However, he came to realize that the white man would never stop until he had claimed all of the land in America, taking it away from the Native Americans.

(Blaze of Glory#1) <1885> - As the Nightriders threatened to drive off the people of Wonderment, Montana, Flaming Star attended a town meeting and offered to find one who might help them.

(Blaze of Glory#2) - In the hills outside Wonderment, Flaming Star and his granddaughter, Ghost Wind Rider, were saved from attackers by Red Wolf, the man they had been seeking.

(Blaze of Glory#3 - BTS / 4(fb) - BTS) - After Reno Jones was shot in battle with the Nightriders, Flaming Star found and treated him, and gave him the equipment to assume the role of the Phantom Rider to help drive off the Nightriders.

(Blaze of Glory#4) - Flaming Star and Ghost Wind Rider were present in Wonderment either during or shortly after the Western heroes united with the Native Americans and people of Wonderment to defeat the Nightriders.

Comments: Created by Gary Friedrich, Roy Thomas, Dick Ayers, and Vince Colletta.

Bison Bend was named as being in Nevada in OHotMU Update '89#5 Data Corrections, but was later identified as being located in Colorado in Original Ghost Rider #13.

    In Ghost Rider I#6, Flaming Star was named as a Sioux, while in the OHotMU Deluxe#5: Ghost Rider, he was identified as a Commanche. When in doubt, I'd usually go with the original source, but I'm not sure if there's any reason why one is more appropriate than the other.

He might have been half-Sioux/half-Arapaho, and simply married into the Comanche tribe. Much like Corey Rand, gunslinging father of the Ringo Kid. It's historical fact that the Arapaho were middlemen, between the Sioux and Comanche, with regard to intertribal trading.
--Caryomic

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
No known connection to:

images:
Ghost Rider I#1, p6, panel 3
Ghost Rider I#6, p3, panel 3
Blaze of Glory#1, p19, panel 2

Ghost Rider I#6 (October, 1967) - Gary Friedrich & Dick Ayers (writers), Dick Ayers (pencils), George Roussos (inks), Stan Lee (editor)
Ghost Rider II#50 (November, 1980) - Michael Fleisher (writer), Don Perlin (artist), Denny O'Neil (editor)
Blaze of Glory#1-4 (February - March, 2000) - John Ostrander (writer), Leonardo Manco (artist), Mark Bernardo & Tom Brevoorts (editor)

First Posted: 07/22/2004
Last updated: 11/28/2004

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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